Virgin Galactic is getting closer to making space the next exciting tourism destination.
What’s happening:
- Aerospace company Virgin Galactic (NYSE:SPCE) has officially completed construction of their new state of the art manufacturing facility located in Mesa, Arizona
- The new facility will significantly accelerate the production and assembly of Virigin Galactic’s flagship Delta spaceships
Why it matters:
- Virgin Galactic is aiming to be a first mover in space tourism, with their Delta spaceships being capable of transporting small groups of passengers safely into orbit
By the numbers:
- Since inception Virgin Galactic has successfully launched 12 of their spacecrafts into orbit
- Virgin Galactic’s Delta spaceships are expected to be able to do 8 individual launches per month with passengers on board
Going deeper:
- Virgin Galactic has multiple notable backers and investors, including legendary entrepreneur Richard Branson and venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya who initially led the SPAC transaction which took Virgin Galactic public
The intrigue:
- Space tourism is yet another disruptive area of the future of space technology, which has recently seen startups raising capital for everything from drug discovery in orbit to extracting helium from the Moon
