XCOR and the Lynx rocket

[Robotbeat]

While browsing for a new television a few days ago, I found this advertisement from a big retailer of consumer electronics. Apparently it's not just a joke, because at least one person (an 18-year teen) decided to pay the €73.333,- for this trip into space.

Nope, not a joke. That is the going rate for an XCOR trip.

[Garrett]

It explains why XCOR moved.  Its pretty accurate when it comes to the economic realities these companies are facing.

Have XCOR themselves given a full account of their reasons for moving to Midland? Reading a few articles here and there, it seems to me that they were looking for a spaceport suitable for commercial operations more than anything else, just as Virgin chose Spaceport America. Midland proposed $10million and won their custom. Of course, one has to wonder where the Midland City are getting that money from (a spaceport tax like in New Mexico?).

[aquarius]

While browsing for a new television a few days ago, I found this advertisement from a big retailer of consumer electronics. Apparently it's not just a joke, because at least one person (an 18-year teen) decided to pay the €73.333,- for this trip into space.

Nope, not a joke. That is the going rate for an XCOR trip.

Is that the price for Mark I (60 km) or Mark II (100 km)?

[Ronsmytheiii]

XCOR Aerospace has issued the initial phase of a two-phase contract to ATK's Aerospace Structures Division [NYSE:ATK] for the detailed design and manufacture of the Lynx Mark I suborbital reusable launch vehicle (RLV) wings and control surfaces.

http://www.space-travel.com/reports/XCOR_Announces_ATK_as_Lynx_Mark_I_Wing_Detailed_Design_And_Build_Contractor_999.html

[Robotbeat]

While browsing for a new television a few days ago, I found this advertisement from a big retailer of consumer electronics. Apparently it's not just a joke, because at least one person (an 18-year teen) decided to pay the €73.333,- for this trip into space.

Nope, not a joke. That is the going rate for an XCOR trip.

Is that the price for Mark I (60 km) or Mark II (100 km)?

Could be the same for both, since generally there is a premium for those that fly first, and Mark I will fly first.

[simonbp]

Since the advertisement is in Dutch, I'm guessing it's for a flight from Cuaco, which probably means Lynx Mk II. The Mk I is just the prototype, and I don't know if they are going to lease it out to SXC.

[go4mars]

They've built and fired something like a dozen different rocket designs over the past 10 years, ranging from tiny Nitrous/Ethane RCS engines all the way up to 7.5klbf LOX/Methane engines. 

Does XCOR have anything that would be about the right power level for this (more bracing might be required)?:

see boots in video.


or this:


The rocket racing league sized one might be a good augment for a boss hoss motorcycle...

[SpaceXSLS]

Surprised im the first to get to this.

http://www.space.com/19199-axe-apollo-space-launch-contest.html

The men's personal care product company AXE has teamed up with famed moonwalker Buzz Aldrin to send 22 people into space, and make sure they smell nice doing it.

The company today (Jan. 9) kicked off its new AXE Apollo Space Academy, an online contest that promises to send 22 winners to the edge of space and back aboard a private spaceship. The winning space travelers will launch aboard a suborbital Lynx space plane built by the U.S. company XCOR Aerospace and operated by the tourism firm Space Expedition Curacao, AXE officials said.

"Space travel for everyone is the next frontier in the human experience," Buzz Aldrin, who became the second person ever to walk on the moon during NASA's 1969 Apollo 11 mission in 1969, said in a statement. "I'm thrilled that AXE is giving the young people of today such an extraordinary opportunity to experience some of what I've encountered in space.

The contest is open to men and women in more than 60 countries who sign up on the AXE Apollo Space Academy website (AXEApollo.com) and write about why they should be chosen to fly in space, while others will vote on the entries. The deadline to enter is Feb. 3. [How Lynx Spaceships Will Launch (Video)]

The 22 winners will be selected during the AXE Global Space Camp in Orlando, Fla., which will feature competitive "space-simulation challenges," AXE officials said.

Winning space travelers will fly, one at a time, aboard Lynx space planes once Space Expedition Curacao begins operational flights. The reusable space planes are designed to fly two people — one pilot and a passenger — to an altitude of 62 miles (100 kilometers) during suborbital flights. The rocket plane is built to take off and land horizontally on a runway.

Space Expedition Curacao will oversee commercial Lynx flights from the Caribbean island of Curacao. Tickets for a flight are set at $95,000.

XCOR Aerospace is expected to begin the first test flights of a high-altitude Lynx design sometime later this year. The first passenger flights could begin in 2014.

AXE's deodorant body sprays are apparently known as Lynx in some parts of the world, so booking seats on a space plane with the same name was no giant leap, company officials explained.

"The AXE Apollo launch is the biggest and most ambitious in the AXE brand's 30-year history," AXE's global vice president Tomas Marcenaro said. "For the first time, we're simultaneously launching one global competition in over 60 countries offering millions of people the opportunity to win the most epic prize on Earth. A trip to space — yes, actual space.""

My initial thought is I like the sound of this PR!

And a youtube vid

[simonbp]

Also,

[Robotbeat]

LOL

[Lars_J]

I like it!

[jongoff]

I'm a huge fan of what my friends at XCOR are doing, but that had to be one of the cheesiest ads I've seen in a long time (though that may not be saying much--I don't watch TV).

~Jon

[yg1968]

The ads are from Axe which is a company that sells cologne and deoderants. Most of their ads are similar to these.

[sdsds]

I'm not sure where space.com got all their details regarding this. I take the "Axe Apollo Terms and Conditions" document to be somewhat authoritative: "Grand Prize (1): One (1) reservation on the X-COR Lynx sub-orbital space vehicle, for one (1) person on one (1) flight to travel into space on dates, to locations and for a duration determined by Sponsor between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2020 and a check for $25,000 to help defray the cost of taxes (ARV: $86,000)." (See attached.)

This seems to place a retail value of $61,000 on the flight itself.

[Borklund]

Nice find. That's a lot of money, though considerably less than Virgin Galactic's $200,000.

[krytek]

IIRC the original ticket price was supposed to be 90-99,000$
It's awesome to see the mainstream interested in them like that.

[yg1968]

I'm not sure where space.com got all their details regarding this. I take the "Axe Apollo Terms and Conditions" document to be somewhat authoritative: "Grand Prize (1): One (1) reservation on the X-COR Lynx sub-orbital space vehicle, for one (1) person on one (1) flight to travel into space on dates, to locations and for a duration determined by Sponsor between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2020 and a check for $25,000 to help defray the cost of taxes (ARV: $86,000)." (See attached.)

This seems to place a retail value of $61,000 on the flight itself.

They must have gotten a discount for buying 22 seats and because of the extra publicity that Lynx is getting through these ads. 

[go4mars]

I registered, promising to wear a three wolf moon t-shirt to space.  I don't expect to win, but it's a good excuse to reach out to a bunch of old friends with something space related.  For a lot of people I know, old friends, exposure to anything space related is generally a rare thing. 

[JohnFornaro]

No wonder I'm having such a hard time selling the idea of a lunar mission.

I've been using the wrong deodorant.

[krytek]

No wonder I'm having such a hard time selling the idea of a lunar mission.

I've been using the wrong deodorant.

Good one
You spray it on and all the congressmen start chasing.