Purdue University to send students, researchers to suborbital space
Purdue University and Virgin Galactic are teaming up for a suborbital space mission called "Purdue 1," set for 2027.
The mission will send Purdue researchers, students, and alumni into suborbital space—giving them a shot at real microgravity research, not just classroom theory.
Crew and spacecraft details
The crew includes seven people: two Virgin Galactic pilots plus five from Purdue.
Professor Steven Collicott and grad student Abigail Mizzi are on board to run experiments on how liquids behave in zero gravity—a big deal for future space tech.
Collicott's seat is funded by NASA, while Mizzi's is covered by donations and alumni support.
They'll fly on the new Delta-class space plane, which is expected to begin service in 2026, carrying forward Purdue's long tradition of hands-on space exploration.