Virgin Galactic is collaborating with Redwire to develop payload racks for experiments aboard its forthcoming Delta-class suborbital spaceplane. Announced on January 30, this partnership aims to create research payload lockers that can be integrated into Delta-class vehicles, facilitating a diverse array of scientific experiments.
The lockers will utilize technology previously designed by Redwire for the International Space Station. John Vellinger, president of in-space industries at Redwire, stated, “We’re leveraging everything we have learned in our 35 years of outfitting crewed spacecraft to develop these lockers.” This initiative is poised to enhance commercial space innovation.
Virgin Galactic has previously conducted research flights with its VSS Unity suborbital vehicle, including a dedicated flight for the Italian Air Force during its first commercial mission, Galactic 01, in June 2023. Sirisha Bandla, vice president of research operations at Virgin Galactic, noted that the Delta-class vehicles will adopt a modular design, allowing for payload racks to replace passenger seats.
The new lockers are designed to be more user-friendly, incorporating Redwire’s expertise in orbital microgravity research. Bandla emphasized that the aim is to simplify the process for researchers, enabling them to focus on their experiments rather than engineering challenges.
These lockers will accommodate both autonomous and human-tended experiments, featuring real-time data transmission to ground stations—an advancement over previous payloads flown on Unity. This development aligns with a broader vision for suborbital spaceflight research, which advocates for a continuum of microgravity experiences, from drop towers to orbital platforms.
Bandla remarked on the importance of suborbital research in mitigating risks for technologies intended for orbital missions. She noted that the interest in suborbital research remains robust despite a pause in Virgin Galactic’s Unity flights, which concluded in June 2024 to concentrate on Delta-class development, set for commercial operations in 2026.
Research papers from earlier flights are now emerging, further stimulating interest among scientists eager to explore microgravity, even those lacking aerospace engineering backgrounds. “This is the complexity we’re trying to take out to allow scientists to not have to go partner with an engineer to fly something in space,” Bandla explained.