This video recounts the history of XCOR Aerospace, a company that aimed to revolutionize suborbital space tourism with its innovative Lynx spaceplane. Founded in 1999 by veterans of Rotary Rockets, XCOR initially gained recognition by building and flying rocket-powered aircraft like the "EZ-Rocket" and developing vehicles for the ill-fated Rocket Racing League.
The core of their ambition was the Lynx, a two-seat, runway-takeoff-and-landing spaceplane designed for rapid reusability. The video details its unique flight profile, involving a Mach 3 vertical climb and a challenging high-G pullout on reentry, and highlights its key technological innovation: a pump-fed rocket engine that used a piston engine to drive the pumps. Despite securing deposits for future flights and a high-profile marketing deal with Axe Body Wash, XCOR's trajectory faltered due to internal turmoil. A 2014 corporate acquisition led to a new board that ousted the founding engineers. This new leadership pivoted the company's focus from the Lynx to a more immediate engine development contract for ULA. The subsequent loss of this contract, combined with the departure of key talent, led to the company's collapse and bankruptcy in 2017, leaving the promising Lynx concept unrealized.
The Rise and Fall of XCOR Aerospace: The Story of the Lynx Spaceplane
00:00:07 - A Bold Marketing Promise: The video opens with the 2013 "Axe Apollo" campaign, where a deodorant company promised 23 winners a suborbital flight on XCOR's Lynx spaceplane, setting the stage for the company's ambitious goals.
00:01:11 - XCOR's Origins & Early Success: Founded in 1999 in Mojave, XCOR quickly proved its engineering capabilities. By 2001, they successfully modified a Rutan Long EZ aircraft into the "EZ-Rocket," powered by their in-house liquid-fueled engines, and demonstrated reliable engine relighting in flight.
00:05:32 - The Rocket Racing League: XCOR was a key technology partner for the proposed Rocket Racing League, developing the Mark-1 X-Racer. While the racing league ultimately failed to materialize due to a lack of funding, it showcased XCOR's expertise in building high-performance rocket planes.
00:07:16 - The Lynx Spaceplane Concept: XCOR's approach to space tourism was unique. Unlike competitors, the Lynx was designed as a single-stage, two-seat (pilot and passenger) vehicle that would take off and land on a runway under its own rocket power, enabling rapid turnaround times of just a few hours.
00:09:16 - A Demanding Flight Profile: The Lynx's flight plan was aggressive, featuring a 3G acceleration to Mach 3 during its vertical climb. The reentry was particularly challenging, requiring the pilot to manage a 4G pullout from a nose-down dive to safely transition to horizontal flight.
00:13:51 - Innovative Engine Design: A key technological advantage for XCOR was its XR-5K18 rocket engine. Instead of a complex turbopump, it used a piston engine to drive the fuel and oxidizer pumps, a novel solution that was well-suited for their smaller engine design.
00:16:26 - The Beginning of the End: Corporate decisions began to undermine the company's progress. A $10 million deal to relocate to Midland, Texas, created friction with employees, and a 2014 merger with Space Expedition Corporation led to a change in the board of directors.
00:17:23 - A Fatal Shift in Focus: In 2015, the new board replaced founder Jeff Greason as CEO. The new management prioritized a contract with United Launch Alliance (ULA) to develop a hydrogen-oxygen upper-stage engine, shifting resources and focus away from the Lynx project. This led to the departure of Greason and other key founders.
00:19:59 - The Final Collapse: In 2016, XCOR laid off many engineers working on the Lynx. After losing the crucial ULA contract in 2017 and facing a leadership vacuum, the company laid off its remaining staff and declared bankruptcy in November 2017, ending all hope for the Lynx.
00:20:59 - A Viable Concept, Unrealized: The video concludes that the Lynx concept of a reusable, runway-based spaceplane was fundamentally sound and potentially cheaper than competitors. A similar (though uncrewed) concept is now being flown by the company Dawn Aerospace.