On November 14, 2019, Virgin Galactic kicked off their ‘Astronaut Readiness Program’ to prepare future civilian astronaut customers for spaceflight, starting in 2020.
Virgin Galactic (NYSE: SPCE) announced earlier this month the debut of their new Astronaut Readiness Program, which is designed to prepare customers for their revolutionary trip into space. All elements of Virgin Galactic’s customer experience are now being finalized including the unveiling of Spaceport America as well as spacesuits, designed in collaboration with Under Armour. Launched at Under Armour’s Baltimore headquarters, the Astronaut Readiness Program was attended by future Virgin Galactic astronauts. As part of the program, some of Virgin’s first astronauts were fitted for their new custom-tailored spaceflight garments, which will be theirs to keep after the flight.
Readiness program sessions were held by Chief Astronaut Instructor, Beth Moses, and Chief Pilot David Mackay, who both flew to space last February. Additionally, Virgin Galactic’s in-house Medical Team conducted personalized consultations with each Future Astronaut. Mobility and nutrition sessions were also conducted by Under Armour’s VP Athletic performance, Paul Winsper, providing each Future Astronaut with a tailored performance program. As part of the Astronaut Readiness Program announcement, Virgin Galactic’s CEO, George Whitesides said,
“Introducing our Astronaut Readiness Program to our first customers marks an exciting point in our journey as we move closer to the start of commercial service. It is an important step in the process to ensure that our customers are prepared and equipped with the knowledge and training that will help ensure that they savor every second of their spaceflight which we hope will go beyond expectations. My introduction to Virgin Galactic was as a customer, so I’ve seen first-hand the benefits of involving Future Astronauts as we prepare each individual for the trip of a lifetime.”
Virgin Galactic currently has over 600 customers from 60 countries worldwide who have signed up to fly on SpaceShipTwo, for an experience of a lifetime. Like all Virgin businesses, Virgin Galactic has been designed from the ground up as an obsessively customer-focused business, to ensure they meet and exceed Future Astronaut expectations.
Source: Virgin Galactic