Virgin Galactic has begun its ‘Astronaut Readiness Program’ this week, which is being run out of Under Armour Global HQ to start out. Under Armour is Virgin Galactic’s companion on its official astronaut uniforms, which its first paying house vacationers will don on the corporate’s preliminary journeys past Earth.
The Astronaut Readiness Program is a preparatory course that each one of Virgin Galactic’s passengers undertake earlier than they’ll get their journey aboard the corporate’s VSS Unity sub-orbital spaceplane. It entails steering and instruction supplied by Virgin Galactic crew members, together with its Chief Astronaut Instructor Beth Moses and Chief Pilot Dave Mackay. Both Mackay and Moses have been on Virgin’s February demonstration flight to house, and so can present not solely steering based mostly on their appreciable experience, but in addition share insights from truly having flown aboard the identical vessel that may take the corporate’s paying passengers up. Moses will advise on the right way to get round on board the spacecraft, too.
Under Armour can also be concerned in this system, in additional methods than simply offering and studying the outfits that passengers will put on. They’re offering steering on how Astronauts ought to put together with vitamin and health packages to prepared the house vacationers for his or her journey. A Virging Galactic in-house medical crew can also be on-hand to seek the advice of with every passenger. Virgin’s prospects don’t have to match the strenuous bodily health necessities of NASA astronauts, however the firm says it’s nonetheless targeted on guaranteeing its prospects are wholesome and hale on their journeys.
Being an early buyer for Virgin Galactic means not solely coaching by means of packages just like the one run this week in Baltimore, but in addition serving to the brand new firm develop and refine its course of for future use.
“We will now be using the feedback from this week in Baltimore to build on that model,” Virgin Galactic stated in a press launch. “We discussed with our Future Astronauts how the training and the community can be best shaped for those waiting to fly and for those who have flown.”
To date, Virgin Galactic has 600 prospects signed as much as fly aboard its SpaceShipTwo spacecraft, which launches from a personalized cargo jet plane to succeed in sub-orbital house and supplies customs with a 90-minute flight, for a $250,000 ticket. It’s seeking to launch its first flights for paying prospects within the first half of subsequent 12 months.
