XCOR Aerospace Announces Lynx Suborbital Flight Winner

MOJAVE, Calif., May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- XCOR Aerospace today announced the grand prize winner of a trip aboard the Lynx Mark I suborbital launch vehicle.  XCOR Chief Operating Officer Andrew Nelson made the announcement at the Spacecraft Technology Expo (STE) in Los Angeles, CA.

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"About two months ago, we were at an event called the Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference, where together with the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) we gave away a suborbital flight," said XCOR Chief Operating Officer Andrew Nelson.  "We had a winner, and we had a backup. Unfortunately our main winner was unable to accept the prize. Our backup winner, Jennifer Brisco, is now the official recipient of the suborbital flight."

Jennifer, who hails from the San Francisco Bay Area was flown in to the Spacecraft Technology Expo in Los Angeles to receive the prize. She did not know that she had been selected until presented with the award at the Expo.

"It's been my lifetime goal to take a suborbital flight," said Jennifer.  "This is an absolute dream ... I am in shock right now, I am speechless."

Jennifer, who is a space enthusiast, will be eligible to fly on the Lynx mark I as a suborbital researcher after passing a medical exam and completing a three day training program that includes altitude and G-force exposure. 

"XCOR continues to bring down the costs and barriers associated with commercial human spaceflight," remarked Andrew. "Reusable Launch Vehicles such as Lynx will usher in a whole new era of accessibility to space by offering routine, affordable and safe trips outside the atmosphere.  We look forward to being on the vanguard of this revolution in affordable access to the cosmos."

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 like rocket piston pumps that enable full reusability. XCOR is working with aerospace prime contractors and government customers on major propulsion systems, and concurrently building the Lynx, a piloted, two-seat, fully reusable, liquid rocket powered vehicle that takes off and lands horizontally.  The Lynx-family of vehicles serves three primary missions depending on their specific type including: research & scientific missions, private spaceflight, and micro satellite launch (only on the Lynx Mark III).  The Lynx production models (designated Lynx Mark II) are designed to be robust, multi-mission (research / scientific or private spaceflight) commercial vehicles capable of flying to 100+ km in altitude up to four times per day and are being offered globally on a wet lease basis.  (www.xcor.com).

SOURCE XCOR Aerospace