<keyword id="4243243" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Virgin-Orbit" source="Orion">Virgin Orbit</keyword>, the rocket company founded by British billionaire <keyword id="58954" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="richard-branson" source="Orion">Richard Branson</keyword>, has laid off nearly 85 per cent of its workforce -- about 675 employees -- after it failed to secure a key funding.<br /><br />Virgin <keyword id="6375157" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="orbit" source="Orion">Orbit</keyword> has ceased operations "for the foreseeable future", its CEO Dan Hart told employees late on Thursday.<br /><br />"Unfortunately, we've not been able to secure the funding to provide a clear path for this company. We have no choice but to implement immediate and extremely painful changes," Hart told the employees.<br /><br />In a US securities filing, the company announced a workforce reduction of approximately 675 employees, constituting approximately 85 per cent of the company's workforce "in order to reduce expenses in light of the Company's inability to secure meaningful funding".<br /><br />Those impacted are located in all areas of the company.<br /><br />The company estimated that the move will incur aggregate charges of approximately $15 million, consisting primarily of $8.8 million in severance payments and employee benefits costs and $6.5 million in other costs primarily related to outplacement services and WARN Act exposure.<br /><br />"The company expects to recognise the majority of these charges in the first quarter of 2023. It expects that the reduction in force will be substantially complete by April 3, 2023," the filing read.<br /><br />Branson founded Virgin Orbit in 2017 after spinning off from its sister company, <keyword id="130495" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="virgin-galactic" source="Orion">Virgin Galactic</keyword>.<br /><br />Virgin Orbit has been developing an air-launched rocket, dubbed LauncherOne, for hauling small satellites to orbit.<br /><br />In January, its rocket carrying satellites into space suffered an "anomaly", abruptly ending the first foray into orbital launch from the UK territory.<br /><br />An investigation into that failed mission "is nearly complete and our next production rocket with the needed modification incorporated is in final stages of integration and test", a Virgin Orbit spokesperson said in a March 15 statement.<br /><br /><b>SEE ALSO:</b><br /><br /> <b><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/zomato-gold-swiggy-dineout-competitor-eazydiner-raises-40-crore/articleshow/99091065.cms">EazyDiner raises ₹40 crore from DMI Alternative Investment Fund</a></b><br /><br /> <b><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/how-to-check-tds-dividend-income-and-income-tax-refund-using-the-ais-for-taxpayers-app/articleshow/99025288.cms">How to check TDS, dividend income, and income tax refund using the AIS for Taxpayers app</a></b><br /><br /> <b><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/here-are-some-of-the-companies-that-are-using-chatgpt-salesforce-air-india-snapchat-in-the-list/articleshow/98904862.cms">From Salesforce to Air India, here are the companies that are using ChatGPT</a></b><br />

Richard Branson's rocket company Virgin Orbit lays off 85% of workforce

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit struggled to make a comeback after a failed launch in January.</li><li>It filed for bankruptcy protection after laying off staff and failing to secure enough funding.</li></ul><p>A failed rocket launch, stalled investor talks, layoffs, and now a bankruptcy protection filing. It's clear Virgin Orbit has faced a tumultuous few months.</p><p>The satellite launch company has gone from a $3.2 billion valuation after going <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/virgin-orbit-spac-satellite-launch-merger-galactic-nextgen-richard-branson-2021-8?_gl=1*ojnvuj*_ga*ODE1NjE1Mzg2LjE2MjgyMzUzMTM.*_ga_E21CV80ZCZ*MTY4MDU5Mjg2Mi4xNjE2LjEuMTY4MDU5NTMwNC42MC4wLjA.">public</a> in 2021 to a market capitalization of <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/vorb">$67.4 million</a> on Tuesday.</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/watch-live-richard-branson-virgin-orbit-launch-uk-rocket-cornwall-2023-1">Virgin Orbit</a> ended up <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virgin-orbit-bankruptcy-richard-branson-rocket-firm-files-2023-4">filing</a> for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Tuesday in the US after the company failed to secure funding to continue operations.</p><p>But what pushed Richard Branson's satellite launch provider down the slippery slope?</p><h2>Falling short in SPAC deal</h2><p>The company <a href="https://investors.virginorbit.com/company-information">touts</a> itself as having a "flexible and responsive" launch system that has delivered national security, commercial, and international satellites into orbit. Branson <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/14/richard-branson-virgin-orbit-could-replace-air-force-satellites-in-24-hours.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in 2019 that Virgin Orbit could replace satellites for the US Air Force in 24 hours.</p><p>But this wasn't enough for Virgin Orbit to raise an anticipated $483 million in a 2021 SPAC deal. Instead, the merger raised $228 million in gross proceeds, a <a href="https://virginorbit.com/the-latest/nextgen-acquisition-corp-ii-stockholders-approve-business-combination-with-virgin-orbit-the-responsive-launch-and-space-solutions-company-virgin-orbit-expected-to-list-on-the-nasdaq-stock-exchange/">statement</a> said. This was because of a high rate of shareholder redemptions, per <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/31/virgin-orbit-what-went-wrong.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNBC</a>.</p><h2>Expensive launches with a low launch rate</h2><div type="image" title="Virgin Orbit Boeing 747" height="1234" width="1645" msid="99244574" hostid="261" sizebytes="50498"></div><p>Virgin Orbit was spun out of Branson's space tourism company, Virgin Galactic, in 2017. They both sit under the Virgin Group.