NASA and the private space venture Virgin Galactic may collaborate on future space projects, according to a new agreement signed on Tuesday. The relationship highlights NASA鈥檚 growing interest in working with commercial providers to advance its human spaceflight programme.
Virgin Galactic, a US subsidiary of Richard Branson鈥檚 Virgin Group, is best known for its partnership with aviation pioneer Burt Rutan, who designed the X Prize-winning suborbital vehicle SpaceShipOne. In 2009, Virgin Galactic hopes to begin regular tourist flights to the edge of space in a follow-on ship called SpaceShipTwo.
The new agreement means the company will 鈥渆xplore possible collaborations鈥� with NASA on a range of different projects, including the development of so-called hybrid rocket motors 鈥� which combine the reliability of solid rocket motors with the controllability of liquid motors 鈥� and hypersonic aircraft that can fly at five times the speed of sound or faster.
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鈥淲e are concentrating on suborbital spaceflight right now, but are really looking forward to exploring opportunities for the future and making hypersonic point-to-point travel a reality,鈥� Alex Tai, chief operating officer for Virgin Galactic, said in a statement.
Symbiotic relationship
The possible collaboration will also help NASA, officials say. 鈥淭his understanding . . . affords NASA an opportunity to work with an emerging company in the commercial human space transportation industry to support the agency鈥檚 exploration, science and aeronautics mission goals,鈥� says Pete Worden, director of NASA鈥檚 Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California, US.
Faced with the retirement of the space shuttles in 2010 and the first flight of its successor no earlier than 2014, the agency has turned to private companies to develop ships that can send cargo, and possibly crew, to the International Space Station after the shuttles retire (see NASA awards seed money to two rocket companies).
鈥淭his new type of private-public partnership can benefit the agency while helping to foster a new industry,鈥� says Dan Coughlin of NASA.
The 鈥榤emorandum of understanding鈥�, which will be in effect for two years, was negotiated by NASA鈥檚 Space Portal, a new organisation at Ames designed to promote such private-public partnerships.
