XCOR's Lynx aims to enter space tourism business in 2010

Crazy though it may be, XCOR's looming Lynx isn't the first rocket ship built to take Earthlings to outer space, but it's definitely taking a different approach than that of the SpaceShipTwo. Unveiled as the "sports car of commercial spaceflight," the smallish craft is only designed to carry two individuals (or a driver and cargo), meaning that you and your SO will have to take turns shooting up to some 61-kilometers above the ground. Reportedly, Lynx would be fueled by a kerosene / liquid oxygen mixture and could take off and land from traditional airstrips, and while it could manage several flights per day, each one is only slated to last 25 minutes. Sadly, the $64,000 (likely more, actually) question of how much this joyride will cost has yet to be answered, but optimistic minds are hoping to see test flights commence in 2010.

[Via NewScientist]

[Magallanes @ Mar 26th 2008 11:29AM]

$65'000 can sound too much but it's fairly low to the actual +$1'000'000 ticket.

[Flashpoint @ Mar 26th 2008 12:38PM]

people don't really want to go into "Space" so much as they want to land on other planets or moons.

They want to experience WEIGHTLESSNESS so they can have fun doing silly things in Zero G's.

What they should do is build more Vomit Comets.

[PhilxBefore @ Mar 26th 2008 12:48PM]

@Flashpoint:

Think of how safe a million Vomit Comets would be dropping through the air at terminal velocity all around you.

[blackfeather @ Mar 26th 2008 1:23PM]

Falling at terminal velocity does not create relative weightlessness. Flying in a controlled parabolic arc does.

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Mar 26th 2008 11:31AM]

Well 64,000 doesn't sound bad when you compare it with a hummer H2. Same prices really.

[UKNigel @ Mar 26th 2008 12:18PM]

The hummers usually last longer than 25 seconds though.

[Vesh @ Mar 26th 2008 12:39PM]

So does this.... 25 minutes. :)

[PhilxBefore @ Mar 26th 2008 12:49PM]

Vesh,

UKNigel is right.


Well, depending on the Hummer.

;)

[The Joker @ Mar 26th 2008 11:34AM]

That looks like the USAF X-20 Dyna-Soar.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-20_Dyna-Soar

[SolusCado @ Mar 26th 2008 11:35AM]

As long as I can one day fly myself into space, I'll be happy.

[NHAnimator @ Mar 26th 2008 11:36AM]

I don't know about these space tourism trips. They all seem to just barely reach zero gravity and then immediately return to Earth. If I'm gonna pay the money (which I hope to before I die), I want to spend a couple of hours in ZG to take in the sights and experience.

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Mar 26th 2008 11:47AM]

I agree. They barely take you out of space and only for a few minutes if not seconds too. For the price, they should send a bit higher atleast. But maybe this will breakdown and we'll die. That's probably why they don't send us very high

[CharlieX @ Mar 26th 2008 11:56AM]

Going higher/longer isn't an option on craft of this size with the rocket technology available. The shuttle is strapped to a space bazooka for a reason. It takes incredible amounts of power to get out of the gravity well - every mile gained is a huge expenditure in energy.

My wife thinks it would be "retarded" to spend that kind of money for a few minutes in space. Girls just don't get it apparently.

[foto_dog69 @ Mar 26th 2008 11:38AM]

Beam me up...

[debugy2k @ Mar 26th 2008 11:45AM]

Think Battlestar Galactica

[Watership @ Mar 26th 2008 11:49AM]

Canaveral, this is Farscape One. I am free and flying.

[Za @ Mar 26th 2008 11:56AM]

It looks like a cartoon coyote.

[William @ Mar 26th 2008 11:58AM]

Have to remember this is just the Beginning, just like with the first air-craft they did not go very far and you did it at your own risk. By 2020, there will be a Hilton's, and Marriotts dotting your family weekend to Disney Land New Tycoman City on the Moon.

[Darren Tilley @ Mar 26th 2008 11:59AM]

Looks more like a Puma.

[PhilxBefore @ Mar 26th 2008 12:53PM]

"Didn't I tell you to stop making up animals?"

[alessio @ Mar 26th 2008 12:00PM]

looks a little like Crichton's spaceship from the farscape show

[clayton.coffman @ Mar 26th 2008 12:01PM]

Look's like Billy Blaze's Bean-with-Bacon Megarocket...

http://www.shikadi.net/keenwiki/Bean-with-Bacon_Megarocket

[glucoseboy @ Mar 26th 2008 12:13PM]

There is no way that little thing can carry enough fuel to get itself and two passengers up from sea level to 61 km.

[RC @ Mar 26th 2008 12:46PM]

Can I just say that the faceted glass atrium over the cockpit inspires loads of confidence! Bit a trivia, before spaceships, the main structural engineer built small domestic greenhouses.

[blackfeather @ Mar 26th 2008 1:26PM]

I agree. All those corners are high-stress points. I hope this is just a concept image. In contrast, spaceship-one's windows are small and round, for good reason.

[ShiroEd @ Mar 26th 2008 1:50PM]

Yep. No way that is structurally feasible! Also if I'm gonna spend that much money on anything I want it to LOOK cool! Seriously! C'mon guys. You're getting to make a real spaceship for gawds sake! There is plenty of great reference in movies and TV! Sort it!

[ike2fly @ Mar 26th 2008 1:10PM]

It will be interesting to see how these space startups all pan out...

[tservo24 @ Mar 26th 2008 1:31PM]

It's no mystery: the estimated price is $100,000 per ticket. See the Wall Street Journal article.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120649603238064447.html?mod=todays_us_marketplace

[kal326 @ Mar 26th 2008 1:52PM]

I wonder what "cargo" you would carry in this thing?

[blackfeather @ Mar 26th 2008 2:35PM]

Hmm... You could fly 100 kilos of cocaine or marijuana "over the radar".

[Shane @ Mar 26th 2008 1:53PM]

But will it have a zero gravity toilet with inscrutably small backlit instructions?

[Brian f @ Mar 26th 2008 2:14PM]

This is more extravagant thrill ride than true space tourism. We need somewhere to go besides back down.

[TecK @ Mar 26th 2008 3:04PM]

... and to your left you'll see a rock, and to your right, another rock,... and if you look straight ahead its an even bigger space rock

[Keith @ Mar 26th 2008 4:30PM]

Space-shmace. I just want to be able to go to Paris for lunch...

[Jeffrey Schrab @ Mar 26th 2008 7:06PM]

Cut the price down to a third and I might think about a trip like that as a retirement day gift to myself! A few more decades? That might be a reality!

[fh @ Mar 26th 2008 9:46PM]

Am I the only one who thinks the article is about the browser lynx?

[btan @ Mar 27th 2008 4:20PM]

Looks cool but too short though..