Virgin Galactic pauses spaceflight activities following the retirement of Unity.

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Overview: Suspended at the edge

VSS Unity was a good suborbital spaceship, but it needs improvement.

With Unity's retirement following last weekend's launch, it's worth examining the vehicle's final record: 12 spaceflights in six years, transporting 37 individuals to space.

While the privately-developed spacecraft has achieved solid numbers, it falls far short of the forecast Virgin Galactic sold investors on - over 3,000 "cumulative passengers flown" by 2023 - when it went public five years ago.

Virgin Galactic's leadership has recognized the need for a more advanced, efficient solution than SpaceShipTwo and SpaceShipThree for their space travel needs.

When I first learned about CEO Michael Colglazier's plan for the "Delta" class three years ago, it was intended for Unity to have two successors, VSS Imagine and VSS Inspire, before transitioning to Delta vehicles.

Virgin Galactic has announced that VSS Unity will no longer fly and that VSS Imagine and VSS Inspire will be used solely for the development and testing of its Delta class on the ground.

"Our Delta class ships are potent economic drivers. Their groundbreaking capacity and revenue generation have prompted us to skip over our third-generation ship, VSS Imagine, and proceed straight to our fourth generation, the Delta Class," Colglazier stated during an earnings call last year.

The first Delta spacecraft is set to debut before the first commercial flight in 2026.

Virgin Galactic's spaceflights were delayed by several years, with the company initially planning to start in 2010 but not beginning until 2018. Additionally, the company's commercial flights were scheduled to begin in early 2020 but were postponed until June 2023.

The company is facing a cash crunch, with a negative free cash flow of about $1 billion over the past two years, despite having nearly $870 million in cash and equivalents on hand as of March.

Virgin Galactic should allocate at least $1 billion more before a Delta spacecraft can transport passengers, considering the company's history and the broader spaceflight vehicle development track record.

The company has implemented cost-cutting measures, including layoffs and a reverse stock split, to improve its financial situation after a three-year decline in stock value.

The future of Virgin Galactic in space hangs in the balance, as the focus is not on the debut of Delta but rather the frequency of its first Delta spaceship, which must fly 10 times more frequently than Unity within the first year or two.

To generate substantial revenue, Virgin Galactic must have its future spacecraft flying weekly, not quarterly or even monthly, as soon as possible.

What's up

NASA announced that Starliner has a fifth helium leak, which was discovered after the spacecraft docked with the ISS. However, the agency stated that engineers' evaluation found there is "plenty of margin" in the spacecraft's helium supply based on current leak rates.
Elon Musk is being sued for harassment by eight former SpaceX employees who were fired in 2022 and have been pursuing their case through a U.S. labor board.
NASA stated that the ISS emergency was a false alarm, and no crew was in danger. The agency explained that the audio of an emergency simulation was accidentally broadcast publicly. The update was issued 90 minutes after the apparent false alarm.
The FAA has stated that SpaceX's fourth test flight of the Starship rocket was within their expectations, and therefore, no mishap investigation will be required.
Research papers published from biomedical data collected during the Inspiration4 mission suggest that women may be "more tolerant to spaceflight," according to Fox Weather and The New York Times.
The 43rd country to sign the Artemis Accords is Armenia.
The FAA is assessing SpaceX's plan to commence Starship launches from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, with the aim of increasing infrastructure on the LC-39A pad and potentially conducting up to 44 launches annually.
Via Satellite is expanding its messaging service to include iMessage and SMS texting in addition to its previous Emergency SOS service.
NASA has cancelled a planned spacewalk on the International Space Station due to an unexplained "spacesuit discomfort issue." The agency did not provide further details on the nature of the discomfort or why the 6.5-hour EVA was postponed.
The Canadian operator showcases space laser links using prototypes, as demonstrated by Kepler with two pathfinder satellites.
Stoke completes its first test firing of the engine for its Nova rocket, as the company continues to develop the fully reusable vehicle.

Industry maneuvers

Apex, a spacecraft startup, raises $95 million in funding at an undisclosed valuation, with XYZ Venture Capital and CRV leading the round. The new investors include Upfront, 8VC, Toyota Ventures, Point72 Ventures, Mirae Asset Capital, Outsiders Fund, and GSBackers, while existing investors such as Andreessen Horowitz, Shield Capital, J2 Ventures, and Ravelin also participate. The company plans to use the funds to expand its spacecraft manufacturing, launch new products, and hire more staff.
NASA has been awarded a $507 million contract for the Landsat Next satellite instruments, which will be used for three unspecified satellites at a future date.
The company has secured $49 million in government funding for spacecraft solar cells, with half of it coming from the federal CHIPS and Science Act and the other half from the state of New Mexico. The company plans to invest over $70 million itself, bringing its total commitment to more than $120 million. This funding will be used to expand its Rocket Lab's Albuquerque solar cell production facility.
The U.S. military will acquire more than 100 SpaceX Starshield satellites, with full ownership and control.
NASA has chosen seven companies, including SpaceX, Blue Origin, Aerojet Rocketdyne, and others, to study Mars Sample Return alternatives under 90-day contracts. These companies will explore replacement options for NASA's existing program, which has experienced rising costs and schedule overruns.
Airbus has received an order from Yahsat, the UAE's telecommunications satellite operator, for two satellites based on the Eurostar NEO spacecraft platform, with plans to launch them in 2027 and 2028.
Vast has signed a cargo services agreement with TEC, a Europe-based company, for a 2028 mission to deliver supplies to Vast's second planned Haven private space station.
Spire is a European group that plans to use satellites to broadcast aircraft data in real time through an air traffic surveillance service.
Redwire will provide Roll-Out Solar Array (ROSA) wings for Thales' upcoming GEO telecom "Space Inspire" satellites.

Boldly going

NanoAvionics appointed Atle Wøllo as its new CEO, replacing interim CEO Žilvinas Kvedaravičius, who had been in the position since cofounder and prior CEO Vytenis Buzas left last year.

Ad astra

Legendary Apollo astronaut and 'Earthrise' photographer Bill Anders dies in Washington plane crash. Anders, who was 90, was the pilot of a Beechcraft T-34 aircraft that went down off the San Juan Islands. He piloted the lunar module as part of the Apollo 8 mission crew and became legendary for his iconic Earthrise photo.
Ed Stone, a former JPL director and professor at Caltech, passed away at the age of 88. He was a project scientist on the deep space Voyager mission and served as director of NASA's JPL for a decade. – JPL