Virgin Galactic, NASA Form High-Speed Tech Dev’t Partnership

Virgin Galactic’s Spaceship Company subsidiary will support NASA in the development of high-speed technologies under a Space Act Agreement.

The partnership seeks to expedite the creation of high-Mach vehicles to support potential civil applications, the company said Tuesday.

The two entities also intend to help inform the development of national strategies that will address sustainability through the use of technical and economical groundwork.

“This Space Act Agreement will enable NASA to collaborate with Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Company to allow our organizations to take advantage of new tools, techniques, and technologies developed over the last 50 years and to explore potential new solutions for the commercial aviation industry,” said James Kenyon, director at NASA’s Aeronautics Advanced Air Vehicles program.

Virgin Galactic noted it is eyeing the development of a vehicle that will enable secure high-speed air travel.