“The design philosophy of the aircraft is geared around making high speed travel practical, sustainable, safe, and reliable, while making customer experience a top priority,” Virgin Galactic wrote in a press release. 

Virgin Galactic

Next, the company will define specific system architectures and will determine which materials to use in the design and manufacturing of the aircraft. Virgin Galactic also signed a non-binding memo with Rolls-Royce to collaborate on designing and developing engine propulsion technology for high-speed commercial aircraft. 

While there’s still plenty of work to be done, this initial design gives us a glimpse into the future of high-speed air travel. We’ve already seen what Virgin Galactic’s space tourism will look like — from what passengers will wear to how the spacecraft cabin will be configured.