One More Orbit mission is a successful multinational attempt to break the world record for the fastest circumnavigation of the earth via both poles.[1] An international flight crew has broken the record for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe via the North and South Poles, with a margin of almost six hours. The 25,000-mile mission, dubbed "One More Orbit" and having a former International Space Station commander, Terry Virts among its leaders, was launched in honor of the Apollo 11 moon landings.[2]

History

One More Orbit broke the Round-the-World record for any aircraft flying over the North and South poles in a Qatar Executive Gulfstream G650ER jet.[3]

Terry Virts and crew departed from Cape Canaveral in an attempt to break the round-the-world speed record for any aircraft flying over the North and South Poles. One More Orbit broke the World Speed Record for circumnavigating the planet over both Poles in an aircraft on July 11, 2019.[2]

The idea for this adventure was born about five years before the mission, when Hamish Harding met a few of the Apollo astronauts and they came up with the idea of flying on “one more orbit,” a global circumnavigation flight. On July 9–11, 2019, One More Orbit, broke the Round-the-World record for any aircraft flying over the North and South poles. The record-setting flight One More Orbit was led by Mission Directors Capt. Hamish Harding, Chairman of Action Aviation & Col. Terry Virts, NASA Astronaut, who alongside a crew of eight aviators by circumnavigating Earth via both geographic poles in a Qatar Executive Gulfstream G650ER ultra-long-range business jet.

The record was accomplished during the 50th-anniversary celebrations of the Apollo 11 moon landing. One More Orbit was launched from Space Florida's Launch and Landing Facility (the former Shuttle Landing Facility) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, from where Apollo 11 launched their historic mission 50 years ago. The One More Orbit flight mission launched at 09:32 EDT – the exact same time as Apollo 11. At 12:12 UTC on July 11, 2019, Action Aviation Chairman Hamish Harding, Astronaut Terry Virts and two Qatar Executive made history.[1][4]

They achieved it by completing the fastest ever Circumnavigation of the Earth via both the North and South Poles in a time of 46 hours and 40 minutes, at an average speed of 465 knots (or 535 mph or 861 km/h). The world record attempt, achieved in a Qatar Executive Gulfstream G650ER aircraft, was called One More in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.[4][5]

One More Orbit speed record is certified by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) and Guinness World Records.[6][7]

References

  1. 1 2 Woodyatt, Amy (July 11, 2019). "Flight crew breaks record for circumnavigating globe via both poles". CNN.
  2. 1 2 "Dubai-based British expat and Guinness World Record holder Hamish Harding to travel to space". gulfnews.com. June 2, 2022.
  3. ↑ Sircar, Nandini. "Dubai expat to take off on Blue Origin spaceflight on June 4". Khaleej Times.
  4. 1 2 https://www.worldrecordacademy.org/travel/fastest-aerial-circumnavigation-of-the-earth-via-both-geographical-poles-one-more-orbit-219360%5B%5D
  5. ↑ Reed, Dan. "Around The World In 48 Hours: International Team To Commemorate Apollo 11 Launch With World Record Flight Attempt". Forbes.
  6. ↑ "One More Orbit team circle the globe in under 47 hours | World Air Sports Federation". www.fai.org. July 12, 2019.
  7. ↑ https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/titanic-submarine-missing-hamish-harding-b2360802.html
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