Virgin Galactic’s Spaceship Apeiron Arrives Home to Spaceport America

• Lead Next-Generation Spaceship Was Flown from Virgin Galactic’s Spaceship Factory in Arizona to Its Operations Base in New Mexico
• Spaceship Apeiron Will Undergo Flight Tests before Commercial Spaceflights Are Expected to Begin in Early Q2 2027
• Second Spaceship Will Continue Through Production, with Commercial Spaceflights Expected to Begin in Late Q2/Early Q3 2027

TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, N.M.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Virgin Galactic (NYSE: SPCE), the world’s first commercial spaceline, today flew Apeiron, the lead Spaceship in its next-generation fleet, to Spaceport America in New Mexico, its permanent home and base of operations.

Earlier today, the Spaceship was named and revealed in its completed livery for the first time at Virgin Galactic’s Spaceship Factory in Mesa, Arizona. Spaceship Apeiron then departed Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport at 10:29 a.m. MST, mated to Eve, the company’s launch vehicle, and landed at Spaceport America at 12:59 p.m. MDT. Pilot in Command Michael Masucci and Pilot Dan Alix flew Eve, with Flight Test Engineer Tori Crichton on board.

Apeiron, ancient Greek for “boundless,” was chosen by public vote from a shortlist developed by Virgin Galactic teammates and members of its astronaut community, with people from more than 80 countries taking part.

“This morning, we gave Apeiron a name. This afternoon, Apeiron came home,” said Michael Colglazier, Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Galactic. “Seeing the ship fly beneath Eve to Spaceport America was a moment years in the making. To our team and our astronaut community: your Spaceship has arrived.”

With Apeiron now at Spaceport America, Virgin Galactic’s engineering team plans to complete avionics software integration and validation while conducting flight test preparations. Upon successful completion of the flight test program, Virgin Galactic plans to begin flying customers aboard Spaceship Apeiron, with commercial spaceflights expected to begin in early Q2 2027.

Apeiron is Virgin Galactic’s lead next-generation Spaceship, produced in partnership with major aerospace suppliers. Designed to fly twice per week with a vehicle lifetime of more than 500 missions, each Spaceship in the next-generation fleet is built to support the economics of a scaled commercial operation, with increased flight cadence and a cost profile unprecedented in the industry.

Production of the fleet is already moving forward. At the Spaceship Factory, assembly of the static test article and the second Spaceship is underway, and teams are preparing the rocket motor assembly line. The second Spaceship is expected to begin commercial operations in late Q2/early Q3 2027.

About Virgin Galactic

Virgin Galactic is dedicated to expanding the boundaries of human possibility. Through its spaceflight expeditions, the company offers people a profound new perspective on our planet and their own potential, while enabling scientific discovery and supporting strategic government missions. Virgin Galactic combines world-class aerospace engineering with thoughtfully designed astronaut experiences and a scalable spaceline operating model. Its reusable, air-launched Spaceships are designed to make spaceflight safe, repeatable, operationally efficient, and increasingly accessible, advancing a long-term vision of opening space to millions for extraordinary purposes. Learn more at www.virgingalactic.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Virgin Galactic intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding Virgin Galactic’s spaceflight systems, development of Virgin Galactic’s lead and second next-generation Spaceships and planned timeline for flight tests and commercial service using such Spaceships, including plans to commence commercial service with the lead spaceship in early Q2 2027 and with the second Spaceship in late Q2 or early Q3 2027, the timeline and process to complete avionics software integration and validation, the timeline and process to complete the flight test program, including glide flights and rocket-powered flights, the ability for next-generation Spaceships to fly twice per week with a vehicle lifetime of more than 500 missions, next-generation fleet supporting the economics of a scaled commercial operation with increased flight cadence and a cost profile unprecedented in the industry, and ongoing preparation of the rocket motor assembly line are forward-looking statements. The words “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “potential,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “strategy,” “future,” “could,” “would,” “project,” “plan,” “target,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, though not all forward-looking statements use these words or expressions. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause Virgin Galactic’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including but not limited to any delay in future commercial flights of its spaceflight fleet, Virgin Galactic’s ability to successfully develop and test its next generation vehicles, and the time and costs associated with doing so, its expected capital requirements and the availability of additional financing, and the other factors, risks and uncertainties included in Virgin Galactic’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, as such factors may be updated from time to time in its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and the Investor Relations section of Virgin Galactic’s website at www.virgingalactic.com, which could cause its actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates as of the date of this press release. While Virgin Galactic may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, it disclaims any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause its views to change.