Two of the three companies competing for more than $3 billion to launch space tourism flights have ties to southern New Mexico's Spaceport America.
SpaceX, Boeing Co. and a rocket system supplier for Virgin Galactic are vying for the lucrative contract to take astronauts to the International Space Station by 2017 in "space taxis."
Spaceport is where Virgin Galactic plans to launch its first space-tourism flights at a cost of $200,000 per person.
SpaceX also has a contract with Spaceport America.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is expected to announce the award of the contract later this month.
NASA officials, however, say they may choose more than one company.
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Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com
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