Virgin Galactic has unveiled Apeiron, the first spaceship in its new Delta class, Space.com and The Verge report. The company revealed it on Wednesday, October 28.

The name comes from the ancient Greek word for "boundless." It won a public vote that drew people from 83 countries, beating Horizon, Explorer and Ascend, Space.com reports. Those four finalists came from 276 names suggested by employees.

"Apeiron, the Boundless, captures the ambition of human spaceflight and the possibilities it opens for humanity," the company's chief executive said.

On Wednesday, Apeiron was set to be flown from the company's factory in Mesa, Arizona, to Spaceport America in New Mexico, attached to its carrier plane, Eve. There, engineers will finish checking its flight software before test flights begin.

Virgin Galactic has not flown a commercial flight since June 2024, when it retired its earlier ship, VSS Unity, The Verge reports. The company says the latest delay reflects extra time for software testing. A second Delta-class ship is being built.

Space.com reports about 675 people are still waiting for seats, citing a company filing. Tickets cost about $200,000 when sales began in 2014, and now cost $850,000 a seat, according to a report cited by Space.com. Once running, the company plans to fly each Delta ship up to eight times a month.

Apeiron will not reach orbit. Like Unity, it is built for short trips above the 100-kilometer line that marks the edge of space, giving riders a few minutes of weightlessness. Virgin Galactic plans to share more on test flights during its November earnings call.

What we know: Virgin Galactic has unveiled Apeiron and is moving it to New Mexico for final checks and test flights.
What we don't: When test flights will begin, and whether the 2027 timeline will hold.