Virgin Galactic is once again postponing a commercial space flight: this time to the second quarter of 2023

Space tourism is postponed again. Richard Branson’s company Virgin Galactic has once again postponed a commercial space flight – for now, to the second quarter of 2023. The company cited “extended completion dates (ie, delays) in the mothership improvement program” as the reason.

The VMS Eve mothership should be the base of the launch. It must lift the VSS Unity spacecraft to an altitude of more than 15 kilometers before it launches for space travel. The ship’s upgrade program, which began on July 7, is intended to improve its “reliability, predictability and endurance.”

At the same time Virgin Galactic announced that Boeing Aurora Flight Sciences will design and manufacture next-generation motherships. Two ships have already been ordered, which will arrive in 2025. The company is also working on a new VSS Imagine spacecraft: its debut flight should take place in early 2023.

We remind that Virgin Galactic has already delayed its first commercial flight to the end of 2022 due to a possible problem with the control system. The company also reported a $111 million loss last quarter.