"When I first looked back at the Earth, standing on the Moon, I cried." - Alan B. Shepard Jr., Commander, Apollo 14
In the 1960’s, pop culture declared space “the final frontier.” Over the 50-plus years since space travel began, only 568 people have ever been to space. The game is changing in 2019, as visionaries and leaders come together, innovating to make space accessible to the Earth-bound masses.
Today, Virgin Galactic and Under Armour announce a partnership to create a new generation of space apparel and footwear, as well as an astronaut performance training program.
Under Armour will serve as the Technical Spacewear Partner of Virgin Galactic, part of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group. One aspect of the partnership is to design custom space suits and footwear for Virgin Galactic passengers and pilots, consisting of a complex blend of safety, utility, comfort and style.
To help astronauts prepare for the physical and profound experience of space travel, Under Armour is leveraging its athletic performance team to design programs for astronaut physical preparation and recovery with a focus on enhancing mobility, strength, fitness, nutrition, and sleep.
Under Armour is also providing uniforms for Virgin Galactic’s world-class team at Spaceport America in New Mexico, including engineers, astronaut trainers, hosts, and mission control operatives, designed to meet the unique needs of each task.
“I have followed Under Armour’s progress through a personal friendship with its CEO, Kevin Plank and via the great relationships it has established over the years with various Virgin companies. I’ve loved its determination to push technical boundaries in order to improve performance, so could not have been more pleased when Kevin and his talented teams stepped up to the considerable task of creating a range of space apparel and performance programmes for Virgin Galactic," added Branson.
The collaboration brings together two global brands with the vision for a better future. Under Armour’s mission is to make athletes better; while Virgin Galactic is making commercial space travel a reality. With a shared belief in the power of human imagination and the possibilities of human innovation, they are setting out to make the world better.