XCOR and the Lynx rocket

[QuantumG]

Jeff is looking good, much healthier than he did during Augustine.

[jongoff]

Jeff is looking good, much healthier than he did during Augustine.

He was under a lot of stress then. Trying to run a bootstrapped startup while simultaneously participating in what he was hoping was a panel that could be a turning point for the industry wasn't easy. Unfortunately for him, he'll probably end up having to do another such panel a few years in the future, because Congress and the White House both ignored most of A-Com's useful advice (it didn't help that A-com ignored the "bring us only suggestions that fit within the budget" advice).

Jeff gets mildly annoyed with me every time I suggest that there's going to be a Greason Commission one of these days...

~Jon

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Moving this thread back live. There's no chance I can edit in a split thread with all those links, or I'll be here all day.

So, if we need a second thread, start one.

Great, many thanks Chris.

I've created a new XCOR orbital system thread: http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=31741.0.

Although discussion of Jeff Greason's SA'13 talk has died down, I've no doubt that there'll be a lot more to say about XCOR's orbital plans in the future.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Michael Belfiore has a new blog article about a visit to XCOR: http://michaelbelfiore.com/2013/04/booming-along-with-xcor-aerospace.html

There's a nice picture (attached) of him doing a static fire test of one of Lynx's RCS engines.

I was particularly struck by this comment of Michael's:

The blast shield around the engine is made of two layers of bullet-proof glass—just in case. It may never be needed, however. In XCOR’s 14-year history, during which it has had 4,000-plus engine firings, an XCOR engine has never had what is euphemistically termed in the rocket business a hard start.

[deltaV]

I'm surprised they aren't wearing safety googles.

[savuporo]

ULA Work

Developing new engine for ULA
Replacement for the RL-10 engine used on Delta IV and Atlas V
Work is going very well

I didnt know that. Piston pumped ??

[QuantumG]

ULA Work

Developing new engine for ULA
Replacement for the RL-10 engine used on Delta IV and Atlas V
Work is going very well

I didnt know that. Piston pumped ??

Announced in 2010..

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=21916.0

[jongoff]

ULA Work

Developing new engine for ULA
Replacement for the RL-10 engine used on Delta IV and Atlas V
Work is going very well

I didnt know that. Piston pumped ??

Yes.

~Jon

[jongoff]

http://reason.com/blog/2013/05/13/attn-la-reasonoids-brian-doherty-talks-w

Looks like Doug Jones will be talking about Lynx with Brian Doherty of Reason.com this Thursday.

~Jon

[yg1968]

http://reason.com/blog/2013/05/13/attn-la-reasonoids-brian-doherty-talks-w

Looks like Doug Jones will be talking about Lynx with Brian Doherty of Reason.com this Thursday.

~Jon

Here is the video of the interview:

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Here is the video of the interview:

Nice interview, thanks for posting.

I particularly liked the bit about the first Merlin testing SpaceX did using XCOR's facilities as SpaceX didn't have any at the time!

[jongoff]

Here is the video of the interview:

Nice interview, thanks for posting.

I particularly liked the bit about the first Merlin testing SpaceX did using XCOR's facilities as SpaceX didn't have any at the time!

I also liked the bit about how they're talking with Masten about buying some valves from them.

~Jon

[Lar]

Here is the video of the interview:

Nice interview, thanks for posting.

I particularly liked the bit about the first Merlin testing SpaceX did using XCOR's facilities as SpaceX didn't have any at the time!

That and the "we priced for a tidy profit even after the pricewar when new entrants come in"

Oh, and QG is so right about the Zubrin jab.

[QuantumG]

The Zubrin jab was gold.

[Robert Thompson]

Interviewer didn't follow up on the orbital system, perhaps by prior agreement.

[QuantumG]

I think that suggests a level of organization which wasn't apparent in the production of that video

[Robert Thompson]

One thing I noticed about 8:10. By using high school AV club they are deconstructing vertical integration and thereby leveraging specialization.

Based on that leading edge top temperature thing, I'm curious how up scalable the basic Lynx design is. I.e., how large could it get before it was competing in the same experience-space as VG? (I assume out of hand that piston pumps are not going to get a winged vehicle to actual orbit.)

[Lar]

(I assume out of hand that piston pumps are not going to get a winged vehicle to actual orbit.)

Why? It might be harder, sure, but why out of hand?

[FutureSpaceTourist]

 IIRC XCOR have said that they think piston pumps are effective upto about 100,000lbs thrust. So on that basis no reason they couldn't be used in combination for an orbital LV.

[sublimemarsupial]

IIRC XCOR have said that they think piston pumps are effective upto about 100,000lbs thrust. So on that basis no reason they couldn't be used in combination for an orbital LV.

I believe the statement was that piston pumps are only effective for a single  engine of less than 100,000 lbf. No reason that you couldn't have several engines, each driven by their own piston pump, in a cluster.