XCOR customer announcement next week

I heard about this last week during a brief visit to Mojave, but it’s now official: XCOR Aerospace will announce plans next week for Lynx ticket sales. The December 2 press conference in Beverly Hills will include the announcement of its “General Sales Agent”, a “well-known and established travel entrepreneur” who will be handling ticket […]

SpaceX startles the neighbors

SpaceX conducted a nine-engine Falcon 9 test Saturday night, much to the surprise—and consternation—of people in communities surrounding the McGregor, Texas test site. SpaceX described the 177-second test at 11:30 pm EST Saturday as a nine-engine “mission duty cycle” test of the Falcon 9 first stage, and that it was a “complete success”. The test […]

Garriott says game over; is a space career next?

Richard Garriott, the space tourist who flew to the International Space Station last month, is leaving computer game company NCSoft to pursue new ventures that were at least inspired by his recent trip to space. “Many of you probably wonder what my plans are, now that I have achieved the lifelong dream of going to […]

Spaceport tax heading to defeat in Otero County, NM

The Las Cruces Sun-News reports that a spaceport tax referendum in Otero County, New Mexico, appears headed to defeat. According to data from the county clerk’s office, the tax (one-eighth of one percent on gross receipts) was behind 8,954 to 8,179 votes, or 52.26 to 47.74 percent, with all but absentee ballots counted. Unless there’s […]