Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc., publicly traded as SPCE, is an American space tourism company, venturing into groundbreaking strides within the commercial spaceflight industry. It was initially founded in 2004 by renowned entrepreneur Richard Branson as part of his Virgin Group, with a vision to make space tourism a viable possibility for the general public. Laying down the framework for the company, Branson set his sights on providing routine suborbital spaceflights to space tourists and suborbital launches for space science missions.
Since its inception, it changed hands becoming part of Social Capital and ultimately getting listed on the New York Stock Exchange in October 2019, thus becoming the first human spaceflight company to be publicly traded.
Headquartered in Spaceport America, New Mexico, Virgin Galactic operates with dual goals of advancing space tourism and contributing to scientific research. As of 2021, their primary vehicle, the SpaceShipTwo, has completed multiple test flights, with Richard Branson himself joining the first fully crewed spaceflight in July 2021.
The SpaceShipTwo has a unique air-launched system that combines a custom high-altitude jet known as White Knight Two, which carries the spaceship to the launch altitude. After this point, the spaceship is released and rapidly ascends to space through its rocket engine.
Wall Street views the business model of this cutting-edge company as pure speculation, given the lack of historical precedents. However, with back-to-back successful flights, the credibility and potential profitability of commercial suborbital tourism seem increasingly probable. The company has already taken deposits for tickets from about 600 customers, at a price point of $250,000. As the company further refines its operations, it hopes to increase the frequency of its flights and eventually decrease the cost per seat, turning space tourism into a more accessible reality.
Despite teething problems and delays, Virgin Galactic has made significant progress in space commerce. The company continues to push boundaries, even opening up opportunities for microgravity research and professional astronaut training. With its growing achievements, Virgin Galactic aims to inspire a new generation of dreamers and explorers, bringing to life a world where people can travel and experience the cosmos first-hand.
Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc represents an exciting proposition for investors interested in gaining exposure to the still-nascent and highly promising space economy. It is the embodiment of private investment and innovation, revolutionizing space travel for humans at a scale never previously imagined.