NASA Charters Flights Aboard Virgin's SpaceShipTwo

Posted by Soulskill on Monday October 17, 2011 @05:38AM from the branson's-upper-atmosphere-experience dept.

Zothecula writes "Although Virgin Galactic is generally known as a space tourism company, it sees research experiments as a future mission segment and significant business opportunity. To this end, the company has signed a contract with NASA to provide up to three charter flights on its SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceplane. The deal follows the curtain closing on the Space Shuttle program earlier this year and is part of NASA's Flight Opportunities Program, which is charged with providing reduced-gravity environments for research experiments while encouraging the emerging commercial space industry." In related news, a 68,000-sq. ft. facility has opened in California that will assist in the assembly of SpaceShipTwo spaceplanes.

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Re:When they Ask, Where were you. by Darth+Snowshoe · 2011-10-17 05:57 · Score: 5, Insightful

NASA chartered flights to low earth orbit. NASA built a spacecraft that's going to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. Oh, and another one that's going closest to the sun. And robots to scoot around Mars for years at a time. And a telescope (Kepler) that's found hundreds of exoplanets already. Just for starters.
If you want a bigger better NASA then call your congresspeople and support their budget.