European satellite launch fails to reach orbit

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The first attempt to launch a satellite from western Europe appeared to have failed early on Tuesday when Virgin Orbit reported an "anomaly" that had prevented its rocket from reaching orbit.

The mission had left from the coastal town of Newquay in southwest England, with Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne rocket carried under the wing of a modified Boeing 747 and later released over the the Atlantic Ocean.

Virgin Orbit, part-owned by British billionaire Richard Branson, had planned to deploy nine satellites into lower Earth orbit (LEO) in its first mission outside its United States base.

"We appear to have an anomaly that has prevented us from reaching orbit," the company said. "We are evaluating the information."