Los Angeles (CA) – XCOR, a small aerospace company based in Mojave, Calif., today unveiled plans to launch itself into the era of space tourism with a two-seat suborbital spacecraft. “Lynx” could be operable within two years and give people an “affordable” view on the Earth’s atmosphere below.

Lynx follows a slightly different idea than what we have heard so far about possible tourism rockets. Instead of carrying passengers “in the back like cargo”, Lynx is a two-seater plane with a size of a small private airplane. XCOR believes that it could be fully operable by 2010 and offer an “affordable way” to transport passengers into space “several times a day”.

According to the company, the spacecraft is expected to hit a speed of Mach 2 during its ascent to 138,000 feet, which will be reached after three minutes of flight time. One and half minutes later, Lynx will have reached its peak at 200,000 feet (62 km). After 30 minutes of total estimated flight time, the spacecraft will touch ground again.

“Lynx will be the ‘Greatest ride off Earth,’” said XCOR test pilot, former pilot astronaut and Space Shuttle commander, Rick Searfoss. “The acceleration, the weightlessness, and the view will provide you with an experience that is out of this world. And the best part of it all is that you’ll ride right up front, like a co-pilot, instead of in back, like cargo.”

XCOR was founded in 1999 and currently employs about 30 people. Over the past years, the company developed and demonstrated the first privately built liquid-fueled rocket propulsion system on its EZ-Rocket aircraft.

The last photo description needs to be clarified.

Mar 26, 2008 15:09     

"Scaled Composites SpaceShipOne, Winner of the X-Prize" The photo is the White Knight carrying SpaceShipOne.
Pix report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +5

cool

Mar 26, 2008 15:21     

book me for 2010.
Marko report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +2

Can't wait!

Mar 26, 2008 18:23     

Pretty soon we can go to the moon to! I would like to live on the moon for a few days!
Elijah report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +2

What needs to be done...

Mar 27, 2008 05:59     

What we really need as soon as possible, is a requirement for leaders of world powers to first make a couple of trips with these. To put things a bit into perspective, so to speak.
knowitall report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -2

lol yeah.

Mar 27, 2008 09:49     

I hope by the time I'm 98 years old I can afford an affordable ride into space.
wmcgritt report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

What REALLLY will happen

Apr 02, 2008 09:49     

Space is a joke/sailing the deep oceans is a joke. Once virtual reality and population control (or massive war) occur, we could more about how to order viagra and sign up for a costo/wallmart savings card while sleeping, than caring about how to stop that asteroid landing on our doorstep. Hopefully that asteroid will be made up of pure silicon. Then we can start over and say : "We have created god"

Mr. Taco report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -21

Mr. Taco

Apr 10, 2008 22:26     

Please re-write that.. sentence. It makes no sense. "we could more about how to order.." what? "caring about how to stop that asteroid..." What asteroid? What are you talking about? "...made of pure silicon." Whats silicon got to do with God and why would we create god, wouldn't we claim to be god if we created life? Actually you know what. Dont worry about it, from the looks of things you aren't even talking about this article, I think you might be lost.

skythra report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +7

RE: skythra

Apr 27, 2008 15:56     

If you are still reading this, well sorry, my initial comment was a little erratic. I was talking about how virtual reality and commertialism have or will replace any true desires, Although I was very eccentric when I wrote that article. On the asteroid part, I was only stating that an asteroid might hit the earth because we were unable to stop it. All of our time was spent on entertainment rather than necessity hardships. On the asteroid made of pure silicon part, I was refering to what the basic components of computer and gameing systems components are made of -Silicon. That we have created our own God of desire. Hope this is a little clairifying.

Mr. Taco report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -6

also

Apr 28, 2008 08:58     

By the way, thanks for the negative votes man...really impressed, wish that effort could go into future space developement rather than TG Dailly affairs
Mr. Taco report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -10

To Mr. Taco

May 26, 2008 14:35     

stop using drugs dude! wtf does a "pure silicon" asteroid has to do with gaming?! :D
Nano-tube report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -1