The space tourism company Virgin Galactic has announced it has a deal with NASA worth approximately $4.5 million. Virgin Galactic officials announced today that they will provide their new private spaceliner SpaceShipTwo, in order to aid in research. Based on this deal, NASA will have to charter three flights on Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo which is an air-launched spacecraft that may carry up to eight people on trips towards suborbital space. Two days ago officials from Virgin Galactic announced that Mike Moses, NASA's former deputy space shuttle program chief became the company’s vice president of operations.
"We are excited to be working with NASA to provide the research community with this opportunity to carry out experiments in space,” said George Whitesides, president and CEO of Virgin Galactic, in a statement they sent to the press.
"An enormous range of disciplines can benefit from access to space, but historically, such research opportunities have been rare and expensive," Whitesides added. "At Virgin Galactic, we are fully dedicated to revolutionizing access to space, both for tourist astronauts and, through programs like this, for researchers."
Each of the ships that will be used by NASA may carry 1,300 pounds (590 kilograms) of scientific experiments. A flight test engineer will join every mission in order to monitor and conduct experiments.
"Bringing Mike in to lead the team represents a significant investment in our commitment to operational safety and success as we prepare to launch commercial operations," Whitesides said.
Until he was chosen as a director in 2005, Moses acted as a space shuttle flight controller for 10 years.
"I am extremely excited to be joining Virgin Galactic at this time, helping to forge the foundations that will enable routine commercial suborbital spaceflights," Moses added in a statement. "Virgin Galactic will expand the legacy of human spaceflight beyond traditional government programs into the world’s first privately funded commercial spaceline."
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