Lynx (spacecraft)

Lynx is a toy in the development of two-seat rocket plane for suborbital space flights that can take off and land horizontally. In addition to the pilots can either be transported in the cockpit a scientific payload or a second person.

Construction and drive

In the construction of XCOR Aerospace Lynx, the manufacturer paid attention to simple design, high reliability and complete reusability, resulting in low operating costs. Lynx is equipped with four jet engines of the type XR- 5K18, the liquid oxygen (LOX ) and kerosene burn. There are not the usual turbo pumps for use, but more cost-effective piston pumps.

Versions

Lynx Mark I

The first prototype of the Lynx will be called Mark I and is designed to test the aircraft, as well as the licensing for passenger flights by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. The peak height should be 61 km.

Lynx Mark II

The Mark II version will be largely identical to the Mark I, but have a lower curb weight. Among other things, the tank is made ​​of the lightweight composite material Nonburnite to be made ​​, which should lead to big weight savings. This has a positive effect on the climb, so that heights can be reached in excess of 100 km, and thus the limit is exceeded to space. The Mark II version can carry a payload of 120 kg: either a space tourists or scientific experiments.

Lynx Mark III

The version Mark III is a development with a modified drivetrain and chassis. Mark III has an external container that can hold an additional payload of up to 650 kg. This can either be a science experiment, or even a high school that can bring a small satellite into orbit.

History of development

Lynx was announced by XCOR Aerospace on 26 March 2008, then the first test flight in 2010 was provided. The development costs for the Mark I version was estimated at less than 10 million U.S. dollars. A breakthrough observed in the developer on March 26, 2013, as an engine at the bottom of a test run of 67 s has been successfully completed. As XCOR test pilot undertook the former Shuttle astronaut Rick Searfoss. First test flights with the version of the Mark I were announced for Summer 2013, but find probably 2014 at the earliest instead.

History of the flight

The flights will take place from the Mojave Air & Space Port, a starting place on Curaçao and the Kennedy Space Center, but can in principle Lynx stand out from any airport whose runway is at least 2400 m long. The airplane is towed to the beginning of the runway and then starts with its own engines. In the first three minutes of the flight, it increases with Mach 2.9 up to an altitude of 58.5 km, where the engines are turned off. The aircraft continues to increase up to a peak altitude of 103 km. The phase of the gravity takes about 6 minutes. During re-entry into the atmosphere, a braking deceleration of up to 4 g is effective. During the approach to land, the engines can be re-ignited. The landing is made horizontally with a speed of about 170 km / h The whole flight follows the Visual Flight Rules.

Even after two hours of the aircraft should be ready to start again. This is intended to four flights per day be possible in two shifts even eight flights per day.

Use

Lynx flights serve both the space tourism, on the other hand, the science for microgravity experiments.

The tourism marketing of the Lynx flights via the company Space Expedition Corporation ( SXC ). The price for a flight with Mark I is 95,000 U.S. dollars, a flight with Mark II is offered for $ 100,000. Since the beginning of 2013, and competitions will be held, at which there are flights as profits, so Unilever as an advertisement for Axe and KLM.

Scientific payloads are financed in part by the organization Citizens in Space and developed by Silicon Valley Space Center. A first contract includes 100 experiments and 10 people who look after the experiments during the flight.