(Image, Credit Virgin Galactic) SPACE NEWS: - not only for business tourism as a sub-orbital space flight, Virgin Galactic. The company of Sir Richard Branson has announced today that it has concluded the first contract in the world to fly into space scientists with the aim to perform scientific experiments.
The contract was signed between Virgin Galactic and the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) to conduct experiments in microgravity (biology, climate, astronomy).
SwRI has already "booked" two places for the next sub-orbital space flight, Virgin Galactic. The agreement providing for 6 more, for a total cost of 1.6 M USD.
SwRI is an independent nonprofit research and development in applied engineering and physical sciences. He has more than 3000 employees engaged in activities for both industrial and government customers.
addition to bringing and conduct scientific experiments developed internally SwRI also plans to assist other American scientific institutions who have no experience of space flight to create and fly their payload sub-orbital missions and their staff.
The words of George Whitesides, President and CEO of Virgin Galactic: "This agreement marks the enormous scientific potential of the Virgin spaceflight system. Virgin Galactic will be able to offer space flights to researchers that are unprecedented in frequency and cost ...".
It 's the turn of Dr.Alan Stern, associate vice president of SwRI's Space Division and former NASA Associate Administrator for Science: "We are very excited about SwRI this agreement. Initially, two of our payload specialists will fly with Virgin Galactic to conduct biomedical monitoring, image detection and atmospheric experiments in microgravity on planetary regolith ...".
Data Source, Virgin Galactic.
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