Seattle — Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit on Wednesday plans to release a rocket from the wing of a modified Boeing 747 jetliner in mid-air, in a key test of its high-altitude launch system for satellites, a person familiar with the matter says.

The morning “drop test” over California's Mojave Desert is the penultimate test before Virgin Orbit offers commercial satellite launch services, ideally before the end of 2019, the person said...

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