Aircraft program
Rocket engine powered suborbital 'spaceplane', design originated from Scaled Composites Model 316 SpaceShip One. Seats 8, including pilots.
The aircraft as engineered: what it is built from, the systems it flies with, and its configuration — each box a theme.
Technical reference compiled with AI research; a value appears only where two independent research passes and a web fact-check agree. Gaps are deliberate.
Supplier geography and market analysis for this program — with an Analytics subscription.
Subscribe| Variant | Launch / first flight | Production end | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Spaceship Company SpaceShip Two | 2009 / 2010 | 2016 | Enlarged development of SpaceShip One, formerly known as Scaled Composites Model 339 SpaceShipTwo. Includes 2 vehicles: VSS Enterprise and VSS Unity, (VSS: Virgin Space Ship). |
| The Spaceship Company SpaceShip III | 2021 / | 2024 | Upgraded variant, includes VSS Imagine and VSS Inspire, development ceased to focus on Delta class vehicles. |
| Virgin Galactic Delta Class | 2024 / | Third generation of spaceplane program, design comparable to SpaceShip III but redesigned to aid production. First spaceflight planned summer 2026, carrying research payloads. |
| The Spaceship Company | News | Manufacturing subsidiary of Virgin Galactic |
| Virgin Galactic | News |
The program’s dated history — milestones, contracts, supplier selections and facilities, each linked to its source. Log in to view.
Information on this page is compiled from a variety of published sources; links do not necessarily imply recommendation or confirmation by the airframe manufacturer.
Corrections go straight to the editorial team that maintains this directory.