Boeing Subsidiary Chosen to Build Virgin Galactic Motherships
Jul 7, 2022 By MarketDepth
Virgin Galactic (NYSE: SPCE) announced after the market closed on Wednesday that it has partnered with Aurora Flight Sciences in the design and manufacturing of its next generation motherships.
200 Launches Annually
Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing company, has over 30 years of experience building cutting-edge aircraft from concept to delivery and specializes in novel aircraft configurations and complex composites. Virgin Galactic’s agreement with Aurora will see two vehicles delivered, with each designed to fly up to 200 launches per year.
“Our next generation motherships are integral to scaling our operations. They will be faster to produce, easier to maintain and will allow us to fly substantially more missions each year. Supported by the scale and strength of Boeing, Aurora is the ideal manufacturing partner for us as we build our fleet to support 400 flights per year at Spaceport America.”
Virgin Galactic Chief Executive Officer Michael Colglazier
Aurora plans to manufacture the aircraft at its Columbus, Mississippi and Bridgeport, West Virginia facilities, while Virgin Galactic’s in-house team will focus on complex and critical elements such as design, engineering and final assembly, which is to be completed at the Virgin Galactic facility in Mojave, California.
“Boeing is excited to contribute our culture of safety, our operational excellence, and our expertise in aircraft design and manufacturing to help advance human space travel. Today’s announcement expands our collaboration with Virgin Galactic to accelerate transformative aerospace technologies.”
Todd Citron, Boeing Chief Technology Officer and Vice President and General Manager of Boeing Research & Technology
