XCOR is committed to working with the US Department of State, Department of Defense, Department of Commerce and other agencies of the US government to comply with relevant laws, regulations, policies and procedures.  XCOR has engaged specialized export control consultants from the Commonwealth Consulting Group of Arlington, Virginia, and legal counsel from the Washington, D.C. office of the international firm Bingham McCutchen, to assist in this first of a kind effort.

“This is a ground breaking opportunity for our company, our industry and a very good opportunity for the U.S. to set an example of responsible international commerce in space transportation,” said XCOR CEO Jeff Greason.  “To our knowledge, this is the first time that a US commercial suborbital launch vehicle will undergo the export licensing and approval process. We believe there is no better pathfinder than with our partners at the South Korean Yecheon Astro Space Center.”

Yecheon Astro Space Center is a non-profit entity that operates multiple space related activities including: aerospace training center; astronomy research center; planetarium; a commercial space camp with centrifuge; and commercial helicopter tourism operation in the South Korean State of Gyeongsangbuk-do, approximately 240 kilometers (150 miles) southeast of Seoul.

Working closely with its partners, Yecheon Astro Space Center has formed a broad coalition of regional and national entities to fund the approximately $30 Million project to bring the Lynx to Yecheon for space tourism, educational, scientific and environmental monitoring missions, making it the early leader in commercial manned space flight in Asia. Under the envisioned arrangement, Yecheon will be the exclusive Lynx operational site in Korea.

“As part of our long term strategic plan, we have performed an extensive review of the suborbital vehicle suppliers over the past 18 months, and found XCOR’s Lynx to be the best mix of safe design, reliable clean propulsion, skilled team members, full reusability, ease of operation, turn around time, upfront cost and long term cost to operate,” said Mr Jo Jae-Seong, Founder and Chief Executive Director of Yecheon Astro Space Center.  “We look forward to a long term relationship with XCOR and Lynx!”

“This is an incredibly important development for the New Space industry charting a course for other innovative US companies to flourish here and abroad. It will produce high paying manufacturing jobs, and allow the innovative spirit of America to take root and grow a new industry before international participants can catch up,” said XCOR Chief Operating Officer, Andrew Nelson, adding, “I think the wet lease model is an innovative means to safely operate, maintain and provide physical security for the Lynx while ensuring that US export control issues are addressed completely.

# # # # #

XCOR Aerospace is a California corporation located in Mojave, California. The company is in the business of developing and producing safe, reliable and reusable rocket powered vehicles, propulsion systems, advanced non-flammable composites and other enabling technologies for responsive private space flight, scientific missions, upper atmospheric research, and small satellite launch to low earth orbit. The Lynx is a piloted, two seat, fully reusable, liquid rocket powered vehicle that takes off and lands horizontally.  The Lynx production models (designated Lynx Mark II) are designed to be robust, multi-commercial mission vehicles capable of flying to 100+ km in altitude up to four times per day.  XCOR’s web address is: www.xcor.com.

Yecheon Astro Space Center (formerly called the Yecheon Astronomy Foundation) is a non profit educational and research entity established in the city of Yecheon-gun, state of Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea.  The Center is home to: an astronomical research center that houses a collection of research telescopes and auxiliary telescopes, and other research apparatus; a space camp training center with centrifuge, aerial rooftop training device and reduced gravity simulators; a planetarium; a conference center and dormitories; and a helicopter tour operation. The Center’s web site is: www.portsky.net.

NEW YORK, June 22 – Ensemble Travel® Group today announced that it has entered into a partnership with Rocketship Tours, a company dedicated to making space travel accessible and relatively affordable to those who aspire to such an out-of-this-world adventure.

            This unique space experience includes a five-day, four-night training program at a deluxe resort in Arizona, medical evaluation and screening, and cancellation insurance. Guests will travel to the edge of space in the suborbital Lynx rocket ship, powered by environmentally friendly rocket engines. Unlike other programs, the RocketShip Tours adventure is truly intimate, pairing just a single passenger on each flight – who sits in the co-pilot’s seat – next to the astronaut-pilot who’s flying the space vehicle.

The Lynx rocket ship is being built in Mojave, Calif. by XCOR Aerospace, headed up by Jeff Greason, who was recently named to a White House panel to review NASA space flight programs. Once completed next year, the space vehicle will undergo a series of test flights in preparation for its official launch in 2011. RocketShip Tours, headed by travel pioneer and entrepreneur Jules Klar, is the exclusive global provider of passenger services for the Lynx.

