- Mission accomplished: Land Rover vehicles support Virgin Galactic’s first commercial space flight with a full crew
- Range Rover Astronaut Edition and Land Rover Defender 110 help put Sir Richard Branson into space for the first time
- Partners since 2014, Land Rovers tow Virgin Galactic space vehicles, transport astronauts and support day‑to‑day operations
- Watch the mission at www.virgingalactic.com/
Land Rover was part of the mission as Virgin Galactic completed its first ever fully crewed space flight, with founder Sir Richard Branson on board as one of four Mission Specialists.
The SpaceShipTwo Unity craft travelled with four Mission Specialists and two pilots on board. The six‑strong crew started and completed their mission at Spaceport America in New Mexico. Sir Richard arrived for the ‘Unity 22’ mission in a Range Rover Astronaut Edition and after a safe landing his spacecraft was towed back to waiting well‑wishers by a Land Rover Defender 110.
The company’s fourth crewed spaceflight was the first to carry a full crew. Those in the cabin experienced out‑of‑seat weightlessness and incredible views of Earth from space.
Audiences around the world watched a livestream of the space flight, seeing first‑hand the extraordinary experience Virgin Galactic is creating for future astronauts.
ABOVE AND BEYOND: LAND ROVER SUPPORTS VIRGIN GALACTIC’S FIRST FULLY CREWED SPACE FLIGHT
This is an incredible technical and human achievement for the Virgin Galactic team as they took personal adventure to thrilling new heights. Land Rover is proud to have supported this exciting mission and we look forward to supporting all the flights into the future.
Joe Eberhardt
President & CEO, Jaguar Land Rover North America.
ABOVE AND BEYOND: LAND ROVER SUPPORTS VIRGIN GALACTIC’S FIRST FULLY CREWED SPACE FLIGHT
ABOVE AND BEYOND: LAND ROVER SUPPORTS VIRGIN GALACTIC’S FIRST FULLY CREWED SPACE FLIGHT
ABOVE AND BEYOND: LAND ROVER SUPPORTS VIRGIN GALACTIC’S FIRST FULLY CREWED SPACE FLIGHT
Virgin Galactic is the world’s first commercial ‘spaceline’. It has already signed up around 600 Future Astronaut customers, who will be transported to their flights in vehicles supplied by partner Land Rover.
Land Rovers are part of daily life for the Virgin Galactic team, with roles which include towing the space vehicles, carrying equipment and clearing runways before take‑off for the first private company to fly humans into space in a craft designed for commercial service.
Land Rover has been by our side, on our side and part of our daily lives at Virgin Galactic since 2014. It was completely fitting that these capable, luxurious and iconic vehicles played a central part in today’s historic events. As we look ahead to the start of a full commercial service, we couldn’t be more delighted to know that Land Rover will be going Above and Beyond, as together we open space to change the world for good.
Stephen Attenborough
Chief Customer Officer for Virgin Galactic
ABOVE AND BEYOND: LAND ROVER SUPPORTS VIRGIN GALACTIC’S FIRST FULLY CREWED SPACE FLIGHT
Virgin Galactic founder Sir Richard Branson and Jaguar Land Rover Chief Creative Officer Prof Gerry McGovern OBE unveiled the Range Rover Astronaut Edition in 2019. Created by Land Rover SV Bespoke and offered exclusively to Virgin Galactic Future Astronaut customers, these luxury SUVs celebrate the partnership’s shared values and the Future Astronaut community’s historic contribution to the democratization of space.
Further information
Land Rover channels:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LandRover
Twitter: http://twitter.com/LandRover
Instagram: http://instagram.com/LandRover
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/LandRover
Virgin Galactic channels:
Twitter ‑ @VirginGalactic
Instagram ‑ @VirginGalactic
Facebook ‑ @Virgin Galactic
LinkedIn ‑ @Virgin Galactic
YouTube ‑ @Virgin Galactic
Notes to Editors
About Land Rover
Since 1948 Land Rover has been manufacturing authentic 4x4s that represent true 'breadth of capability' across the model range. Defender, Discovery, Discovery Sport, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Velar and Range Rover Evoque each define the world's SUV sectors, with 80 per cent of this model range exported to over 100 countries.
About Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. is a vertically integrated aerospace and space travel company, pioneering human spaceflight for private individuals and researchers, as well as a manufacturer of advanced air and space vehicles. It is developing a spaceflight system designed to offer customers a unique and transformative experience. You can find more information at https://www.virgingalactic.com/
