Virgin Galactic ferried its first Delta-class space plane, Apeiron, from Arizona to Spaceport America in New Mexico on Oct. 28.
The arrival begins months of software integration and flight testing at the New Mexico facility, a critical step for a company that has pushed back its commercial schedule repeatedly while its cash reserves shrink.
The spacecraft rolled out of the hangar and was ferried to the spaceport on the same day via a captive-carry flight, remaining attached to its mothership. Engineers will now complete validation work in New Mexico and prepare for its first independent glide and powered flight tests there.
Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier marked the dual milestones.
"This morning, we gave Apeiron a name. This afternoon, Apeiron came home."
Apeiron made the 90-minute trip attached to the underside of a mothership called Eve. Pilots Michael Masucci and Dan Alix flew Eve, with flight test engineer Tori Crichton on board.
A global online contest that drew votes from more than 80 countries produced the name Apeiron. It is pronounced "app-err-on" and comes from the Greek word for "boundless".
The Mesa, Arizona, factory where the ship was assembled opened in 2024. Teams there are already preparing a rocket motor assembly line and taking shape on a second Delta-class space plane.
Virgin Galactic moved its flight operations near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, and built the $200-million plus Spaceport America facility that opened in 2019. The company maintains its headquarters in Southern California.
The company said it needs more time to integrate and validate the spacecraft's avionics software. Final testing will happen at Spaceport America.
Virgin Galactic set out its Delta manufacturing plans in 2022. Research flights were then expected to start in late 2025, with passenger service in 2026. As reported on 28 October 2026, its current goal is a first commercial spaceflight for the spacecraft in early Q2 2027.
In a report dated 29 October 2026, the company described its target for the new ship’s first solo test flight as moving from the first quarter of next year to the second or third quarter. Reports dated 28 October 2026 said the company plans to begin carrying paying customers by early Q2 2027.
Each Delta-class vehicle can carry up to six passengers and is projected to fly as many as eight times monthly. Virgin Galactic said it hopes to fly each next-generation space plane twice a week, using each vehicle for more than 500 missions.
The Delta-class space planes are designed with improved thermal protection and a more efficient manufacturing and maintenance process. The new craft follows the same principles as the original SpaceShipOne.
The ships are carried to roughly 45,000 feet by a dual-fuselage plane before release. They then rocket to 50 miles above earth, fold their wings during descent and glide back to a runway landing.
A report dated 28 October 2026 said Unity entered service in June 2023 and flew seven commercial missions, ending with its final flight on 8 June 2024. Apeiron replaces the four-passenger VSS Unity. The company retired VSS Unity in June 2024 after seven commercial flights. One report dated 29 October 2026 said those flights took place over the course of a year, carrying some two dozen tourists and researchers.
Virgin Galactic aims to begin taking paying customers on suborbital trips to space by early Q2 2027, with newer tickets costing $750,000. The company maintains a backlog of roughly 600 to 650 future astronauts from earlier ticket tranches. More than 100 future space travellers are now starting their preparations. More ticketholders are expected to join them as the company aims to have two spaceships in operation by the mid-2027 timeline, expecting Apeiron's younger sibling to enter commercial service in late Q2 or early Q3 2027.
The company expects Apeiron's younger sibling to enter commercial service in the latter half of 2027.
Whether Apeiron will pass testing and begin commercial flights on the company's stated schedule remains unclear. So does whether Richard Branson will participate in the company's publicity or operations. The company gave no answer when asked about his role.
