400 mph Speed at which JETCAM can operate
Virgin Orbit is reimagining the way that small satellites are sent into space. By deploying their LauncherOne rocket from under the wing of a custom Boeing 747 known as Cosmic Girl, the company aims to make satellite services more agile and affordable. In order to document the test flights required to perfect their system, Virgin Orbit needed a team that could capture remarkable footage at high speeds and high altitude.
How we did it
Pursuit Aviation’s JETCAM platform is ideally suited for chasing other high-speed aircraft like Virgin Orbit’s custom 747. Ahead of the flight, pilot Steve Hinton, aerial DP Doug Holgate and Cosmic Girl chief pilot Kelly Latimer engaged in extensive pre-flight planning to ensure that the mission could be captured as efficiently as possible. During this test, LauncherOne remained attached to Cosmic Girl’s wing, allowing the company to gather data on the platform’s flight characteristics. The high-resolution imagery captured by JETCAM helped Virgin Orbit engineers analyze the system’s performance, while providing the stunning footage required for marketing the platform.
HIGHLIGHTS
12,000 ft. Altitude at which JETCAM documented test flights of Virgin Orbit’s Cosmic Girl
747 JETCAM captured Virgin Orbit’s custom 747 during the test flight