Kacey Roberts
Virgin Galactic and Redwire have teamed up to produce research payload lockers for the former’s Delta-Class spaceships to enhance microgravity research capabilities.
The effort will leverage Redwire’s customizable plug-and-play lockers to streamline research and provide real-time data throughout flights, Virgin Galactic said Thursday.
The lockers, designed for both automated and human-guided experiments, will feature flexible front panels for easier access before, during and after spaceflight, while also facilitating the transfer of suborbital experiments to the International Space Station with reduced risk.
Sirisha Bandla, vice president of research operations at Virgin Galactic, commented, “Our new state-of-the-art research platform, designed for compatibility with longer duration space mission locker standards, means we can offer a suborbital space lab suited for testing technologies and research in preparation for orbital, lunar, or Martian missions.”
Bandla added, “Redwire is a pioneer in the commercialization of low Earth orbit research, and we’re thrilled to partner with Redwire to further enhance Virgin Galactic’s proven, safe and reliable microgravity research platform.”