</p><p>Unlike SpaceX, Virgin Orbit blasts its <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virgin-orbit-uk-space-launch-fail-rocket-mission-spaceport-photos-2023-1#virgin-orbit-uses-a-repurposed-virgin-atlantic-boeing-747-400-called-cosmic-girl-to-launch-its-launcherone-rocket-which-is-lodged-under-the-planes-wing-2">LauncherOne rocket</a> into space with the help of a modified Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 called Cosmic Girl. The rocket, filled with small satellites, is strapped underneath the wing of the plane and is released when the aircraft reaches 35,000 feet in altitude. The spacecraft then roars into orbit and delivers the satellites.</p><p>Since its inception, Virgin Orbit has had four successful missions out of a total of six launches.</p><p>Each air launch with LauncherOne, which isn't fully reusable, costs around $12 million, per <a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/01/even-before-mondays-launch-failure-virgin-orbits-finances-were-dismal/#:~:text=The%20company%20made%20its%20first,Virgin%20Orbit%20be%20financially%20sustainable%3F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">media</a> <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-27/branson-swaps-risk-for-reserve-in-virgin-orbit-s-costly-flameout" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a>. The Boeing 747, however, is reusable.</p><p>Branson and the Virgin Group have supported Virgin Orbit, investing more than $1 billion in the company, including $60 million since November 2022, a company spokesperson told <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virgin-orbit-bankruptcy-richard-branson-rocket-firm-files-2023-4">Insider</a>. This funding "was not enough to counter the strong headwinds and liquidity challenges Virgin Orbit continues to face," the spokesperson added.</p><h2>Failed launch</h2><div type="image" title="A general view of Cosmic Girl, a repurposed Boeing 747 aircraft carrying the LauncherOne rocket under its left wing, as final preparations are made at Cornwall Airport" height="3592" width="5392" msid="99244576" hostid="261" sizebytes="2152272"></div><p>Virgin Orbit has launched the majority of its rockets from California, where it's headquartered. The company carried out its <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/problem-with-virgin-orbit-jumbo-jet-rocket-launch-2020-5">first mission</a> in May 2020, but the rocket failed on its way to space.</p><p>The second mission in January 2021 was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virgin-orbit-rocket-nasa-space-branson-boeing-cosmic-girl-satellite-2021-1?utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;_gl=1*itbu30*_ga*ODE1NjE1Mzg2LjE2MjgyMzUzMTM.*_ga_E21CV80ZCZ*MTY4MDYwMDQxMy4xNjE3LjEuMTY4MDYwMjA5NS4yOC4wLjA.">Virgin Orbit's first successful launch</a> when the rocket sent 10 small satellites into orbit for NASA.</p><p>Following this, Virgin Orbit had three successful missions — one more in 2021 and two in 2022. This was despite CEO Dan Hart telling <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/07/virgin-orbit-stock-pops-as-company-shows-rocket-in-times-square.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNBC</a> after the SPAC deal that the company was hoping to launch seven rockets in 2022.</p><p>With launch frequency down, anticipation was high for Virgin Orbit's sixth mission in January 2023. It was due to be the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virgin-orbit-uk-space-launch-fail-rocket-mission-spaceport-photos-2023-1">UK's first orbital space launch</a> to take place from British soil. The Boeing successfully took off from Spaceport Cornwall in Newquay and dropped LauncherOne at a high altitude. But the rocket suffered an "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virgin-orbit-rocket-suffers-anomaly-satellites-fails-reach-orbit-uk-2023-1">anomaly</a>" and failed to reach orbit to deliver the nine satellites onboard. </p><p>Ultimately, Virgin Orbit has been unable to reach the rate of launches needed to meet the required revenue, per <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/31/virgin-orbit-what-went-wrong.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNBC</a>.</p><h2>Funding issues </h2><p>Since the failed UK launch, Virgin Orbit has attempted to rake in funding from investors, per <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/20/virgin-orbit-looming-bankruptcy-deal-talks.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a>. <a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/virgin-orbit-talks-raise-200-mln-matthew-brown-term-sheet-2023-03-22/">Reuters</a> reported Texas-based investor Matthew Brown was in talks to inject $200 million into Virgin Orbit, but the discussions collapsed.</p><p>Branson is the majority stakeholder of Virgin Orbit, owning 75% of shares, but <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/30/virgin-orbit-funding-ceasing-operations-layoffs.html">CNBC</a> reported that he didn't want to fund the company further.</p><p>Amid the recent turmoil, Virgin Orbit announced last week it was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virgin-orbit-richard-branson-satellite-company-lay-offs-cease-operations-2023-3">laying off 85% of its workforce. </a>The company was also ceasing operations "for the foreseeable future," per CNBC.</p><p>It's now on the brink of bankruptcy. In a copy of the company's bankruptcy filing seen by Insider on Tuesday, Virgin Orbit listed assets of about $243 million and total debt of $153.5 million as of September 30, 2022. </p><p>Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection would allow Virgin Orbit to keep operating while it tries to restructure its debts. </p><p>Virgin Orbit did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. </p><p><em>Got a tip? Get in touch with this reporter via email kduffy@insider.com or <a href="https://twitter.com/kate__duffy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> DM for Signal.</em></p>

What went wrong at Virgin Orbit? 4 red flags signaled trouble for Richard Branson's satellite launch firm.

