Meet Apeiron, Virgin Galactic's first Delta-class spaceship for suborbital flights
What's the story
Virgin Galactic has unveiled its first-ever "Delta-class" space plane, now officially named Spaceship Apeiron. The name was chosen through a public vote involving thousands of people from 83 countries and six continents. Apeiron is derived from the ancient Greek word for "boundless," reflecting the limitless potential of human spaceflight. The reveal comes as the space plane prepares for its journey from Mesa, Arizona, to Spaceport America in New Mexico for final preparations and flight tests.
Name significance
Delta-class vehicle replaces VSS Unity
Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier emphasized the significance of the name Apeiron, saying it embodies "the ambition of human spaceflight and the possibilities it opens for humanity."
He also noted that the overwhelming public response to this vote made choosing this name even more special.
The new Delta-class vehicle will replace Virgin's previous space plane model, VSS Unity, which completed seven suborbital missions between summer 2023 and 2024.
Operational strategy
Second Delta-class space plane in the works
Virgin Galactic plans to operate each of its Delta-class vehicles up to eight times a month.
The company has already started working on a second Delta-class space plane, which is expected to join Apeiron at Spaceport America around the same time passenger flights resume.
Currently, about 675 people are in line with tickets for one of these suborbital trips.
Pricing shift
Ticket prices have increased significantly
When Virgin Galactic started selling seats on its space plane in 2014, each ticket was priced at around $200,000. Today, that price has increased to $850,000 per seat.
The Delta-class vehicles are designed for short suborbital flights and can't reach Earth's orbit.
They will cross the internationally recognized boundary of space at the 100km-high Karman line, giving passengers several minutes of weightlessness and stunning views of Earth below.