Virgin Galactic Sets October 28 for Lead Delta Class Spaceship’s Arrival at Spaceport America, Marking Start of Flight Test Preparations
More than 100 astronauts begin spaceflight expedition readiness
Lead Spaceship's name, chosen by public vote, to be announced the same day
First spaceflight of lead Spaceship now expected in early Q2 2027
Second Spaceship now expected to enter spaceflight operations in late Q2/early Q3 2027
MESA, Ariz., October 26, 2026--Virgin Galactic (NYSE: SPCE) today announced that the lead Spaceship of its next-generation fleet is set to fly to its operations base at Spaceport America, New Mexico on October 28. The Spaceship, mated to launch vehicle Eve for a captive-carry flight, will depart the company's Spaceship Factory in Mesa, Arizona. The arrival marks the transition from vehicle assembly to the start of flight test preparations.
Earlier that day, Virgin Galactic will reveal the Spaceship's name, chosen by public vote with participants from more than 80 countries from a shortlist developed by Virgin Galactic teammates and members of its astronaut community.
"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," said Michael Colglazier, Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Galactic. "The ship is magnificent, and we are thrilled to introduce it to the world later this week."
The lead Spaceship's first commercial spaceflight is now expected in early Q2 2027, and the second Spaceship is expected to begin commercial spaceflight operations in late Q2/early Q3 2027. The updated timeline reflects additional time for completing avionics software integration and validation, which uses an exhaustive testing process. That testing will conclude at Spaceport America as the lead Spaceship is readied for its flight test series.
With the lead Spaceship repositioned to its operations base and two-ship commercial spaceflight operations expected by early Q3 2027, Virgin Galactic is moving more than 100 members of its astronaut community into their first phase of readiness and preparation, with additional cohorts expected to follow on a rolling basis.
Work at the Spaceship Factory now shifts to the completion of the structural test assembly of the wing and fuselage, along with completion of the second Spaceship's assembly and preparation of the rocket motor assembly line. Structural testing of the feather assembly has already been successfully completed.
Pending weather and technical readiness, Virgin Galactic plans to share live updates from the October 28 flight across its social media channels. The company plans to provide further detail on upcoming flight tests and its financial outlook during its third quarter earnings call in November.