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Virgin Galactic Seeks Public Vote for New Spaceship Name
14 Aug
Summary
- Virgin Galactic is crowdsourcing the name for its new Delta-class spaceship.
- The winning name will be chosen from four finalists: Horizon, Explorer, Ascend, Apeiron.
- The new spaceship is expected to begin commercial service in February 2027.
Virgin Galactic is engaging the public in naming its newest Delta-class spaceship, a critical step before its expected commercial service launch in February 2027. The company has narrowed down name suggestions to four finalists: Horizon, Explorer, Ascend, and Apeiron, with voting open until August 27th for individuals aged 13 and above. This process allows the public to contribute to spaceflight history.
The Delta-class spaceship, structurally assembled earlier this year, boasts streamlined manufacturing and maintenance. This design aims to support a significantly increased flight rate, potentially enabling up to eight missions per month, a substantial increase from its predecessor, SpaceShipTwo. The company plans to reveal the spaceship's livery and name as its next milestone.
Virgin Galactic's CEO, Michael Colglazier, stated that flight testing is scheduled to commence in October, with a second spaceship slated to join the fleet in March. The company previously named its first SpaceShipTwo 'Enterprise,' which was tragically lost in a 2014 test flight. Its successor, 'Unity,' was named to reflect messages of support received after the incident.
