Live coverage: Virgin Orbit rocket fails before reaching orbit on first UK mission

Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a Virgin Orbit LauncherOne rocket. The air-launched rocket will climb into orbit with nine small satellite payloads after release from a Boeing 747 carrier aircraft after taking off from Spaceport Cornwall in South West England. Text updates will appear automatically below. Follow us on Twitter.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Virgin’s live webcast begins at 2130 GMT (4:30 p.m. EST)

Virgin Orbit Webcast