Virgin Galactic says it is on track to begin tourist flights on its next-generation spaceplane next year, with tickets set to go on sale in early 2026.
The cost per seat is expected to increase from the $450,000 of its predecessor to “$600,000 or higher”, confirmed to The National by Virgin Galactic on Friday. The company ended its suborbital flights on the VSS Unity spaceplane in June, 2024, to focus on developing its new Delta vehicle, which is being designed to fly more frequently.
Virgin Galactic revealed the timetable during its first-quarter profit update, where it reported a net loss of $84 million, an improvement from the $102 million deficit during the same period last year.
“We are seeing encouraging signs from Virgin Galactic’s earnings call about their progress on their new Delta-class suborbital spaceplanes,” said Anna Hazlett, founder of UAE-based space advisory firm AzurX.
“The market does need more supply as we see stronger demand signals from private customers globally.”
The Delta-class vehicle would be a major upgrade from the VSS Unity, which carried out 12 flights overall since 2018. The new spaceplane would be capable of flying up to eight times a month, carrying six passengers per flight.
Beginning commercial operations would also allow the company to clear an existing backlog of about 700 ticket holders. Virgin Galactic operates its spaceflights from Spaceport America in New Mexico, where customers undergo health checks and training before their suborbital journey. The company is also carrying out studies to potentially develop a second spaceport in Italy.
“I visited the airport in southern Italy that Virgin Galactic is considering for expansion last year and the enthusiasm from the local government, businesses and the community was really something,” said Ms Hazlett.
“It’s clear to all how much this type of operation can benefit the local economy. It’s an exciting time for human spaceflight and the impact that commercial space travel is having on new regions worldwide.”
The VSS Unity flights offered a brief suborbital experience that featured several minutes of weightlessness and views of Earth from an 89km altitude. The spaceplane would land back on runway after being launch from a mothership. The Delta-class flights will offer a similar experience.
Meanwhile, rival Blue Origin resumed its space tourism programme last month after a near two-year pause.
On April 14, the company completed its 11th crewed suborbital flight, sending six passengers on board its New Shepard rocket, including singer Katy Perry and Jeff Bezos’s fiancee Lauren Sanchez.
Blue Origin’s fully reusable system, which takes off vertically, also offers a few minutes of weightlessness during suborbital flights and has carried several high-profile passengers since beginning space flights in 2021.
