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☆ Virgin Galactic: Richard Branson won’t invest more money in the space tourism company he founded
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Shares of Virgin Galactic, the space tourism venture founded by Richard Branson, are plunging after the British billionaire said he has no plans to invest more money in the company as he says it has “sufficient funds” already. ET market open on Monday, Virgin Galactic stock was down 16%, trading at less than $2 per share. Virgin Galactic has had a landmark year, flying its first customers to the edge of space after years of waiting. Branson had previously sold off a large chunk of his personal investment in Virgin Galactic, ditching about $1 billion worth of stock between 2020 and 2021. Branson added in his comments to the Financial Times that he remains excited about Virgin Galactic and noted the company has “really proved itself and the technology.”

Persons: Richard Branson, Branson, hasn’t, ”, Virgin Galactic’s, Michael Colglazier’s Organizations: CNN —, Virgin Galactic, Financial Times, — Virgin, Galactic, Times, Virgin, Virgin Group, Virgin Galactic’s, VSS Unity, VSS Locations: Virgin

☆ Billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic lays off 185 employees as it doubles down on efforts to build new spaceships
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Virgin Galactic has laid off 185 employees, which represented about 18% of its workforce. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe ships are designed to carry six passengers on weekly spaceflights, Virgin Galactic has previously said . Virgin Galactic completed its first commercial space flight in June and carried out a total of five commercial flights this year, Space News reported. Earlier this year, Virgin Galactic was selling tickets for its commercial flights at $450,000 each, per a brochure previously listed on its website. Virgin Galactic didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, made outside of normal working hours.

Persons: —, Michael Colglazier, Colglazier, Richard Branson, Virgin Galactic didn't Organizations: Virgin Galactic, Service, Galactic, CNBC, Delta, New Mexico's, Space News Locations: Phoenix , Arizona, Phoenix, New, America

☆ Virgin Galactic pausing flights next year and laying off 18% to focus on next-gen spacecraft
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Carrier aircraft VMS Eve releases spacecraft VSS Unity before firing its rocket engine during the Unity 25 spaceflight on May 25, 2023. Virgin Galactic plans to pause spaceflight operations next year to focus resources on developing its next-generation Delta-class spacecraft, the company announced Wednesday. Virgin Galactic laid off about 185 employees on Tuesday, or about 18% of its workforce, in order "to decrease its costs and strategically realign its resources." Virgin Galactic had cash and securities totaling $1.1 billion at the end of the quarter. The company has been spending heavily to expand its fleet beyond the current sole VSS Unity spacecraft.

Persons: Michael Colglazier Organizations: Carrier, VSS, Virgin Galactic, Virgin, LSEG, VSS Unity, Galactic, Delta Locations: Phoenix

☆ Virgin Galactic launches three paying customers to space
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Virgin Galactic notched its third commercial spaceflight, launching three paying customers on a roughly 90-minute flight that briefly touched the edge of space. Also on board were two Virgin Galactic pilots, commander Nicola Pecile and Michael Masucci. Virgin Galactic stock has shed more than 30% of its value over the past month despite the company’s recent successes. On its first commercial launch, Virgin Galactic carried members of the Italian air force and an Italian engineer on a science research mission. All told, Virgin Galactic has sold about 800 tickets, including 600 at earlier price points up to $250,000 and, more recently, another couple hundred at $450,000 per ticket.

Persons: Virgin Galactic’s, Ken Baxter, Timothy Nash, Adrian Reynard, Nicola Pecile, Michael Masucci, Beth Moses, Virgin Galactic, Richard Branson, Michael Colglazier, Jeff Bezos, Jon Goodwin, Baxter, “ I’ve, Sir Richard, ”, Ken Baxter's Organizations: CNN, Virgin Galactic, Virgin, VSS Unity, America Locations: Vegas, British, South Africa, United Kingdom, New Mexico, Texas, Italian, Antigua

☆ Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier: Space has always been restrictive and we're changing that
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailVirgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier: Space has always been restrictive and we're changing thatMichael Colglazier, Virgin Galactic CEO, joins 'Closing Bell Overtime' to talk Virgin Galactic's launch of its first tourist spaceflight, what's ahead for the company, when Virgin Galactic expects its next flight to take place and more.

