Virgin Galactic
Suborbital space tourism and research company. It has flown no commercial flights since mid-2024, and its August 2026 guidance targets a return to commercial service in February 2027.
Overview
Virgin Galactic flies paying passengers and research payloads on short suborbital flights using a rocket-powered spaceplane released from a carrier aircraft. It retired its first operational spaceship, VSS Unity, from commercial service after a June 2024 flight and has flown no commercial missions since, putting its resources into a new class of spaceships designed to fly far more often. In its 12 August 2026 quarterly update the company said flight testing of the first new ship would begin with a captive-carry flight in October 2026, that commercial service would start in February 2027 rather than the fourth quarter of 2026, and that a second ship would join the fleet in March 2027. These are company targets and the schedule has moved more than once, so check the latest update before relying on any date. In May 2026 Virgin Galactic resumed Unity glide flights at Spaceport America in New Mexico for pilot training. The company is headquartered in Orange County, California, builds its ships at a factory in Arizona, and flies from Spaceport America.
Student Insights
Know the company's real status
Virgin Galactic is not currently flying customers. It stopped commercial flights in mid-2024 to build new ships, and in August 2026 it moved the start of commercial service from late 2026 to February 2027. It is a publicly traded company (NYSE: SPCE) that is funding development out of reserves and share sales: it reported $286 million in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of 30 June 2026, and raised $134 million in the quarter by issuing 41 million new shares. Treat every announced flight date as a target, and read the most recent quarterly update before you apply.
Three locations, three kinds of work
Corporate and engineering staff are in Orange County, California. Spaceships are assembled at the company's factory in Arizona. Flight test, mission control, and spaceflight operations are at Spaceport America in southern New Mexico.
Pilots come from flight test and the military
The company's spaceship and carrier-aircraft pilots are highly experienced test and military pilots. It is not an entry-level flying job, and there is no cadet-style pathway.
AI Outlook
Virgin Galactic is focused on building and flight-testing its new spaceships; no significant AI programs were identified.
Student Hiring
Typical Roles
Notable Programs
- Next-generation spaceships (previously called Delta class)
- VSS Unity
- Spaceport America operations
Career Connections
AeroEd career pathways relevant to Virgin Galactic.