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c3cca73bd7730403d4a0167-2400/elon-musk-gwynne-shotwell-spacex-leadership-leaders-founder-coo-president-getty-flickr-business-insider-2x1.png" border="0" alt="elon musk gwynne shotwell spacex leadership leaders founder coo president getty flickr business insider 2x1" data-mce-source="Dia Dipasupil/Getty; Official SpaceX Photos/Flickr; Shayanne Gal/Business Insider" data-mce-caption="A photo-illustration of Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, and Gwynne Shotwell, the rocket company's president and chief operating officer." data-link="https://www.flickr.com/photos/spacex/41281637670/" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/spacex/41281637670/">Dia Dipasupil/Getty; Official SpaceX Photos/Flickr; Shayanne Gal/Business Insider</a></span></p><p class="caption">A photo-illustration of Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, and Gwynne Shotwell, the rocket company's president and chief operating officer.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/spacex" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SpaceX</a>, the rocket company founded by Elon Musk, is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-layoffs-report-2019-1">laying off about 10% of its workforce</a>.</li><li>In a notice required by California law, the company said it's eliminating 577 positions at its headquarters in Los Angeles.</li><li>Business Insider compiled that layoff <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/document/5c3cd96bd4beaf208b7686b2/warn%20space%20exploration%20technologies,%20corp#20180371%20dated%2001-11-2019.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> into two charts that summarize the roles and duties of those being let go.</li><li>Technicians, engineers, and machinists together make up a majority of SpaceX's terminated positions, while managers and supervisors represent about 7% of the layoffs.</li><li>Musk previously said SpaceX is moving resources into developing a reusable launch system called Starship/Super Heavy (or <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/big-falcon-rocket" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Big Falcon Rocket</a>), and deploying a global satellite internet network called <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/starlink" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Starlink</a>.</li></ul><p>Elon Musk's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-funding-investments-500-million-2018-4">$30 billion</a> rocket company, SpaceX, plans to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-layoffs-report-2019-1">lay off about 10% of its employees</a>. A government document lists a majority of the positions being terminated.</p><p>SpaceX announced the layoffs to employees on Friday, and the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-spacex-layoffs-20190111-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Los Angeles Times reported</a> the cuts shortly thereafter. The workforce reduction will terminate hundreds of employees at SpaceX facilities <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-locations-maps-texas-california-florida-washington-2018-3">across at least seven states</a> by March 12.</p><p>"This action is taken only due to the extraordinarily difficult challenges ahead and would not otherwise be necessary," a SpaceX spokesperson said in a statement sent to Business Insider (the full statement is below).</p><p>The company declined to provide a total number of people who will lose their jobs, though it said more than 6,000 employees will remain after the layoffs. That suggests about 700 positions were eliminated, given the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-jobs-elon-musk-hiring-open-positions-2018-6">company's last-reported size</a>. (A rocket engineer and entrepreneur unaffiliated with SpaceX suggested on Twitter that as many as <a href="https://twitter.com/rocketrepreneur/status/1084141999807094785" target="_blank" rel="noopener">850 people</a> were let go.)</p><p>However, details about most of the layoffs can be found in a legally mandated document that the company sent to California's Employment Development Department. Business Insider obtained a copy of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/document/5c3cd96bd4beaf208b7686b2/warn%20space%20exploration%20technologies,%20corp#20180371%20dated%2001-11-2019.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the document</a> from the department; it states that SpaceX plans to terminate 577 people at its headquarters in Hawthorne (a city in the Los Angeles area), and it lists their job titles.</p><p>The chart below summarizes the main types of jobs SpaceX plans to eliminate at its headquarters, and what percentage of the 577 people laid off that each job represents.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c3e4a3ed1189307f648acec-1668/spacex-layoffs-workforce-reduction-jobs-positions-types-laid-off-eliminated-hawthorne-january-2019-california-warn-act-samantha-lee-insider.png" border="0" alt="spacex layoffs workforce reduction jobs positions types laid off eliminated hawthorne january 2019 california warn act samantha lee insider" data-mce-source="Samantha Lee/Business Insider" data-mce-caption="A breakdown of 577 positions that SpaceX said it is eliminating at the company's headquarters in Hawthorne, California." /><p class="source"><span>Samantha Lee/Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">A breakdown of 577 positions that SpaceX said it is eliminating at the company's headquarters in Hawthorne, California.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Technicians - a critical role at any rocket company - make up the lion's share of laid-off employees, with 174 positions eliminated (30.2% of all layoffs in Hawthorne). Engineers come next with 97 jobs let go, or nearly 17% of the locally terminated workforce.</p><p>Managers and supervisors together make up about 7% of the layoffs in Hawthorne. Positions listed under "Other" include baristas, dishwashers, drivers, recruiters, writers, and an investigator.</p><p>Descriptive words used in the titles of the laid-off positions are summarized below.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c3e4a3e10f0d0090f24e2b8-1668/spacex-layoffs-workforce-reduction-most-used adjectives-descriptions-jobs-positions-laid-off-hawthorne-january-2019-california-warn-act-samantha-lee-insider.png" border="0" alt="spacex layoffs workforce reduction most used adjectives descriptions jobs positions laid off hawthorne january 2019 california warn act samantha lee insider" data-mce-source="Samantha Lee/Business Insider" data-mce-caption="The most frequently used descriptors attached to positions that SpaceX said it is eliminating at the company's headquarters in Hawthorne, California." /><p class="source"><span>Samantha Lee/Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">The most frequently used descriptors attached to positions that SpaceX said it is eliminating at the company's headquarters in Hawthorne, California.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>The word "Sr." (senior) was attached to nearly 6% of the eliminated positions. "Structures" and "propulsion" - two key areas in the development of rocket bodies and engines - were associated with nearly 17% of all the jobs cut in Hawthorne.