In January 2008, the liveries of SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo, the world's first commercial spacecrafts, were revealed to the world at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

 

Naturally, their groundbreaking nature had to be reflected in their design. The challenge was to create liveries that would tell the Virgin Galactic story, implement the new identity, and also retain the association with the Virgin Group, and Virgin Atlantic in particular. It was also important both crafts look beautiful together, as well as apart, and that SpaceShipTwo should be the hero.

 

As Virgin Galactic is a thoroughly premium brand, the classic Virgin red was replaced with black - the relationship with Virgin Atlantic is reinforced through more subtle means; the full name logotype, the familiar shape of the tailfin and the 'flying lady' (now clad in a spacesuit), all mark out the connection.

 

Both crafts also feature the Virgin Galactic 'iris' logo, the famous Virgin script, and the 'DNA of flight' graphic (a timeline of aviation), adapted for each craft. WhiteKnightTwo features a version including the craft itself, while SpaceShipTwo's incorporates the irises of the first 500 astronauts who will fly in it - a reminder of the human spirit behind the technology.