Virgin Galactic to Send Researchers into Space

Virgin Galactic and  Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) have signed a contract to send researchers into space to perform experiments involving astronomy, biology, microgravity and climate.

This is the first time that a commercial space company has contracted to send scientists into space to perform research.

Virgin Galactic will fly the researchers more than 328,000 feet (100 kilometers) above the Earth on its SpaceShipTwo Spacecraft.

A deposit for two of SwRI's researchers to fly on the spacecraft has already been paid in full.  Plans are for SwRI to purchase six more seats, making the total cost $1.6 million.

Virgin Galactic will fly SwRI researchers carrying experiments designed by SwRI's in-house technical staff.  However, SwRI will also help other American researchers who wish to perform experiments on suborbital flights.

SWRI, an American non-profit research and development organization located in San Antonio, Texas, says that in addition to sending researchers aboard SpaceShipTwo, it also plans to send researchers into space aboard the Lynx Mark I rocket plane, which is currently being developed by XCOR Corporation.