Mojave, CA and Arlington, VA , July 22, 2002 - XCOR Aerospace and Space Adventures, Ltd., announced today a marketing agreement that enables Space Adventures to offer flights to 62 miles (100 km) altitude aboard XCOR’s Xerus (pronunciation: zEr'us) sub-orbital vehicle, designed specifically for space tourist flights.

“Our experience building and flying the EZ-Rocket airplane has shown that we can fly rocket-powered vehicles multiple times per day with a small ground crew,” said XCOR CEO Jeff Greason. “By developing rocket engines that have essentially gas-and-go operation, we can operate at a fraction of the cost of competitive vehicles.”

The Xerus vehicle project has begun preliminary design including development of XCOR’s next-generation rocket engine and propulsion system using non-toxic propellants. The Xerus will be capable of flying one pilot and one Space Adventures paying passenger on a one-hour sub-orbital space flight. At the peak of its parabolic trajectory, passengers will experience several minutes of weightlessness and see the Earth from space.

“XCOR’s recent successes with the EZ-Rocket has demonstrated their determination to push the envelope,” said Space Adventures President and CEO Eric Anderson. “We look forward to offering our clients the opportunity to fly aboard the Xerus.”

“It’s a good division of labor between the companies,” continued Greason. “XCOR, experienced at building flight hardware, can focus on completing the vehicle, while Space Adventures will handle all other aspects including booking and training passengers.”

The Xerus takes off and lands like a conventional aircraft.

According to a recent study commissioned by Space Adventures, the sub-orbital space tourist market could generate revenues of over $1 billion annually. Space Adventures has over 100 sub-orbital reservations and is currently accepting bookings for sub-orbital flights at $98,000.

Completion of the Xerus is conditional to securing financing. Assuming full funding, XCOR expects that it will take eighteen months to begin flight tests and three years before entering revenue service.

Imagery and animation of the Xerus in flight are available upon request.

About XCOR
XCOR Aerospace is a California corporation located in Mojave, California. The company is in the business of developing and producing safe, reliable and re-usable rocket engines and rocket powered vehicles.

About Space Adventures, Ltd.
Space Adventures, Ltd., offers a wide range of space experiences, from zero-gravity and high-altitude supersonic flights, cosmonaut training and space flight qualification programs on Earth, to actual flights into space. For more information, call 1-888-85-SPACE or visit www.spaceadventures.com.

XCOR's XERUS information page
Space Adventures home page