Virgin Galactic

Virgin Galactic pioneers human spaceflight for private individuals and researchers with its advanced air and space vehicles. The goal? Developing a spaceflight system designed to connect the world to the wonder and awe created by space travel and to offer customers a transformative experience.

Striving towards the betterment of Earth and space exploration, Virgin Galactic’s vehicles serve as suborbital space labs for governments, commercial industry and researchers to test innovations in microgravity and conduct experiments. The company’s reusable piloted vehicles are designed for humans and research payloads to ascend to space on affordable, frequent and safe suborbital spaceflights.

Lisa Morris, Vice President of Supply Chain at Virgin Galactic joins us today to share her insights into the supply chain strategy behind the company’s mission to pioneer research endeavours and forge unforgettable experiences for its private customers.

Launching our conversation, Lisa begins by explaining that Virgin Galactic sells experiences, not space vehicles. As such, the organisation’s supply chain gravitates around building and operating vehicles to enable research and commercial space flight ventures for the long haul.

“When we look at our supply chain, we are balancing providing out-of-this-world customer experiences alongside ground-breaking research opportunities,” says Lisa. “So when we build out the supply chain that’s associated with these two priorities, you can imagine the complexity that comes with it. We must consider more than just being the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and building the vehicles – we must also consider our maintenance, repair and operations (MRO). There are also many related considerations like managing ground support vehicles, hospitality provision and other customer experience dynamics. At Virgin Galactic, these diverse pieces of the procurement puzzle and supply chain come together in one, rather than just being focused on the aerospace case alone.

“It’s exciting from the supply chain standpoint because we get into many different commodities that you wouldn’t expect in a standard aerospace environment, which I’m thrilled to be a part of and continue to be excited about. My overall responsibilities include sourcing, procurement, planning, logistics, fleet management – it’s pretty expansive from a supply chain perspective.”

Given the dynamic nature of the supply chain at Virgin Galactic, Lisa explains how a crucial part of her role is staying on top of the latest industry trends to keep the company at the leading edge of the space tourism industry.

“We’re listening to cutting-edge research that’s out there,” says Lisa. “I do a lot of reading in several industry journals, whether that’s specifics on raw materials or what’s happening from a geopolitical standpoint. But as a company, we also look at ancillary industries. For example, in the medical industry, there are interesting discussions about CT scanning and imaging tools for diagnosing the human body, which could one day be relevant to us. We consider how these emerging technologies might benefit our own operations.

“So it’s not just about focusing on the aerospace industry but looking laterally at some of these growing technologies that we may be able to use in different fashions as we’re trying to create this new environment with a space vehicle.

“Beyond the research, I’m very selective and purposeful about the conferences, gatherings and events that I go to. Who are the speakers in attendance? Are we looking for specific suppliers, certain technologies or realms of expertise? Will these events offer salient conversations with those industry leaders to help us guide our future and our strategy?

“Industry research and events help us understand the art of the possible. But there must be a balance between exploring new and exciting technologies, while being mindful of risk and respecting the proven precedents in the aerospace industry.”

So how do Lisa and her team adapt their strategies to lean into the opportunities and obstacles of a complex supply chain at Virgin Galactic?

“The first step to understanding our supply chain strategy is to look at where we came from,” begins Lisa. “We’ve got a rich history of success with 11 successful space flights and more than a decade of experience under our belts. So we are a startup, but certainly not brand new to the scene. When I joined Virgin Galactic, I kept these dynamics in mind but looked at the bigger picture from a supply chain standpoint. I asked how do we take something that we’ve been able to demonstrate and do effectively, but then productionise it?

“It started with breaking down the strategy for how we approach the supply chain, evaluating our entire thought process. Our technology is built on the shoulders of giants and you can see it in the Virgin Galactic DNA – starting with Icarus and his father Daedalus, all the way through the space programmes in the 1960s, to what we’re doing today. Due to this legacy, we do not have to do everything internally or from the ground up for the first time. How can we take advantage of the infrastructure of experience that’s been in the aerospace community for more than 100 years? How can we bring in relevant experts and listen to them?

“As such we’re capitalising on suppliers that have existing infrastructure and listening to their input very early in the design phases of our next fleet. We’ve been able to incorporate them in the end-to-end process, gaining feedback and important information that can help us develop the best system and truly productionise it.

“For instance, one of the topics I’m referring to here is manufacturability. How can we produce a vehicle that can be maintained in a much more efficient manner so that we can be turning round our vehicles in days rather than months? Can we better utilise those vehicles for the long haul? So when we think about our next generation fleet, the Delta class spaceships, while they’re a progression from where we’ve come it is in an iterative sense. The supply chain strategy and innovation behind the iterations allow us to take things to the next level with a better producible product, a factory that can output multiple spaceships in a given year and a vehicle with a turnaround measured in days, not weeks or months. Through our innovation and iteration, we will be able to provide an opportunity for future astronauts to literally go up on a daily basis.”

