Virgin Galactic has signed a deal to provide NASA with three charter flights on SpaceShipTwo, the suborbital spaceplane slated to take future tourist travelers into space.
The deal provides for one full charter flight on SpaceShipTwo, with the option for two additional flights, giving the agreement a potential value of $4.5 million.
According to Virgin Galactic, each mission will provide for 1,300 pounds of scientific experiments. The company says it will send a Flight Test Engineer on each flight to facilitate the experiments if necessary.
SpaceShipTwo is a 60-foot-long crewed vehicle designed to carry two pilots and six passengers. Powered by a hybrid rocket motor, the carbon-composite spaceplane is launched into the upper atmosphere by its mothership, WhiteKnightTwo. It re-enters the atmosphere using a unique feathering system, after which it glides in for a runway landing.
According to Virgin Galactic, more than 455 customers have already put down deposits for a future seat on the spacecraft, which runs at $200,000 for commercial travel. The company says it has collected more than $58 million from future passengers to date.
