Virgin Galactic Begins Operations at Delta Spaceship Ground Testing Facility
May 06 2024 - 7:00AM
Business Wire
Real-time verification to expedite and enhance
Delta Class development
Phase 1 complete for ‘Iron Bird’ test
facility
Delta subsystems begin ground tests
Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPCE) (“Virgin Galactic”
or the “Company”) today announced that it has opened a new system
integration facility in Southern California for the Company’s Delta
Class spaceships. This ground-based test facility, which houses a
testing platform known as an “Iron Bird,” has begun tests of
initial subsystems and will add components over the course of the
year to increase its scope and effectiveness.
Using an Iron Bird test rig is common practice in aerospace
development programs and allows Virgin Galactic to test and verify
the operation of dozens of Delta subsystems – including avionics,
feather actuation, pneumatics and hydraulics. This strategic
investment is an important building block to ensure efficient
production and safe operations of the Delta Class spaceships,
allowing the team to validate the functionality of components early
in the development process.
“With this approach, Virgin Galactic is moving from a prototype
to a production model of developing spaceships – shaving years off
the development timeline we saw with VSS Unity,” said Virgin
Galactic Spaceline President Mike Moses. “The team has hit the
ground running – with important testing already underway,
supporting our ability to execute key Delta production milestones.
The test data we’re gathering at this important stage of
development will further refine testing and streamline
manufacturing and validation over the course of the Delta
program.”
The Iron Bird is just one ground testing method used in the
development of the Delta spaceship. A static test article will
stress major structural components to verify structural integrity
data and determine the design and ultimate limit loads of the
structure, which will both optimize the flight test program and
support our overall turn time objectives.
The production timeline for Virgin Galactic’s Delta fleet
remains on track for commercial service to launch in 2026. Final
assembly of the Delta ships will take place at Virgin Galactic’s
new Delta facility in Phoenix, Arizona. The Delta Class spaceships
are being built to be capable of flying eight space missions per
month with twelve times the monthly capacity of our original
spaceship, VSS Unity.
About Virgin Galactic Virgin Galactic is an aerospace and
space travel company, pioneering human spaceflight for private
individuals and researchers with its advanced air and space
vehicles. Scale and profitability are driven by next generation
vehicles capable of bringing humans to space at an unprecedented
frequency with an industry-leading cost structure. You can find
more information at https://www.virgingalactic.com/.
Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains
forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We intend such
forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor
provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 27A
of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”)
and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the “Exchange Act”). All statements contained in this press
release other than statements of historical fact, including,
without limitation, statements regarding testing and verifying the
operation of Delta subsystems, the Company's ability to validate
the functionality of Delta Class components, the development
timeline, structural design and integrity of the spaceships,
commencement of commercial service of our Delta fleet and timing
thereof, and the monthly flight capabilities of the Delta Class
spaceships are forward-looking statements. The words “believe,”
“may,” “will,” “estimate,” “potential,” “continue,” “anticipate,”
“intend,” “expect,” “strategy,” “future,” “could,” “would,”
“project,” “plan,” “target,” and similar expressions are intended
to identify forward-looking statements, though not all
forward-looking statements use these words or expressions. These
statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known
and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that
may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be
materially different from any future results, performance or
achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking
statements, including but not limited to, any delay in future
commercial flights of our spaceflight fleet, our ability to
successfully develop and test our Delta fleet and the time and
costs associated with doing so, the safety of our spaceflight
systems, and the other, risks and uncertainties included in our
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31,
2023, as such factors may be updated from time to time in our other
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”),
accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and the Investor
Relations section of our website at www.virgingalactic.com, which
could cause our actual results to differ materially from those
indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press
release. Any such forward-looking statements represent management’s
estimates as of the date of this press release. While we may elect
to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the
future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent
events cause our views to change.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240506776663/en/
For media inquiries: Aleanna Crane – Vice President,
Communications news@virgingalactic.com 575.800.4422
Jeff Michael – Communications news@virgingalactic.com
661.754.4300
For investor inquiries: Eric Cerny – Vice President,
Investor Relations vg-ir@virgingalactic.com 949.774.7637
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