Virgin Galactic wants your help naming its new Delta class spaceship
Horizon , Explorer , Ascend or Apeiron ?
Horizon , Explorer , Ascend or Apeiron ?
The short version
- As Virgin Galactic nears christening the first of its next-generation spaceship designed to launch customers on suborbital flights, it still is missing a key component—a name.
- The self-described “commercial spaceline,” which was founded by British tycoon Richard Branson, has turned to the public to vote on what to call the new vehicle .
- The spaceplane will be a member of Virgin Galactic’s Delta-class fleet, succeeding SpaceShipTwo, which carried Branson and 31 others on 12 short hops above the US-defined boundary between Earth and space.
What happened
“You can vote for one of four finalist names for a spaceship that will join Virgin Galactic’s growing fleet and the next chapter in our journey to expand access to space,” the company announced on its website on August 11. “Our first ship is now expected to enter commercial service in February 2027,” said Michael Colglazier, Virgin Galactic CEO, in a statement released on August 12).
Why it matters
Out of the 276 submissions, four were chosen for the vote: “We encourage everyone… from lifelong space enthusiasts to those simply inspired by what’s possible, to participate,” reads a Virgin Galactic release.
Summary by Nerd News Network. Read the full article at Ars Technica via the links above and below.