Prototype Spaceship Resumes Glide Flights Ahead of Next-Generation Vehicle Test Program
VSS Unity Returns to Spaceport America to Prepare Pilots, Operations Teams for New Spaceship
A series of unpowered glide flights over New Mexico’s Spaceport America has begun using Virgin Galactic’s prototype spaceplane VSS Unity, marking the first phase of preparations for the company’s next-generation Spaceship flight test program.
“Unity’s glide characteristics and energy-management profile provide an outstanding real-world proxy for our new Spaceship.”
Mike Moses, Virgin Galactic Spaceline
Unity’s glide profile, landing approach and cockpit view closely mirror those of the new Spaceship, giving pilots live experience in the flight conditions they will encounter when the next-generation vehicle takes to the air. The flights are intended to serve as a real-world supplement to simulator training as the company builds toward an active test program.
“Unity’s glide characteristics and energy-management profile provide an outstanding real-world proxy for our new Spaceship,” said Mike Moses, Virgin Galactic Spaceline president. “Using a proven vehicle in this way prepares our pilots and operations teams to move through flight testing for our new Spaceship more efficiently and with greater confidence than simulator training alone could provide.”
The glide flights carry operational significance beyond the cockpit. Ground crews, maintenance teams and Mission Control are all running live operations alongside the flight activity, building the procedural coordination and operational rhythm needed to support an increasing cadence of spaceflight activity as the new Spaceship program advances.
Virgin Galactic expects to conduct glide tests with the first of its new Spaceships in the third quarter of 2026, followed by rocket-powered test flights to space in the fourth quarter of 2026. The company’s next-generation Spaceships are designed to fly twice per week, with an expected vehicle lifetime of more than 500 missions — a frequency intended to support a commercially viable spaceline operation.