Astronaut Training Facility

Situated within the 110,000-sf Spaceport America in New Mexico, the design for the new 10,674-sf Virgin Galactic Astronaut Training Facility encapsulates the essence of a civilian’s comprehensive four-day introduction and training program. The design approach is rooted in the narrative of an astronaut’s introduction to safety protocol, active travel assignments along with self-discovery and connection with the experiential journey. The design balances instruction and information with the complex realities of space travel. Dramatic illusory spaces evolve with the changing educational agenda over the four-day period.

After an hour-long desert drive, the astronaut enters the building through rough Corten steel double doors. A minimal all-encompassing vestibule of stainless-steel panels hints to the journey ahead. A second set of double doors opens to a long and narrow bridge that serves as a transition. By using a rhythmical pattern of floor-to-ceiling light strips and highly reflective surfaces along the entire bridge length, walls and ceilings dissolve creating the illusion of light projecting infinitely.

At the center of the bridge, full height windows into the hangar space are gradually revealed, and the astronauts gain their first glimpse. Diffused sounds from the hangar reach the bridge via speakers that invite individuals from the solitary bridge experience into the bustle surrounding the spacecrafts below, building an excitement about the journey to come.

Entering the lounge, the space is flooded with natural light, and individuals are oriented towards expansive panoramic views of the rugged New Mexico landscape. The views are carefully framed by three sculptural pods, each serving different instructional functions.  The white curved walls of the pods blur the lines between inside and outside acting as both an enclosure and stage. These transformative smooth and versatile forms morph from wall to bench to floor. Two of the pods have a series of layered translucent veils that can reveal or obscure the area beyond. The custom furnishing for the central lounge pod is a place of ease for the astronauts to take breaks and gather for relaxation, hydration, and dialogue.

While the pods are opportunities for gathering and education, the private suites are spaces to decompress and find moments of solitude and reflection.  The suites are entered through a dimly lit vestibule where the personalized custom space suit is revealed. Door sized glass encasements with a semi-translucent pearlized finish line the semicircular walls. These glass encasements also serve as doorways into the suite in which a custom daybed cascades from the ceiling and is the focal point of the private suite. Adjacent are customized side tables and full height storage to hold personal belongings and provide a space to read, write, or contact friends and family.

The design plays with moments of community and individuality, expansiveness and intimacy, excitement and quietude, which parallels the rhythm of the training experience. In this new era in space travel, the project seeks to ignite awe and wonder as these new astronauts prepare for their extraordinary journey.

Status: Completed 2023

Project Type: Interiors Tenant Improvement

Size: 10,674 sf

Location: Spaceport America, Truth and Consequences, New Mexico

Partners: Hagy Belzberg, Cory Taylor, Jennifer Wu

Project Team: Kristofer Leese, Elizabeth Pyatt, Amanda Schwarz

Architect of Record New Mexico: RMKM

Photo Credit: © BA Collective

Publication:
Architectural Record Interiors issue, April 2024