</p><h2>Why SpaceX said it needed to lay off hundreds of people</h2><p>The document that lists these job titles is a notice required by California's Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, also known as the <a href="https://www.edd.ca.gov/jobs_and_training/Layoff_Services_WARN.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WARN Act</a>. The law says companies must tell workers and the state about layoffs at least 60 days in advance if more than 50 people are let go within a 30-day period.</p><p>This major reduction in workforce is not SpaceX's first round of cuts.</p><p>In fact, after the company terminated hundreds of workers in July 2014, some former employees sued the company based on what they saw as a lack of compliance with language in the WARN Act. SpaceX fought the class-action lawsuit but ultimately lost, according to Los Angeles County <a href="https://www.lacourt.org/paonlineservices/civilImages/externalAppLink.aspx?casenumber=BC552901" target="_blank" rel="noopener">court documents</a>.</p><p>SpaceX may have adjusted its layoff strategy this time after weathering that litigation - according to the LA Times, the company is now offering affected employees about eight weeks' severance pay and access to career resources.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c1a9241c65f120b3e1cd203-1080/spacex-starlink-satellite-constellation-global-internet-network-service-illustration-mark-handley-ucl-youtube.jpg" border="0" alt="spacex starlink satellite constellation global internet network service illustration mark handley ucl youtube" data-mce-source="Mark Handley/UCL; YouTube" data-mce-caption="An illustration of SpaceX's constellation of thousands of Starlink satellites to provide global high-speed, low-latency internet." data-link="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEIUdMiColU" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEIUdMiColU">Mark Handley/UCL; YouTube</a></span></p><p class="caption">An illustration of SpaceX's constellation of thousands of Starlink satellites to provide global high-speed, low-latency internet.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Because SpaceX facilities outside of California are not subject to the state's WARN Act, it's not yet clear whether other locations saw job losses similar to those at the Hawthorne headquarters.</p><p>However, Musk said in 2018 that work on developing SpaceX's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/falcon-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Falcon 9 rocket</a> - a workhorse launch system for the company - was ending. That's because the latest version of the rocket has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-falcon-9-rocket-block-5-2018-5">a booster that Musk says can be reused 10 to 100 times</a>. The company launched 21 of the rockets last year, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-falcon-9-commercial-rocket-record-most-launches-2018-12">breaking its own record</a>.</p><p><em><strong>Read more</strong>: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rocket-launches-meteor-showers-2019-space-calendar-2018-11">An extraordinary year of rocket launches, meteor showers, and space exploration is here. This is a 2019 calendar of space events you can't miss.</a></em></p><p>Musk has also hinted that SpaceX is refocusing its resources on two keystone projects: a launch system for reaching Mars known as Big Falcon Rocket (or BFR or Starship/Super Heavy), and Starlink, a global satellite internet project.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c3cd8842a5b7426867106b3-682/starship-test-hopper-stainless-steel-spacesuit-actual-photo-boca-chica-brownsville-texas-launch-site-elon-musk-twitter-january-2019-dwmagbzx4aebun.jpg" border="0" alt="starship test hopper stainless steel spacesuit actual photo boca chica brownsville texas launch site elon musk twitter january 2019 DwmagBZX4AEbUN" data-mce-source="Elon Musk/SpaceX via Twitte" data-mce-caption="SpaceX's &amp;quottest hopper,&quot; an experimental stainless-steel ship, after it was built in Texas. A person is shown at the bottom to provide a sense of scale." data-link="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1083567087983964160" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1083567087983964160">Elon Musk/SpaceX via Twitte</a></span></p><p class="caption">SpaceX's "test hopper," an experimental stainless-steel ship, after it was built in Texas. A person is shown at the bottom to provide a sense of scale.</p></div><p></p></div></div>The statement provided to Business Insider from a SpaceX spokesperson also attributed the cuts to this shift:</p><p style="padding-left: 40px;">"To continue delivering for our customers and to succeed in developing interplanetary spacecraft and a global space-based Internet, SpaceX must become a leaner company. Either of these developments, even when attempted separately, have bankrupted other organizations. This means we must part ways with some talented and hardworking members of our team. We are grateful for everything they have accomplished and their commitment to SpaceX's mission. This action is taken only due to the extraordinarily difficult challenges ahead and would not otherwise be necessary."</p><p>SpaceX has been working relentlessly in recent weeks to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-steel-test-hopper-starship-texas-2019-1">build and start launching a "test hopper" prototype</a> of the interplanetary rocket system in question.</p><p>Musk hopes to use that system to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-moon-mission-passenger-bfr-big-falcon-rocket-2018-9">send a Japanese billionaire and a crew of artists around the moon</a> and create the world's fastest transportation system. But the ultimate goal is to launch crewed missions to Mars, perhaps as soon as 2024. Each flight may be capable of ferrying up to 100 people and 150 tons of cargo, according to Musk and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-mars-landing-missions-paul-wooster-presentation-2018-8">his top engineers</a>.</p><p><em><strong>Read more</strong>: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-mars-plan-timeline-2018-10">Elon Musk says SpaceX is on track to launch people to Mars within 6 years - here's the full timeline of his plans to colonize the red planet</a></em></p><p>Plans for SpaceX's global space-based internet project, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-starlink-internet-satellite-launch-paz-youtube-2018-2">Starlink</a>, call for launching 11,943 satellites into low-Earth orbit - many times more spacecraft than humanity has launched throughout history. The <a href="https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-18-161A1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FCC approved the scheme</a> on the condition that SpaceX complete its launches by December 2027. So far, the company has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-starlink-internet-satellite-launch-paz-youtube-2018-2">launched two prototypes into space</a>.</p><p>The layoffs - which might save SpaceX up to $100 million per year, based on some back-of-the-envelope <a href="https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-10-percent-workforce-fired-bfr-starlink-launches/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">calculations</a> - come less than a month after SpaceX <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-funding-investments-500-million-2018-4">announced plans to raise another $500 million in investment funding</a>. The company had previously raised $507 million in April 2018.</p><p><em><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/walter-hickey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Walt Hickey</a> contributed to this story.</em></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-blue-origin-virgin-galactic-space-tourism-2018-9">How SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic plan on taking you to space</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/RmEqM9f6-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

