The Innovation Station

We have chosen Virgin Galactic as our Innovation search 2. We believe that this will provide us with an opportunity to analyze a new venture, which has the potential to not only revolutionize consumer experience and commercialize space travel but also transform the travel industry. 

 

Virgin Galactic is an innovation under the "Virgin Umbrella" that Virgin have added to their ‘eco-system’ of products and services. This innovation offers consumers the chance to travel to the edge of space and experience approximately six minutes of weightlessness.  Although not available on the market as of yet, Virgin are proposing that the experience will be underway during 2014. This innovation has been in the pipeline since 2004 and the past ten years have been spent developing the technologies and undergoing test flights to ensure that consumer safety is paramount.

 

The name ‘Virgin’ encompasses the notion of doing something for the first time; something that Virgin brings to all of its products and services and is certainly apparent to Virgin Galactic. The aim of Virgin Galactic is to provide a unique, once in a lifetime experience for consumers. Since 2004, Virgin Galactic have also invested in numerous technological advances as well as aerospace technology allowing them to provide a pioneer service to its high-end target market.  The Virgin Galactic package includes 3 days stay in a luxury hotel, which also includes ‘space training’, as well as transportation to the airfields. The trip as a whole takes 2.5 hours and is an extremely intimate experience with only six passengers in total and two pilots. This exclusive and unique service is reflected in the £250,000 price tag.

 

Virgin is a company that prides itself on providing excellent service. Having already secured 640 out of 800 seats for the Virgin Galactic experience, it is evident that consumers trust the Virgin brand and are certain that they will receive a quality experience and service. 

The technology created by Virgin Galactic has paved the way for other innovative avenues regarding travel to be explored, such as using ‘supersonic crafts’ to create high speed travel e.g. from London to Sidney in 2 and a half hours. This will pose two benefits. Firstly, travelling time will be significantly reduced and secondly, fewer emissions will be released thus lowering the level of pollution usually released with normal air travel.  

 

We hope that our website will provide an insightful account of Virgin Galactic as an innovation, whilst summarizing how the type of technologies they implement can be enhanced and developed in the future.