First UK rocket launch ends in failure after suffering ‘anomaly’

An attempt to make British space history by launching a rocket into orbit from UK soil has ended in failure after suffering an ‘anomaly’ during the flight (Ben Birchall/PA)

An attempt to make British space history by launching a rocket into orbit from UK soil has ended in failure after suffering an “anomaly” during the flight.

After taking off from Cornwall, the Virgin Orbit plane flew to 35,000ft over the Atlantic Ocean where it jettisoned the rocket containing nine small satellites towards space.