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back to article VTOL hovership in semi-successful X-Prize attempt

A Californian firm has carried out the first untethered flights of its alcohol-fuelled hover rocket, able to take off and land vertically and potentially offer ballistic flights beyond the Earth's atmosphere. The rocket in question is the XA-0.1B (aka "Xombie") rocket from Masten Space Systems, fuelled on alcohol and liquid …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Balanced on a plume of burning alcohol - a lovey phrase

    It brings to mind that I think i've seen this attempted after a bingefest where someone drops their strides and get out the Zippo.

    Its usually in towns like Catterick, then the Redcaps arrive, and you have a whole new meaning to the term "escape velocity"

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  2. Reg Sim
    Thumb Up

    Lol, at least it looked pritty.

    I get from the video that was posted with this, that they solved the 'broken landing strut' issue they seem to of had, if I am hearing the commentary right.

    Well hope E'llreg keeps us uptodate with this, I want to see more.

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  3. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Thumb Up

    The trouble involved to get to here should not be underestimated

    So congratulations to all at Masten Space.

    And a special hello to Jon, who has always wanted to get in the thick of the action.

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  4. Robert Heffernan
    Flame

    Attack of the Clone?

    Is it just me, or does that rocket look an awful lot like one of Armadillo Aerospace's current version module design? Two vertically stacked tanks (Lox, Alcohol) with 2 smaller Helium tanks on the sides

    It also sounds like one of their mods, and it was also attached to a lifting crane like Armadillo uses..

    They say imitation is a form of flattery.

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  5. exit...quit...bye...quitbye.ctrl-C..ctrlX.ctrl-alt-X...aarrrr*slam*
    Pint

    fuelled on alcohol and liquid oxygen

    "fuelled on alcohol and liquid oxygen"

    Well, that would be me, wouldn´t it?

    <- icon: refuelling

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  6. Anonymous Coward
    Pint

    Moonshine?

    They should test it down south... Fuel would be more abundant and cheaper!

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  7. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    Have I got this right?

    They turned it off before it blew up, right, and justified their inability to control where it went on the grounds that it is balanced on a plume of burning fuel - well it's a rocket, guys, that's how a rocket works. I'll stick to the train thanks.

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  8. The Jon
    Happy

    @John Smith 19

    And a special hello to you too! Do I know you?

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  9. kaiserb_uk
    Flame

    NASA countdowns...

    ...should be like that.

    "We are firing in five, four, three, two, one...

    ...

    ...what?

    (going now)

    oh...okay, five..."

    *whoosh!*

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  10. AlistairJ
    Coat

    Simple really

    They just need to type IDKFA and Armadillo should be able to see its way through any number of levels.

    Mines the one with the BFG9000 in the pocket

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  11. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Happy

    @ The Jon

    I have met Jon a few times. It's been a while. I remember a young family. It's a bit older now.

    On a technical note Robert Heffernan noted a family resemblance to the Armadillo lander. I would guess that this is parallel evolution. Same task to same rules with only slightly different propellants restircts the number of options. I guess stacking the tanks simplifies balencing engine and CG forces.

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  12. James Hughes 1

    @AC

    "They turned it off before it blew up, right, and justified their inability to control where it went on the grounds that it is balanced on a plume of burning fuel - well it's a rocket, guys, that's how a rocket works. I'll stick to the train thanks."

    I'm pretty sure they know how a rocket works. As for accuracy, I think that landed within about 30cm's of the target so they do know where its going. They also found a fault so didn't try a second flight (Even Nasa gets that one wrong occasionally).

    Try actually reading up on things before making ill informed comments that make you look stupid.

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