Exploring Virgin space
Designing the interior of the world's first passenger spacecraft is a challenge. With technical demands unlike any other vehicle, it must also look sharp enough to justify the $200,000 price tag on tickets.
Designing the interior of the world's first passenger spacecraft is a challenge. With technical demands unlike any other vehicle, it must also look sharp enough to justify the $200,000 (£108,000) price tag on tickets.
UK design consultant
conceptual design for the interior of
Virgin Space Ship (VSS) combines features to stop its passengers from fainting under heavy
-forces while giving them the room to enjoy their brief period of weightlessness.
Based on the X Prize-winning SpaceShipOne (SS1), VSS is under development by SS1 designer Burt Rutan and his company, Scaled Composites. Seymourpowell's design concept was developed in 12 weeks and, according to lead designer Richard Smith, is 'about 80 per cent feasible'.
The VSS will be launched from a carrier craft at 45,000ft (15,000m) where VSS's rocket motors will fire and take it to 110,000m. The Seymourpowell design concept has each of the six astronauts in seats angled at 60° during this 'boost' phase. 'They'll be under about 5
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