New space facility in Texas

 
Subject: Fwd: Spaceplane firm chooses Texas test site


Sent from my iPad

Begin forwarded message:




Contact:
Mike Massee
XCOR Aerospace
Phone (661) 824-4714 x127
Fax (661) 824-0866
email
Press Release

XCOR AEROSPACE AND MIDLAND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION ANNOUNCE ESTABLISHMENT OF XCOR’S NEW COMMERCIAL SPACEFLIGHT R&D CENTER HEADQUARTERS

XCOR Chief Test Pilot Richard Searfoss shows Texas Governor Rick Perry a full sized Lynx model unveiled
during a ceremony held at the Midland International Airport, where XCOR will open a new R&D headquarters.
Midland, Texas, July 9, 2012 – The Midland Development Corporation (MDC) and XCOR Aerospace jointly announced today the establishment of XCOR’s new Commercial Space Research and Development Center Headquarters that will be created over the next eighteen (18) months.  XCOR manufactures reusable rocket engines for major aerospace prime contractors and is the designer, manufacturer and operator of the Lynx, a winged fully reusable, high performance suborbital space vehicle that is designed to safely carry two persons or scientific experiments to the edge of space and back up to four times per day.

XCOR will upgrade and expand into an existing 60,000 sq ft hangar and ramp space at Midland International Airport (Click to enlarge)
“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,” Gov. Perry said. “Whether on the cutting edge of biotech, communications, commerce or privatized efforts to serve the needs of the next generation of space explorers, you can find Texas at the forefront of the movement.”
XCOR will be establishing their new R&D center on the flight line at Midland International Airport (MAF) in a newly renovated 60,000-square-foot hangar, which will include office space and a test facility. The renovation is expected to commence in early 2013, and be completed by the late autumn.
 “XCOR will be upgrading an existing hangar at Midland International Airport,” stated Marv Esterly, director of airports at MAF. “This new R&D facility has the potential to open the door to even more economic development at our airport and for our community.”
“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,” said Andrew Nelson, chief operating officer of XCOR Aerospace. “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.”

XCOR Chief Operating Officer Andrew Nelson signs the incentive agreement with the Midland Economic Development Corporation
“The decision to establish XCOR’s Research and Development Center Headquarters in Midland came after intense competition from other locations,” stated Pam Welch, executive director of MDC, “once the technical and operational needs of XCOR were met, the final factors influencing the decision to locate R&D to Midland included the friendly business climate, a predictable regulatory environment, and the State of Texas tort reform initiatives. These factors allowed XCOR to see a long term future happening in Midland.”
Laura Roman, MDC chairman, stated “Today we celebrate the economic diversity that XCOR’s Research and Development Center Headquarters will bring to Midland along with the $12,000,000 of new payroll and capital investment over the next five years to our community with an estimated average annual wage of over $60,000 per job.”
In parallel with the XCOR facility renovation, the City of Midland is applying to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for a Commercial Space Launch Site designation for MAF, an estimated 12 to 18 months process.  Upon completion of the licensing process and the hangar renovation, the XCOR presence will begin to ramp up.
The FAA spaceport designation will also be an important economic development tool because of the potential growth in the commercial space sector as NASA relies more on commercial service providers for launch capability and the space tourism market evolves. Marv Esterly, noted, “When our application is approved, the MAF will be the first “Primary Commercial Service Airport” to be granted this designation, and the combination of the two makes Midland attractive to other commercial space companies.”
#  #  #  
XCOR Aerospace 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. 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 suborbital vehicle that takes off and lands horizontally and serves research & scientific missions and private spaceflight. The Lynx production models (designated Lynx Mark II) are designed to be robust, multi-mission commercial vehicles capable of flying to 100+ km in altitude up to four times per day and are being offered on a wet lease basis. www.xcor.com.
The Midland Development Corporation (MDC) promotes business expansion in the greater Midland, Texas area by building a strong and diversified economy through job creation and capital investment.  The Midland Development Corporation has the ability to structure incentive packages to qualified new and existing employers who create and retain jobs for the community. 
Midland International Airport (MAF) is an historic aviation center and home to many unique aviation and aerospace assets.  The Pliska Aeroplane, the first aircraft built and flown in Texas was a 1911 vintage aircraft constructed by local blacksmith John Pliska and auto mechanic Gray Coggin. They modeled the aircraft after the Wright Flyer II owned by Robert G Fowler, who was passing through Midland. The original aircraft now hangs in the MAF main terminal. MAF was also the site of the US Army Air Corps Bombardier School during WWII, where numerous pilots were trained on the use of the famous Norden bombsight on the remote plains and reaches of West Texas. In the 1960’s and 1970’s MAF served as the R&D and flight test center for the first all composite aircraft built and licensed in the United States, the Windecker Eagle.  And MAF is the current home to the Commemorative Air Force, the premier historic aircraft restoration and flying museum for military aircraft.
The Midland International Airport is ranked ninth in Texas for primary commercial service airports.  Owned and operated by the City of Midland, the airport has over twenty daily departures with non-stop service to DFW, Dallas Love Field, Houston Intercontinental, Houston Hobby, Las Vegas and Denver.  Currently, the airport is served by Southwest, American Eagle and United Express Airlines.”                                                                  
###
===============================================================


