Defining a paradigm for space tourism.

Virgin Galactic achieved the world’s first commercial spaceflight on Unity 22.

The secret reveal unlocked $450m investment.

Winner: Red Dot, Best of the Best 2021.

Virgin Galactic Spaceship Interior.

We were honoured to collaborate with Virgin Galactic to design the interior of the world’s first commercial spaceship. The relationship between our two companies spans over a decade of collaboration; from the design of the early vision to the definition of the final seat and the revolutionary customer in-flight experience. This unique commission gave us the rare opportunity to help define a paradigm.

Challenge

Designing the interior of the spaceship has been a collaborative effort with the engineering, commercial and operations teams at Virgin Galactic and the material innovators at Under Armour. A brief that required not only an innovative approach to interior design, materials and micro-gravity usability, but a redefinition of our own design processes.

Insights

The interior design of the spaceship was defined through inputs from a wide variety of experts, including doctors, astronaut trainers, pilots, designers, engineers, and future astronaut customers. We conducted extensive research into human interaction and navigation through micro-G, testing our solutions on space test flights and low-altitude parabolic flights.

Our Approach

Concept and Design

Inspired by the potential of generative AI and the global intrigue surrounding this technology, we created an immersive experience that blended hardware and software. The experience was designed to help visitors envision their future careers through a curated, interactive journey.

 

Immersive Experience

Visitors engaged with a bespoke hardware interface, participating in a diagnostic test that drew inspiration from learning type assessments. This quiz asked a series of interpersonal questions about their ambitions, learning characteristics, and aptitudes. Leveraging these insights, the AI generated an archetype using smart prompts. This process culminated in the creation of unique visual avatars that were then displayed large digital animated video walls.

 

Spatial Design

The RiseUp immersive experience was meticulously integrated within the broader context of the Knowledge 24 event, spanning across six interconnected areas. Our design ensured that the RiseUp zone complemented neighbouring spaces, maintaining a cohesive narrative throughout the exhibition. The central 'haven' space, surrounded by digital video walls displaying the avatars, provided a bright, optimistic, and inviting atmosphere amidst the bustling expo floor.

 

Visual and Interactive Elements

The interactive experience was enhanced by a bespoke controller with tactile controls, making AI more accessible and empowering users to take control of their future career. The overarching goal was to demystify AI, rendering it tangible and approachable. By providing hands-on experiences, we sought to educate and inspire curiosity about AI’s applications, helping visitors comprehend its potential impact on their future path in the work environment.

 

Totemic Takeaway

Each visitor received a printed version of their avatar. This personalised memento served as a reminder of their engagement with the RiseUp experience and their unique learning archetype. The takeaway was not only a keep sake but also a conversation starter, encouraging further discussion and interest in the RiseUp program long after the event.

 

Richard Branson and team on Unity 22 - achieved the worlds first commercial spaceflight.

Outcome

Rounds of iteration in 3D CAD and detailed prototyping validated ideas under a tight schedule. Virtual reality was central to the creative process: by creating a digital twin, teams from across the world could meet, explore solutions and make real-time decisions inside a virtual spaceship.  


Virgin Galactic customers want an out-of-seat, weightless experience. The seat is, therefore, designed to manage high G-forces during the rocket ride and optimised for a micro-G environment. The seats recline, both for re-entry and to maximise the space inside the cabin, and the seat belt system is cleverly designed to retract and stow in a micro-G environment for quick reseating.


The materials are soft and comfortable, yet structural and supportive. Blending carbon fibre with engineered foam, 3D knit and technical fabrics, gives a look and feel which speaks of performance and agility. The colour palette has been carefully curated, with blues which conjure celestial spaces, teals inspired by sea waters and golden metallics inspired by luminous desert sands, grounding us back to earth.


The cabin is the centrepiece of Virgin Galactic’s unique customer journey. A space suitable for a micro-G experience, the functional requirements are perfectly balanced against the emotional needs of the passengers. Safety, weight and personal tailoring were key drivers in an ambition to create a new space aesthetic.


The cabin liner is made from soft, lightweight engineered foam which provides protection and manages the cabin's acoustics and temperature. The window surrounds double as handholds and the dark-knitted finish blurs the boundaries between inside and out, optimising the view of earth from space. Every touchpoint has been designed to have intuitive usability. Cameras are positioned throughout the cabin to capture the perfect shot and a giant mirror on the aft bulkhead gives passengers an analogue memory of their time in space.

Impact

A project of this nature has never been effected before: a three year collaboration, from concept through to a production interior, ready for the first customer flight. The secret reveal of the interior enabled Virgin Galactic to raise $450m (through a merger with Social Capital Hedosophia) securing the future of space tourism.


Virgin Galactic recognises that the answers to many of the challenges we face in sustaining life on our beautiful, yet fragile planet lie in making better use of space. Sending people to space has not only expanded our understanding of science, but taught us amazing things about human ingenuity, physiology and psychology. We know the pinnacle of the experience at apogee will be transformational and profound: where the silence of space, views of Earth and micro-gravity all come together in harmony. This spaceship has been created to help transform people into astronauts. 


Richard Branson and team achieved the world’s first commercial spaceflight on Unity 22.


Winner: Red Dot, Best of the Best, 2021

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