Virgin Galactic’s stock took a hit on Thursday, despite exceeding earnings expectations in the third quarter. The company’s announcement of an at-the-market equity program to fund fleet expansion fueled investor concerns, outweighing the positive earnings report.
Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson is set to join Space Perspective’s first crewed stratospheric balloon flight next year, bringing his decades-long experience with hot-air ballooning to the venture. The flight, which will carry eight passengers in a pressurized capsule to an altitude of 20 miles, aims to offer a luxurious and gentle tourism experience unlike any other.
Virgin Galactic continues its momentum in space tourism, successfully launching its fourth suborbital spaceflight with paying customers. The mission carried three space tourists, including Pakistan’s first space traveler, on a brief journey beyond the Earth’s atmosphere.
Virgin Galactic has successfully flown four tourists to the edge of space and back, marking the second flight of its spaceplane this year. The Galactic 07 mission carried passengers from Turkey, the United States, and Italy to an altitude of approximately 55 miles (88.51 km) during a flight that lasted over an hour. The space tourism company conducted the flight from Spaceport America in New Mexico, marking the final commercial flight for its VSS Unity spaceplane. Virgin Galactic is currently developing fourth-generation spaceships scheduled to enter commercial service in 2026.
