Virgin Galactic opens public vote to name new Delta-class spaceship
CEO Michael Colglazier confirms Delta-1 is set for flight tests in October 2026 and commercial service by February 2027, with the new design targeting up to eight missions per month.
Virgin Galactic has initiated a public voting campaign to determine the name of its next-generation Delta-class spaceship, Delta-1. The space tourism company, founded by Richard Branson, received 276 submissions from customers and staff, narrowing the options to four finalists for a public vote. Voting is open to individuals aged 13 and older until 27 August.
The new vessel succeeds the SpaceShipTwo fleet, which carried Branson and 31 others on 12 short hops above the US-defined boundary between Earth and space. Delta-1 is designed to carry up to six passengers and aims for significantly higher flight rates. According to Virgin Galactic, Delta-class ships may fly as many as eight space missions per month, 12 times what was possible with SpaceShipTwo.
CEO Michael Colglazier stated that Delta-1 is expected to enter commercial service in February 2027. Flight tests for the vehicle are scheduled to commence in October, with the second spaceship in the Delta-class fleet planned to join the fleet in March. Structural assembly of Delta-1 was completed earlier this year, and it has been moved to a test and launch hangar in Arizona.
The company plans to debut the Delta spaceship’s livery, including its name, as its next milestone before delivering the first vehicle to Spaceport America in New Mexico. The Delta-class design features streamlined manufacturing and maintenance compared to previous models. Development of the previously announced VSS Inspire (SpaceShip III) was canceled in 2024 in favour of the Delta-class design.
Virgin Galactic previously christened its first SpaceShipTwo Enterprise in 2009, a name selected to continue the tradition of using the word in the naming of Royal Navy, US Navy, NASA, and science fiction spacecraft. The VSS Enterprise was lost on 31 October 2014 during its fourth powered test flight, resulting in the death of co-pilot Michael Alsbury. The company returned to flight with its second SpaceShipTwo, named Unity, which lifted off with Branson in March 2021.