Persons: Michael Colglazier Organizations: Virgin Galactic, Virgin

☆ Virgin Galactic launches first tourist flight to space
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Virgin Galactic flew its second commercial spaceflight on Thursday, its first carrying private-paying tourists. Virgin Galactic uses a two-step system known as "air launch" to fly its passengers on a suborbital spaceflight. "We did not, in fact" see any fallout from Virgin Galactic customers, Colglazier said. The company completed its first commercial spaceflight, the Galactic 01 mission, in June carrying members of the Italian Air Force. Virgin Galactic has a backlog of about 800 passengers.

Persons: – CJ Sturckow, Kelly Latimer –, Beth Moses, Jon Goodwin, Keisha Schahaff, Anastatia Mayers, Elon Musk's, Virgin Galactic's, Michael Colglazier, Colglazier Organizations: Virgin Galactic, America, Space, Humanity, Virgin, VSS, Elon, Elon Musk's SpaceX, Italian Air Force . Virgin Galactic Locations: New Mexico, Caribbean

☆ Virgin Galactic to launch first tourism mission after decades of promises
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Jackie Wattles | Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Virgin Galactic — the space tourism company founded by British billionaire Richard Branson — is finally prepared to launch its first space tourists to the edge of the cosmos, a major step toward delivering on decades of promises. Meet the crewThis mission comes on the heels of the success of Virgin Galactic’s first commercial mission, which launched in June. Goodwin was one of the earliest ticket holders on Virgin Galactic, which opened its first sales more than a decade ago. Virgin Galactic has sold about 800 tickets, including 600 at prices up to $250,000 and another couple hundred at $450,000 per ticket. In the lead-up to 2023, Virgin Galactic had been undergoing a lengthy “enhancement” process to upgrade its flight hardware.

Persons: Richard Branson —, Keisha Schahaff, Anastatia Mayers, Jon Goodwin, Goodwin, Virgin Galactic’s, Jeff Bezos, Galactic Schahaff, Mayers, “, ” Schahaff, Oliver Daemen, Bezos, don’t, ”, John McFall, What’s, Michael Colglazier, Virgin Galactic, Colglazier Organizations: CNN, Virgin Galactic, VSS Unity, Virgin, VSS, Galactic, Space, Humanity, University of Aberdeen, Blue, European Space Agency Locations: British, New Mexico, Antigua, American, Caribbean, Scotland

☆ Virgin Galactic banks $2 million in quarterly revenue after first commercial spaceflight
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Virgin Galactic flew two spaceflights during the second quarter: Its final test spaceflight and its first commercial spaceflight, the latter a long-awaited step to bring its service to market. It expects to fly its second commercial spaceflight on Aug. 10. Virgin Galactic stock slipped about 3% in after-hours trading from its close at $4.14 a share. Virgin Galactic had cash and securities totaling $980 million at the end of the quarter, up from about $874 million at the end of the first quarter. That increase came as Virgin Galactic brought in funds through "at the market" sales of common stock.

Persons: Michael Colglazier Organizations: Virgin Galactic, America, VSS Unity, Galactic Locations: New Mexico, U.S

☆ Watch CNBC's full interview with Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWatch CNBC's full interview with Virgin Galactic CEO Michael ColglazierMichael Colglazier, Virgin Galactic CEO, joins 'Closing Bell Overtime' to discuss Virgin Galactic's historic first commercial flight to the edge of space.

Persons: Michael Colglazier Michael Colglazier Organizations: Virgin Galactic, Virgin

☆ Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier: We will always keep strength in our balance sheet
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailVirgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier: We will always keep strength in our balance sheetMichael Colglazier, Virgin Galactic CEO, joins 'Closing Bell Overtime' to discuss Virgin Galactic's historic first commercial flight to the edge of space.

Persons: Michael Colglazier Organizations: Virgin Galactic, Virgin

☆ Virgin Galactic to launch commercial space tourism service with late June flight
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Spacecraft VSS Unity fires its engine during the Unity 25 spaceflight, May 25, 2023. Virgin Galactic aims to launch its commercial space tourism service in late June. Virgin Galactic then plans for its second commercial flight to follow in "early August," with "monthly" commercial flights after that. The June launch will also begin moving Virgin Galactic toward showing it can fly commercial flights regularly, which is crucial to its long-term success. "We are launching the first commercial spaceline for Earth with two dynamic products — our scientific research and private astronaut space missions," Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier said in a statement.

