Virgin Galactic and Land Rover Announce Partnership
On board the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, a former aircraft carrier anchored on the Hudson River, Land Rover and Virgin Galactic revealed details of a new global partnership.
Revealed alongside SpaceShipTwo was Land Rover’s Discovery Vision Concept, a vision of Land Rover’s future family of Discovery vehicles. Land Rover brought a full-sized replica of the VSS Enterprise to stand alongside the British Airways Concorde and the Space Shuttle Enterprise on board the Intrepid to symbolize human ingenuity and the “spirit of exploration and discovery”.
The partnership will see Land Rover vehicles become part of daily life for the Virgin Galactic team and for all “Future Astronauts”, who will begin their space experience with Land Rover as they arrive in New Mexico for training, and continue to the moment they drive from the space terminal building to the waiting spaceship. Land Rover will base a fleet of vehicles at the Virgin Galactic test center in the Mojave Desert, California and at its astounding operational New Mexico base, Spaceport America.
The vehicle uses augmented reality technology to display a ‘see-through’ view of the terrain ahead, making the front of the car ‘virtually’ invisible from inside the cabin. Gesture Control allows you to open the doors, operate the indicators or turn on the headlamps simply by moving your hand, while Laser Referencing projects visible markings, symbols and imagery onto the ground to aid low speed or tricky maneuvers.
Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Galactic said “We couldn’t be more delighted to have Land Rover join us on our incredible journey. It is hard to think of a brand which is more synonymous with exploration and adventure. The safety and engineering excellence of Land Rover’s vehicles, which have been the stuff of legend for more than 65 years, are attributes which also lie at the heart of Virgin Galactic. We look forward to crossing the final frontier together and to a long and fruitful partnership.”
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Phil Popham, Group Marketing Director of Jaguar Land Rover said “This is a marriage of two of Britain’s most iconic brands who celebrate shared values, a pioneering spirit and a true sense of adventure. Not only do we both share the same long-term vision to enable mankind to explore, but we also want to develop this partnership to inspire others. From our tens of thousands of employees and customers to schools and colleges, motivating more young people to pursue careers in engineering, science, technology and math – and explore new ways of travelling for future generations. Land Rover’s heart beats ‘above and beyond’ – we are pioneers on land and Virgin Galactic is the pioneer of space. It’s a very special match of brands with a shared vision.”