Due to the unique nature of the experience, travel agents are required to complete RocketShip Tours’ online university study program to become a Space Tourism Specialist before selling the space flights. The training prerequisite speaks to the extreme professionalism of how this program is managed, according to Suzanne Hall, Ensemble Travel Group’s senior director of marketing and development, land products.

“We are so privileged to be in partnership with Rocketship Tours, knowing the potential that this product can bring to our members’ portfolio of special experiences for clients,” says Hall. “Space flight is a life-long dream for those who are passionate about science and research and space. In fact, for them it may not even be viewed as a luxury but a life-altering, personal fulfillment.”

Roberta Sonnino, president of Roberta Sonnino Travel in New York and the first Space Tourism Specialist among Ensemble Travel Group members, has been pleased with the response from customers about this new special space adventure, with one client saying, “In our quest to be always ahead of the curve in travel, Roberta Sonnino Travel offered us, with great enthusiasm, the ultimate experience in this unique voyage into space!”

“RocketShip Tours is looking forward to working with the members of Ensemble Travel Group for the sale of participant seats on the Lynx rocket ship going to the edge of space,” says Klar, who got his start in the travel business in 1961 when he co-founded $5-A-Day Tours with Arthur Frommer. “We’re particularly pleased with the overwhelming response from member agencies who will be part of promoting space tourism as the next exciting, great travel frontier.”

Laura Lukasik of Viking Travel in Westmont, Ill. was among the first Ensemble Travel Group members to complete the Space Tourism Specialist program. “I’m always looking for travel adventures that are unique and different – experiences that truly create a ‘wow factor’. What’s more unique and different than traveling into space?” asks Lukasik. “And the best part is that I’m among an elite group of agents who can actually take them there. I talked briefly about my new Space Tourism Specialist certification at a local networking meeting and to say they were very impressed was an understatement!”

About Ensemble Travel® Group

Founded in 1968, Ensemble Travel® Group is a proactive, member-owned international organization of nearly 900 professional travel agencies in the U.S. and Canada. With a membership that represents billions of dollars in travel sales each year, Ensemble Travel Group has achieved a 40-year record of boosting members’ profits and delivering high-volume sales to its preferred suppliers. To learn more about Ensemble Travel Group, call (800) 442-6871 or visit www.ensembletravel.com.

 
The Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee will examine ongoing and planned NASA activities and present options for a safe, innovative, affordable, and sustainable human space flight program after the retirement of the space shuttle. The committee, which includes independent experts from a variety of backgrounds – academic, military, private industry and NASA – will present its results to the Obama administration.

“I am honored to be asked to serve on the committee. Each of the distinguished members brings unique experience and perspective to this challenge,” said Greason. “I am deeply committed to seeing the enormous potential of space made a reality. I will apply my experience in the aerospace and information technology sectors to help the committee carefully explore the choices we face. 

The blue-ribbon panel is charged with assessing architecture options, taking into account these objectives: 1) expediting a new U.S. capability to support use of the International Space Station; 2) supporting missions to the Moon and other destinations beyond low Earth orbit; 3) stimulating commercial space-flight capabilities; and 4) fitting within the current NASA budget.  

XCOR Aerospace is a California corporation located in Mojave, California. The company is in the business of developing and producing safe, reliable and reusable rocket-powered vehicles and propulsion systems that enable affordable access to space.

XCOR CEO Jeff Greason

RocketShip Tours and XCOR Aerospace recently announced that the cost of their suborbital space flight, which will begin operation in 2010 will be just $95,000. This includes a five-night stay at a luxury resort, complete training, medical evaluation and screening, cancellation insurance and, of course, the flight itself.

Virgin Galactic is currently offering a similar experience for $200,000.

RocketShip Tours is the result of a partnership between travel pioneer, Jules Klar, and XCOR Aerospace. Klar got his start in the travel business in 1961 when he, along with the legendary Arthur Frommer, created $5-A-Day Tours.

According to Klar, “Our goal is to make space travel accessible and affordable to those who aspire to experience the ultimate adventure. By reducing the cost of it by more than 50 percent, we think we have taken a major step toward accomplishing this goal.”

