Virgin Galactic unveiled its next-generation spaceship, Apeiron, bringing the company closer to its planned return to commercial spaceflight in 2027 after a multiyear pause in operations.
The spacecraft arrived at Spaceport America in New Mexico, where it will undergo final preparations and flight testing before entering commercial service.
Virgin Galactic expects to begin commercial spaceflights aboard Apeiron early in the second quarter of 2027, provided the test program is completed successfully. A second next-generation spaceship is expected to begin commercial operations late in the second quarter or early in the third quarter of 2027.
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The new spacecraft is designed to fly as often as twice per week and complete more than 500 missions over its operational life, potentially allowing Virgin Galactic to operate commercial flights more frequently.
Virgin Galactic last conducted a commercial spaceflight in 2024 before pausing operations to focus on developing its next-generation spacecraft.
Apeiron, an ancient Greek word meaning “boundless,” was chosen through a public vote that drew responses from thousands of people in more than 80 countries across six continents.
After being revealed at Virgin Galactic’s spaceship factory in Mesa, Arizona, Apeiron was flown beneath the company’s carrier aircraft, Eve, to Spaceport America, which will serve as the spacecraft’s permanent home and operations base. The spacecraft departed Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport at 10:29 a.m. MST and arrived in New Mexico at 12:59 p.m. MDT.
Virgin Galactic said its engineering team will now complete avionics software integration and validation while preparing Apeiron for flight testing.
Meanwhile, production of the company’s broader fleet is underway, with assembly of a second spaceship and a static test article progressing at its Arizona facility.
The timeline remains contingent on successfully completing flight testing and other development work.
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Virgin Galactic expects to provide additional program updates during its third-quarter earnings call in November.
