As Virgin Orbit gears up for its historic 'Start Me Up' orbital launch on Monday, the company has offered an update on how you can watch. Virgin Orbit will host a press conference today and open up to the media and public on launch day.

How to watch the Start Me Up launch

As the UK's first-ever orbital launch nears, many are wondering how they can watch as the event unfolds live. For those lucky enough to grab a ticket, there will be a public viewing area where you can watch the historic launch from the ground. This will be from a safe position across the runway from the Spaceport Cornwall site - there will be a big screen, refreshments, toilets, and even a silent disco.

Virgin Orbit said,

"It’s a historic moment for the UK, and for Cornwall, laying the foundations for responsible launch of small satellites in Low Earth Orbit whilst bringing major economic opportunities to the UK... We are making history, and we want to make sure you can witness it happen."

If you are attending in person, be advised that there isn't parking available onsite. Viewers will be bussed to the viewing area via Park and Ride from two locations - Tregunnel Hill, Newquay, and Watergate Bay from 18:00. For those unable to make it, you can watch the launch from any compatible device via Virgin Orbit's YouTube channel - the live stream is scheduled to begin at 21:00 UTC and will feature extensive build-up and interviews before the big launch. This will happen at 22:16 at the earliest, with the LauncherOne rocket to be released approximately 40 minutes after Cosmic Girl - the Boeing 747-400 carrier aircraft - takes off from Cornwall Newquay Airport.

If you prefer to scour the skies with your own eyes to catch a glimpse of the rocket, Virgin Orbit released a handy map showing the rocket's trajectory - according to Virgin Orbit, "the path of LauncherOne is shown in blue, and its approximate location over the ocean at any given time is depicted in the circles marked on the trajectory. Each circle is defined in seconds from the LauncherOne release and ignition point."

Members of the media will be permitted access from 06:00 on Monday - representatives from major partners involved in the launch will be in attendance, including those from the UK Space Agency, Spaceport Cornwall, the UK Civil Aviation Authority, Department for Transport, Cornwall Airport Newquay and the Royal Air Force.

Timeline on the day

Start Me Up will be a nighttime event and won't necessarily occur on schedule, so be prepared for a late one if you plan on watching the entire event. If you only want to tune in for the essentials (take-off + rocket release), it could all be done before 23:00. Additionally, you can keep track of the build-up and read exclusive interviews with the Start Me Up team throughout the day. All times below in UTC:

• Online live stream start: 21:00
• Launch window opens: 22:16
• Cosmic Girl take-off: 22:16 - 23:16
• LauncherOne rocket release: 22:54 - 23:54
• Cosmic Girl return to base: 00:00-01:00 (January 10th)
• Satellite separation confirmation: 01:15 - 01:30
• Cosmic Girl crew disembark: 01:00 to 02:00

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About Start Me Up

Simple Flying has covered the Start Me Up mission extensively. Just a few days ago, Virgin Orbit penciled in the launch date for Monday following months of delays due to technical and regulatory issues. Cornwall Newquay Airport has been meticulously gearing up for the mission following its confirmation as the UK's first Spaceport in 2018.

The mission will see a former Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 take off - carrying Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne rocket under its left wing - and climb to an altitude of 35,000ft over the Atlantic Ocean before releasing the rocket. LauncherOne is carrying a variety of commercial and government satellites - should the mission prove a success, this will be LauncherOne's fifth consecutive successful mission.

Will you be tuning in to watch the Start Me Up launch? Did you manage to grab tickets to the viewing area? Let us know in the comments.