Fly my NGO to the moon

The Virgin Galactic VSS Enterprise spacecraft, prepares to make it's first public landing during the Spaceport America runway dedication ceremony near Las Cruces

The Virgin Galactic VSS Enterprise spacecraft, prepares to make it's first public landing during the Spaceport America runway dedication ceremony near Las Cruces

Published Mar 3, 2011

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Space tourists aren't the only ones who want to fly aboard private rocketships.

A nonprofit research organisation has signed a deal with Virgin Galactic to conduct experiments in suborbital space.

Virgin Galactic saidthe Southwest Research Institute bought two tickets for its scientists to ride aboard the six-passenger SpaceShipTwo. Each ticket costs $200,000.

Engineers are flight testing SpaceShipTwo in California's Mojave Desert. There's no date for when commercial flights will begin.

Built by famed aerospace designer Burt Rutan, SpaceShipTwo is based on a prototype that won a $10 million prize in 2004 for being the first manned private rocket to reach space. - Sapa-AP

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