Virgin Galactic plans to unveil its first Delta-class spaceship today (Oct. 28) and announce its name, picked by a public vote across more than 80 countries.
What’s next
- The ship flies from the Mesa, Arizona factory to Spaceport America in New Mexico, carried by the VMS Eve mothership, and then starts flight testing.
- The first commercial flight is targeted for mid-2027, and a second Delta ship is planned to enter service before the end of next year.
- The original plan, announced in 2022, called for research flights in late 2025 and passengers in 2026. The company says the extra time is for integrating and validating the avionics software.
My take
Suborbital tourism has been “next year” for a long time. A real ship heading to the spaceport is progress, though. I’ll believe the schedule when the first passengers float.
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