Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo doesn't launch from the ground — it's carried to altitude under a mothership aircraft, released, and only then fires its own rocket motor toward space.
Now sold as a travel package in China
Since September, Trip.com's Chinese platform, Ctrip, has sold a six-day package in New Mexico built around a Virgin Galactic flight, from 5.1 million yuan (about $760,000). It includes four days of preparation and training, the flight from Spaceport America on day five, and accommodation; flights to the US, visas and insurance are extra. Virgin Galactic itself reopened sales this year with a limited batch of 50 seats at $750,000.
October 2026First commercial flight now expected in spring 2027
On 28 October 2026, the first of Virgin Galactic's new Delta-class spaceships, named Apeiron (Greek for “the boundless”) after a public vote, arrived at Spaceport America in New Mexico to start preparing for flight tests. Its first commercial flight is now expected early in the second quarter of 2027, with the second ship following in late Q2 or early Q3. In August the date had already slipped from late 2026 to February 2027, because avionics and systems work took longer than planned. Around 650 existing ticket holders are being given approximate flight windows. Source: Virgin Galactic.
Video via YouTube — Virgin Galactic, official Unity 22 spaceflight coverage
The air-launch system is what separates Virgin Galactic from the other two operators entirely.
A twin-fuselage carrier aircraft lifts SpaceShipTwo to roughly 15km before release — no ground launch pad involved.
After release, SpaceShipTwo fires its own rocket motor for about a minute, climbing steeply to apogee.
Passengers experience roughly 3-4 minutes of weightlessness at apogee before the craft begins its glide back to Earth.
Virgin Galactic doesn't run a consumer affiliate program. Reservations go directly through the company, or, for travellers in China, through Trip.com's package. For every operator's current status, see our space tourism tracker.
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