Million-dollar rocket showdown

Masten Space Systems' Xoie rocket was designed to go after a million-dollar prize.

Alan Boyle
Cosmic Log

The climactic rocket showdown for a million-dollar prize from NASA is under way in California's Mojave Desert.

Just as folks at Kennedy Space Center in Florida were celebrating the successful launch of NASA's Ares I-X rocket prototype, Masten Space Systems readied its own Xoie prototype at the Mojave Air and Space Port for its first attempt to win the Level 2 competition in the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge.

Today Masten was grounded by glitches, but it has another day to go for the prize.

Read the Post HERE.