Virgin Galactic extends public vote to name new Delta-class spaceplane

Virgin Galactic has extended the deadline for a public vote to name one of its next-generation suborbital spaceplanes, giving participants extra time to weigh in. Voting now runs until September 3, the company said.

The contest asks the public to choose from four finalist names — Horizon, Explorer, Ascend, and Apeiron — submitted earlier by Virgin Galactic employees and ticket-holding customers. Anyone aged 13 or older, anywhere in the world, can vote.

According to the company, responses have come in from people in more than 120 countries. The winning name will go to the second of two Delta-class vehicles currently under construction. These are meant to succeed the retired SpaceShipTwo-class craft, VSS Unity.

Virgin Galactic said its first commercial suborbital mission flew in June 2023. The company has not flown since 2024, when Unity was taken out of service. The first Delta-class spaceplane is reportedly preparing for flight testing, though the company gave no further details on timing.

Virgin Galactic offers paid suborbital trips to customers and has framed the naming exercise as a way to involve the public in its next phase of vehicle development. No date has been given for when the winning name will be announced, or when the newly named spaceplane might enter service.