Plans Expeditions Using The XCOR Aerospace Lynx Vehicle
If you're pining for a flight to the fringe of space, but don't
have $100-200 thousand to devote to the 'E-Ticket' ride, there is a
company that thinks there is another, less expensive way to make
the trip.
XCOR Lynx Artist's Concept
Xtraordinary Adventures, in conjunction with RocketShip Tours,
is taking reservations for space flights on The Lynx, XCOR
Aerospace's newest fully reusable rocket powered suborbital
vehicle. With the lowest published price in the industry, the
Rocketship Tours / Xtraordinary Adventures offers a complete
package of training, medical screening and suborbital flight for
$95,000, less than half the price of Virgin Galactic at $200,000,
and $7000 less than Space Adventures’ $102,000 price tag on
an unpiloted robotic flight to space. Current plans for the Lynx
call for first civilian liftoff in early 2012 after a thorough and
successful flight test campaign.
Mitchell J. Schultz, founder and managing director of
Xtraordinary Adventures and one of the exclusive cadre of
RocketShip Tours’ worldwide certified Space Tourism
Specialists, will help interested participants prepare for a
Pinnacle Life Event – a suborbital flight on Lynx. According
to Schultz “XCOR Aerospace has an incredible focus on safety
with an unblemished record of manned rocket aircraft flights since
2002. Putting the safety of its participants as their primary
concern, they have built some of the most innovative rocket engines
in the industry and should soon establish themselves as the premier
suborbital space flight group in the world.” Sitting in the
front right seat of the Lynx next to the astronaut / pilot, who
early on will be Rick Searfoss former Space Shuttle Commander and
two time Shuttle pilot, Schultz calls the Mach 3.5+ flight to the
edge of space "the most thrilling flight on this planet, clearly it
is The Right Stuff Experience that true adventurers are looking for
today."
Artist's Concept
The Lynx has been designed with four independent rocket engines
whose operational profile are “jet engine-like” in the
sense they are used to power the aircraft, it then lands on a
runway, the craft is refueled, a checklist is performed and then
you take off again, up to four times per day. The Lynx takes off
like a private aircraft from a runway, flies to the edge of space,
and returns to the take off site. Four onboard and several ground
based cameras will be recording these historical flights, and will
become a memento of this extraordinary personalized experience.
The LYNX experience includes a four day training session and a
two-day briefing before the flight itself. A $20,000 deposit will
start the process.
NTSB Prelim: Piper PA-23
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