With the case of Virgin Galactic

Report by ! ! ! Jefta Bade

Date:" " " " 10 December 2010Student number:" 1158635Master:" " " " IPD

Supervisors:!! ! Prof. Dr. Peter Vink and Ger Bruens

The Design of the

Ideal Experienceof a

CommercialSuborbital

Spaceflight

This graduation project provides an answer to the question:

by defining ‘a moment’ and designing the experience that should be offered at that moment

“What user experience should be offered to the participants at what moment in the entire suborbital spaceflight experience?”

AnalysisAlthough the suborbital spaceflights will have a lot of similarities with other industries e.g. human spaceflight, theme parks and VIP aviation, as a whole it is a totally new experience. Because of this a spaceflight ticket holds more than ‘just’ the actual spaceflight, this also means that spaceflight companies should not presume that spaceflight participants will automatically be satisfied if the experience is basically just the activity.

As there is no suborbital spaceflight with commercial participants to gain experience from, the context is unknown.

ContextIn the context phase of this project the suborbital spaceflights offered by Virgin Galactic are taken as a case to focus on. The future context of the entire spaceflight experience, starting with ‘thinking of buying a ticket’ and ending with ‘the reunion’, is represented as an Experience Flow.

In the Experience Flow all the events and activities a spaceflight participant will experience are written down in individual scenarios. To know

what impressions these events and occurrences have on the spaceflight participants different emotions are chosen to supplement the scenarios. The ‘moment’ for which an user experience should be offered is defined as the actual spaceflight.

ConceptIn the concept phase the user experience that should be offered during the actual spaceflight is constructed. A vision is created that addresses the desired surroundings, activities and emotions during the actual spaceflight, this vision states:

" I want the spaceflight participants to feel secure and alert, they immerse themselves in the experience without being distracted by the procedures."

Desired material- and social interaction qualities are listed and with an interaction metaphor product concepts are designed. Their specific functionality provide and enable the ideal experience.

Ideal Experience The designed ideal experience of the actual spaceflight allows the 6 spaceflight participants to enjoy two different activities, looking outside and playing in zero-g, within one cabin. They feel secure and alert, as the procedures feel like one smooth flow of events so they can they immerse themselves in the experience without being distracted.

the actual spaceflight

one smooth flow