These are the 577 positions SpaceX is cutting at its headquarters in a major round of layoffs

<p><strong>We made it to Friday, readers. </strong>I'm Paayal Zaveri and it's another busy one today. </p><p>There's no way around it: The biggest news of the day doesn't come from the world of tech. </p><p>Former President <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-indicted-new-york-stormy-daniels-hush-money-payment-2023-3">Donald Trump was indicted</a> by a New York grand jury yesterday. This caps a nearly five-year investigation into Trump's personal and business finances by the Manhattan district attorney's office. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-indictment-live-updates-manhattan-ny-stormy-daniels-charges-2023-3">Insider has a live updates page that you can follow. </a></p><p>That said, there's plenty happening in tech news, from Salesforce layoffs to an unusual new perk for Meta employees.  </p><p>Let's get started on our top stories.</p><hr /><p><em>This is Insider's 10 Things in Tech newsletter. To get it in your inbox Mondays through Saturdays, </em><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/newsletter/10-things-in-tech"><em>sign up here</em></a><em>.</em></p><hr /><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/salesforce-layoffs-employees-blast-low-morale-lack-of-communication-2023-3"><strong></strong></a></p><p><strong>1. Salesforce conducts more layoffs.</strong> Employees aren't happy about how the cloud giant is handling its plan to cut 10% of its workforce.  CEO Marc Benioff personally responded to some employees who are complaining on Slack, my colleague <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/ashley-stewart">Ashley Stewart</a> reports. </p><ul><li>The most recent round of cuts hit a sales team selling the highest-tier of support called Signature, as well as Salesforce.org, the unit that sells services to non-profits and educational institutions.</li><li>Employees are particularly frustrated with how the company has communicated its progress on the layoffs. They say it's unclear how many more rounds of cuts are coming.</li><li>The cost-cutting did help Salesforce avoid a proxy battle for control of its board, as activist investors pushed for Salesforce to focus on efficiency. One of those investors, Elliott Management, said earlier this week that it would drop its challenge to the board. </li></ul><p><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/salesforce-layoffs-employees-blast-low-morale-lack-of-communication-2023-3">Read why Salesforce employees are upset at how the company is handling layoffs.</a></strong></p><hr /><p><u><strong>In other news:</strong></u></p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-elon-musk-and-sam-altman-relationship-feuds-2023-3"><strong></strong></a></p><div type="image" title="OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Elon Musk" height="1013" width="1351" msid="99144591" hostid="261"></div><p><strong> 2. </strong><strong>Elon Musk and Sam Altman's messy relationship. </strong>Elon Musk helped found OpenAI, the company behind viral smash hit ChatGPT. But since a falling out with its CEO Altman, the two execs have been at odds. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-elon-musk-and-sam-altman-relationship-feuds-2023-3">Here's a history of their feud</a>.</p><p><strong>3. If Apple can't make smart goggles happen, no one can. </strong>As you may remember, Apple is reportedly releasing mixed-reality smart goggles later this year. Its own execs are split on if it's a good idea. But experts say <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-reality-pro-goggles-good-idea-analysts-2023-3">Apple is the one company who could make smart goggles a reality,</a> my colleague <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/asia-martin">Asia Martin</a> reports.</p><p><strong>4. Welcome to TikTok's sister app, Lemon8.</strong> Even as TikTok faces a ban in the US, its parent company Bytedance has rolled out a new app here, called Lemon8. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lemon8-building-us-creator-team-as-tiktok-sister-app-surges-2023-3">It's building out its creator partnerships team in the US.</a></p><p><strong> 5. </strong><strong>Apple launches buy now, pay later. </strong>Apple is getting in on the growing popularity of buy now, pay later services. It recently launched Apple Pay Later. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-introduces-buy-now-pay-later-service-2023-3">Here's how it works. </a></p><p><strong>6. Meta's new office perk: a DJ.</strong> Meta has been encouraging people to return to its Silicon Valley headquarters over the last few months. Its latest perk to entice office attendance is reportedly a DJ who plays dance music in one of its cafes. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-dj-layoffs-menlo-park-mark-zuckerberg-2023-3">Dive into the latest on Meta's employee perks.</a></p><p><strong>7. Virgin Orbit is ceasing operations. </strong>The satellite company founded by Richard Branson is laying off 85% of its staff and reportedly ceasing operations "for the foreseeable future." This is after the company was unable to secure much-needed funding. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virgin-orbit-richard-branson-satellite-company-lay-offs-cease-operations-2023-3">Here's what happened.</a></p><p><strong>8. Lessons from "Instagram University." </strong>Meta recently hosted a virtual "Instagram University" event for creators. It taught people about the app's algorithm and how to best use it. My colleague <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/sydney-bradley">Sydney Bradley</a> attended. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/instagram-meta-university-creators-employees-share-advice-on-growing-community-2023-3">Here's her top five takeaways.