It sounds mad, but it's real: Virgin Orbit has perfected audacious technology to fire rockets from refurbished Boeing 747s.

Speaking exclusively from LA, the business' CEO, Dan Hart, tells the Australian Aviation Podcast how the plan will open satellite launches up to more countries by turning airports into spaceports.

The pair also discuss how the technology works, the company's ambition to launch imminently in the UK, and how Hart works with Virgin Group founder Richard Branson.