XCOR Aerospace
XCOR Aerospace was a private Mojave, California-based aerospace company founded in 1999 that developed reusable rocket-powered spacecraft and rocket engines for suborbital commercial spaceflight, targeting space tourism, research, and payload customers. The company raised approximately $19.4M in disclosed funding through 2015 but never achieved commercial operations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersMojave, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What XCOR Aerospace does
XCOR Aerospace was a private American aerospace company founded in 1999 and headquartered in Mojave, California, that engaged in the research, development, and production of reusable rocket-powered spacecraft and rocket engines intended for suborbital and orbital commercial spaceflight. The company's primary product was the Lynx, a reusable suborbital spaceplane designed to carry paying passengers and research payloads, supported by a portfolio of proprietary rocket engine technologies (including piston-pump-fed liquid oxygen/kerosene engines) developed in-house. XCOR pursued a capital-intensive R&D-heavy business model reliant on successive private equity rounds — having raised approximately $19.4 million across disclosed rounds from 2003 through 2015 — rather than on commercial service revenue, and never achieved operational commercial flight status. The intended customer base spanned commercial space tourism operators, government and academic research customers requiring microgravity access, and small-satellite payload customers, targeting a suborbital launch market projected to reach $3.81 billion by 2030 at a 9.1% CAGR.
As of the most recent available data, XCOR Aerospace shows strong indicators of operational distress or shutdown: the company's xcor.com domain has been lost to unrelated online casino content, no management team, current product activity, or post-2015 funding is documented, and headcount is reported at a contracted 11-50 employees. The company does not appear in any current news, product launch, or partnership data, suggesting it has been unable to execute on its original commercial flight ambitions.
XCOR Aerospace firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- XCOR Aerospace
- Website
- https://xcor.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- XCOR Aerospace was a private Mojave, California-based aerospace company founded in 1999 that developed reusable rocket-powered spacecraft and rocket engines for suborbital commercial spaceflight, targeting space tourism, research, and payload customers. The company raised approximately $19.4M in disclosed funding through 2015 but never achieved commercial operations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
XCOR Aerospace industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Commercial Space Launch Vehicles
- NAICS
- Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Propulsion Unit and Propulsion Unit Parts Manufacturing (336415), Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419)
- SIC
- Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Launch Vehicles & Orbital Rockets (IMABACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Spacecraft Propulsion (In-Space) & Thrusters (IMABACAE), Spacecraft Integration, Assembly & Test (IAT) (IMABACAK), Spacecraft & Satellites (Civil/Commercial) (IMABACAB)
Keywords
Where XCOR Aerospace is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mojave
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
XCOR Aerospace business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
XCOR Aerospace product offering
Product offeringCore offering
XCOR Aerospace engages in the research, development, and production of reusable rocket-powered spacecraft and rocket engines designed for suborbital and orbital travel. Its offerings support commercial applications including payload delivery, microgravity research, and space tourism within the broader reusable launch vehicle market.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Reusable Rocket-Powered Spacecraft Reusable rocket-powered spacecraft designed and produced by XCOR for suborbital and orbital travel, targeting commercial customers seeking launch capabilities for payload delivery, research, and space tourism.
- Rocket Engines Rocket engines developed and produced by XCOR to power its reusable spacecraft, supporting suborbital and orbital commercial launch applications.
Companies that use XCOR Aerospace
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
XCOR Aerospace technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
XCOR Aerospace partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights3 records
XCOR Aerospace competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Relativity Space: Relativity Space develops reusable orbital launch vehicles (Terran R) with additive-manufactured rockets. Comparable as a privately-funded launch startup pursuing reusability, though with substantially more capital raised.
- Firefly Aerospace: Firefly Aerospace develops small and medium-lift launch vehicles (Alpha, MLV). Comparable as a private launch vehicle developer in the broader reusable/responsive launch market segment.
- Astra Space: Astra developed small launch vehicles (Rocket 3.x) targeting responsive and affordable launch. Comparable as a small-scale private launch vehicle developer, though now pivoted toward spacecraft and engine production after scaling back launch operations.
- Stratolaunch: Stratolaunch develops air-launch-to-orbit capabilities using the world's largest aircraft as a launch platform. Comparable as an air-launched reusable launch concept pursuing novel access-to-space architectures.
Broad incumbents
- SpaceX: SpaceX develops reusable orbital launch vehicles (Falcon 9, Starship) with active flight cadence and a large customer manifest. Operates in the broader reusable launch market that XCOR addresses, though focused on orbital rather than suborbital missions.
- Rocket Lab: Rocket Lab develops small and medium-lift launch vehicles (Electron, Neutron) including reusable elements. Comparable as a privately-developed launch vehicle manufacturer pursuing reusability, though focused on small-satellite orbital markets.
- Boeing: Boeing's defense and space division produces launch vehicles and spacecraft components. Cited as a peer in market research alongside XCOR; a broad incumbent with deep resources and prime contractor relationships with NASA and DoD.
- Blue Origin: Founded by Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin develops reusable suborbital (New Shepard) and orbital (New Glenn) launch vehicles. Directly comparable as a reusable launch vehicle competitor named alongside XCOR in market research; vastly larger capital base.
- Sierra Space: Sierra Space (Sierra Nevada Corp.) develops the Dream Chaser reusable spaceplane for cargo and crew missions to LEO. Comparable as a reusable spaceplane developer in the same architectural family as XCOR's Lynx concept.
Direct peers
- Virgin Galactic: Virgin Galactic develops reusable suborbital spaceplanes (SpaceShipTwo/VSS Unity) for space tourism and research payloads. The closest direct competitor to XCOR's Lynx concept — both pursued rocket-powered suborbital spaceplane designs for tourism and research missions.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights4 records
Customer concentration
XCOR Aerospace social profiles
Digital presenceXCOR Aerospace financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
XCOR Aerospace leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
XCOR Aerospace funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors5 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
XCOR Aerospace M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about XCOR Aerospace
What does XCOR Aerospace do?
XCOR Aerospace engages in the research, development, and production of reusable rocket-powered spacecraft and rocket engines designed for suborbital and orbital travel. Its offerings support commercial applications including payload delivery, microgravity research, and space tourism within the broader reusable launch vehicle market.
When was XCOR Aerospace founded?
XCOR Aerospace was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is XCOR Aerospace based?
XCOR Aerospace is headquartered in Mojave, United States, in the North America region.
Who are XCOR Aerospace's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Relativity Space, Firefly Aerospace, Astra Space and Stratolaunch. Broad incumbents are SpaceX, Rocket Lab, Boeing, Blue Origin and Sierra Space. Virgin Galactic is listed as a direct peer.
Does XCOR Aerospace have an API?
No public API is recorded for XCOR Aerospace.
What industry is XCOR Aerospace in?
XCOR Aerospace's product category is Commercial Space Launch Vehicles. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABACAA, Launch Vehicles & Orbital Rockets, with a secondary code of IMABACAE, Spacecraft Propulsion (In-Space) & Thrusters. Its NAICS code is 336414 and its SIC code is 3760.