
We Builld SpaceShips: Ground Testing
The video showcases Virgin Galactic’s comprehensive ground‑testing regimen for its next‑generation spaceship, emphasizing the milestone of rolling the vehicle out to the hangar while underscoring that this visual cue represents only a fraction of the rigorous validation work underway. Four testing pillars dominate the effort: material and component qualification in environmental chambers that push temperature and humidity beyond orbital extremes; system‑level verification on the “Iron Bird,” a full‑scale mock‑up that allows engineers to catch integration issues early; full‑scale static structural tests at Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, where a replica of the horizontal stabilizer is twisted, bent, and loaded to confirm load margins; and integrated vehicle ground tests at the Arizona factory, encompassing up to 64 checks of wiring, plumbing, and deployment timing for critical subsystems. Senior chief engineer Gabriel Williams calls testing the "most exciting phase," while director of test and evaluation Chris Rulf highlights the Iron Bird’s value for early problem detection and future upgrades. Vice President of Mission Operations Jeremy Gagetor details the exhaustive end‑to‑end checks, noting the need for absolute precision in predicting flight performance. These layered tests create a robust safety baseline, reduce risk of in‑flight failures, and enable rapid iteration of upgrades, positioning Virgin Galactic to meet regulatory standards and deliver reliable commercial sub‑orbital flights.

Galactic 10: Latest Virgin Galactic Milestones
Virgin Galactic’s President Mike Moses unveiled the company’s latest “Galactic 10” video, marking the near‑completion of its first next‑generation spaceship and the launch of a new sales portal for space‑flight tickets. The rollout showcases a step‑by‑step build, from the Eve...

We Build SpaceShips: The Fuselage Part 1
The video walks viewers through the construction of a spacecraft fuselage, highlighting its three major sections – forward fuselage, oxidizer tank, and aft fuselage – and explaining how each contributes to the vehicle’s overall architecture. It details the structural backbone: two...

We Build SpaceShips Episode 10 Drops Feb 11!
Virgin Galactic’s president, Mike Moses, introduced episode 10 of the "We Build SpaceShips" series, highlighting the company’s rapid progress over the past few months. The video walks viewers through the latest milestones, including the completion of major sub‑assemblies that now resemble...

We Build Spaceships: Inside the Spaceship Factory
Inside Virgin Galactic’s newly opened spaceship factory, director of manufacturing engineering Joe Minerys walks viewers through the end‑to‑end assembly of the company’s sub‑orbital vehicle. The video showcases a tightly choreographed shop floor where composite fuselage skins, avionics, landing‑gear mechanisms and...