 A cooperative agreement between NASA, North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T University led to the construction of a full-scale model of the HL-20 PLS for further human factors research on this concept.Of all the options, a lifting body presents the most ideal medical environment in terms of controlled environment as well as low "g"-loading during reentry and landing.However, the price tag for the HL-20 project was US$2 billion, and Congress cut the program from NASA's budget in 1990.