The last, best hope for space tourism just rolled onto a runway in Arizona

Virgin Galactic has named its first Delta-class spaceship Apeiron, chosen through a public vote, and is moving it to Spaceport America in New Mexico for testing and preparation for its first commercial spaceflight, expected in early 2027. The spaceship will undergo avionics and software work, captive carry tests, a drop test, and a powered test flight before its maiden voyage. The company had previously aimed to start commercial flights in 2026, but has pushed back the timeline. Virgin Galactic has been quiet on space tourism since its Unity spacecraft's final flight in 2021, but the company is now making progress towards its goal of launching a new generation of suborbital spacecraft.