By Dhirendra Tripathi
Investing.com – Virgin Galactic (NYSE:SPCE) shares were big gainers in Thursday’s premarket after the company confirmed May 22 as the date for the launch of the rocket-powered test flight of SpaceShipTwo Unity.
By 8:04 AM ET (1204 GMT), Virgin Galactic shares were up 21% at $21.54 apiece. They're still down by more than half from their peak in February, however.
The flight has been long delayed and is now pending only weather and technical checks, the company said.
The announcement comes as a shot in the arm for the company’s scientists and crew as it is seen as lagging SpaceX in the private space travel industry.
It follows a spate of negative news flow out of the company in the last two months. In April, its promoter Richard Branson and entities owned by him sold 5.58 million shares or a 2.5% stake in the company for about $150 million. They still hold a 24% stake in the company.
This followed Chairman Chamath Palihapitiya selling his remaining stake in the company in March.