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.
Like SpaceShipTwo, Delta spaceships are designed to fly with up to six people. The new spaceship has streamlined manufacturing and maintenance, supporting an increased flight rate. Delta-class ships may fly as many as eight space missions per month, 12 times what was possible with SpaceShipTwo, according to Virgin Galactic.
Virgin Galactic plans to debut the Delta spaceship’s livery, including its name, as its next milestone before delivering the first vehicle to Spaceport America in New Mexico, where flight tests will begin. Out of the 276 submissions, four were chosen for the vote
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