VSS Unity, Virgin Galactic's current suborbital vehicle, would transition to a quarterly flight schedule starting with its next mission, Galactic 06, in January 2024.
In Short
- The company shifts its focus towards the development of its next-generation vehicles
- the company plans to pivot resources from the Unity flights
- Galactic 08, is being considered for mid-2024.
Virgin Galactic, the pioneering space tourism company, has announced plans to reduce the frequency of its current suborbital vehicle flights and cease them entirely by mid-2024.
The decision comes as the company shifts its focus towards the development of its next-generation vehicles, known as the Delta-class, SpaceNews reported.
The announcement was made during a November 8 earnings call, where it was revealed that the VSS Unity, Virgin Galactic's current suborbital vehicle, would transition to a quarterly flight schedule starting with its next mission, Galactic 06, in January 2024.
This will be followed by Galactic 07 in the second quarter of the same year. A potential third mission, Galactic 08, is being considered for mid-2024, but no final decision has been made.
Michael Colglazier, Virgin Galactic’s chief executive, stated that the company's resources and personnel would be redirected towards the development of the Delta-class vehicles. On November 7, the company announced it would be laying off staff and reducing other expenses to concentrate resources on this new class of vehicles, which Colglazier described as key to the company’s future.
As part of these changes, the company will be cutting 185 jobs, approximately 18% of its current workforce.
Colglazier suggested that the company had gleaned valuable insights about spaceflight operations and customer experiences from the five commercial flights carried out between June and November.
He stated, “Unity’s flight objectives are to demonstrate our system, showcase our astronaut experience and provide learnings for our Delta program.” However, he also noted that the costs to support Unity’s flights surpassed the relatively modest monthly revenues.
In a significant strategic shift, the company plans to pivot resources from the Unity flights to expedite the development of the Delta-class vehicles. Colglazier explained, “The big move we’re making here is pivoting the resources that have been put into the Unity flights and redirecting them over to get the Delta ships done with the cash we have on hand.”
This move marks a new chapter in Virgin Galactic's journey, as it seeks to revolutionise space tourism with its next-generation Delta-class vehicles
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