Virgin Galactic spaceship set to be unveiled
Virgin Galactic’s Space Ship Two will be unveiled in the Mojave Desert, California, later today, following a five-year project which has seen interiors of the craft designed by Seymour Powell and branding by Start Creative.
Start Creative, which designed the original livery for the Virgin Galactic brand and the mother ship, VMS Eve, has now created the livery for Space Ship Two.
Technical considerations on the project included composition, weight and colour of paint, due to the heat encountered on re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere. The consultancy worked with California-based spacecraft designers Scaled Composites to develop resistant materials.
Start Creative managing director Jen McAleer says that working on the project ‘has been unlike anything Start has ever done before’.
Ned RocknRoll, head of Virgin Galactic’s ‘astronaut experience’, says, ‘Start has done a great job in interpreting our complex design brief.’
Seymour Powell, which will design the interior of the craft, is not unveiling any new designs today, but consultancy partner Dick Powell says, ‘We are still involved.’ The consultancy first unveiled its interior concepts for the space ship in 2006.
Space Ship Two test flights are expected next year and the craft launches in 2011, with 300 clients having already paid $200 000 (£120 000) per ticket or placed a deposit.
How nice to unveil such a conspicuous artifact the day Copenhaguen Climate Summit opens 😉
Even stronger than the next Hummer or Porsche 4WD…
Another testimony to the lack of interest of cool businesses for collective issues.
What’s the message : the richer you are, the more CO2 you may release !
Jean
I agree with Jean (although I am a supporter of the Virgin brand for innovation).
What is climate change, and if it was so important why hasn’t there been a major push to cut down the use of oil and encourage a switch to an alternative? The answer….TAXES and the revenue from it!
Anyway on a design point of view, nice works Start!!