masten-space.com · Domains · Slashdot Mirror

Domain: masten-space.com

Stories and comments across the archive that link to masten-space.com.

Masten and Armadillo Perform First VTVL Restarts

Science · Space · 2010-06-07 11:44 · posted by kdawson · from the warp-oh-point-oh-one-mister-sulu dept. · 94 comments

FleaPlus writes "Recently Masten Aerospace, winner of NASA's 2009 Lunar Lander Challenge, demonstrated using its Xombie vehicle the first-ever mid-flight restart of a VTVL (vertical-takeoff vertical-landing) rocket, a critical capability for the emerging suborbital/microgravity science and passenger markets (video from ground). Not to be outdone, John Carmack's Armadillo Aerospace (winner of the 2008 Lunar Lander Challenge) flew its Mod rocket to 2,000 feet (610m), deployed a drogue parachute, and then restarted the engine to land (multi-view video showing John Carmack at the controls)."