Virgin Galactic delays space tourism flights until 2027

Virgin Galactic has announced a delay in its space tourism operations, pushing the debut flight of its new Delta-class spacecraft to February 2027. The company cited production line issues involving “hundreds of relatively small but important installation tasks” as the reason for the postponement of testing and flight schedules.

The company previously suspended operations of its VSS Unity spaceplane in 2024 to focus resources on the higher-capacity Delta fleet. Despite the delay, Virgin Galactic reported significant commercial interest, having sold over 50 tickets at $750,000 each, totaling more than $50 million in bookings since March 2026. CEO Michael Colglazier indicated that a new tranche of expeditions at higher price points will open this fall.

The delay highlights a broader lull in the suborbital space tourism market. While Virgin Galactic prepares its new fleet, its primary competitor, Blue Origin, has also paused its New Shepard program for at least two years following its January 2026 mission. This leaves the two major players in the sector currently without active commercial passenger services.