Space Tourism — 2026-08-31
Virgin Galactic has officially delayed the resumption of its commercial suborbital flights to February 2027, citing delays in the development of its Delta-class spaceplane. The company plans to raise ticket prices later this year, further extending the wait for would-be tourists. Meanwhile, SpaceX continues its dominance in orbital tourism with successful Falcon 9 launches, while Blue Origin remains grounded following a pause in its New Shepard program. <!-- /headline --> Virgin Galactic Delays Space Flights to 2027 Amid Price Hikes <!-- /headline -->
Space Tourism — 2026-08-31
Virgin Galactic has officially delayed the resumption of its commercial suborbital flights to February 2027, citing delays in the development of its Delta-class spaceplane. The company plans to raise ticket prices later this year, further extending the wait for would-be tourists. Meanwhile, SpaceX continues its dominance in orbital tourism with successful Falcon 9 launches, while Blue Origin remains grounded following a pause in its New Shepard program.
<!-- /headline -->Virgin Galactic Delays Space Flights to 2027 Amid Price Hikes
<!-- /headline -->Flight Updates
Virgin Galactic Pushes Return to February 2027 Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc. has announced that it is delaying the debut of its Delta-class spaceplane, pushing the first expected full-power flight of the upgraded tourism vehicle until February 2027. The company had previously targeted late 2026 for the resumption of commercial service, but those plans have been scrapped.
The delay means that Virgin Galactic’s would-be space tourists will have to wait longer and likely pay more before taking off. The company has indicated that ticket prices are expected to rise later this year as it finalizes the testing program for the new spacecraft.
Blue Origin and Market Landscape With Virgin Galactic grounded and Blue Origin having paused its New Shepard flights for at least two years after a busy 2025, the suborbital market remains largely dormant. Blue Origin stopped New Shepard operations despite previous high activity, leaving no active suborbital operators at present.
In contrast, SpaceX continues to execute routine launches. In late August 2026, SpaceX launched multiple Starlink missions on Falcon 9 rockets from Vandenberg, maintaining its cadence in the broader spaceflight sector, though these were not dedicated tourist missions.
Passenger Story
No recent passenger accounts from actual spaceflights are available within the past week, as no tourist missions have launched since early 2026. The last crewed suborbital tourist flight occurred in January 2026 (NS-38), before Blue Origin grounded its vehicle.
However, training experiences remain available for prospective travelers. Zero-G flights continue to offer a preview of weightlessness. Recent reviews highlight the "magical" experience of floating in zero gravity, with participants noting the initial feeling of being "out of control" before adapting to the lunar-like gravity simulations.
What to Watch
Pricing Trends Space tourism costs remain steep, ranging from $125,000 for suborbital seats (historically) to $55 million for orbital trips via SpaceX or Axiom. With Virgin Galactic’s delays, the current batch of $750,000 seats has already sold out, and new pricing is expected to increase further when sales reopen.
Upcoming Milestones
- Virgin Galactic: Monitor for ground testing updates on the Delta-class spaceplane leading up to the February 2027 target.
- Blue Origin: Watch for any announcements regarding the restart of New Shepard, which remains paused indefinitely.
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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