• by Tanya Gazdik , July 13, 2021

Land Rover vehicles supported Virgin Galactic’s first commercial space flight on the ground this week. 

Partners since 2014, Land Rovers tow Virgin Galactic space vehicles, transport astronauts and support day-to-day operations.

Virgin Galactic Founder Sir Richard Branson arrived for the Unity 22 mission in a Range Rover Astronaut Edition. After a safe landing, his spacecraft was towed back to waiting well-wishers by a Land Rover Defender 110.

Audiences around the world watched a livestream of the space flight, seeing first-hand the experience Virgin Galactic is creating for future astronauts. Land Rovers can be seen in the two-hour video of the event. 

“This is an incredible technical and human achievement for the Virgin Galactic team as they took personal adventure to thrilling new heights,” said Joe Eberhardt, president and CEO, Jaguar Land Rover North America, in a release.

Virgin Galactic is one of the world’s first commercial “spacelines.” It has already signed up around 600 Future Astronaut customers, who will be transported to their flights in vehicles supplied by partner Land Rover.

“Land Rover has been by our side, on our side and part of our daily lives at Virgin Galactic since 2014,” says Stephen Attenborough, chief customer officer for Virgin Galactic, in a release. “It was completely fitting that these capable, luxurious and iconic vehicles played a central part in today’s historic events.”

Branson and Jaguar Land Rover Chief Creative Officer Gerry McGovern unveiled the Range Rover Astronaut Edition in 2019. 

Created by Land Rover SV Bespoke and offered exclusively to Virgin Galactic Future Astronaut customers, these luxury SUVs celebrate the partnership’s shared values and the Future Astronaut community’s historic contribution to the democratization of space.