Virgin Galactic will delay the third space test flight earmarked for 19-23 November as the company downsizes operations in New Mexico to adhere with new rules designed to minimise the spread of COVID-19.

Virgin Galactic SpaceShip VSS Unity will strap dummies in for its next spaceflight to test seat reclining in space.

The aerospace tech gurus at Virgin Galactic are not only busy preparing for the impending launch of commercial space flights on SpaceshipTwo, but they’ve also now revealed a vision for a new high-speed travel aircraft capable of speeds of Mach 3, or in layman terms, 3,700 kilometres per hour.

Sir Richard Branson’s space travel company Virgin Galactic has revealed the cabin interior design for its maiden SpaceshipTwo vehicle, VSS Unity, for the first time.

Virgin Galactic and NASA are partnering to make encourage commercial participation in orbital human spaceflights to the International Space Station.

More than 400 wannabe astronauts from 44 countries have forked out deposits to be in the next tranche of space travellers with Virgin Galactic. The aerospace company said it was encouraged by the response to the ‘One Small Step’ initiative which aimed to get more bodies in space for a nominal US$1,000 refundable deposit.

Wannabe space tourists who missed the first opportunity to secure one of the first 600-odd seats on Sir Richard Branson’s commercial space program can now lay down a deposit to nab a seat.

Virgin Galactic has completed another vital step on its path to commercial service, relocating SpaceShipTwo, VSS Unity, to its commercial headquarters at Spaceport America’s Gateway to Space building. VSS Unity, attached to the carrier aircraft, VMS Eve, made the journey from Mojave, California, where the company’s manufacturing facilities are based, where it was greeted by an enthusiastic group of teammates who will operate the spaceship in New Mexico.

Virgin Galactic has named Enrico Palermo as the aerospace company’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective immediately. In this newly created role, Palermo will be responsible for helping maintain efficiency and peak performance across the enterprise as it develops as a public company, and will lead the execution of specific company strategies and initiatives.

The Spaceship Company has taken a key step on the path to completing the next spaceship in Virgin Galactic’s fleet. The team has attached the structure of SpaceShipTwo’s unique ‘feather system’ to the wing of the new vehicle, in what is the union of two major components of the airframe. This latest milestone is the final step prior to resting the vehicle’s weight on its wheels.

Virgin Galactic has this month begun preparing Future Astronaut customers for their space flights, commencing its week-long ‘Astronaut Readiness Program’. The company said it has begun finalising all elements of the customer experience, including the Under Armour spacesuits and the fit-out of Virgin Galactic’s Gateway to Space HQ at Spaceport America in New Mexico. The next phase in this process is to ensure that Future Astronauts are optimally prepared to fly to space.

Sir Richard Branson’s space venture, Virgin Galactic, is earmarked to launch on the New York Stock Exchange as early as Monday next week [28 October, 2019].