Science & Tech · Space · 14 hrs ago
Virgin Galactic unveils Apeiron and delays passenger flights to 2027
Virgin Galactic unveiled Apeiron, the first space plane in its new Delta class, on Wednesday.
The craft was moved from Mesa, Arizona, to Spaceport America in New Mexico, where engineers will prepare it for testing.
The company now expects customer flights to resume in early Q2 2027, later than its previous target, to allow more testing of the craft’s avionics software.
Virgin has not flown customers to space since June 2024, when its earlier space plane, VSS Unity, completed its final mission.
Each Delta craft is designed to carry up to six passengers, on short trips above Earth that do not reach orbit, and Virgin plans for each to fly as many as eight times a month.
More than 100 ticket holders have begun flight preparations, while a second Delta craft is under construction; Virgin says it will give more details about testing at its November earnings call.
Virgin Galactic unveiled Apeiron, the first space plane in its Delta class, on October 28.
The company delayed the return of commercial passenger flights, with one report saying early Q2 2027 and another saying mid-2027.
Apeiron was transported from Mesa, Arizona, to Spaceport America in New Mexico for final preparations and flight testing.
Virgin Galactic said the delay would allow exhaustive testing and validation of the integrated avionics software.
More than 100 ticket holders have begun initial flight-readiness preparations.
- Who
- Virgin Galactic unveiled Apeiron and announced the delay to commercial flights.
- What
- The company introduced its first Delta-class space plane and pushed back its planned return to passenger flights.
- When
- October 28, 2026. The reports give different estimates for the return to flights: early Q2 2027 and mid-2027.
- Where
- Apeiron was transported from Mesa, Arizona, to Spaceport America in New Mexico.
- Why
- Virgin Galactic said it needs more time for testing and validation of the integrated avionics software.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Virgin Galactic began selling seats aboard its space plane, with tickets priced around $200,000.
VSS Unity flew its final mission.
Virgin Galactic was targeting a return to commercial service by Q4 2026.
The company pushed its target for returning to commercial flights to February 2027.
Virgin Galactic unveiled Apeiron and announced its planned move to Spaceport America.
The second Delta-class space plane is scheduled for completion in late Q2 or Q3, while the company’s passenger-flight return is reported as early Q2 or mid-2027.
- Space plane
- Apeiron, Virgin Galactic’s first Delta-class vehicle
- Transport route
- Mesa, Arizona, to Spaceport America, New Mexico
- Passenger capacity
- Up to six passengers per Delta-class vehicle
- Planned flight rate
- Up to eight flights per month per vehicle
- Ticket holders preparing
- More than 100
- Current seat price
- $850,000
4 sources
Virgin Galactic is charging $750,000 for three minutes of weightlessness, and nearly 700 people are already in the queue
Virgin Galactic Unveils Apeiron, Delays Commercial Flights to Q2 2027
Meet Apeiron, Virgin Galactic's 1st 'Delta-class' space plane
What people are saying
The arrival of our lead spaceship at Spaceport America will be an enormous milestone in a years-long journey to build the world’s first human spaceship platform designed for regular commercial spaceflight.
Apeiron, the Boundless, captures the ambition of human spaceflight and the possibilities it opens for humanity.