Space startup company
Armadillo Aerospace won the $350,000 prize on Friday in
the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge, proving that a private company has the know-how to build a craft capable of ferrying supplies or astronauts around the lunar surface. At the X Prize event in New Mexico, Armadillo's craft won the Level One Challenge when it successfully lifted off and climbed vertically 160 feet, scooted sideways in the air for more than 90 seconds and touched down on a landing pad; finally, the craft had to refuel and make the return journey. The challenge is meant to encourage private space companies to literally aim for the moon with their technology, and X Prize officials called Armadillo's triumph a validation of that approach. Peter Diamandis, X Prize Foundation CEO, said:
"The incredible legacy of Armadillo is their ability to fly over and over again in a low-cost fashion. They actually ...
