Caption: 
Southwest Research Institute’s Dr. Alan Stern, a planetary scientist and associate vice president of Southwest Research Institute’s Space Sector, flew aboard the Virgin Galactic commercial spaceship Unity on a suborbital space mission. During the flight, Stern tested equipment monitoring his vital signs in preparation for a NASA-funded experiment he will perform in space aboard a second suborbital flight. He also conducted training and risk-reduction activities in preparation for his NASA flight to evaluate the spacecraft’s suitability for making astronomy observations in space.