Armadillo Aerospace's entry in the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge, the MOD, burst into flames shortly after engine ignition during its third and final attemp. Image Credit: William Faulkner
Posted on 10/28/2007 10:15:23 PM PDT by cabojoe
HOLLOMAN AIR FORE BASE, New Mexico – The rocketeers at Armadillo Aerospace, thwarted by engine problems and other mechanical failures, left this year's X Prize Cup empty-handed after their spacecraft burst into flames on liftoff Sunday.
Over the two days during a Holloman Air and Space Expo, attempts at snaring the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge's $350,000 purse with their design were fraught with technical snags. At one point on Saturday, they were within seconds of winning the money – only to have the multi-legged vehicle self-abort and tip over on landing.
An attempt on Sunday to hop from launch and landing pads ended with the MOD craft bursting in flames shortly after engine ignition.
Armadillo Aerospace is led by computer gaming guru, John Carmack. This is the team's second attempt at the challenge in New Mexico, they were the only entrant in last year's event, which they also lost.
"From the field, we heard a little bit of a boom and there was a hard start on the engine of some type," said Peter Diamandis, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the X Prize Foundation. A pre-scripted scenario of dealing with the failure was put into action.
Bad day
Pete Worden, a Lunar Lander Challenge judge – and director of NASA's Ames Research Center, told SPACE.com that the engine blew up, with the rocket's engine chamber tossing out pieces onto the pad.
"It's over for them for this X Prize Cup," Worden said. But he added: "I do think they are getting there...it's a robust design. I think they'll make it. Once again, it proves that rocket science is hard."
(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...
Armadillo Aerospace's entry in the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge, the MOD, burst into flames shortly after engine ignition during its third and final attemp. Image Credit: William Faulkner
There are lots of good videos of successful flights and tests at http://www.armadilloaerospace.com/n.x/Armadillo/Home under the current news at the site.
They were so close. Next year, someone wins this.
Dang! They lost another vehicle! Carmack had better make a lot of money on his next game engine if he wants to continue these launches (and it looks like he will).
He’s going to have lots of time to make his vehicle bullet proof for next year.
The good news is the damage apparently wasn’t that bad, it was more of a LOX leak that ignited.
Also, I think I read somewhere he’s got a sponsorship from a graphics card company that pays for most of his rocketry...
<}B^)
59 Caddy instead?
What could possibly say "America In Space" better than a Suburban on the Moon?
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