As General Sales Agent for XCOR Aerospace, Klar is now using his expansive knowledge as a true innovator in the travel industry to pioneer the advent of space travel to the public. “This is sure to be a life-altering experience, and I am honored to have the opportunity to present it to the public,” Klar added.

Participants in the program will travel to the edge of space in a suborbital space vehicle known as the Lynx that is powered by environmentally friendly rocket engines. Unlike the plans for Virgin Galactic that call for travelers to fly to space with several other travelers, the RocketShip Tours experience calls for just a single passenger on each flight who will actually sit in the co-pilot’s seat beside the astronaut-pilot flying the ship.

XCOR Aerospace was founded in 1999 and is located at the Mojave Spaceport and civilian Aerospace Test Center in Mojave, California. It engages in research, development and production of reusable rocket-powered launch vehicles.

RocketShip Tours is located in Phoenix, Arizona, and can be reached at 888-778-6877 or at www.rocketshiptours.com.

Los Angeles, CA – December 2, 2008 – A travel entrepreneur who introduced hundreds of thousands of Americans to European travel in the 1960’s has taken luxury travel to new heights—the edge of space.

Jules Klar, founder of Phoenix, AZ-based RocketShip Tours, has announced that his company will immediately begin selling rides to the edge of space for $95,000 per flight. Participants will fly aboard the Lynx, a two-seat suborbital vehicle being built by California-based XCOR Aerospace.

“Years ago, my dream was to introduce the world to new travel opportunities at prices that were consistent with a unique experience,” said Klar. “In 1961 I created $5-A-Day Tours in partnership with Arthur Frommer that enabled thousands of Americans to see Europe at affordable prices.” After moving to Arizona, Klar created Great American Travel, a high-end boutique operation specializing in luxury cruises and tours. “We’ve helped thousands of sophisticated adventurous travelers visit exotic destinations all over the world including Antarctica, where they developed a deeper appreciation for its beautiful, pristine and fragile environment. Today, I am very proud to announce this partnership with XCOR Aerospace to offer participants an out of this world experience—a front row seat to the edge of Space.”

“The natural evolution of human exploration knows no bounds. RocketShip Tours and XCOR have come together to usher in the private sector’s role in space exploration. There is no doubt that a new era of pioneering space enthusiasts is emerging. In fact, prior to signing this agreement with RocketShip Tours, XCOR had already taken paid reservations for approximately 20 flights.” said Klar.

XCOR Chief Test Pilot and three-time Space Shuttle Pilot and Commander, Rick Searfoss said the Lynx will carry people or payloads to the edges of space up to four times a day. Seated next to him in the co-pilot seat, participants will undoubtedly experience the thrill of a lifetime. The awe-inspiring view of the curvature of Earth, the thin blue mantle of the atmosphere below, and inky blackness of space above will provide participants with unforgettable memories beyond description.

XCOR officials discussed the technology used on the two-seat, fully reusable launch vehicle that takes off like an airplane, and lands the same way, while Chris Gilman of Orbital Outfitters, a NASA spacesuit contractor, demonstrated the spacesuit technology that will be worn by those flying in the Lynx. Gilman, winner of an Academy Award for special effects, said the suit is both lighter and safer than older NASA spacesuits.

Klar said he was inspired by the revolutionary Lynx suborbital vehicle because it offers participants a unique and intimately personal experience. “You’re sitting in a cockpit in the co-pilot’s seat beside your astronaut pilot, with a panoramic view of the stars above and Earth below. It is the ride of your life!”

“I am going to fly aboard the Lynx because I want to experience space from a front row seat,” said Danish investment banker Per Wimmer, who will take the first commercial flight aboard the Lynx. Wimmer, based in London, has already earned a reputation as a pioneering adventurer. He recently made the first tandem skydive over Mt. Everest, and maintains a website, www.wimmerspace.com. Wimmer, who uses his adventures to promote various charities, says, “My goal is to place the Dannebrog, the Danish flag, on the Moon one day. Flying to the edge of space aboard the Lynx will make me the first Dane to experience suborbital space flight and takes me one step closer to my ultimate goal.”

Klar said his company is enlisting innovative and progressive travel professionals to sell seats on the Lynx. “Those who are interested in a suborbital space flight can visit our website, www.rocketshiptours.com, and choose a Space Tourism Specialist who is trained and certified by RocketShip Tours.”

