This is a good example of how it's easier to make your investments grow with small companies than big ones (albeit riskier). Just a few days ago at the ISDC, Jeff Greason was saying that XCOR's sales had increased dramatically, to about three million per year in the coming year. I noticed that Jeff disappeared for a day after that announcement on Thursday, arriving back at LAX late Friday night. I suspect that this may have been the subject of that excursion. They just doubled their sales for this year again:

XCOR Aerospace announced today that it had won a $3.3 million contract with ATK as part of ATK’s contract to develop low-cost LOX/methane rocket propulsion for NASA.

Jeff's talk last week didn't include this contract, which was apparently still in negotiation at the time. Not only is this good for XCOR, but it's good for the near-term prospects of getting methane propulsion.

XCOR is cool. Hitting for singles instead of swinging for the seats, but that can be a good thing, IMO.

Interesting. The first thing I thought of when I read about ATK getting the contract was "don't they do solids?" Looks like they outsourced. I'm betting XCOR has a slightly lower overhead rate.

If XCOR did what they did with NASA on their tank contract, ATK doesn't know what their "overhead rate" is. They probably bid it fixed price.

How much of XCOR's business is development contracts with the military? And NASA?

Didn't NASA say they weren't going to use a LOX/methane rocket motor for any part of their return to the moon? Have they not given up on the idea?

> The first thing I thought of when I read about ATK getting the contract was "don't they do solids?"

Yup. But ATK is one of those MegaConGlomCorps, with units all over everywhere, including GASL, which does scramjets and such.

> I'm betting XCOR has a slightly lower overhead rate.

Ye gods I hope so!

Want to work with us? Come negotiate. :-) :-)