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Onelife 27

  • Text
  • Marley
  • Global
  • Urban
  • Bamford
  • Vehicles
  • Shenzhen
  • Evoque
  • Rover
Shenzhen by Range Rover Sport PHEV | A first drive in the new Range Rover Evoque | Mid-century modernist architecture in Germany | George Bamford on what makes true luxury | Meet moon-walker Charlie Duke | Carnival subculture in Brazil

EXPLORATION PHOTOGRAPH:

EXPLORATION PHOTOGRAPH: VIRGIN GALACTIC 48

T H E F I N A L F R O N T I E R With the likes of Virgin Galactic poised to make commercial space flight a reality, get ready to boldly go where no ticketholder has gone before... Ever since our earliest ancestors looked up to the starry skies, humans have always dreamed of exploring the great unknown above. Soon, however, looking back down on the curvature of Earth will no longer be the sole preserve of national agencies’ astronauts. A new era of commercial space travel is dawning. The day is not far off when all those who have looked upwards longingly will have the opportunity to experience the wonder of space for themselves. Virgin Galactic is spearheading developments on this front. On December 13 last year, its project took a giant leap forward as mothership VMS Eve and spaceship VSS Unity took off from Mojave, California. Once released from the mothership, Unity’s pilots ignited its rocket motor for a 60-second burn, which propelled the craft to nearly three times the speed of sound and, for the first time, out of Earth’s atmosphere. This was a major milestone: the very first time that a crewed vehicle built for commercial passenger service has reached space, the pilots earning Commercial Astronaut Wings in recognition of their achievements. Sending crewed rocket-propelled vehicles into space is about much more than simply proving it can be done. According to Sir Richard Branson, the British entrepreneur and philanthropist behind Virgin Galactic, the democratization of space travel will “open space to everybody – and change the world for good.” Virgin Galactic’s mission is to alter the very way we see our world. “Space is not only important for the future of transportation,” said George Whitesides, CEO of Virgin Galactic, hinting at the immense impact commercial spaceflight will have on global mobility. “It’s important for the future of imagination.” As the exclusive automotive partner of Virgin Galactic since 2014, Land Rover plays its own role in this mission, providing vehicles to support operations at Virgin Galactic’s build and test facilities in Mojave, and at its future home for flight operations, Spaceport America in New Mexico. Once regular commercial service begins, the vehicles will also play an integral role in the astronaut experience, transporting trainee astronauts between facilities for the three days of preparation before their spaceflights. On flight days, the Land Rover vehicles will also shuttle the crew to the spaceship, and post-flight, bring back the fully fledged astronauts to Spaceport America for celebrations and the award of astronaut wings. The partnership goes beyond ground support; Virgin Galactic and Land Rover work together on joint youth-focused STEM education programs around the world. They also run events for the 600 people who have already signed up to fly to space with Virgin Galactic – members of the company’s exclusive Future Astronauts community. These events, which take place at Land Rover Experience centers both in the UK and abroad, are helping spacefarers to prepare themselves to go above and beyond. 49

 

Land Rover

Land Rover Magazine 39

 

Land Rover Magazine showcases stories from around the world that celebrate inner strength and the drive to go above and beyond

Land Rover stands for not only the most capable premium vehicles, but a state of mind where a sense of curiosity, exploration and wonder informs all of life’s adventures. Encounter this throughout the latest issue of Land Rover Magazine, from meeting a herd of Ice Age survivors on the Dutch coast with the Land Rover Discovery, to the most innovative sustainable architecture on a Californian journey with the Range Rover Evoque

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