Virgin Galactic pushes Delta class debut to February 2027 amid assembly delays
The company has secured over $50 million in bookings for future suborbital flights, with a second vessel already in production for later next year.
Virgin Galactic has postponed the inaugural commercial flight of its new Delta class spaceship to February 2027, citing assembly challenges involving minor component discrepancies. The delay marks a shift from the company’s original plan to launch the next-generation vehicle in the fourth quarter of 2026.
The suspension of operations follows a period of transition for the space tourism operator, which halted suborbital trips in 2024 after completing seven successful commercial flights. The pause allowed the firm to direct resources toward the development of the Delta class vehicle, which is intended to replace the older Unity spacecraft.
Michael Colglazier, Virgin Galactic’s chief executive, outlined the reasons for the schedule slip during an earnings call reported by SpaceNews. He described the setbacks not as a single critical failure, but as "hundreds of relatively small but important installation tasks" required during construction. Colglazier noted that several components measured a few thousandths of an inch taller or shorter than specifications, necessitating further adjustments to ensure the vehicle was built to standard.
Despite the delay, the company reports strong demand for its services. Virgin Galactic has sold more than 50 tickets for future suborbital flights at $750,000 each, generating over $50 million in bookings since March. Colglazier stated that financial performance is expected to remain stable despite the revised timeline, as the company continues to advance its production pipeline.
A second spaceship is currently in production and is scheduled for commercial use in the second quarter of 2027. The company aims to increase its flight cadence significantly, targeting 10 flights per month by the end of that quarter. Ground tests for the new vehicle are planned to commence later this month, with the first commercial flight now set for February 2027.
The new spacecraft remains unnamed as Virgin Galactic runs a public poll to determine its title. Voters are choosing between four options: Horizon, Explorer, Ascend, and Apeiron. The final name will be decided following the conclusion of the poll.
