And yet they still haven't built any hardware. So far it seems like they're two years behind on a two year long project. No matter how much I want the Lynx to succedced it just seems like with each passing month it becomes closer to becoming vaporware (see Canadian Arrow, Galactic Suite Design, K-1 launch vehicle...).
Quote from: manboy on 11/24/2010 12:02 amAnd yet they still haven't built any hardware. So far it seems like they're two years behind on a two year long project. No matter how much I want the Lynx to succedced it just seems like with each passing month it becomes closer to becoming vaporware (see Canadian Arrow, Galactic Suite Design, K-1 launch vehicle...).From following those folks on the ARocket mailing list, I would say that they probably have hardware built already. They are more closed-lips than they were before, but they are still making progress. They are professionals, so unless you hear of a lot of XCOR people being laid off, they are busy doing work.
Quote from: Robotbeat on 11/24/2010 03:33 pmQuote from: manboy on 11/24/2010 12:02 amAnd yet they still haven't built any hardware. So far it seems like they're two years behind on a two year long project. No matter how much I want the Lynx to succedced it just seems like with each passing month it becomes closer to becoming vaporware (see Canadian Arrow, Galactic Suite Design, K-1 launch vehicle...).From following those folks on the ARocket mailing list, I would say that they probably have hardware built already. They are more closed-lips than they were before, but they are still making progress. They are professionals, so unless you hear of a lot of XCOR people being laid off, they are busy doing work.They have hardware built already for sure. They had some already many months ago.
Quote from: GncDude on 11/28/2010 08:54 pmQuote from: Robotbeat on 11/24/2010 03:33 pmQuote from: manboy on 11/24/2010 12:02 amAnd yet they still haven't built any hardware. So far it seems like they're two years behind on a two year long project. No matter how much I want the Lynx to succedced it just seems like with each passing month it becomes closer to becoming vaporware (see Canadian Arrow, Galactic Suite Design, K-1 launch vehicle...).From following those folks on the ARocket mailing list, I would say that they probably have hardware built already. They are more closed-lips than they were before, but they are still making progress. They are professionals, so unless you hear of a lot of XCOR people being laid off, they are busy doing work.They have hardware built already for sure. They had some already many months ago.Says the mailing list?
Quote from: manboy on 11/29/2010 04:01 pmQuote from: GncDude on 11/28/2010 08:54 pmQuote from: Robotbeat on 11/24/2010 03:33 pmQuote from: manboy on 11/24/2010 12:02 amAnd yet they still haven't built any hardware. So far it seems like they're two years behind on a two year long project. No matter how much I want the Lynx to succedced it just seems like with each passing month it becomes closer to becoming vaporware (see Canadian Arrow, Galactic Suite Design, K-1 launch vehicle...).From following those folks on the ARocket mailing list, I would say that they probably have hardware built already. They are more closed-lips than they were before, but they are still making progress. They are professionals, so unless you hear of a lot of XCOR people being laid off, they are busy doing work.They have hardware built already for sure. They had some already many months ago.Says the mailing list?Says: I saw it and sat on it. That good enough for you?
Getting ready to hot fire the new Lynx engine. Oh boy. Noise in the desert! :-)about 1 hour ago via web
February 24th, 2011, Mojave, CA, USA: In a first for the reusable suborbital launch vehicle industry, XCOR Aerospace announced today that the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), a commercial entity, has purchased six suborbital flights to carry SwRI experiments and payload specialists. This is the first such contract SwRI has issued, and XCOR is proud to be chosen for this opportunity.“When someone issues a commercial contract with their own money, it really means something,” said XCOR Chief Operating Officer Andrew Nelson. “XCOR feels SwRI signing their first contract with us demonstrates the superiority of the Lynx platform over others in the field. We have the ability to fly up to four times a day, quickly perform an experiment and then return it to the customer. In addition, we offer the best price in class versus the competition.”Each of the six flights will include a SwRI trained principal investigator / payload specialist. This group of talented individuals includes Dr. Alan Stern, former NASA Associate Administrator for Science, Dr. Dan Durda who has flown research missions in NASA f-18s and Dr. Cathy Olkin, an experienced SwRI researcher and former NASA astronaut candidate. On these flights, the SwRI payload specialists will perform research using biomedical, microgravity, and astronomy imaging experiments conceived and prepared for flight at SwRI. SwRI has an option to purchase three additional flights at any time, providing more value significant flexibility for experimental research.>>
I wonder if they will be biding to supply the engines for an Earth Departure Stage to push capsules from LEO to EML1/2?
Model T
Quote from: Hernalt on 02/28/2011 07:01 pmModel Twhat do you mean by that comment?
IMO, Lynx is a much bigger game-changer than just a sub-orbital research & tourist vehicle.If it succeeds, they will have proven an inexpensive, reusable first stage, with 'gas & go' operations.From that point on, there is no technical argument against scaling up to EELV class or larger. That lowers the bar tremendously for anyone proposing (or raising capital) for something along those lines.