Southwest Research Institute, a Texas-based non-profit research and development organization, has signed contracts with two aspiring commercial suborbital spaceliners to fly researchers and experiments.
The institute is buying six rides on XCOR Aerospace’s Lynx vehicle, a two-seater that takes off and lands horizontally like an airplane.
Researchers selected to fly are Alan Stern, NASA’s former associate administrator for science, Dan Durda and Cathy Olkin. Their experiments include biomedical, microgravity and astronomy investigations.
Southwest also put deposits down for two seats on Virgin Galactic flights, with the intention of buying an additional six slots.
WIDE ANGLE: Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo
The company, owned by Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, plans to operate a fleet of suborbital ships modeled after the X Prize-winner SpaceShipOne. Tests of the six-passenger, two pilot SpaceShipTwo are under way in California, with passenger service expected to begin late this year or in 2012.
Virgin Galactic is selling seats for $200,000 and has taken deposits from around 400 passengers. XCOR charges $95,000 a ride.
Image: New customers for suborbital flights: Scientists. Credit: Mark Greenberg/Virgin Galactic.
Tags: Private Spaceflight
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