The total cost of the Lynx flight experience is $95,000. A deposit of $20,000 begins the process of assigning the participant to the qualification program. Klar said one does not have to be an athlete to fly aboard the Lynx, but the procedure will include a medical questionnaire and a screening performed by qualified aeronautic physicians. Instruction regarding life support systems, flight physiology, and other aspects of the Lynx suborbital flight will also be provided. “We want to ensure the experience is as safe as possible and that people are adequately trained and prepared.”

“Since this is a suborbital launch, training will require familiarization with the spacesuit and what will be experienced while sitting in the cockpit.” Klar said. “We will provide deluxe accommodations for all those who share in ‘The Right Stuff’ experience we offer and become part of this historic stage in the evolution of human space flight.”

“After the flight is concluded, participants will receive an HD DVD recording of their flight experience as well as other mementos,” Klar said.

XCOR COO Andrew Nelson noted that RocketShip Tours’ announcement marks an important milestone in space exploration efforts. “American entrepreneurs are succeeding—we are bringing down the cost of space flight and making it affordable,” said Nelson. “What is most astonishing is that competition has already reduced prices before a single vehicle has flown. What a fabulous holiday gift this is going to make for many people who thought they had everything.”

“I’ve had a long career in travel, and I have found that we are not offering a destination, so much as we are offering an experience that appeals to the pioneering spirit inside all of us,” said Klar. “This type of adventure is truly transcendent because it widens our horizons, and teaches us not only about the world we live in, but something about ourselves as well. I believe that the view from space aboard the Lynx will undoubtedly be positively life-changing in ways we can only dream of.”

RocketShip Tours, Inc. is the General Sales Agent for XCOR Aerospace and exclusive global provider of participant services for the Lynx suborbital vehicle. Located in Phoenix, Arizona, RocketShip Tours was founded by Jules H. Klar, an innovative travel entrepreneur.

XCOR Aerospace is a California corporation located in Mojave, California. The company is in the business of developing and producing safe, reliable and reusable rocket-powered vehicles and propulsion systems that enable affordable access to space.

Los Angeles, March 26, 2008 – A small California aerospace company today unveiled a new suborbital spaceship that will provide affordable front-seat rides to the edge of space for the millions of people who want to buy a ticket.

The company, XCOR Aerospace, of Mojave, CA, announced that its two-seat Lynx suborbital spaceship will carry people or payloads to where they will experience weightlessness and see the stars above and the Earth and its atmosphere below. This will launch XCOR into the emerging space tourism market, estimated at over a half-billion dollars.

The Lynx will offer affordable access to space for individuals, researchers and educators,” said XCOR CEO Jeff Greason. “Future versions of Lynx will offer ever-improving capabilities for scientific and engineering research and commercial applications.

The spaceship, roughly the size of a small private airplane, will first take off in 2010 and will be capable of flying several times each day.

“We have designed this vehicle to operate much like a commercial aircraft. Its liquid fuel engines will provide the enhanced safety, durability, reliability and maintainability that keep operating costs low,” Greason said. “These engines will also minimize the impact of these flights on the environment,” Greason added. “They are fully reusable, burn cleanly, and release fewer particulates than solid fuel or hybrid rocket motors.”

“Lynx will be the ‘Greatest Ride Off Earth,’” said XCOR test pilot, former pilot astronaut and Space Shuttle commander, Col. Rick Searfoss (USAF-Ret.). “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 has nine years’ experience developing reliable, reusable and non-toxic rocket propulsion systems and has already built and flown two different rocket-powered vehicles. The firm designed, built and flew a rocket propulsion system on its record-setting EZ-Rocket aircraft. The XCOR team then developed a more powerful engine with an advanced pump-fed fuel system for a larger aircraft now being flight-tested for a commercial customer.

“The Lynx builds on our track record in rocket-powered vehicles,” Greason said. “By addressing profitable near-term markets, the Lynx will strengthen the financial and technical foundation for increasingly capable future spaceships for suborbital and orbital markets.”

“XCOR’s mission is to radically lower the cost of spaceflight, because affordable access to space for everyone means far more than breathtaking views and the freedom of weightlessness,” said Greason. “It means unlocking the material and energy resources and economic opportunities of our solar system for our children.” Click here to view an animation of the Lynx. XCOR Aerospace is a California corporation located in Mojave, California. The company is in the business of developing and producing safe, reliable and reusable rocket-powered vehicles and propulsion systems that enable affordable access to space.