Case Study: Virgin Orbit achieves 10x faster stage‑separation simulations with MathWorks (MATLAB & Simulink)

Virgin Orbit Simulates LauncherOne Stage Separation Events

Virgin Orbit needed to validate separation events for its LauncherOne two‑stage launch vehicle—separation from the carrier 747, stage‑to‑stage, fairing, and payload—while accounting for uncertain mass properties, pusher forces, and timing. Facing the need to run thousands of Monte Carlo simulations with automation and parallel processing (their existing tools couldn’t), Virgin Orbit adopted MathWorks tools—MATLAB, Simulink, Simscape Multibody, and Parallel Computing Toolbox—to build and run the analyses.

MathWorks’ toolset was used to model components (using CAD point clouds and convex‑hull bodies), implement GJK collision detection in MATLAB, and create apps that automate and run up to 1,000 Monte Carlo simulations in parallel with Parallel Computing Toolbox, visualizing results in Mechanics Explorer. The MathWorks solution cut simulation times from days to hours (about 10× faster), reduced setup time by up to 90%, enabled overnight automated runs, informed bracket/tolerance design decisions, and saved roughly 90% in costs compared with the alternative.

Virgin Orbit

Patrick Harvey

Associate Engineer