Spaceship Will Be Constructed Of Composites
Wyoming-based composites analysis firm Firehole Technologies has
partnered with XCOR Aerospace to help with the construction of
XCOR's two-seat Lynx suborbital launch vehicle.
Unveiled in March of this year, the Lynx suborbital spaceship is
roughly the size of a small private airplane, and will carry people
or payloads to an altitude where they will experience
weightlessness and see the stars above and the Earth and its
atmosphere below. Targeted for a first takeoff in 2010, the Lynx
will be capable of flying several times each day. It will fly to
200,000 feet altitude and reach speeds of at least twice the speed
of sound.
"One of the key techniques that make it possible for a small
firm like XCOR to build a fully reusable launch vehicle is
composite construction," said XCOR CEO Jeff Greason. "Composite
construction provides strength, is light weight, and gives you
flexibility in your aerodynamic design."
"Firehole Technologies has cutting-edge technology that will let
us analyze our composite construction before and during
construction to ensure that the Lynx is both as strong and light as
it can be." Greason added. "That will ensure maximum performance
and enhanced safety. Another benefit of the Firehole Technologies
analysis is that it will help XCOR lower the cost of
construction."
"The Lynx presents designers and
fabricators with real challenges," says Firehole Technologies CEO
Jerad Stack. "In this partnership, Firehole will utilize our
analysis software, Helius:MCT in combination with our understanding
of the challenges inherent in manufacturing and designing with
composites. Based upon our long experience in composite materials
and construction, Firehole’s analysis takes the properties of
both the fiber and matrix into account. This enables us to
demonstrate a higher level of accuracy in composite analysis than
other currently available solutions.
"We have spent the last five years moving this approach from the
defense industry into the commercial market and refining it at each
step," Stack added. "We have been able to repeatedly produce much
more accurate results in less time than other solutions and look
forward to working with XCOR to leverage the advantages our
technology can provide."
"We at XCOR believe that the Lynx will benefit greatly from
working with Firehole Technologies," says XCOR chief operating
officer Andrew Nelson. "Technology is only part of the equation
when you are looking for a good partner. In Firehole we not only
found advanced technology and experience, we found a team with
leadership and ability that will be as dedicated to ensuring that
our project is as successful as we are."
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