RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Virgin Orbit, the space company owned by British billionaire Richard Branson, announced on Monday that it has opened a subsidiary in Brazil and received a license from the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) to operate from the Alcântara (MA) base.
Once all formalities are completed, the company expects to be able to conduct the first launch from Brazil in 2023. The announcement sent shares of the company, which uses a rocket system launched mid-flight from a modified Boeing 747-400 cargo plane, up 12.1 percent at 1:13 p.m. EDT.
Because of its proximity to the equator, the Alcântara base is one of the best places in the world to launch satellites into orbit.
“Virgin Orbit’s launch system will enable the Alcântara base to become one of the world’s only continental space centers capable of achieving any orbital inclination,” the company said in a press release.
“Virgin Orbit is well suited for launching small satellites,” said Carlos Moura, president of AEB, in the company’s statement. “Virgin Orbit will be able to improve its capabilities when it lifts off from its base in Alcântara. The weather is good, the runway is wonderful, the airspace is clear, and it is equipped with tracking systems. Together we can achieve much more,” he said.
The announcement came about a month after billionaire Elon Musk, owner of aerospace company SpaceX, traveled to Brazil for a meeting with Brazilian government officials to discuss Amazon connectivity.