By The Star Queen · Saturday, October 31, 2026 · Star Queen Chronicles
Friends, a brand-new spaceship just got its name and flew to its forever home in the same day, and I’m a little emotional about it. 💜 On Wednesday, October 28, Virgin Galactic flew the lead ship of its next-generation Delta class from Arizona to Spaceport America in New Mexico, riding beneath the carrier aircraft Eve.
Meet Apeiron
That morning, at the company’s Spaceship Factory in Mesa, Arizona, the ship was revealed in its finished livery and given its name: Apeiron, ancient Greek for “boundless.” The name was picked by public vote from a shortlist drawn up by Virgin Galactic teammates and members of its astronaut community, with people from more than 80 countries taking part. I love that the whole world got to name her! 🌍
The Captive-Carry Ferry Flight
This wasn’t a rocket-powered flight. Apeiron stayed mated to Eve the whole way, in what’s called a captive-carry flight. According to Virgin Galactic, the pair departed Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport at 10:29 a.m. MST and landed at Spaceport America at 12:59 p.m. MDT. Eve was flown by Pilot in Command Michael Masucci and Pilot Dan Alix, with Flight Test Engineer Tori Crichton on board.
Space.com called it the ship’s maiden voyage, its first time in the air. CEO Michael Colglazier put it beautifully: “Seeing the ship fly beneath Eve to Spaceport America was a moment years in the making.” Eve herself had flown over from Spaceport America to Arizona on October 25 to pick up her new passenger, according to Aviation Week.
What Comes Next (and What’s Still a Target)
Arriving in New Mexico marks the switch from building the ship to getting it ready to fly. Virgin Galactic says its engineers plan to finish avionics software integration and validation at Spaceport America while preparing for a flight test program. The company hasn’t announced dates for those test flights, so I’ll be watching for them.
Only after the flight tests are done does Virgin Galactic plan to fly customers. Its current expectation is for commercial spaceflights aboard Apeiron to begin in early Q2 2027, with a second Delta-class ship joining in late Q2/early Q3 2027. Those are targets, not promises. The company already pushed the timeline back once, citing extra time for that software testing.
Meanwhile, back at the factory, assembly of the second spaceship and a static test article is underway, and teams are preparing the rocket motor assembly line. Virgin Galactic also says more than 100 members of its astronaut community are starting their first phase of readiness training. 🧑🚀
Why the Delta Class Matters
Virgin Galactic says each Delta-class ship is designed to fly twice per week with a lifetime of more than 500 missions. Those are design goals for now, but they’re the whole point: more flights, at lower cost. As Space.com describes it, on customer flights Eve will release the ship at about 45,000 feet (13,700 meters), then its rocket motor will carry six passengers and two pilots to suborbital space for a few minutes of weightlessness and a view of Earth’s curve before a runway landing.
My Take
There’s something so gentle about this milestone. No fire, no countdown, just a mothership carrying her newest baby across the desert to her new home. The hard part, flight testing, is still ahead, and I’ll cheer every step. Welcome home, Apeiron. Boundless indeed. ✨
Would you fly on Apeiron if you had the chance? Tell me in the comments!
The Star Queen
Sources
- Virgin Galactic, “Virgin Galactic’s Spaceship Apeiron Arrives Home to Spaceport America” (Oct. 28, 2026)
- Virgin Galactic, “Virgin Galactic Sets October 28 for Lead Delta Class Spaceship’s Arrival at Spaceport America, Marking Start of Flight Test Preparations” (Oct. 26, 2026)
- Space.com, “Watch Virgin Galactic’s new ‘Delta-class’ space plane take to the skies for the 1st time (video)”
- Aviation Week, “First Virgin Galactic Delta Class Spaceplane Set For Ferry Flight”