--- title: "Virgin Galactic Unveils New Spaceship" description: "Virgin Galactic has unveiled its latest next-generation spaceship called VSS Imagine." date: "2021-03-30" modified: "2021-03-30" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/virgin-galactic-spaceship-vss-imagine" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "spaceshiptwo" - "the digest" - "virgin galactic" - "vss imagine" - "vss unity" --- # Virgin Galactic Unveils New Spaceship ![Virgin Galactic has unveiled its latest next-generation spaceship called VSS Imagine.]() *\Image: Virgin Galactic\* ## VSS Imagine Virgin Galactic has [unveiled its latest next-generation spaceship](), which it's calling the VSS Imagine. The new addition to the space company's fleet is the first new class of SpaceShip III vehicles and follows the SpaceShipTwo designs the company has been testing. https://youtu.be/UKiLv95mIVo Apart from some minor design updates as compared to its SpaceShipTwo predecessors, the standout new feature is VSS Imagine's new paint job. The vehicle is astonishingly shiny, coated in a mirror-like material that reflects the surrounding environment, "constantly changing color and appearance as it travels from earth to sky to space," according to a [press release](). Virgin Galactic has been working hard on making affordable space tourism a reality. The company [recently showed off the cabin interior]() of its SpaceShipTwo space plane, designed to take anybody who can afford it to the lower edges of space. In 2019, the company's VSS Unity spaceplane, a SpaceShipTwo class craft, made it to an altitude of [44.85 miles (89.9 km)]() after being carried to 44,000 feet by mothership WhiteKnightTwo. ## 400 Flights a Year The company's SpaceShip III class is meant to allow the company to launch more flights at a much faster rate. "The introduction of the Spaceship III class of vehicles is an important milestone in Virgin Galactic’s multi-year effort that targets flying 400 flights per year, per spaceport," reads the statement. "Virgin Galactic spaceships are built specifically to deliver a new, transforming perspective to the thousands of people who will soon be able to experience the wonder of space for themselves," said Virgin founder Richard Branson. "As a SpaceShip III class of vehicle, Imagine is not just beautiful to look at, but represents Virgin Galactic’s growing fleet of spaceships." **READ MORE:** [Virgin Galactic debuts sleek SpaceShip III design to grow its passenger fleet]() \[*CNET*\] **More on Virgin Galactic:** [*Virgin Galactic Shows Off Sleek Supersonic Jet Concept*]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()