WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WANE) — A spaceflight filled with Purdue University Boilermakers is preparing for liftoff in 2027.

A graduate student, a professor and three alumni comprise the group that will embark on "Purdue 1", a Virgin Galactic suborbital spaceflight. The trip gives the group the opportunity to conduct research and perform experiments in microgravity.

The announcement was made on campus Tuesday at the university's Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering.

The flight will build on an already strong legacy Purdue has cemented in space exploration. Deemed the Cradle of Astronauts, 30 alumni have already flown to space or been selected as NASA astronaut candidates, according to the press release.

The research conducted on Purdue 1 aims to advance spaceflight design, fuel management an

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