For Lisa and her team, technology and partnerships are crucial enablers for the success of the supply chain strategy at Virgin Galactic. These factors are fundamentally important to the company’s vision of making space more accessible and pioneering suborbital research – but also for taking Virgin Galactic forward, with exciting prospects on the horizon such as the Delta class vehicles and a new spaceship manufacturing facility in Arizona.

“When we think about our tools from a technology standpoint, we’re leaning heavily into the digital thread,” says Lisa. “We are developing ways to design in a model-based environment, utilising tools with that digital thread front and centre to foster collaboration. During the design process, we connect with our suppliers, enabling them to see those models as they’re being developed to influence our decision-making in aspects like material selection, placement of components and so on.

“Another crucial aspect of our supply chain strategy focuses on automation technology. Here, it’s all about precision and we aren’t automating for the sake of automating. We are looking at some of our suppliers and their capabilities for machining, striving for near-determinate assembly. Again, this is connected to our ability to produce our vehicles in a reliable and repeatable fashion. Automation allows us to lay up our composite structures before doing the final machining so that the assembly can be done in a much more refined and consistent manner.”

On the topic of bringing in technology partners, Lisa explains how a robust ecosystem of trusted partnerships helps Virgin Galactic thrive as a business and bolsters its supply chain.

“First, and foremost, it’s about risk management,” says Lisa. “We value working with partners who can help us see around the corners and predict where we may have issues. When setting up our systems, we want to be as agile as possible and adjust to those predictions proactively. A good example of that is working with machine shops that are building some of our mechanical assemblies. How are they sourcing raw materials and looking at market conditions and lead times? For us, we look for clear communication on these fundamental topics and a relationship built on trust where we receive this information to ensure the efficiency and reliability of our processes.

“In building those relationships with a supplier, we are bringing that information to our designers to inform their decisions about material selections and manufacturing processes. For instance, the end goal might relate to choosing a composite or a metal, considering their merits in terms of performance and weight, which is a high-end decision point in the world of aerospace. But by trusting our partners and embracing the risk management side of the equation, we can make informed decisions like these with the longevity and success of our programme in mind.

“We strive to build close relationships as an OEM and a customer when we engage with our partners. What we want to do is make sure that we’re a customer of choice. Our volumes are low, so we’ve got to build those close relationships and carefully select partners and suppliers that share our dream. We seek partners who want to be a part of what we’re doing in our mission to make space accessible for everyone and to be able to have on-demand research opportunities in space.

“The other piece of that is to watch our peer communities to see what they’re learning and doing. I say peer communities and not competitors, because that’s a really good way to think of it. Our model for what Virgin Galactic is doing in space varies very much from some of the other commercial companies out there. There’s an opportunity to learn from each other and how we are all approaching problems or addressing technology concerns. We feel that success alongside those other entities comes together for the benefit of all involved. The goal is to foster an open environment where we can have an exchange of ideas for a better outcome altogether.”

Turning our attention to the future of Virgin Galactic, Lisa shares her insights from the supply chain side of the business into the company’s next-generation Delta class vehicles and the new spaceship production facility in Arizona where the final assembly of these vehicles will take place.

The Delta class spaceship is Virgin Galactic’s latest production vehicle that is designed to fly two to three times per week, supporting the company’s target of 400 flights per year from Spaceport America. Based on current schedules, the first of these ships is expected to commence flight test in late 2025, progressing to revenue-generating flights in 2026.

“For us, it’s about looking at the total cost analysis and understanding the lifecycle of what we’re building,” explains Lisa. “It’s about understanding what we’ve done successfully and iterating from these foundations. We look at how we are engaging in our advanced technology development, alongside optimising proven technologies that are already out there.

“With the Delta class vehicles, we are looking to optimise for maintainability and longevity, with the ability to turn them around in a timely fashion. Ideally, we’re looking for systems that are going to reflect the total lifecycle of the new vehicles. If we were building the Delta class vehicles to ship them out as a product, we would have to consider the aftermarket space as well.

“But with our business model, we are the aftermarket space and we ultimately operate our own vehicles – so we must consider the longevity of the Delta class vehicles when we make decisions with our suppliers or how we incorporate technology. We’re striving for very tight tolerances and high-end quality outcomes for our mechanical systems and composite materials because we want them to last the same lifecycle as that vehicle. This is the biggest advance between what we’re flying today successfully and what we’re going to be flying in the future.

“By building the Delta class vehicles with longevity, quality and maintainability in mind, we are working towards the ultimate final outputs of creating incredible research opportunities and customer experiences.”

Alongside deploying the new Delta class vehicles this year, Virgin Galactic is also opening a new spaceship manufacturing facility to produce them. Located in Mesa in the Greater Phoenix area, adjacent to the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, the facility will bring highly skilled aerospace engineering and manufacturing jobs to the area.

