U.S. space tourism company Virgin Galactic has pushed back the first commercial flight of its next-generation Delta-class spacecraft to 2027.

On Aug. 13 local time, IT outlet Engadget reported that the first commercial operation the company had been preparing for the end of this year has been delayed until at least February 2027.

The delay is linked to installation work problems that emerged during assembly of the next-generation vehicle. Virgin Galactic had planned to conduct tests over the coming months and then proceed with a first commercial flight in the fourth quarter of 2026. It adjusted the schedule after identifying numerous detailed issues at the assembly stage that affect timelines.

Chief Executive Michael Colglazier (마이클 콜글레이저) said during an earnings presentation that the delay was not due to a specific single defect. He cited "hundreds of relatively small but important installation tasks" as the reason the commercial flight schedule slipped. He also said some parts were higher or lower than design standards by several thousandths of an inch. The company sees a need for more time to correct such deviations and confirm the vehicle has been built properly.

Virgin Galactic plans to start ground tests of the spacecraft from later this month. While the commercial flight schedule has been pushed back, it plans to continue testing and verification procedures. The company previously halted sales and operations of its suborbital space tourism product to focus on developing the next-generation vehicle after completing 7 successful commercial flights in 2024.

On the demand side, reservations sales are continuing. Colglazier said the company has sold more than 50 tickets for future suborbital tourism flights at $750,000 each. Reservations secured from this sales round, which began in March, exceeded $50 million. The company expects no major problems in its financial condition despite the schedule delay.

Its production plan was also disclosed. Virgin Galactic is already producing a second spacecraft and plans to put it into commercial service in the second quarter of 2027. The company is maintaining its goal of building a cadence of 10 flights per month by the end of that quarter. As a result, the focus is on whether progress in ground tests of the first vehicle and the production schedule for the second vehicle can move in line with plans to expand operations.

The official name of the new spacecraft has not yet been decided, and the company is holding a vote to choose a name. The four options are Horizon, Explorer, Ascend and Apeiron.