Virgin Galactic unveils Delta-class spaceship Apeiron

Virgin Galactic has officially unveiled Apeiron, the first spaceship in its next-generation Delta-class fleet. The name, meaning “boundless” in ancient Greek, was selected via a global public voting campaign involving participants from 83 countries.

The lead spaceship is scheduled to be transported from the company’s manufacturing facility in Mesa, Arizona, to Spaceport America in New Mexico on October 28. The vehicle will be attached to the VMS Eve carrier aircraft for a captive-carry flight. This move marks the transition from vehicle assembly to flight test preparations, including the integration and validation of avionics software.

Virgin Galactic expects the first commercial suborbital flight of the Delta-class fleet to occur in early Q2 2027, with the second spaceship expected to begin operations in late Q2 or early Q3 2027. The Delta-class vehicles are designed to carry up to six passengers, replacing the previous VSS Unity model.