Virgin Galactic Delays First Commercial Flight

Virgin Galactic has postponed the first commercial flight of its new spaceship to February 2027, citing issues with the vehicle's assembly. The company had originally planned to launch the new spaceship's debut commercial flight in the fourth quarter of 2026.

The delay is due to 'hundreds of relatively small but important installation tasks' related to the vehicle's construction, according to Virgin Galactic's CEO, Michael Colglazier. He explained that the team encountered many instances where a component was 'a few thousandths of an inch taller or shorter' than it was supposed to be.

Despite the delay, the company has already sold over 50 tickets at $750,000 each for future suborbital tourist flights, with over $50 million in bookings from this tranche of tickets. The company plans to start conducting ground tests on the vehicle later this month.

A second spaceship is already in production and is scheduled to be used for commercial flights in the second quarter of 2027. The company intends to launch 10 flights a month by the end of the second quarter of 2027. The new spaceship will be a member of Virgin Galactic's Delta-class fleet.

The company is currently holding a poll to choose a name for the new spaceship, with four options: Horizon, Explorer, Ascend, and Apeiron.

## Why it matters The delay in the first commercial flight of Virgin Galactic's new spaceship is significant, as it will give the company more time to correct issues and ensure the vehicle is properly built. This is crucial for the safety of passengers, as well as the success of the company's suborbital space tourism business. The company's ability to launch 10 flights a month by the end of the second quarter of 2027 will also be an important milestone, as it will demonstrate the scalability of its operations.

## What happens next The company will start conducting ground tests on the vehicle later this month, and a second spaceship is already in production. The company's plans to launch 10 flights a month by the end of the second quarter of 2027 will depend on the successful completion of these tests and the resolution of the assembly issues. The naming of the new spaceship will also be an important milestone, as it will mark the beginning of a new chapter in the company's journey to expand access to space.