Virgin Galactic's Apeiron Arrives at Spaceport America

Virgin Galactic’s next-generation spacecraft Apeiron arrived at Spaceport America in New Mexico on October 28, 2026, carried beneath its carrier aircraft Eve. The company said the flight departed Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport at 10:29 a.m. MST and reached the spaceport at 12:59 p.m. MDT.

Key details

• Earlier on October 28, Virgin Galactic displayed Apeiron in its completed livery at its spacecraft factory in Mesa, Arizona.
• Eve’s flight crew included Pilot in Command Michael Masucci, pilot Dan Alix and flight test engineer Tori Crichton.
• Virgin Galactic plans avionics integration, validation and flight-test preparation for Apeiron at Spaceport America.
• The company said assembly work was underway on a static test article and a second next-generation spacecraft, while it prepared a rocket motor assembly line.

Eve carried Apeiron from Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport to Spaceport America in a flight that departed at 10:29 a.m. MST.

Why it matters

Apeiron’s arrival moves the spacecraft to the New Mexico site where Virgin Galactic plans to integrate and validate its avionics and prepare it for flight testing. The company’s work on a second spacecraft and a rocket motor assembly line also shows the scope of its next-generation vehicle program.

What happens next

Virgin Galactic projects that Apeiron’s commercial flights could begin in early Q2 2027, subject to successful flight testing, and estimates that its second next-generation spacecraft could enter commercial operations in late Q2 or early Q3 2027. Which stage of Apeiron’s flight-test preparation will you be watching?