spacetoday.net: XCOR to establish R&D center, headquarters in Texas

Posted: Tue, Jul 10, 2012, 8:02 AM ET (1202 GMT)
XCOR Lynx vehicle illustration (Mike Massee/XCOR)

XCOR Aerospace, a suborbital vehicle developer based in Mojave, California, since its formation over a decade ago, announced plans Monday to move its headquarters and create a research and development center in Midland, Texas. XCOR and a local development organization, the Midland Development Corporation, announced the plan that includes up to $10 million in incentives for XCOR to set up operations at the Midland International Airport. XCOR will lease a newly-renovated hangar at the airport as well as a bunker for engine tests. XCOR, in turn, will promise to create up to $12 million in new payroll in Midland over the next several years. The Midland airport is also beginning the process to obtain a spaceport license from the FAA to enable XCOR to perform flights there. XCOR plans to maintain its Mojave facility, where it is currently working on the Mark 1 version of its Lynx suborbital spaceplane, as an operations base. Development of future versions of the Lynx, as well as a planned orbital vehicle, will take place in Midland.