Virgin Galactic has moved its first next-generation spacecraft to New Mexico, preparing it for flight tests as the company works toward restoring commercial service in early Q2 2027.
Apeiron arrived at Spaceport America on Oct. 28 after being carried beneath Eve, Virgin Galactic’s carrier aircraft, from Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. At the New Mexico site, engineers will work on avionics software integration and validation before preparing the craft for flight tests. The company says customer flights depend on successful completion of the test program.
The target has shifted from Virgin Galactic’s Aug. 12 quarterly filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which forecast a first commercial flight in February 2027. In an Oct. 26 schedule update, the company said it had adjusted the timing to allow more time for avionics work. Virgin Galactic paused flights by VSS Unity after its final commercial flight in June 2024 to focus on the next-generation spacecraft program.
The company’s targets for Apeiron are a weekly flight rate of two and a working life beyond 500 missions. A second spacecraft is being built, with commercial operations for that vehicle expected in late Q2 or early Q3 2027. Assembly of a static test article is also underway.
The service timeline comes as Virgin Galactic remains in a pre-commercial phase. Its Aug. 12 filing reported no spaceflight revenue and said management’s going-concern review raised substantial doubt about the company’s ability to remain in business. The assessment excluded future revenue, financing proceeds and changes to debt repayment terms. The filing named the start of commercial service and final payments from existing customers as possible mitigations, but said they did not remove the doubt.
The filing linked about $203 million in expected revenue after completed flights to roughly 675 future astronaut reservations as of June 30. By Aug. 12, a tranche of 50 reservations priced at $750,000 per person had more demand than available places, Virgin Galactic said, lifting expected future spaceflight revenue above $240 million.
Virgin Galactic plans to release third-quarter results and hold a conference call Nov. 12 at 5 p.m. ET. The company said it would discuss upcoming flight tests and its financial outlook.
