Virgin Galactic new spaceplanes

According to the company, Virgin Galactic is still on track for commencing commercialization of its new suborbital spaceplanes in the middle of the following year, and ticket sales may be restarted. The technical progress in the construction of its first Delta-class vehicles, especially going into structures, propulsion, and avionics, was discussed during the earnings call of May 15th; this was also when CEO Michael Colglazier commented about major works being undertaken within the company and by its main suppliers. A video depicting vehicle progress was deployed, alongside Colglazier sharing that a regular series of weekly updates going over assembly would start in June.

Confirming the timeline communicated during the previous earnings call, test flights for the new vehicle were expected to start in the spring of 2024, with commercial flights for research payloads starting in the summer and private astronaut flights starting in the fall. Colglazier now expects ticket sales to reopen sometime in the first quarter of 2026, with onboarding of new customers rolling out in cohorts via a “white glove onboarding experience” that will also facilitate price adjustments. Price estimates will be higher than the earlier $600,000.

Additionally, Virgin is investigating the potential for departures from an airport in southern Italy, focusing largely on airspace that will be required given specific flight paths and weather conditions. Also being studied are other uses for their carrier aircraft, one of which could support a range of high-altitude missions, including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.

Reference

Jeff Foust Virgin Galactic says production of new spaceplanes on track. spacenews.com

Available at- https://spacenews.com/virgin-galactic-says-production-of-new-spaceplanes-on-track/

(Assessed: 19th May 2025)