FLIGHT #1 (more angles) of Armadillo Aerospace's Level 2 attempt at NGLLC 2009

[toastedhippo]

Reminds me of my ex-wife's hairdryer.

[xLightningShotx]

how do they get it to be so stable on such a narrow engine?

[notthemusewere]

Errr..I do not like the phrase "balancing on the thrust." The thrust vector is along the exhaust/chamber line, and if it doesn't pass through the CoG of the rocket, you get torque. But you don't "fall off." The thrust vector looks exactly the same whether the rocket is pointed straight up or lying on its side.

As a mental exercise to help with this, consider a thrust chamber on top (like Goddard's original) is exactly as stable as a thrust chamber on the bottom. it makes no difference.

[MONDARIZDK]

Part 1) Dont get me wrong, Im VERY impressed by the vehicle and I could NOT do it better. I was simply surprised that it appeared so fragile balancing on the thrust column. I seem to remember VTOL aircraft (research and production) having always had problems regarding this.

[MONDARIZDK]

Part 2) Regarding the rockets, I simply meant, that they dont descend on their gimbaled thrust. Also my comments were really regarding a lunar vehicle developed from this research vehicle, not the vehicle itself. Clearly you have the control system down to a T.

[MONDARIZDK]

Part 3) Once the vehicle descends on the actual moon, it would appear to me, that I would like something that appeared less fragile. Again these comments are observations from someone far outside the development circuit and what appears fragile to me might actually be quite dependable.

[MONDARIZDK]

Without knowing the exact engineering details, I find it risky to base the vehicle on a single complex thrust vectoring system. Granted, this is a test vehicle, so maybe the lunar lander itself will have some form of backup. Like NASAs Apollo missions, I would go for simple technology with a small chance of malfunction, this just seems too complex. Nevertheless its very cool!

[bbrockert]

The LM descent and ascent were both single engines. TVC is extremely well established, every big rocket that flies uses it. Even the solids on the Shuttle are vectored.

[MONDARIZDK]

AFAIK LM D/A modules did not have thrust vectoring. Im aware that most modern rockets use TVC, but they are not balancing on the thrust like this craft. It might very well be possible to use this technology (the video shows it is), it just seem like a weak spot to me. The whole project would depend on this systems flawless working, thats a lot of responsibility for a little gimball.

[bbrockert]

LM Descent was gimbaled.

The entire vehicle relies on almost every system flawlessly working. Every big rocket balances on thrust, large rockets are not aerodynamically stable.

How would you do it better?

[miker2209]

I want to see what it's like standing under it x_x

[quesmind]

Why must they use rocket? Is it impossible to deploy hot air baloon instead for lunar landing?

[13R1CK4]

no rockets are just waaaaaaaaay cooler. lol

[squire2322]

maybe low gravity on the moon or using rockets to launch off the moon and ease of control.

[metaed]

Hot air balloons depend upon being surrounded by an atmosphere which is more dense than the gas in the balloon. The moon has virtually no atmosphere and could not float a hot air balloon.

[quesmind]

But there must be some other way for control landing other than rockets. I would take it that the rocket to be used in the moon is 1/10 of the one use on earth?

[StigmataBOB1]

And I saw angels being loosed from the great river ufraties. Revelation

Polaris Missals Loosed from a submarine. John did not know what a missile was so he described what he saw.

[LegenDPierce]

Wow thats awesome!

[hoh8511no]

I thought that is fuckin small cus I started to watching middle of the vid.

[muslemassry]

good but what is that crashing thing on the land at 0:28

[muellerforte]

the concrete is expending too fast under the amount of heat of the rocket engine, so it is bursting and blown away.

[bbrockert]

There was a piece of graphite inset into the pad to reduce concrete erosion, but the engine plume picked it up and threw it.

Costs about $280, too...

[sidmax22]

its too Heave :(

[muellerforte]

Heave? Moon? Do you mean heavy? ....wait there was something with weight and moon... ;-)

[greenboy215]

Primative.....nowadayz we use magnetic soundwaves to propel our vechicles.

[jg35976]

Oh, wait, there's no O2 on the moon. My bad. lol

[jg35976]

I assume someone will be waiting on the moon to extinguish the fire when it lands?

[ExtraTerrestrials]

yeah Moon citizens , who else?

[Dragsterwiz]

I hope you understand that there is no oxygen on the moon, and what that would do to fire.

[cynoptimist]

lol

[bfayer]

This is a private company competing for a privately sponsored prize. your ignorant political spam is just appalling, get educated.

[cynoptimist]

He was mocking the people that actually hold such ignorant beliefs.

[zerosonico]

educated? you DO know this is youtube, right?

[lvecsey]

the difference is that AA has the skills to run all the simulations first, using their background in gaming. the tools available to them and the money at work though less can be leveraged for much more. it's the reason they are moving along so quickly.

[PearlofRocketland]

I dont know about "gaming" but engineering methods have greatly improved since nasa's glory days back in the 60's. Computational engineering methods have great accelerated engineering and safety records.

[perfectionbox]

It helps that there wouldn't be any stiff winds on the Moon either.

[zzbin]

it just went up and then down... people landed on the moon in the 60's. real impressive.

[Jaciilyn]

you do realize this is what NASA did in the 60s too right? With billions of dollars in budget, and a cities worth of engineers.

Armadillo Aerospace isnt even close to that well funded nor as many employees.

[babluc]

Its always harder to come up with the idea then it is to copy someone

[Whatchatalkingbout]

Armadillo Aerospace has the benefit of an extra 40 years worth of increased computing power compared to NASA in the 60's.

[rhennigan]

The fire wouldn't be a problem on the moon because of the lack of oxygen.

[alpharaptor1]

they would be carrying the other material needed for combustion, more than likely a jet of gas would achieve the same end on the moon

[Datan0de]

Outstanding achievement, guys! Your hard work is clearly paying off in spades! Beautiful flight, and 10 cm is amazing accuracy!

[bbrockert]

They didn't do 10cm.

[jdesbonnet]

What is causing the fire after engine cutoff?

[Dittlelifferent]

depends on the fuel. its hot enough to reignite. or if its a hypergolic engine then to oxidizer and fuel are mixing.

[bbrockert]

There's no purge gas, so remaining ethanol in the injector and plumbing between the throttle valve and engine head boils off and burns in air.

[bfayer]

great flight, i wonder what would happen though when it has moondust under it when landing, I bet that would be an enormous cloud. wonder how they track position.

[ralphwroberts]

FANTASTIC! You go, Armadillo!

[featheredmusic]

wow awesome!

[moneyman10k]

need a far shot of its travel in there, you only get the perspective of what is going on from far away

[fetchjim]

Very impressive! Can't wait to see what they'll be able to do with the prize money.

[oz9aec]

Beautiful flight, congratulations!

[Keylimedelight]

Wow, congrats to the Armadillo guys