Virgin Galactic postpones space tourism flights again

Virgin Galactic announced this week that its first commercial flights with the SpaceShip aircraft will be postponed until February 2027, marking another delay for the space tourism programme.

By El Medio Oriente

August 17, 2026

Overhead view of the white SpaceShipTwo aircraft parked on a grey landing strip at dusk. — Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, the aircraft designed for suborbital tourist flights, remains parked on the runway. The company has again postponed the start of its commercial flights until February 2027. (Hipertextual)

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Virgin Galactic's plans to carry tourist passengers to the edge of space are facing new complications. The company founded by Richard Branson announced that its first commercial flights with the new SpaceShip aircraft have been postponed until February 2027.

The original timeline had called for these launches to take place during the final quarter of this year, but the company has now revised its projections. This represents another significant delay in the company's efforts to operationalise its suborbital travel service.