SpaceShipTwo to Carry NASA into Space

Bethany Whitfield

Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at 07:09 PM ET

Verified

Photo courtesy of Virgin Galactic

Key Takeaways:

Virgin Galactic has secured a deal with NASA for up to three suborbital charter flights on SpaceShipTwo, potentially valued at $4.5 million.
Each mission will transport 1,300 pounds of scientific experiments, with a Virgin Galactic Flight Test Engineer accompanying them.
SpaceShipTwo is a suborbital spaceplane designed to carry two pilots and six passengers, known for its unique feathering re-entry system.
The company has already collected over $58 million in deposits from more than 455 customers for future commercial space travel at $200,000 per seat.

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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.