Commercial Space Company XCOR Announces R&D Headquarters in Texas

Will create 100 jobs in Midland
Monday, July 09, 2012  •  Midland, Texas  •  Press Release

Gov. Rick Perry joined XCOR Aerospace and the Midland Development Corp. to announce the creation of XCOR's new Commercial Space Research and Development Center headquarters at the Midland International Airport. XCOR develops and produces reusable launch vehicles, rocket engines and rocket propulsion systems, and will create 100 jobs at this new facility.
"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," Gov. Perry said. "Whether on the cutting edge of biotech, communications, commerce or privatized efforts to serve the needs of the next generation of space explorers, you can find Texas at the forefront of the movement."
XCOR's new headquarters will focus on development of the Lynx, the company's next generation reusable launch vehicle. Lynx is a two-seat suborbital vehicle that takes off and lands like normal aircraft. The vehicle will carry a pilot and one spaceflight passenger, and will provide affordable launch services for academic, scientific and engineering markets.
"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," Andrew Nelson, chief operating officer of XCOR Aerospace, said. "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."
"We are elated to welcome XCOR to Midland and to the state of Texas. The Permian Basin is a proud and industrious area where we have developed and maintained the leadership, infrastructure and highly capable work force that will support the further development of XCOR systems," Rep. Tom Craddick said. "With the announcement of the new XCOR research and development headquarters being built in here, Midland will soon be known world-wide not just as a leader in oil and gas industry, but also as a trailblazer in the aerospace industry."
"The decision to establish XCOR's R&D Center Headquarters in Midland came after intense competition from other locations," Midland Development Corp. Executive Director Pam Welch said. "Once the technical and operational needs of XCOR were met, the final factors influencing the decision to locate R&D to Midland included the friendly business climate, a predictable regulatory environment and the State of Texas tort reform initiatives. These factors allowed XCOR to see a long term future happening in Midland."
To view Gov. Perry's full remarks, please visit http://governor.state.tx.us/news/speech/17409.
For more information about XCOR Aerospace, please visit http://www.xcor.com/.


Office of the Governor•P.O. Box 12428•Austin, Texas 78711•(512) 463-2000

===============================================================


Spaceplane firm chooses Texas test site


Artist's impression of the Lynx space plane. Credit: XCOR
July 9, 2012 at 5:58 PM
MOJAVE, Calif., July 9 (UPI) -- A commercial spacecraft company working on a space plane to take paying tourists on suborbital flights says it will open a test facility in Texas.
XCOR Aerospace, based in Mojave, Calif., and the Midland Development Corp. announced plans Monday for XCOR's research and development center in Midland, Texas, SPACE.com reported.
"We are pleased to be establishing our R&D center in Midland, Texas, where the weather, surrounding landscape, the airport, and the local and state government environment are ideally situated for the future growth and the ultimate realization of a fully reusable orbital system," Andrew Nelson, XCOR chief operating officer, said.
Components for an orbital version of XCOR's Lynx space plane will be tested at the center, company officials said.
The Lynx is designed to be a reusable, winged spaceship to lift two passengers and science experiments to the edge of space.
Construction of XCOR's facility, to occupy a 60,000-square-foot hangar at the Midland International Airport, will start next year and open by late in 2013, Midland officials said.
Midland is applying to the Federal Aviation Administration for the airport to be certified as a commercial space launch site, they said.

© 2012 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 

===============================================================

  

XCOR opening space research HQ in West Texas

Monday, July 09, 2012

MIDLAND, TX -- A private space company is opening its new commercial research and development center headquarters in West Texas.
Gov. Rick Perry joined XCOR Aerospace and the Midland Development Corporation Monday to announce the new facility. Officials say it will create 100 jobs.
The facility will focus on XCOR's development of the Lynx. It's a two-seat launch vehicle that takes off and lands like a traditional aircraft. It will provide services for the academic, scientific and engineering communities.
Another company, SpaceX, is considering a site near Brownsville in South Texas for its latest spaceport. In May, SpaceX was the first private business to send a cargo ship to the space station.
NASA is hiring companies for delivery missions.                                  

Copyright © 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
===============================================================


===============================================================