XCOR Lynx

The XCOR Lynx is a spacecraft designed to carry private customers into suborbital space. It was developed by XCOR Aerospace to enter the space tourism industry. The two-seated Lynx will be able to carry one pilot and one passenger, and is in direct competition with Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo passenger craft.

Fast Facts

1. Details released on March 26, 2008
2. Commercial flights will begin as early as 2010
3. Price per passenger unconfirmed
4. Length: 8.5 meters (27.9 feet)
5. Takes off from Earth's surface
6. Enters suborbital space using on-board rocket engines
7. Will only carry one passenger at a time
8. Passenger rides right next to pilot¹

Lynx vs. SpaceShipTwo

Virgin Galactic's own space tourism craft, the SpaceShipTwo is in direct competition with XCOR's Lynx. But the two companies offer different features for space tourists. The Lynx is billed as the "sports car of commercial spaceflight."² It will take off from the Earth's surface and carry one passenger at a time. Passengers will sit right next to the pilot and get an unobstructed view from the cockpit. SpaceShipTwo will fly higher than the Lynx, but must be launched from a partner craft, the WhiteKnightOne. It will carry up to six passengers in the rear of the craft.

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