Virgin Galactic is preparing to move Apeiron, the first ship in its Delta-class fleet, from its spacecraft factory in Mesa, Arizona, to Spaceport America in New Mexico. The company says the spacecraft could begin commercial suborbital tourism flights as early as the second quarter of 2027, although several rounds of testing and integration work remain before it can carry paying passengers.
“We are proud that the first ship in Virgin Galactic’s fleet will be named after a group of people who share our excitement for what’s next,” said Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier.
Apeiron is scheduled to leave the spacecraft factory later Wednesday. After being transported to New Mexico aboard Virgin Galactic’s carrier aircraft, VMS Eve, the spacecraft will undergo additional work on its avionics and flight software at Spaceport America.
Once that work and a series of ground tests are complete, Apeiron will be mated again with Eve. It will then undergo a captive-carry test, followed by a drop test and, finally, a powered test flight reaching more than 80 km.
Is this the future of space travel?
Virgin Galactic says it expects Apeiron’s first commercial spaceflight to take place “as early as” the second quarter of 2027. As with all aerospace schedules, that date should be treated cautiously. Still, Apeiron could plausibly begin flying paying customers on suborbital space-tourism missions within the next 12 to 18 months.
There is considerable skepticism about the commercial viability of Virgin Galactic’s spaceflight ambitions. To succeed, the spacecraft would need to fly nearly flawlessly and achieve unprecedented durability, carrying hundreds of people into space for short periods each year. Investors have recognized the difficulty of that challenge. In 2021, at the height of the space-tourism boom, Virgin Galactic’s stock briefly reached $1,118 per share. More recently, it has traded near $2.50 per share.
Regardless of the company’s prospects, Virgin Galactic’s efforts will help determine whether space tourism can expand significantly over the next decade.
Source: arstechnica.com
