Hasta La Gadget!

The $1 million race to build a lunar lander is heating up, as–unexpectedly–Masten Space Systems’ Xoie rocket prototype has taken the lead. MSNBC reports that the Masten team’s remote-controlled rocket had a successful test flight, just one day after a damaging fire on the launch pad and two days after communications glitches derailed two earlier launch attempts.

Level 2 of the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge requires that a remote-controlled aircraft makes a complete round trip between one launch pad and a boulder-strewn pad about 164 feet away, according to the report. Each leg of the flight needs to last at least three minutes, and the rocket has to rise up 50 meters from the ground–all within a 135 minute time period.

Armadillo Aerospace–backed by id software’s John Carmack–first qualified to win last month. Since more than one team has now qualified for the prize, judges will decide who to award it to based on the accuracy of the flight. (Via Slashdot)