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Here Are the Under Armour-Made Spacesuits for Virgin Galactic’s Pilots

Virgin Galactic is yet to fly a single paying customer to the edge of space, but preparations continue on all fronts for the moment when people will be going up there just for fun and selfies. Today’s topic: clothes.
Under Armour spacesuits for pilots 5 photos
Photo: Virgin Galactic
Under Armour spacesuits for Virgin Galactic’s pilotUnder Armour spacesuits for Virgin Galactic’s pilotUnder Armour spacesuits for Virgin Galactic’s pilotUnder Armour spacesuits for Virgin Galactic’s pilot
Back in October 2018, Richard Branson & Co. put on some special blue clothes and presented them as spacesuits. The garments were made by American apparel giant Under Armour.

Now is the turn of the pilots who will be taking people on their short and expensive joy ride to fall in line and wear the same make. Under Armour is responsible for pretty much the same type of outfit as before, save for a few minor styling differences and some impressive logos here and there.

Each suit – that’s how Virgin calls it, but let’s face it, it is actually an overall – weighs 1 kg (2.2 pounds) and can be used in all flight stages, from the boost at launch to the zero-G environment of space. The fabrics used have been chosen to help regulate body temperature.

A pilot’s flight suit has been refined over the decades to embody a certain undeniable look and function, but they also have to perform beyond expectations," said in a statement Randall Harward, Under Armour’s SVP of Material and Manufacturing Innovation.

"Our goal was to build a suit that leaves a pilot – like any athlete – feeling confident and with zero distractions during a critical moment of performance. It’s been a fascinating journey.

Virgin is getting ready for another test flight of the VSS Unity sometime next week. It's unclear yet when commercial flights will be ready to start, but the company hopes to do so next year.

The spacecraft used for the mission can seat eight people, including the two pilots. Customers will have to pay at least $250,000 for training and a trip up.

VSS Unity launches at 50,000 feet (15 km) from the underbelly of a two-bodied carrier aircraft. In December 2018, it reached an altitude of 51.4 miles (82.7 km), crossing the border into space with three humans on board, all of them Virgin staffers.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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