Virgin Galactic flights stay grounded while ticket prices head for the Moon
Turns out this space thing really is hard
Virgin Galactic's commercial spaceflight is on hold as the company anticipates a February 2027 return to service, with ticket prices set to increase. This announcement came alongside the company's financial results for the second quarter of 2026, which revealed a net loss of $56 million, down from $67 million the previous year. Revenue for the quarter was $0.1 million, compared to $0.4 million in 2025.
CEO Michael Colglazier revealed that high demand overwhelmed the initial seat allocation in the $750,000 batch, leading to the planning of additional batches at a higher price. However, these customers will face a delay, with the first ship expected to enter commercial service in February 2027, an extension from the originally projected fourth quarter of 2026.
The delay is attributed to the time required to complete avionics and systems installations across various tasks in the new spaceship's construction. Integrated vehicle ground testing is slated to commence in late August, followed by flight testing in October. A second spaceship will join the fleet in March 2027, with the company aiming to achieve positive quarterly cash flow within the same year.
After reopening suborbital ticket sales in April at $750,000 per seat, Virgin Galactic had initially aimed for commercial flights by the end of 2026. The last commercial flight occurred in 2024, after which the company paused operations to develop its next-generation spacecraft. Virgin Galactic is not the only one grounding its space tourism service; Blue Origin also announced a two-year pause for its New Shepard flights as it focuses on its crewed lunar program.
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