Virgin Galactic has named its first Delta-class spacecraft Apeiron, drawing on an ancient Greek term meaning “boundless.” The selection followed a public vote involving thousands of responses from 83 countries across six continents. Commercial operations are expected to begin in early Q2 2027 at Spaceport America in New Mexico.
With six passenger seats rather than Unity's four, Apeiron will offer two additional paying places per flight. It succeeds Unity, whose final commercial mission took place in June 2024. Retaining Virgin Galactic's air-launch method, the carrier aircraft Eve will release Apeiron at approximately 50,000 feet, after which the spacecraft will ignite its rocket motor and climb toward suborbital space.
Passengers will experience a short period of weightlessness before the vehicle reenters the atmosphere and glides to a runway landing. Because the trajectory is suborbital, the spacecraft will return without completing an orbit of Earth. Each Delta vehicle is designed to support up to eight flights monthly, a substantial increase over Unity's flight frequency, although that target remains to be demonstrated through testing and commercial operations.
Modular construction allows individual sections and systems to be manufactured and maintained separately, with the aim of simplifying production and servicing. Achieving the intended flight rate will depend on crews' ability to inspect, maintain, and prepare the vehicles between missions. Engineers will check Apeiron's avionics software before flight testing begins; additional software work and verification account for the revised service schedule.
A second Delta spacecraft is expected in Q2 or Q3 2027. Beyond private passenger flights, Virgin Galactic intends to pursue scientific research and government missions.
