This document summarizes the design of an ideal user experience for commercial suborbital spaceflights. It analyzes the context and defines moments during the spaceflight experience to focus on. For the actual spaceflight moment, the document constructs a vision for an ideal experience where 6 participants can enjoy two activities within one cabin while feeling secure and immersed in the experience without distraction from procedures. Product concepts are designed to enable this ideal experience of enjoying different activities in zero-g during a smooth flow of events on the spaceflight.

1. The Design of the
This graduation project provides an answer to the question:
“What user experience should be offered to the participants at what
Ideal Experience
moment in the entire suborbital spaceflight experience?”
of a
by defining ‘a moment’ and designing the experience that Commercial
should be offered at that moment
Suborbital
Spaceflight
Analysis
what impressions these events and Desired material- and social interaction With the case of
Although the suborbital spaceflights
Virgin Galactic
will have a lot of similarities with other occurrences have on the spaceflight qualities are listed and with an
industries e.g. human spaceflight, participants different emotions are interaction metaphor product concepts
theme parks and VIP aviation, as a chosen to supplement the scenarios. are designed. Their specific
whole it is a totally new experience. The ‘moment’ for which an user functionality provide and enable the
Because of this a spaceflight ticket experience should be offered is defined ideal experience.
holds more than ‘just’ the actual as the actual spaceflight.
spaceflight, this also means that
spaceflight companies should not
Ideal Experience
The designed ideal experience of the
presume that spaceflight participants
will automatically be satisfied if the
the actual spaceflight actual spaceflight allows the 6
experience is basically just the activity. spaceflight participants to enjoy two
different activities, looking outside and
As there is no suborbital spaceflight playing in zero-g, within one cabin.
with commercial participants to gain They feel secure and alert, as the
experience from, the context is Concept procedures feel like one smooth flow of
unknown. In the concept phase the user events so they can they immerse
experience that should be offered themselves in the experience without
during the actual spaceflight is being distracted.
Context constructed. A vision is created that
In the context phase of this project the addresses the desired surroundings,
suborbital spaceflights offered by
Virgin Galactic are taken as a case to
activities and emotions during the
actual spaceflight, this vision states:
one smooth flow
focus on. The future context of the
entire spaceflight experience, starting
with ‘thinking of buying a ticket’ and " I want the spaceflight
ending with ‘the reunion’, is participants to feel secure and
represented as an Experience Flow. alert, they immerse themselves Report by ! ! ! Jefta Bade
In the Experience Flow all the in the experience without being Date:" " " " 10 December 2010
events and activities a spaceflight distracted by the procedures." Student number:" 1158635
participant will experience are written Master:" " " " IPD
down in individual scenarios. To know
Supervisors:!! ! Prof. Dr. Peter Vink and Ger Bruens