Virgin Galactic has introduced Apeiron, its next-generation spaceship, as it prepares to resume commercial spaceflight in 2027 after several years focused on development.
The spacecraft has arrived at Spaceport America in New Mexico. It will undergo final preparations and flight testing there before it enters service.
The company is targeting early in the second quarter of 2027 for Apeiron’s first commercial flights, assuming testing goes as planned. A second next-generation spaceship is expected to begin flying commercially later that quarter or early in the third quarter.
Designed for a busy schedule, Apeiron could fly as often as twice a week and complete more than 500 missions during its operational life. That capacity may let Virgin Galactic offer flights more frequently.
The company’s last commercial spaceflight took place in 2024. It then paused operations to concentrate on developing its new spacecraft.
Apeiron takes its name from an ancient Greek word meaning “boundless.” Virgin Galactic said the name was selected in a public vote that attracted thousands of responses from more than 80 countries across six continents.
After its unveiling at the company’s spaceship factory in Mesa, Arizona, Apeiron traveled beneath Virgin Galactic’s carrier aircraft, Eve, to its new home at Spaceport America. It left Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport at 10:29 a.m. MST and arrived in New Mexico at 12:59 p.m. MDT.
The engineering team will work on integrating and validating the spacecraft’s avionics software while getting it ready for flight tests. At the Arizona facility, Virgin Galactic is also assembling a second spaceship and a static test article.
The schedule depends on successful flight testing and completion of the remaining development work. Virgin Galactic expects to share further updates during its third-quarter earnings call in November.
