All articles tagged with #virgin galactic
Virgin Galactic fell about 32% after preliminary court approval of a shareholder derivative settlement reignited dilution fears tied to its capital realignment plan, while AST SpaceMobile rose ~10% on reaffirmed FY2026 guidance and planned Falcon 9 launches, and Planet Labs advanced ~9% on strong revenue and growing remaining performance obligations.
Virgin Galactic's stock, which had surged more than 200% since May 20, sank as much as 36% on Tuesday as the rally ran out of steam. Bloomberg says the move was likely amplified by a short squeeze, with S3 Partners noting shorts had outsized exposure and had to cover, amid broader space-sector enthusiasm and SpaceX IPO hype.
Virgin Galactic's shares tumbled about 32% after a preliminary shareholder-derivative settlement reignited concerns about dilution tied to its capital-realignment plan, while AST SpaceMobile rose about 10% on reaffirmed FY2026 revenue guidance and upcoming Falcon 9 satellite launches, and Planet Labs climbed roughly 9% on solid revenue and rising remaining obligations, illustrating a split in space-stock trading between company-specific catalysts and broader sector momentum.
Virgin Galactic said it will redeem up to $30.5 million of its 9.80% First Lien Notes by issuing common stock to noteholders instead of paying cash, a move that reduces near‑term debt and interest costs but dilutes existing shareholders; the plan, part of a capital-management push ahead of commercial operations in late 2026, prompted a stock price drop as investors weighed dilution against balance‑sheet benefits.
Virgin Galactic wins preliminary court approval for a shareholder derivative settlement, restarts crewed glide tests of VSS Unity toward Delta-class milestones, and gains a new 5.26% institutional stake from RichRich Capital, collectively reshaping the stock’s risk-reward profile amid tight cash runway and ongoing execution risk.
Virgin Galactic jumped about 18% on momentum from Blue Origin setbacks and progress toward flight testing, while AST SpaceMobile slid roughly 9% after a Q1 revenue miss. Rocket Lab dropped around 13% despite beating earnings and maintaining a large backlog, as investors rotate away from launch-exposed names into Virgin Galactic. The space-stock divergence widens, driven more by sentiment than fundamentals, with upcoming catalysts like Blue Origin findings and Rocket Lab’s Neutron/BlueBird milestones to watch.
Virgin Galactic Holdings (SPCE) rose about 9.9% in premarket to around $4.98 after the U.S. District Court granted preliminary approval for a $2.75 million settlement with insurers to resolve two shareholder derivative lawsuits, easing a litigation overhang. Technically, the stock sits well above its 20- and 200-day simple moving averages with an RSI of 78.65, signaling overbought conditions and suggesting a potential pullback. The company is slated to report next on August 5, 2026, with an expected loss of 68 cents per share on revenue of about $139,336. Analysts are mixed (Hold consensus), while Benzinga Edge shows bullish momentum but warns that longer-term value remains uncertain.
Virgin Galactic has resumed glide flights with VSS Unity at Spaceport America to train pilots, ground crews, and Mission Control ahead of testing its next-generation Spaceship, with glide tests planned for Q3 2026 and rocket-powered flights to space in Q4 2026, aiming for frequent operations and profitability.
Virgin Galactic reveals its next-generation spaceship and warns of a long, costly test program as cash reserves have fallen to $338 million. The company aims for its first flight with the new ship in summer 2026 and to enter service by late 2026/early 2027, but profitability hinges on rapidly scaling up flights before funds run out.
Virgin Galactic reported Q4 2025 revenue of about $0.31 million and full-year 2025 revenue of roughly $1.54 million, with a Q4 net loss of $62.7 million and a 2025 net loss of $278.9 million. Cash and marketable securities totaled $338 million at year-end; Adjusted EBITDA was −$48.6 million in Q4 and −$225.8 million for 2025. Free cash flow was −$94.6 million in Q4 and −$438.2 million for 2025, aided by $122 million in gross proceeds from stock offerings. The company also completed a capital realignment to align debt maturities and reduce obligations by $142 million, and guided 2026 free cash flow to be negative in Q1 (−$90 to −$95 million) with sequential improvement through the year. On the operational side, the first SpaceShip is nearing completion with ground testing in April 2026, SpaceShip 2 production is planned to begin later in 2026, rocket motor production at the Phoenix plant starts in Q4 2026, and Virgin Galactic targets late-2026 for the start of commercial spaceline flights followed by a ramp in 2027.
Researchers and startups are exploring space fertility, from microgravity experiments on embryos to plans for private crews on Virgin Galactic’s Delta-class plane, signaling early steps toward space-enabled reproduction and the broader potential of space colonization.
Berkeley researchers successfully tested a next-generation 3D printer, SpaceCAL, aboard Virgin Galactic's Unity spaceplane. The printer uses computed axial lithography (CAL) to rapidly produce solid objects, a technology that could be crucial for creating replacement parts in space. This test highlights the potential of sub-orbital spacecraft for conducting significant scientific research.
This week is packed with significant space missions, including SpaceX's Starship's fourth flight, Boeing's rescheduled Starliner crewed test, and Virgin Galactic's final VSS Unity flight before transitioning to the Delta class vehicle. Additionally, Rocket Lab's PREFIRE mission for NASA and multiple Starlink launches by SpaceX are scheduled. The Chang’e 6 mission has successfully landed on the moon's far side, marking a historic achievement.
United Launch Alliance's Delta IV Heavy rocket completes its final mission, Rocket Lab plans to reuse a previously flown Electron rocket first stage tank, Virgin Orbit's IP library is available for licensing at $3 million, Virgin Galactic countersues Boeing over a project to develop a new mothership aircraft, and Ursa Major signs a contract with the US Navy to develop and test solid fuel rocket engines.
In late January, a record-tying 20 people were in space simultaneously, with 11 on the International Space Station, three on China's Tiangong space station, and six aboard Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity space plane. This milestone was achieved during the private Ax-3 mission and Virgin Galactic's Galactic 06 flight. The previous record was set in May 2023 with 17 people in orbit. With ongoing developments in private space stations and plans for lunar and Martian settlements, the current record is expected to be surpassed in the near future.