Advancing UK Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space Solutions Worldwide
  • Home
  • /
  • Aerospace
  • /
  • One More Orbit team take on Pole to Pole World Circumnavigation Speed Record

Aerospace

One More Orbit team take on Pole to Pole World Circumnavigation Speed Record

To mark the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 moon landing and the 500th anniversary first global circumnavigation, Action Aviation Chairman Hamish Harding and Astronaut Terry Virts, will attempt to beat the world record for any aircraft flying over the North and South poles from 9th to 11th July 2019, supported by the One More Orbit team.


Courtesy Action Aviation

Flying a Qatar Executive Gulfstream G650ER aircraft, they will off-set their emissions by going carbon negative with the help of sponsor, Carbon Underground.
 
Who
Capt. Hamish Harding - United Kingdom, Action Aviation chairman, mission director and one of the 4 G650ER pilots; Col. Terry Virts - United States, Former International Space Station commander, Space Shuttle astronaut, Soyuz astronaut and US Air Force test pilot; Capt. Jacob Ove Bech - Denmark, Pilot; Capt. Jeremy Ascough - South Africa, Pilot; Capt. Yevgen Vasilienko - Ukraine, Pilot; Magdalena Starowicz - Poland, Flight Attendant; Col. Genaddy Padalka - Russia, Cosmonaut (International Space Station commander, Mir and Soyuz cosmonaut, record holder for the most days in space by any human - 879 days); Capt. Ian Cameron - United Kingdom, Director of the Mission Control Centre.

Advertisement
Tritax 300x250

 
When
The One More Orbit mission launches at 09:32 on 9th July – the same time as the historic Apollo 11 flight.
 
Where
The team will launch will launch from and return to Space Florida's Launch and Landing Facility (the former Shuttle Landing Facility) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, from where Apollo 11 launched its historic mission 50 years ago. They will do high speed, adrenaline pumping  “pit stops” to refuel in Kazakhstan, Mauritius and Chile.
 
Why
The mission, titled One More Orbit, pays tribute to the Apollo 11 moon landing achievement, by highlighting how humans push the boundaries of aeronautics. The record is being attempted during the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Apollo 11 moon landing and the 500th anniversary of man first circling the planet. It is a tribute to the past, present, and future of space exploration.
 
Advertisement
Leonardo animated rectangle

The Aircraft
The fastest ultra-long-range business jet in the world, the Gulfstream G650ER is capable of reaching Mach 0.925 and sustaining a comfortable Mach 0.90. Powered by two Rolls-Royce BR725 A1-12 Turbofans, generating 16,900 lbs of thrust, the extended range variant is capable of flying 7,500 nautical  miles (13,900 km) at up to 51,000 feet altitude. The Qatar Executive G650ER aircraft can easily fly non-stop from the Middle East to North America, or from destinations in Asia to Africa. It flies further, faster than any other jet of its kind – perfectly suited for the long legs of One More Orbit.
 
Going Carbon Negative
“The Carbon Underground is proud to be a partner of this historic mission,” said Larry Kopald, the company’s co-founder and president. “By calling attntion to one of humankind’s greatest efforts we remind ourselves of what we are capable of doing. Alleviating the existential threat of climate change by restoring the carbon balance and cycle will take a similar effort, with a similar commitment to speed.”
 
Sponsoring the mission are: Satcom Direct and inmarsat, which are providing the satellite bandwidth and live feed from the aircraft; G-Technology hard drives; Action Aviation leadership logistics; LiveU encoder; and Space Florida. Carbon Underground brings the means to make this mission carbon negative.
 
 

Advertisement
Tritax leaderboard 728x90 Tritax leaderboard 728x90
IATA reports accelerating passenger and cargo demand growth in October

Aerospace

IATA reports accelerating passenger and cargo demand growth in October

1 December 2025

Data for October 2025 released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), shows global passenger demand growth accelerated to 6.6%, whilst cargo demand set a new record, rising by 4.1%.

QinetiQ Powerboat Challenge 2025 tests students skills

Aerospace Events

QinetiQ Powerboat Challenge 2025 tests students skills

28 November 2025

QinetiQ’s annual Schools Powerboat Challenge has put students’ engineering and piloting skills to the test.

Kilmarnock Academy win 10th annual RTX Quadcopter Challenge 2025

Aerospace Events

Kilmarnock Academy win 10th annual RTX Quadcopter Challenge 2025

28 November 2025

A group of students from Kilmarnock Academy in Prestwick have been crowned champions of the 2025 RTX Quadcopter Challenge, held at London’s historic Honourable Artillery Company.

RAeS reveals 2025 award winners

Aerospace Events

RAeS reveals 2025 award winners

28 November 2025

The Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) has revealed the 2025 winners of the global aerospace community’s most prestigious and long-standing awards honouring achievement and innovation.

Advertisement
ODU RT
CAA issues Black Friday holiday fraud warning

Aerospace Security

CAA issues Black Friday holiday fraud warning

28 November 2025

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is urging holidaymakers to act before booking travel deals during the Black Friday weekend and on Travel Tuesday – a growing online travel sales event, after £11 million was lost to holiday fraud in 2024.

Cranfield University opens new power and propulsion labs

Aerospace

Cranfield University opens new power and propulsion labs

27 November 2025

A new test cell facility at Cranfield University’s campus, developed as part of the Cranfield Hydrogen Integration Incubator (CH2i) project, has been officially opened.

Advertisement
Leonardo animated rectangle