Virgin Galactic, Richard Branson's commercial space venture, and American sportswear brand Under Armour unveiled what the 600 space travelers - who all paid their individual fares of 250,000 US$ already - will wear in the weightless environment. The casual/functional outfits were presented by indoor skydivers in a New York wind tunnel.
The design of the spacewear is based on input from astronauts, pilots, doctors, stylists and others, Virgin Galactic announced. Each spacesuit will be tailored to the body of each of Virgin Galactic's 603 backlogged passengers and will include national flags and name badges.
Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank said the company plans to monetize the initiative by making more space-related gear available for purchase by the public. Virgin Galactic-branded t-shirts are for sale on Under Armour’s website already.
“Spacesuits are a division of the iconography of the unique space-age and of human spaceflight,” said Sir Richard Branson when he stepped into the flight chamber at Yonkers iFLY clad in his own suit. “I love the design the spacewear resembles, and I take pleasure in the best way it perceives. Next time I shall put it on, it will probably be prior to launch.”
On 13 December 2018 VSS Unity made the Virgin Galactic's first suborbital space flight, reaching an altitude of 82.7 kilometers, officially entering outer space by US standards. The first commercial flights with passengers are scheduled to launch in 2020.
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