</a></p><hr /><p><u><strong>Odds and ends:</strong></u></p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/deals/ps5-deal-bundle-discount-2023-3"></a></p><div type="image" title="PlayStation Five (PS5)" height="3740" width="4987" msid="99144593" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>9. A rare PS5 deal. </strong>Ever since the PS5 released over two years ago it's been in high demand. But now it's finally getting a little easier to find it, and there's a pretty good<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/deals/ps5-deal-bundle-discount-2023-3"> special bundle discount if you get it with the blockbuster "God of War Ragnarok." </a></p><p><strong>10. Gen Z loves dumb phones. </strong>As Gen Zers try to limit screen time, they're turning to so-called dumb phones. Remember the ones without screens or internet access? <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-dumb-phones-gain-popularity-us-limit-screen-time-2023-3">Here's how it's going for them.</a></p><hr /><p><strong>The latest people moves in tech:</strong></p><ul><li>Ex-Googlers are taking their skills elsewhere. Google built much of the foundational technology behind today's generative-AI boom. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ex-googlers-are-raising-millions-for-new-ai-startups-2023-3">Now ex-employees are raising millions for their own startups.</a></li><li>A top Google researcher resigned. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-researcher-quit-google-openai-bard-training-on-chatgpt-report-2023-3">He reportedly left earlier this year after warning execs that Google's AI chatbot Bard was trained off its rival ChatGPT.</a></li><li>Microsoft had <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-layoffs-charlie-bell-confirms-security-job-cuts-internal-email-2023-3">more layoffs this week</a>. But before that, it was one of the big tech companies that paid the best. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-salaries-revealed-engineers-employees-layoffs-2023-3">Here's what engineers, analysts, and others made before recent layoffs.</a> </li></ul><hr /><p><em>Curated by Paayal Zaveri in San Francisco. (Feedback or tips? Email </em><a href="mailto:pzaveri@insider.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>pzaveri@insider.com</em></a><em> or tweet </em><a href="https://twitter.com/paayalzaveri" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>@paayalzaveri</em></a><em>) </em><em> Edited by Matt Weinberger (tweet </em><a href="https://newsletter.businessinsider.com/click/30965283.83325/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9nYW1vaWQ_bnJfZW1haWxfcmVmZXJlcj0xJnV0bV9zb3VyY2U9U2FpbHRocnUmdXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fY29udGVudD0xMF90aGluZ3NfdGVjaA/5d8bb17552ba1e0cb5417572B6aac3e97" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>@gamoid</em></a><em>) in San Francisco and Hallam Bullock (tweet </em><a href="https://newsletter.businessinsider.com/click/30965283.83325/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9oYWxsYW1fYnVsbG9jaz9ucl9lbWFpbF9yZWZlcmVyPTEmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1TYWlsdGhydSZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jb250ZW50PTEwX3RoaW5nc190ZWNo/5d8bb17552ba1e0cb5417572B5445a28d" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>@hallam_bullock</em></a><em>) in London.</em></p>

Salesforce employees are not happy

<p>Hello and Happy Friday.</p><p>It's me again, with your weekly roundup of <keyword id="34991" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="transportation">transportation</keyword> news from the week.</p><p>Planes still aren't flying (for the most part), cruises aren't cruising, and most of the transportation world remains in a holding pattern.</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-convinces-some-americans-to-turn-to-bikes-2020-4">Except for bikes, that is. </a></p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-york-subway-rides-plunge-mta-requests-second-bailout-93-2020-4">Scared off public transportation by the coronavirus</a>, some Americans — especially those lucky enough to live in areas where it's safe to — have turned to the humble bicycle. They've been helped in some cases by cities with the gravitas to ban cars from streets to make more space.</p><p>Kent, a major manufacturer, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-convinces-some-americans-to-turn-to-bikes-2020-4">said</a> sales of its cheaper models have surged over the past month. Across the board, the company said sales at most of the major retailers he supplies were up 30% last month and are up over 50% so far in April.</p><p>As the weather gets warmer, I know I'll be biking. It's cheap, it's easy, it's fast, and it's free exercise. If you want to try out your chops for the first time in a while (no judgment), <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/v7489x/how-to-get-back-into-biking-during-the-pandemic">Vice has some great re-entry tips. </a></p><p><strong>Now, for everything else.</strong> <em>(<a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/shiftinggears">And don't forget you can sign up to get this newsletter straight to your inbox.</a>)</em></p><p>There's still no light at the end of the tunnel for <keyword id="44023" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="airlines">airlines</keyword>. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-airlines-ceo-travel-return-normal-uncertain-interview-2020-4">American's CEO said this week he has "no idea" when travel will get back to normal,</a> even as his company and the the other <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-airlines-delta-united-jetblue-reach-agreement-on-coronavirus-bailout-2020-4">major US carriers inked a deal with the US Treasury Department for a bailout that would avoid layoffs until October</a>.</p><p>Boeing, meanwhile, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ge-aircraft-leasing-unit-cancels-69-737-max-orders-2020-4">lost even more orders as its crisis deepens. </a></p><p>Trucking sits in a weird spot, as we discussed two weeks (a year? who knows anymore) ago.</p><p>President Donald <keyword id="6354862" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="trump">Trump</keyword> gave a golden key to four truck drivers at the White House on Thursday, though it remains unclear exactly why and what the keys are for. Making matters stranger is the fact that the $800 billion industry g<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-trucking-wasnt-included-in-stimulus-bill-ceos-explain-2020-4">ot no financial assistance </a>as part of the CARES Act in March. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-truck-drivers-gold-keys-2020-4">Rachel Premack has the full rundown of the event here. </a></p><p>And in the cruise world, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/carnival-might-restrict-number-of-passengers-when-cruises-resume-2020-4">Carnival is considering cutting passenger capacity on its cruise ships as it looks for ways to improve safety in wake of coronavirus outbreaks, sources say</a></p><p>Lastly, some weekend reads:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/delta-united-american-airlines-can-sell-frequent-flyer-miles-coronavirus-2020-4">Delta, United, and more are scrambling to raise cash, but airlines still have a huge untapped resource that could keep them afloat</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/140-classic-cars-hidden-in-a-kansas-barn-for-sale-2020-4">A man's secret collection of more than 140 antique Fords, Cadillacs, Chevys, and even a Ferrari will be auctioned off — see the collection that spans 6 decades</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-best-sporty-fun-cars-you-can-buy-under-35000-2020-4">These are the 9 best sporty and fun cars you can buy for less than $35,000</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-car-dealers-are-responding-to-the-coronavirus-pandemic-2020-4">The coronavirus pandemic is forcing car dealers to change the way they sell and deliver vehicles. But not everybody knows how to do it successfully.