The company is developing space planes for suborbital flights

Jul 10, 2012 09:11 GMT  ·  By

Officials from Mojave, California-based XCOR Aerospace announce that the company will open its new Commercial Space Research and Development Center Headquarters in Midland, Texas. The announcement was made on Monday, July 9.

The company is currently developing a suborbital space plane, which it plans to use for both facilitating scientific research and transporting paying customers to the edge of space. Until the aircraft begins its flights, it needs to undergo a rigorous series of tests.

The purpose of the CSRDC is to provide the necessary setting for these types of tests, as well as for additional research into the data the vehicle will relay back to the ground during its validation flights.

What separates XCOR's aircraft – called the Lynx – from the products of other companies involved in the emerging field of suborbital flights is that the vehicle is fully reusable, and also capable of horizontal take-off and landing (HTHL).

Also unlike other proposed spacecraft – such as Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo – the Lynx can only carry one pilot and one passenger, or one pilot and a small payload. The vehicle can reach altitudes exceeding 100 kilometers (62 miles), Space reports.

Though XCOR is currently focused on beginning regular flights with the suborbital version of the Lynx – a ticket is currently priced at $95,000 (€77,280) – the company plans to eventually develop an orbital version of the spacecraft.

When this happens, the new Midland facility will play a critical role in research, development and testing, company officials explain. The two spacecraft will be supported simultaneously by the facility.

“We are pleased to be establishing our R&D Center in Midland, Texas, where the weather, surrounding landscape, the airport, and the local & state government environment are ideally situated for the future growth and the ultimate realization of a fully reusable orbital system,” official Andrew Nelson explains.

“With future suborbital operational sites on the East and West Coasts of the United States and around the world, plus a manufacturing and test facility geographically separate from our R&D facility, Midland will truly be at the heart of XCOR’s innovation engine,” he adds.

The official holds an appointment as the chief operating officer at XCOR Aerospace.

“This is a great day for Midland and a huge step forward for the state of Texas. Visionary companies, like XCOR, continue to choose Texas because they know that innovation is fueled by freedom,” commented Texas governor Rick Perry, as a reaction to the announcement.