Virgin Galactic Signs Space Act Agreement with NASA for Private Orbital Spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS)
June 22 2020 - 6:45AM
Business Wire
Increases Commercial Participation in Human
Spaceflight to ISS to Advance LEO Economy
Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPCE) (“Virgin Galactic”
or “the Company”), a vertically integrated aerospace company,
announced today the signing of a Space Act Agreement with NASA’s
Johnson Space Center to encourage commercial participation in
orbital human spaceflight to the International Space Station
(“ISS”) while enabling the development of a robust economy in Low
Earth Orbit.
Under the agreement, Virgin Galactic will develop a new private
orbital astronaut readiness program. This program will include
identifying candidates interested in purchasing private astronaut
missions to the ISS, the procurement of transportation to the ISS,
on-orbit resources, and ground resources. Supporting and
coordinating the use of ISS resources will be an important point of
integration required for each private astronaut mission. The next
generation of space traveler is interested in a variety of space
experiences. Building on its commercial spaceflight training
experience, Virgin Galactic believes it can provide an
unparalleled, personalized customer experience for orbital space
travel.
NASA is seeing greater demand for use of the ISS for scientific
and technological research and development, commercial activity,
and international collaboration. Private astronaut experiences
could range from private citizen expeditions to government-enabled
scientific research missions.
As part of this partnership, NASA will leverage Virgin
Galactic’s commercial expertise and industry knowledge. Virgin
Galactic will also contribute end-to-end program management and
integrated astronaut training packages for private passengers,
tailored to meet the needs for a commercial orbital space flight
experience. The partnership also serves as a pathfinder for the ISS
National Laboratory by demonstrating additional involvement by the
commercial sector in human spaceflight, and may lead to commercial
participants conducting research and other commercial activities
aboard the ISS.
Virgin Galactic has already developed a customized Future
Astronaut Readiness program for its customers flying out of
Spaceport America in New Mexico. Virgin Galactic’s existing space
experiences could play an important role in the training for
orbital travel, allowing passengers to become familiar with the
environment in space, such as G-forces and zero-G. Spaceport
America, Virgin Galactic’s home base, will be utilized for some
elements of the training program, using the facilities designed for
private astronaut training.
George Whitesides, CEO of Virgin Galactic said “We are excited
to partner with NASA on this private orbital spaceflight program,
which will not only allow us to use our spaceflight platform, but
also offer our space training infrastructure to NASA and other
agencies. Based on the unsurpassed levels of spaceflight customer
commitments we have secured to date, we are proud to share that
insight in helping to grow another market for the new space
economy. We want to bring the planetary perspective to many
thousands of people.”
For Media Assets:
https://www.image.net/virgingalactic
About Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic is a vertically-integrated aerospace company,
pioneering human spaceflight for private individuals and
researchers, as well as a manufacturer of advanced air and space
vehicles. Using its proprietary and reusable technologies and
supported by a distinctive, Virgin-branded customer experience, it
is developing a spaceflight system designed to offer customers a
unique, multi-day, transformative experience. This culminates in a
spaceflight that includes views of Earth from space and several
minutes of weightlessness that will launch from Spaceport America,
New Mexico. Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Company believe that
one of the most exciting and significant opportunities of our time
lies in the commercial exploration of space and the development of
technology that will change the way we travel across the globe in
the future. Together we are opening access to space to change the
world for good.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements
within the meaning of federal securities laws with respect to
Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”), including
statements regarding the Company’s spaceflight systems, markets and
expected performance. These forward-looking statements generally
are identified by words such as “believe,” “project,” “expect,”
“anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,”
“opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” and
similar expressions. Forward looking statements are predictions,
projections and other statements about future events that are based
on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are
subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual
future events to differ materially from the forward-looking
statements in this presentation, including but not limited to the
factors, risks and uncertainties regarding the Company’s business
described in the documents filed by the Company from time to time
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). These
filings identify and address other important risks and
uncertainties that could cause the Company’s actual events and
results to differ materially from those contained in the
forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only
as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put
undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and, except as
required by law, the Company assumes no obligation and does not
intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements,
whether as a result of new information, future events, or
otherwise.
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For media inquiries please contact:
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Africa – Ollie Bailey-Pratt, FTI Consulting US, Canada, South
America, Australia – Antonia Gray, FTI Consulting
VirginGalacticFin@fticonsulting.com /
VirginGalacticcorp@fticonsulting.com For Investor Relations
inquiries please contact: VirginGalactic-SVC@SARDVERB.com
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