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virgin-orbit-launcher-one-rocket-cosmic-girl-jet-2018-10">Virgin Orbit will soon use its modified Boeing 747 to launch satellites into orbit using a rocket strapped to the wing — here's how it works</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/joplin-missouri-pitch-musk-tesla-cybertruck-factory-1-billion-incentives-2020-4">A small Missouri city wants Tesla to build its Cybertruck factory there — and is offering $1 billion in incentives to make it happen</a></li></ul>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/shifting-gears-transportation-newsletter-cyclings-time-to-shine-2020-4">Business Insider</a>

Shifting Gears: It's bikes' time to shine

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c5b60d6342cca14f92e9a14-2048/spacex-crew-dragon-space-capsule-ship-falcon-9-rocket-launch-pad-39a-arm-nasa-commercial-crew-program-ccp.jpg" border="0" alt="spacex crew dragon space capsule ship falcon 9 rocket launch pad 39a arm nasa commercial crew program ccp" data-mce-source="SpaceX/Twitter" data-mce-caption="A view of SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule atop a Falcon 9 rocket in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The spacecraft is part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program to launch astronauts into orbit from US soil." data-link="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1093258801518530560" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1093258801518530560">SpaceX/Twitter</a></span></p><p class="caption">A view of SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule atop a Falcon 9 rocket in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The spacecraft is part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program to launch astronauts into orbit from US soil.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/spacex" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SpaceX</a> and Boeing have built new spaceships, called Crew Dragon and CST-100 Starliner,<span style="background-color: #ffffff;"> respectively,</span> to launch NASA astronauts into orbit.</li><li>But each company must perform several test-launches before <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/nasa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NASA</a> will certify the space capsules for regular flight.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/crew-dragon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Crew Dragon</a> is scheduled to launch the first test mission - one without any astronauts on board - on March 2.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/boeing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boeing</a> may follow with the launch of its CST-100 Starliner in April, and SpaceX with its first crewed launch in July.</li></ul><p>For the first time in nearly eight years, an American-made spaceship designed to fly NASA astronauts may soon launch from US soil.</p><p>SpaceX, the aerospace company founded by Elon Musk, has agreed on a March 2 inaugural launch date for its new space capsule, called <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-crew-dragon-capsule-what-its-like-inside-2018-8">Crew Dragon</a>, NASA said on Wednesday. The vehicle, shown above, will launch into orbit atop a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-falcon-9-rocket-block-5-2018-5">Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket</a> with no people on board, dock with the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/space-station-trump-plan-problems-astronaut-risk-2018-5">$150 billion</a> International Space Station, and then return to Earth.</p><p>Boeing, another NASA partner planning to eventually fly its astronauts, is looking to April for the first orbital test-launch of its <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-starliner-fuel-leak-risks-nasa-access-iss-2018-8">CST-100 Starliner</a> vehicle.</p><p>"The uncrewed test flights will be the first time commercially-built and operated American spacecraft designed for humans will dock to the space station," NASA representative Anna Heiney wrote in <a href="https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2019/02/06/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a blog post</a> on Wednesday. The first flights are dress rehearsals for missions with astronauts aboard the vehicles."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b2bc6861ae66241008b56c9-2000/boeing-cst-100-starliner-docking-space-station-illustration-space-earth-2406222448439cd846e51k.jpg" border="0" alt="boeing cst 100 starliner docking space station illustration space earth 24062224484_39cd846e51_k" data-mce-source="Boeing" data-mce-caption="An illustration of Boeing's CST-100 Starliner docking to the International Space Station." data-link="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasakennedy/24062224484/" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasakennedy/24062224484/">Boeing</a></span></p><p class="caption">An illustration of Boeing's CST-100 Starliner docking to the International Space Station.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>SpaceX's experimental launch, which won't carry people, was originally scheduled to fly in December 2016. But following <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-rocket-explosion-launch-pad-2016-9">the explosion</a> of a Falcon 9 rocket on a launch pad in September of that year (no one was hurt), NASA gave the system more scrutiny. The agency requested more design tweaks and rocket flight data, and postponed a notional launch date for SpaceX's first Crew Dragon demonstration mission more than a dozen times.</p><p>The private-government partnerships with NASA are part of a roughly $8 billion effort to replace the ability to fly astronauts that was lost when the agency retired its space shuttle fleet in 2011. The Commercial Crew Program, as the effort is called, has been in the works since 2010.</p><p><em><strong>Read more</strong>: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-announcement-astronaut-crew-spacex-boeing-selection-2018-8">NASA names 9 astronauts who will fly SpaceX and Boeing's spaceships for the first time - here's who they are</a></em></p><p>"NASA has been working together with SpaceX and Boeing to make sure we are ready to conduct these test flights and get ready to learn critical information that will further help us to fly our crews safely," Kathy Lueders, the manager of CCP, said in NASA's post. "We always learn from tests."