NASA buys flights on private spaceship

[koalabear]

Virgin NASA!

The space tourism company Virgin Galactic has struck a deal with NASA worth up to $4.5 million for research flights on the company's new private spaceliner SpaceShipTwo, Virgin Galactic officials announced.

Under the deal, NASA will charter up to three flights on Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, an air-launched spacecraft designed to carry eight people on trips to suborbital space.

The announcement comes just two days after Virgin Galactic announced that Mike Moses, NASA's former deputy space shuttle program chief, had joined the company's ranks as vice president of operations.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44903902/#.Tpw-6XHpBIs

 

[Saint Peter]

I predict the first one blows up on the pad.

 

[off2bed]

Speaking of blowing up, how's NASA's Muslim outreach goin'?

 

[koalabear]

Speaking of blowing up, how's NASA's Muslim outreach goin'?

British muslims.

 

[off2bed]

British muslims.

So the flight is on 72 Virgin Galactic.

 

[koalabear]

So the flight is on 72 Virgin Galactic.

and runs on honey bio-fuel.

 

[Lancecastor]

At least NASA isn't outsourcing vehicle acquisition to Mexico or India.

That would be a whole different flavor of funny.

 

[off2bed]

Not really, India has a moon mission going.

 

[Colonel Hogan]

I predict the first one blows up on the pad.

There is no pad. Read the OP again. The orbital vehicle is launched from a plane at altitude.

Since I haven't seen a plane blow up on the runway in quite awhile, I think we're pretty safe on that part of the mission.

 

[KRCummings]

There is no pad. Read the OP again. The orbital vehicle is launched from a plane at altitude.

Since I haven't seen a plane blow up on the runway in quite awhile, I think we're pretty safe on that part of the mission.

If I remember right it was the runway that took down the Concorde.

 

[Colonel Hogan]

If I remember right it was the runway that took down the Concorde.

Yeah, but it didn't blow up until it hit the ground a couple of miles off the end of the runway.

So there.

 

[1sickbastard]

$4.5 million for three flights is considerably less expensive that the $500 million per space shuttle launch.

Nasa was supposed to announce the contract for the launch system designed to take the MPSV Orion into orbit in July. I never heard/saw any such announcement. Anyone else hear anything about it?

 

[John Doe]

If I remember right it was the runway that took down the Concorde.

That bastard runway!

 

[NeverEndingMe]

well, at least they won't blow up!

Virgin NASA!

The space tourism company Virgin Galactic has struck a deal with NASA worth up to $4.5 million for research flights on the company's new private spaceliner SpaceShipTwo, Virgin Galactic officials announced.

Under the deal, NASA will charter up to three flights on Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, an air-launched spacecraft designed to carry eight people on trips to suborbital space.

The announcement comes just two days after Virgin Galactic announced that Mike Moses, NASA's former deputy space shuttle program chief, had joined the company's ranks as vice president of operations.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44903902/#.Tpw-6XHpBIs