Virgin Galactic Will Build a New Spaceship Factory in Arizona
The facility is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2023. It is expected that it will be able to assemble up to six spaceships annually.
Richard Branson's private spaceflight company Virgin Galactic announced plans to build a new spaceship manufacturing facility in Arizona to assemble new Delta-class space planes. The expansion of the company's fleet should help it increase the number of future flights into space.
“Our spaceship final assembly factory is key to accelerating the production of our Delta fleet, enabling a rapid increase in flight capacity that will drive our revenue growth,” said Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier.
The facility is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2023. It is expected that it will be able to assemble up to six spaceships annually.
The new planes are expected to begin operations in 2025, and the first passenger flights with Delta spaceplanes will begin in 2026. Virgin Galactic's ultimate goal is to launch up to 400 suborbital missions annually, which will use two new motherships and a fleet of Delta space planes.
Virgin Galactic did not disclose details about the new plant, such as its size, but said its construction is ongoing. It is located near the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.