Tata Motors
owned Land Rover, the UK based manufacturer of sturdy SUVs and a brand
synonymous with adventure, has entered into a long-term global partnership with
Richard Branson’s pioneering commercial space line, Virgin Galactic.
The partnership was announced against the
backdrop of Space Ship Two, the world’s first commercial passenger carrying spacecraft, together
with Land Rover’s new Discovery Vision Concept vehicle. The announcement illustrates the commitment
that both brands share to iconic design and engineering excellence and a desire
to push the boundaries of travel for the next generation, said a company
statement.
The partnership will ensure that the Virgin
Galactic team and all ‘future astronauts’ will commence their space experience on
the ground with the Land Rover vehicles as they arrive in New Mexico for
training. Thus they will drive from the space terminal building to the waiting
spaceship in a Land Rover vehicle. Land
Rover will base a fleet of vehicles at the Virgin Galactic test centre in the
Mojave Desert, California and at its operational New Mexico base, Spaceport
America.
The announcement
was made in dramatic fashion on board USS Intrepid, a former aircraft carrier and
now a museum dedicated to the exploration of sea, air and space and anchored on
the Hudson River. Land Rover’s first act
as exclusive partner was to bring a unique full-size replica of Space Ship Two VSS
Enterprise to New York, where it joined the remarkable British Airways Concorde
and its namesake Space Shuttle Enterprise upon the Intrepid. Like the Space Shuttle, Space Ship Two is the
first of a revolutionary fleet of reusable human spacecraft.
Having the
vehicles in one place for the first time provided a powerful symbol of human
ingenuity and the adventurous spirit of exploration and discovery, said the
Land Rover statement.
The occasion also
saw the company revealing the Land Rover Discovery Vision Concept, a vision of
Land Rover’s future family of Discovery vehicles. The concept car previews
dynamic new design language and an array of world first technologies. Building
on Land Rover’s renowned all-terrain capability, the Discovery Vision Concept
represents the ultimate SUV of the future.
The vehicle
uses augmented reality technology to display a ‘see-through’ view of the
terrain ahead, making the front of the car ‘virtually’ invisible from inside the
cabin. Gesture Control allows you to open the doors, operate the indicators or
turn on the headlamps simply by moving your hand, while Laser Referencing projects
visible markings, symbols and imagery onto the ground to aid low speed or
tricky manoeuvres.
More than 200
VIP guests witnessed the two game-changing vehicles, which were revealed
against a stunning Manhattan background and an awe-inspiring projection mapping
sequence.
Richard
Branson, Founder of Virgin Galactic said “We couldn’t be more delighted to have
Land Rover join us on our incredible journey. It is hard to think of a brand
which is more synonymous with exploration and adventure. The safety and
engineering excellence of Land Rover’s vehicles, which have been the stuff of
legend for more than 65 years, are attributes which also lie at the heart of
Virgin Galactic. We look forward to crossing the final frontier together and to
a long and fruitful partnership.”
Phil Popham,
Group Marketing Director of Jaguar Land Rover said “This is a marriage of two of Britain’s most iconic brands which celebrate shared values, a
pioneering spirit and a true sense of adventure. Not only do we both share the same long-term vision to enable mankind to
explore, but we also want to develop this partnership to inspire others. From our tens of thousands of employees and
customers to schools and colleges, motivating more
young people to pursue careers in engineering, science, technology and math -
and explore new ways of travelling for future generations. Land
Rover’s heart beats ‘above and beyond’ – we are pioneers on land and Virgin
Galactic is the pioneer of space. It’s a
very special match of brands with a shared vision.”
Both brands
run significant and highly regarded community relations and STEM education
programmes, which encourage young people to aspire to a future in science,
technology, engineering and mathematics and together see the huge potential to
develop this partnership to inspire others and motivate more young people to
pursue careers in these vitally important fields.
Courtesy of
Land Rover, Space Ship Two, will remain on display at Intrepid Sea, Air and
Space Museum for the public to view between from April 15 to the 22, 2014l. It
will sit alongside other game changing artefacts including the first ever space
shuttle Enterprise, the prototype
NASA orbiter that paved the way for the space shuttle programme and the record-breaking
and revolutionary supersonic passenger airliner, the Concorde.
The Discovery
Vision Concept will be on display at the New York Auto Show, which opens on
Wednesday April 16.
Source: Land Rover, Picture courtesy Land Rover
Inputs: Motown India