The initial team, comprising Virgin Galactic's technical operations and manufacturing personnel, is currently preparing the facility for tooling installation, which is expected to begin arriving in Q4 2024. By next year, the facility will start receiving major subassemblies such as the wing, fuselage, and feathering system as part of the effort to build the first two ships of the Delta fleet. Once ground testing in Phoenix is finished, Virgin Galactic's mothership will transport the completed spaceships to Spaceport America, New Mexico for flight testing. Commercial operations are anticipated to commence in 2026.
This multiuse facility includes two hangars equipped with multiple bays, offering flexibility in building and testing space vehicles. Operations will be enhanced by the Company's digital twin technology, facilitating real-time collaboration between Virgin Galactic and its suppliers to ensure strong governance, efficiency, and reliability.
"The completion of our new manufacturing facility is an important milestone in the development of our fleet of next-generation spaceships, the key to our scale and profitability," said Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier. "Tooling will begin arriving in a matter of months to support spaceship final assembly, which we expect to commence in Q1 2025."
In May 2024, Virgin Galactic inaugurated a ground testing facility in Southern California for Delta subsystems, which includes avionics, feather actuation, pneumatics, and hydraulics, using an Iron Bird test rig.
Virgin Galactic's Delta spaceships will accommodate up to six private passengers and are designed to fly up to eight missions per month, significantly increasing access to space.
Related Links
Virgin Galactic
Rocket Science News at Space-Travel.Com
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