Private Rocket Straightens Up, Flies Right, Left And Back
Wednesday, Oct 7, 2009 | Updated 2:15 PM PST
A privately developed unmanned rocket has made two successful flights at Mojave Air and Space Port to qualify for one of the purses in an X Prize contest simulating aspects of a moon landing.
Tom Dietz, a spokesman for the X Prize Foundation, said Masten Space Systems' "Xombie" rocket took off Wednesday from one point and landed at another, and then flew back to its starting point.
The flights each lasted more than 90 seconds.
At stake is a $150,000 second-place prize in the first level of the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge, which is funded by NASA.
Another company, Armadillo Aerospace, won the $350,000 first prize in the first level of the competition and holds the lead for the $1 million second level, which requires greater flight time and altitude.