</p><p>Although NASA has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-commercial-crew-spacex-boeing-delays-russia-space-station-2018-1">repeatedly delayed</a> its CCP launches, the March 2 date appears to be firmer than usual. Irene Klotz of Aviation Week <a href="http://aviationweek.com/awinspace/nasa-sets-feb-22-demo-1-frr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Wednesday that NASA and SpaceX managers and engineers are gathering on February 22 for a flight readiness review meeting. Such reviews are typically reserved for just before serious attempts of a launch.</p><h2>Why NASA is eager to launch American-made commercial spaceships</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a57d86ef421491e008b4747-2000/space-shuttle-atlantis-sts135-july-2011-copyright-dave-mosher.jpg" border="0" alt="space shuttle atlantis sts135 july 2011 copyright dave mosher" data-mce-source="Dave Mosher" data-mce-caption="Space shuttle Atlantis at Launchpad 39A in Cape Canaveral, Fla." data-link="http://davemosher.com" /><p class="source"><span><a href="http://davemosher.com">Dave Mosher</a></span></p><p class="caption">Space shuttle Atlantis at Launchpad 39A in Cape Canaveral, Florida - the final flight of the NASA program.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>NASA hasn't transported its own astronauts to the space station since July 2011.</p><p>At the behest of lawmakers, the agency space shuttle fleet retired due to concerns about its safety and cost, the development of a new government launch system, and the rapid rise of the commercial spaceflight industry. According to estimates that spread out the shuttle's development cost, each launch cost <a href="https://www.space.com/11358-nasa-space-shuttle-program-cost-30-years.html">roughly $1.5 billion</a> in taxpayer dollars.</p><p>Ever since 2011, the agency has exclusively relied on Russia to fly its astronauts on Soyuz spaceships. The arrangement has become increasingly costly, with Russia nearly <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-buying-russian-soyuz-seats-2019-2017-1">quadrupling its prices for NASA</a> over a decade. (In 2018, a round-trip ticket for a NASA astronaut cost <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-buying-russian-soyuz-seats-2019-2017-1">about $81 million</a> versus $22 million in 2008.)</p><p>More recently, one Soyuz rocket <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/soyuz-rocket-launch-failure-video-2018-11">failed during launch</a> - the crew survived unscathed - and a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/space-station-hole-found-russian-knife-spacewalk-video-2018-12">mysterious hole</a> was discovered in another spacecraft at the ISS.</p><p>NASA is thus funding Commercial Crew to seed reliable and cost-effective ways of taxiing its astronauts to and from orbit. The agency hosted a years-long commercial competition, and SpaceX and Boeing emerged as the frontrunners for regularly flying crews.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c5c5e77342cca252a28d104-2364/spacex-crew-dragon-launch-pad-abort-test-kennedy-space-center-cape-canaveral-florida-may-2015.jpg" border="0" alt="spacex crew dragon launch pad abort test kennedy space center cape canaveral florida may 2015" style="color: #000000;" data-mce-source="SpaceX" data-mce-caption="SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule during a launch pad abort test in Florida on May 6, 2016." data-link="https://www.spacex.com/news/2015/05/06/crew-dragon-completes-pad-abort-test" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.spacex.com/news/2015/05/06/crew-dragon-completes-pad-abort-test">SpaceX</a></span></p><p class="caption">SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule during a launch pad abort test in Florida on May 6, 2016.</p></div><p></p></div></div>SpaceX successfully performed a <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/spacex-demonstrates-astronaut-escape-system-for-crew-dragon-spacecraft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">launch pad abort test</a> in May 2016, showing that in the event of a rocket failure,  it could reliably whisk a crew to safety. Boeing is now preparing to perform a similar test with the Starliner in June 2019, according to NASA.</p><p>If all goes well with SpaceX-Demo 1, as the first experimental SpaceX mission is officially called, the company will perform an in-flight abort test in June.</p><p>Crew Dragon may then ferry its first human crew to the space station in July 2019. Boeing hopes to follow suit no sooner than August 2019.</p><p>In 2015, NASA selected veteran astronaut <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/sunita-l-williams/biography" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunita "Suni" Williams</a> and three other "<a href="https://blogs.nasa.gov/bolden/2015/07/09/nasa-selects-astronauts-for-first-u-s-commercial-space-flights/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">space pioneers</a>" to climb inside and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-astronaut-suni-williams-on-spacex-boeing-spaceships-2018-6">provide feedback on the new spaceships</a>. In August 2018, she was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-announcement-astronaut-crew-spacex-boeing-selection-2018-8">selected to fly</a> Boeing's second crewed flight of the Starliner.</p><p>"Five years ago, this would have been like, 'No way, what are we doing asking commercial providers to be able to do this?'" Williams previously told Business Insider. "Now it feels like a natural progression for space travel."</p><p><em><strong>Read more</strong>: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-layoffs-jobs-terminated-list-california-headquarters-2019-1">These are the 577 positions SpaceX is cutting at its headquarters in a major round of layoffs</a></em></p><p>SpaceX plans to launch its first-ever Crew Dragon from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The company has leased and retrofitted the historic site from NASA, using it to launch Falcon 9 rockets and the first-ever <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/falcon-heavy-spacex-epic-rocket-launch-in-person-2018-2">Falcon Heavy rocket</a>.</p><p>Following the flight readiness review on February 22, however, there is a decent chance the SpaceX-Demo 1 launch could once again be delayed.</p><p>"As with all human spaceflight vehicle development," Heiney wrote in her post on Wednesday, "learning from each test and adjusting as necessary to reduce risk to the crew may override planning dates."</p><p><em>Are you a current or former space industry employee with a story to share? Send Dave Mosher <a href="mailto:dmosher+tips@businessinsider.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an email</a> or consider more secure options <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/dave-mosher" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listed here</a>.</em></p><p class="tagline">Get the latest Boeing stock price <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/BA-Quote">here.</a></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-blue-origin-virgin-galactic-space-tourism-2018-9">How SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic plan on taking you to space</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/RmEqM9f6-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

You Searched For "Virgin Orbit layoff" and got 6 results

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