Launch
Virgin Galactic
U.S. aerospace company developing air-launched suborbital vehicles for private passengers and research, following the end of VSS Unity commercial flights.
- Suborbital spaceflight
- Human spaceflight
- Space tourism
- Microgravity research
- Air launch
- Space weather
- Space industry
- International space
- Space companies
- Aerospace
- Launch
- Launch vehicles
Virgin Galactic is a U.S. aerospace and space-travel company developing air-launched vehicles for private passengers and scientific research. Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. lists its principal executive offices in Tustin, California, in its annual report. Its commercial flight operations are based at Spaceport America in New Mexico.
The company’s annual report records that VSS Unity completed its final commercial flight in June 2024. Virgin Galactic then paused commercial service to direct resources to its next-generation vehicles. Air & Space Forces Magazine reported in October 2026 that the replacement SpaceShip was in integrated ground testing, with a company target of February 2027 for its first commercial flight.
In October 2026, Virgin Galactic announced a cooperative research agreement with the Air Force Research Laboratory to evaluate sensor integration for space-weather observations. The announcement establishes an evaluation project; it does not report that an instrument has flown or that observations have been delivered.
Milestones
- 08 June 2024
VSS Unity completed its final commercial flight; the company subsequently paused commercial service to focus on next-generation vehicles.[4][3] - 14 October 2026
Announced an Air Force Research Laboratory agreement to evaluate sensors on its next-generation spaceship for space-weather observations.[1][2]
Sources
Virgin GalacticVirgin Galactic and the Air Force Research Laboratory Enter Agreement to Advance Space Weather Scienceinvestors.virgingalactic.com
Air & Space Forces MagazineAFRL Partners with Virgin Galactic to Gather Data on Space Weather Dataairandspaceforces.com
Virgin Galactic via SECAnnual Report for the year ended December 31, 2025sec.gov
Virgin GalacticVirgin Galactic Completes 12th Successful Spaceflightpress.virgingalactic.com
Coverage of Virgin Galactic
Suborbital research
Virgin Galactic enters Air Force space-weather research agreement
The company announced a 24-month sensor evaluation for its next-generation spaceship; no instrument flight or research results were disclosed.
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