XCOR orbital system

[FutureSpaceTourist]

This thread is for general discussion of any orbital systems proposed or developed by XCOR.

A large number of postings on this topic were made to the XCOR and Lynx rocket thread following Jeff Greason's presentation to Space Access 2013. These are listed below.

Any further discussion can take place in this new thread.

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19033.msg1038540#msg1038540
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19033.msg1038597#msg1038597
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19033.msg1038598#msg1038598
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19033.msg1038612#msg1038602
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19033.msg1038612#msg1038612
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19033.msg1038617#msg1038617
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19033.msg1038621#msg1038621
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19033.msg1038626#msg1038626
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19033.msg1038629#msg1038629
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19033.msg1038666#msg1038666
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19033.msg1038672#msg1038672
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19033.msg1038672#msg1038678
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19033.msg1038689#msg1038689
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19033.msg1038696#msg1038696
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19033.msg1038708#msg1038708
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19033.msg1038784#msg1038784
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19033.msg1038870#msg1038870
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19033.msg1038880#msg1038880
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19033.msg1038886#msg1038886
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19033.msg1038894#msg1038894
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19033.msg1038900#msg1038900
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19033.msg1038902#msg1038902
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19033.msg1038917#msg1038917
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19033.msg1038923#msg1038923
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19033.msg1038934#msg1038934
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19033.msg1041407#msg1041407
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19033.msg1041414#msg1041414
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19033.msg1041418#msg1041418
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19033.msg1041424#msg1041424

[simonbp]

Reposting my relevent notes from Space Access:

XCOR Aerospace - Jeff Greason

EZ Rocket got down to $500 per flight
Need reliability before we can do the cool things
Reusability can work if and only if:
1. Capital cost is amortized over lifetime
2. Variable cost per flight is low

In parallel LH2 pump program
Being paid to learn how to handle LH2 has been useful
Have to really reimagine how to handle LH2 with low infrastructure

Orbital vehicle: conception problems solved
Carrier aircraft plus two rocket stages, second is LH2
Goal is $1 million per person
Orbital vehicle: Carrier aircraft you can buy, both rocket stages reusable
Market is corporations paying to fly personnel to orbit (like offshore oil rigs)
There is a payload market (that he won't talk about) that is not comm sats

Want the development and manufacturing in separate places
Florida will be serial production location (for Lynx, presumably for the orbital vehicle too)

[jongoff]

I was wondering about the idea of doing a LOX/LH2 stage for their Lynx MkIII nanosat launcher...

~Jon

[FutureSpaceTourist]

I was wondering about the idea of doing a LOX/LH2 stage for their Lynx MkIII nanosat launcher...

That could be a nice stepping stone to the larger stage on the orbital system.

[fatjohn1408]

Are there any figures concerning altitude and speed the MkIII would jettison its nanosat launcher?
What are the expectations of drag loss for the MkIII?
I know skylon is a whole differrent ball game but in another thread it was said that it would reach 5,5 km/s drag losses reaching 5,5 Mach at 25 km.
I can hardly imagine the lynx even experiencing 1 km/s drag losses.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Are there any figures concerning altitude and speed the MkIII would jettison its nanosat launcher?

Nothing published AFAIK. Even XCOR's payload user guide has a lot of TBDs in it for the Mark III.

[Oli]

So do they have an agreement with Stratolaunch?

Even with hydrolox and 220t GLOW its hard to imagine they will get any meaningful payload into orbit when both stages must be reusable.

[fatjohn1408]

http://xcor.com/products/vehicles/lynx_development.html

The Lynx mark III will have a dorsal pod capable of getting a payload of 650 kg at ~50 km at 900-1000 m/s. This payload could also be a second (non-reusable) stage capable of bringing a 10 kg payload to orbit.