NASA, Virgin Galactic ink spaceship deal

MOFFETT FIELD, Calif., Feb. 21 (UPI) -- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has signed a deal with a company owned by British entrepreneur Richard Branson to develop space tourism.

The two-year agreement includes having NASA astronauts test-fly Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo 62 miles above the earth next year in anticipation of a 2009 commercialization, London's Telegraph reported.

NASA's Ames Research Center and Virgin Galactic will explore other possible collaborations -- including developing space suits, hybrid rocket motors, hypersonic vehicles capable of traveling five or more times the speed of sound, space-ship heat shields and other space technology.

"By encouraging such potential collaborations, NASA supports the development of greater commercial collaboration and applications that will serve to strengthen and enhance the future benefits of space exploration for all of mankind," said NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale.

Among the more than 200 people already signed up for the space flights -- projected to cost $200,000 a person -- is celebrated British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, the Telegraph said.