Future Spacecraft Featured in International Design Magazine

MG2 "White Bat" Spacecraft. Graphic c/o Oscar Viñals.

According to Spanish based industrial and graphics engineer Oscar Viñals, up until a few years ago, space tourism was "utterly science fiction."

But now, "with private operations already underway and queues of wealthy travelers lining up, this ultimate thrill-seeker’s adventure has become a reality."

It's also become trendy and Viñals has celebrated this change with a series of design studies highlighting various different types of aerospace vehicles.

These include the MG2 'White Bat" business transport, the MKS-1b LSJC Space Debris "Cleaner," the XGV-A "Orbiter," the MKS-1 "Space Launch System," the SXT-A "Iron Speed" hyper-sonic aircraft and quite a number of others.

SXT-A "Iron Speed." Graphic c/o Oscar Viñals.

The designs are featured in Yanko Design, a web magazine "dedicated to introducing the best modern international design, covering from industrial design, concepts, technology, interior design, architecture, exhibition and fashion." 

The publication, active since 2002, has been promoted in "high profile" media outlets as a leading edge industrial design publication, according to the Yanko Design website.

The publisher, Japanese Canadian Takashi Yamada, was previously a consultant in the multi-billion dollar Japanese luxury industry. His clients included Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Bulgari and Richemont (a Swiss based luxury goods holding company founded in 1988, which includes Cartier, Alfred Dunhill and Montblanc).

The XGV-A "Orbiter." Graphic c/o Oscar Viñals.

The Viñals designs have also been featured in the December 2nd, 2013 Trendhunter article "The White Bat Space Craft is for Business and Pleasure."

Trendhunter, which bills itself as the "world's largest, most popular collection of cutting edge ideas," gave the topic high marks for trendiness, which seems reasonable enough given the graphics and obvious engineering expertise which went into the designs.

It will be interesting to see how the old-fashioned and unstylish engineers and scientists who've shepherded the space age up until now end up bonding with their new, haute-coutured companions.

Stand by for adventure...