FAQ

1. WHAT IS THE LYNX?
2. WHY DOES THE LYNX USE LIQUID PROPELLANT ROCKET ENGINES
3. WILL THE LYNX BE SAFE?
4. IS LYNX XCOR’S FIRST VEHICLE?
5. WHERE WILL THE LYNX BE FLOWN AND WHAT GROUND SUPPORT EQUIPMENT IS NEEDED?
6. IS THERE GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT IN THE PROGRAM?
7. WHO WILL BE FLYING THE LYNX?
8. WHEN WILL COMMERCIAL SERVICE BE AVAILABLE AND HOW OFTEN WILL THE LYNX FLY?
9. ARE THERE ANY MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WILL THERE BE TRAINING AND SCREENING SESSIONS?
10. ARE THERE ANY INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS?
11. HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL THE LYNX CARRY AND WHAT WILL THE EXPERIENCE BE LIKE?
12. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST AND WHAT’S INCLUDED?
13. HOW IS THE ORDER OF PARTICIPANTS FLYING ON THE LYNX DETERMINED?
14. HOW DO I BOOK?

1. WHAT IS THE LYNX?
The Lynx, XCOR Aerospace’s entry into the suborbital space transportation market, is a suborbital winged vehicle that will be powered by reusable rocket engines burning liquid oxygen (LOX) and kerosene.

2. WHY DOES THE LYNX USE LIQUID PROPELLANT ROCKET ENGINES?
Liquid propellant rocket engines can be fully reusable, are safer, and more reliable than solid fuel or hybrid rocket engines. After thousands of test-firings, XCOR’s engines have proven themselves to be durable, long lasting, and environmentally friendly.

3. WILL THE LYNX BE SAFE?
Lynx incorporates many safety features. The liquid propellant rocket engines can be shut off in an emergency, or restarted, if necessary. In the event of an emergency, it can land just like an airplane. Like commercial jet transports, Lynx covers its engines with containment rings to protect the vehicle and crew. Most rockets do not use this sort of safety system. Finally, the simplicity of the Lynx’s design provides additional safety margins because fewer things can go wrong.

4. IS LYNX XCOR’S FIRST VEHICLE?
No. Lynx is XCOR’s third rocket powered vehicle. The EZ-Rocket made 26 flights and set a point-to-point distance record for rocket powered aircraft. The second aircraft has a more powerful and advanced rocket engine that uses XCOR’s proprietary technology. It’s the first private sector manned rocket powered aircraft to use a pump-fed fuel system. The Lynx, XCOR’s third vehicle, is another step on a technology path that will lead to construction of cost effective fully orbital spaceships.

5. WHERE WILL THE LYNX BE FLOWN AND WHAT GROUND SUPPORT EQUIPMENT IS NEEDED?
All test flights and initial operational flights will be from FAA-licensed Mojave Air and Space Port in California. Later flights and subsequent vehicles could be flown from any runway over 2,400 meters long at any other FAA-licensed spaceport. A maintenance hangar, non-toxic propellant loading equipment, an airplane tug and basic hand tools for maintenance are all that are needed to support routine flights. This means a small ground crew can support the Lynx flight.

6. IS THERE GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT IN THE PROGRAM?
Lynx is primarily a privately funded program, however, some of the technology used on the Lynx was developed under contracts with the U.S. Government. XCOR has developed propulsion, structures, and subsystem technology with assistance from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), NASA and USAF. The vehicle’s fuel and LOX pumps, for example, are commercialized versions of test hardware built under a DARPA contract. Recently, XCOR was awarded a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research contract from the US Air Force to quantify and demonstrate the operability of Lynx.

7. WHO WILL BE FLYING THE LYNX?
The chief test pilot for XCOR is former astronaut Col. Rick Searfoss who will be responsible for the test flight phase of Lynx and is currently scheduled to pilot the first Participant flights during the first phase of commercial operations. Col. Searfoss will also train other qualified pilots as required.

8. WHEN WILL COMMERCIAL SERVICE BE AVAILABLE AND HOW OFTEN WILL THE LYNX FLY?
The present schedule calls for service to begin sometime in 2012 with eight flights every week for the first year with increased departures anticipated for the second and third year of operation.

9. ARE THERE ANY MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WILL THERE BE TRAINING AND SCREENING SESSIONS?
A qualified Aerospace Physician will conduct a complete evaluation of all Participants and will share with RocketShip Tours the results of their evaluations. RocketShip Tours will then have the sole right at its discretion to accept or reject any Participant. Medical evaluation by the Aerospace Physician and screening by RocketShip Tours and/or their representatives is compulsory.

10. ARE THERE ANY INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS?
RocketShip Tours has arranged for a standard cancellation insurance policy that will cover the Participant’s inability to take the Lynx flight. This compulsory insurance will be included in the total cost of the flight.

11. HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL THE LYNX CARRY AND WHAT WILL THE EXPERIENCE BE LIKE?
The Lynx is designed for a pilot and one Participant who will sit in the co-pilot seat. You take off from a runway, and accelerate quickly and climb for about three minutes. You continue gliding upwards at high speed until you hit the apogee where you see the inky blackness of space and will experience weightlessness. You’ll now see the curvature of the earth and the thin blue mantle of the atmosphere. If flying from Mojave you’ll be able to see the Grand Canyon, Baja California and the sun glistening on the Pacific Ocean. It promises to be the greatest ride off Earth, and you’ll be in the front seat!

12. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST AND WHAT’S INCLUDED?
The total cost of the Lynx flight experience is $95,000 ($20,000 deposit and $75,000 final payment) and includes the flight, the standard insurance policy, basic medical evaluation, five nights at a deluxe hotel in the greater Phoenix area, orientation, training and complete evaluation, plus a further evaluation and briefing during the period just before the flight itself, and mementos of the flight experience including a personalized high definition DVD recorded by onboard cameras.

13. HOW IS THE ORDER OF PARTICIPANTS FLYING ON THE LYNX DETERMINED?
Once Participants have successfully completed the qualification program and made their final payment, they will be assigned a flight slot number which ensures their place in the queue. Participants who are eager to move up in the launch sequence will have the option of paying in full early.

14. HOW DO I BOOK?
Contact any one of our qualified Space Tourism Specialists who have been trained and certified by RocketShip Tours. Alternatively, you may request to have one of our Space Tourism Specialists contact you. We are always here to help so if you have any questions regarding booking please send us an email at info@rocketshiptours.com or call 888-RSTOURS (888-778-6877).