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Lunar lander prototype passes test - Armadillo Flies!
After months of deliberation and a crucial flight test, the Federal Aviation Administration cleared Armadillo Aerospace on Thursday to compete for a share of the $2 million Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge. The rocket-powered, remote-control Quad lander did what it was supposed to do during a test at Las Cruces International Airport: It blasted off, moved over in the air and touched down without hurting anybody.
Armadillo stands to win a first prize of $350,000 from NASA if the Quad can rise to a height of 50 meters (164 feet), hover for at least 90 seconds, set down on a landing pad 100 meters (328 feet) away from its starting point, and retrace the route back to the start after refueling. A million-dollar prize is being offered for an even more ambitious feat, involving a hover time of 180 seconds and a more rugged landing pad, but it's not clear whether anyone has a chance of reaching that goal this year. Any unwon prize money ? including the money that was set aside for any second-place finishers ? will be saved up for next year's Lunar Lander Challenge.
Posted by | Fri, Oct 20, 2006 - 07:04 AM
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