Under Armour partners with Virgin Galactic to design technical apparel for astronauts

US clothing, footwear and sporting goods brand Under Armour has teamed up with Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic to create next generation space suits and footwear, as well as an astronaut performance programme.  

As part of the partnership, Under Armour will be the exclusive technical spacewear partner of Virgin Galactic, part of Virgin Group. This means the brand is designing space suits and custom footwear for Virgin Galactic passengers and pilots with a focus on safety, utility, comfort and style, it said in a press release.

Additionally, the brand is drawing on its expertise with some of the world’s top athletes to design physical preparation and recovery programmes for astronauts with the aim of enhancing their  mobility, strength, fitness, nutrition, and sleep.

Under Armour will also design uniforms for Virgin Galactic’s team at Spaceport America, in New Mexico. The world-class team is made up of engineers, astronaut trainers, hosts and mission control operatives.

Kevin Plank, CEO of Under Armour said that working with Richard Branson and Virgin Galactic is “an opportunity of a lifetime”. “It has the entire Under Armour team across the world excited. This is a great opportunity to test our innovation at the highest level and continue to push the limits of human performance,” he said.

Richard Branson added: “I have followed Under Armour’s progress through a personal friendship with its CEO, Kevin Plank and via the great relationships it has established over the years with various Virgin companies. I’ve loved its determination to push technical boundaries in order to improve performance, so could not have been more pleased when Kevin and his talented teams stepped up to the considerable task of creating a range of space apparel and performance programs for Virgin Galactic.”