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Armadillo Aerospace Takes Level 1 Lunar Lander Prize
jedibfa writes "Las Cruces International Airport came alive with applause and cheers yesterday afternoon as John Carmack's Armadillo Aerospace took the first place prize for the Level 1 challenge of the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge, winning $350,000 and bragging rights. Adding to the excitement of the day, shortly before completing their second qualifying flight, Armadillo Aerospace and The Rocket Racing League announced a joint program to develop a sub-orbital tourist vehicle that will fly out of the New Mexico-based Spaceport America and cost less than $100,000 per ticket. On Sunday, the team will have three opportunities to go for the Level 2 challenge that more closely approximates the required performance for a real lunar landing. Good luck, Armadillo Aerospace, both on Sunday and in your new endeavor!"
We discussed preparations for the challenge last week. Several other readers have contributed additional coverage, including the Space Fellowship's live blog of the event, the website for Truezer0, another team participating in the challenge, and a VentureBeat article discussing the economic downturn in space exploration, and how the X-prize competitions figure in. Today's Level 2 challenge will be covered live via webcast.
Carmack knows what needs to be done...it just needs to be able to go underground some.
Do not downmod posts "overrated" simply because you disagree with them.
It's clear we don't want Carmack's team to win:
;-) ), that he does not win, or even gets close to winning, any of these contests.
He has stated a few times in the past that he really starts liking the whole rocket-thing: Even more so than his coding brilliance.
Therefor I think it's in the best interest of gamers all around the world (or at least admirers of tech-engines
Preferably here would of course be that one of those rockets would be misfired, killing one of the crowd (or killing a father of someone who can then become Carmack's arch nemesis) ; And with some everlasting guilt on his part, we'll be guaranteed that Mr. Carmack's coding abilities will be put towards games.
Congratulations John way to go dude! Another Bean with Bacon success. =)
Isn't that what the asteroid drilling rig/lander was called in Armageddon?
The game.
Armadillo is usually pretty good about distributing videos of their flights, but I can't seem to find this one on their website yet. Anyone else had better luck finding a video of this flight?
Just been watching the live feed of the level 2 challenge, and the first launch has been aborted. The engines fired briefly, but then Pixel tipped over onto its side. Luckily the damage doesn't appear to be too serious, there's some speculation they might make a second attempt at launch. Commiserations Armadillo!
This winning flight is welcome good news at a time when many have concerns about a down-turn in commercial space and Obama, the likely next President of the United States has recently said of such prizes, "When John F. Kennedy decided that we were going to put a man on the moon, he didn't put a bounty out for some rocket scientist to win â" he put the full resources of the United States government behind the project..."
Seastead this.
Pushing any kind of spaceflight will make it more economical to develop cheaper ways of getting to space. I hope.
The simple fact is, that McCain IS more bush. And since the next president is not likely to do all 4 years, Palin IS just another Bush, only even dumber.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
It's kind of hard to say "he wasn't talking about outer space" when he makes specific reference to the Apollo program and "rocket scientists". True, his response was to a proposal for an energy prize, but look at his own words.
Seastead this.