Dr. Alan Stern, a planetary scientist from San Antonio, has been chosen to do science experiments among the Virgin Galactic commercial spacecraft called "SpaceShipTwo".
Funded by NASA, the suborbital mission will launch form the Spaceport America site in New Mexico. The mission has not yet been scheduled, KENS 5 reports.
Adam L. Hamilton, CEO and President of SwRI, stated, "Our commercial suborbital space flight program dates back almost a decade. To see the results of SwRI’s internal research efforts lead to historic SwRI-tended suborbital experiments is very exciting!"
According to the agency, Stern will be operating a former space shuttle an NASA F-19 low light level camera to determine how well space astronomical observations can be conducted. He will also be doing biomedical research by checking his vitals throughout the flight.
Stern said, "Going to work in space myself for the first time after having spent so many years sending machines there to do the research for me is going to be a major career highlight, and something I am honored to be selected for but I hope this is just the first of a steady stream of flights by SwRI researchers doing work in space in the years and decades ahead."
Photo: Getty Images
Source: KENS 5