By 
August 12th, 2026
Image credit: Virgin Galactic
Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic suborbital space plane program has announced a higher fee for per person spaceflight.
Michael Colglazier, CEO of Virgin Galactic, said that the company’s tranche of spaceflight expeditions priced at $750,000 “was oversubscribed and booked out ahead of schedule.”
While Colglazier said that demonstrated strong demand from a wide range of customers, Virgin Galactic expects to release a new tranche of spaceflight expeditions at higher price points this fall.
First ship
“Our first ship is now expected to enter commercial service in February 2027 rather than the fourth quarter of 2026,” said Colglazier.
That slip into next year allows additional time to complete avionics and systems installations.
“We expect to commence the flight test phase with this vehicle in October, and with our second spaceship planned to join the fleet in March 2027, we expect to deliver positive quarterly cash flow within 2027,” Colglazier said.
Milestones this year
Virgin Galactic is looking forward to several milestones through the end of the year, including the start of the Flight Test Phase with Spaceship Captive Carry Flight in October 2026, and the start of rocket production in Quarter 4 of 2026, according to a company statement.
Credit: Virgin Galactic
Meanwhile, Virgin Galactic has announced the name of one of its newest spaceships will be chosen by the public.
Cast your vote
Space enthusiasts can cast their vote from now until August 27, choosing from four names inspired by the Virgin Galactic community: Horizon, Explorer, Ascend, and Apeiron.
In a “we built it…you name it” website, “it’s your turn to help name a new spaceship joining our fleet, a rare chance to shape a piece of spaceflight history,” the company explains.
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Posted in Space News