“We’re thrilled to be opening the new facility in Phoenix,” says Lisa. “The facility is sized to be able to build upwards of six spacecraft in a given year and we cannot wait to open our doors later this year.”

Beyond these two exciting developments, Lisa adds that fleet expansion and seeking new suppliers will be essential to the future of Virgin Galactic from the supply chain side of the business.

“As we continue to expand our fleet, we will also continue to seek out suppliers who want to engage with us in building for the future and following our mission,” says Lisa. “As we learn from the Delta class test flights and start putting them into operation, it will be a question of nurturing our partnership ecosystem, building new relationships and developing our hardware and operations.

“We’ll continue to partner with those suppliers that can help us build on what we have from the design perspective, working with companies that have either cutting-edge technology or high-end quality output offerings, and who are as excited as we are to look for iterative improvements – whether that is generated by weight savings or an ability to offer new and advanced technology to researchers.

“In the coming years, we will be asking how do we capitalise on those types of innovative offerings in our future. And what does that mean for the supply chain? Where can we explore feedback from our researchers? How can we expand the fleet and our operations even more while taking a look at future international opportunities?”

Wrapping up our conversation, Lisa rounds off the discussion by highlighting the major achievements at Virgin Galactic in recent years.

“Virgin Galactic has been able to achieve some tremendous milestones as a company, and the effect that we’ve had on our customers and astronauts has been profound,” beams Lisa. “We’ve had 11 space flights thus far and we’ve just completed our sixth and seventh commercial spaceflights.

“We are breaking down barriers and when we say ‘Space for All’ as a business, we mean it – and our efforts towards inclusion are phenomenal.

“From sending the first astronauts from countries like Antigua, that have never been to space, to sending the first Olympian and second person with Parkinson’s disease, we are helping people to realise that profound childhood dream of going to space and reaching the stars. One of the achievements which resonates most with me is when we coordinated a galactic flight with the most women flown in a single space mission.

“Before, people saw space as something reserved for the top percentile of the human population. But with our work, that’s not the case anymore.

“For me personally, this is a huge driver for why I want to be a part of the experience at Virgin Galactic and see the company succeed because I truly believe in our mission. It doesn’t matter how many space flights I’ve seen, every time I witness it, the phenomenon still gives me the chills. To be able to see the joy on the faces of the individuals who are experiencing it themselves, it’s incredibly touching to see it all unfold and know that my team and I had a part in making it happen.

“It is an honour to be involved with growing our team and bringing talent to Virgin Galactic, seeking people that are also very excited about striving towards that mission – it is something that keeps us going every day.

“Let’s face it, getting to space is hard. This is not easy stuff. And we’ve got some extremely intelligent and talented engineers, technology staff, planners and certainly from my team, experienced professionals in the supply chain that are ready to tackle issues and seize opportunities. We all believe in what we’re doing and making the seemingly impossible a reality for everyone.”

For further information about Virgin Galactic, visit virgingalactic.com.

ADDED VALUE

Connecting with the past to appreciate the present

Lisa has always had a passion for history, and she is particularly interested in the evolution of technology and the impact this has on our lifestyles.

“I’m in that generation where we’re used to having cell phones and being able to communicate at any given moment, but when I grew up there was no such thing,” says Lisa. “Sometimes it’s easy to take the technology available to us for granted and forget what life was like without it.

“If we look at emerging technologies over the last 100 years there are so many inspiring stories to draw strength from. Personally, this resonates with me because it deeply applies to what we’re doing at Virgin Galactic since we’re a product of evolving technologies in the past century.

“Before automobiles were all around us, people believed the ‘horseless carriage’ would never take off since the infrastructure and technology weren’t widely available. Now we take roads, gas stations and cars for granted.

“As recently as the 1940s and 1950s, very few people could experience air travel and that was the norm. Now a journey that might have taken days or weeks at sea can be completed in a few hours.

“Expectations change as technology evolves and this inspires me in my role at Virgin Galactic. Looking to the future, we are working towards redefining space travel to become part of everyday human life. Right now, it might be hard to wrap our heads around this prospect. But I find it helpful to look back at history, putting myself in the shoes of those individuals who were part of new waves of technologies which totally changed their outlooks. I get a lot of my inspiration by contemplating the dreams of our forebears and marvelling at how they came to fruition.”

Calendar

Lisa has a busy schedule ahead of her for the remainder of 2024 with the supply chain team working full steam ahead on the next-generation Delta class vehicles and opening the new spaceship manufacturing facility in Arizona. However, she is very much looking forward to attending the Aerospace & Defense Manufacturing & R&D Summit hosted by the Marcus Evans Group on June 24-25, 2024 in Westlake Village, California.

“I am excited to be attending because Marcus Evans brings together high-level industry leaders and decision-makers, so in terms of the relationships you can forge there, you know you’ll be meeting top-tier suppliers and future partners,” says Lisa.