Persons: Virgin Galactic's, Richard Branson, Michael Colglazier Organizations: VSS Unity, Virgin Galactic, Italian Air Force, VSS, Virgin

☆ Investing in Space: Virgin Galactic still has a big hurdle to clear for commercial service
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

After Virgin Galactic last week flew its final developmental spaceflight, which it crowned successful, it'd be easy to think the space tourism company is at a turning point. But the Virgin Galactic story is not about its first operational spaceflight, as long-awaited as that may be. Virgin Galactic sold about 600 tickets at $250,000 or less, representing the majority of its total reservations. Yes, Virgin Galactic has nearly $900 million in cash and securities to continue to cover losses in the meantime. Colglazier has described Delta as "the economic engine" for Virgin Galactic, estimating revenue of over $2.7 million per flight.

Persons: CNBC's Michael Sheetz, it's, It's, Elon, Michael Colglazier, Colglazier, Beth Moses, Moses, Delta, he's, bode, Galactic's, Shepard Organizations: Virgin Galactic, SpaceX, Elon Musk's, VSS Unity, VSS, Virgin Locations: that's, Virgin, Everest

☆ Virgin Galactic quarterly loss widens while company preps for spaceflight return
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Virgin Galactic is aiming to fly its first spaceflight in nearly two years later this month, but the company's first quarter loss widened dramatically as it funds its fleet growth. Virgin Galactic cited "increases in research and development expenses," in a press release. It paused launches for a lengthy refurbishment period of its vehicles, with Virgin Galactic aiming to fly its first commercial mission in "late June." The space tourism company reported an adjusted EBITDA loss of $140 million, compared with a $77 million loss in the same period a year ago. Shares of Virgin Galactic stock slipped more than 1% in after-hours trading, from its close at $4.09 a share.

☆ Virgin Galactic set for first spaceflight since Richard Branson's trip two years ago
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The flight, slated for late May, will carry two pilots and a crew of four Virgin Galactic employees, the company announced Monday. If all goes well, Virgin Galactic expects to begin commercial services out of its spaceport in New Mexico in late June. At the time Virgin Galactic went public in 2019, it had also been touting plans to start commercial service in 2020. They include two pilots — CJ Sturckow and Mike Masucci — as well as four Virgin Galactic employees who will ride in the passenger cabin. Virgin Orbit, a sister company to Virgin Galactic that is focused on launching satellites to space on a small rocket, filed for bankruptcy in April.

☆ Virgin Galactic finishes lengthy spacecraft upgrades, plans Q2 commercial service
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Joe SkipperWASHINGTON, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc (SPCE.N) has completed a lengthy upgrade period for its centerpiece tourist spacecraft, with commercial service on track to begin in the second quarter of 2023, the company said on Tuesday. This month, VSS Unity's twin-fuselage carrier plane VMS Eve made its first flight since 2021. Virgin Galactic is targeting monthly commercial missions after the Italian Air Force flight, a long-awaited cadence to handle the company's some 800 customers in line to fly. The company in February re-opened ticket sales to the public for spacecraft flights, setting prices at $450,000 per person with an initial deposit of $150,000. Each flight in space, over 50 miles (80 km) above ground, lasts roughly 10 minutes in microgravity, with VSS Unity launching mid-air from the center of its VMS Eve carrier plane.

☆ Virgin Galactic completes lengthy upgrade process ahead of resuming spaceflights
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

An aerial view of carrier aircraft VMS Eve, left, and spacecraft VSS Unity, at Spaceport America in New Mexico on Feb. 27, 2023. Virgin Galactic said on Tuesday it remains on track to resume spaceflights in the coming months after completing upgrades to its carrier aircraft and spacecraft. During that period Virgin Galactic conducted a variety of repairs and enhancements to its jet-powered mothership, called VMS Eve. Then Virgin Galactic will conduct glide tests, where VMS Eve carries the spacecraft and releases it, before a test spaceflight with a full company crew onboard. Shares of Virgin Galactic are up about 65% this year as of Tuesday's close of $5.74 per share.

☆ Virgin Galactic CEO outlines remaining steps before commercial spaceflight service begins next year
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Virgin Galactic on Thursday reported a wider third-quarter loss from a year ago, with CEO Michael Colglazier outlining the remaining steps before the space tourism company aims to launch its long-delayed service next year. "As we approach commercial service, we recognize the significance of getting back to the business of spaceflight," Colglazier said on a conference call. Shares of Virgin Galactic are down 66% this year as of Thursday's close of $4.58. Virgin Galactic is emphasizing the potential of its "Delta-class" series of spacecraft, with work set to begin next year. "We are reassessing its schedule for entering commercial service," Colglazier said.

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