id software's co-founder John Carmack & his company 'Armadillo Aerospace' have failed to secure the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander challenge prize money when the rocket (dubbed 'pixel') tipped over & crashed shortly after take-off on it's second attempt. The rocket, designed for vertical take-off & landing, had previously completed a first attempt but sustained damage on landing which disqualified it. Now that the second attempt has failed Carmack is pulling the plug.

"Pixel is probably not going to fly again,” Carmack said in a post-crash interview. "It's down for the count.”

full story link.

UPDATE : After some inspection of the downed rocket 'pixel' Carmack has decided to try again next year & is hopefull of a successful flight & landing. Story Update.

“We could have won this year with a little good luck, but by next year we will be so well prepared that it would take crushing bad luck to keep us from winning,” Carmack emphasized.

promoted forum item

OK Then... =/

Brings me back to those old school games where you had to fly the lunar module.. haha could never land the bloody thing :@

The problem with the rocket was that the windshield was a sheet of black with a small circular viewing hole.

command, i got a problem here

some cowboy clipped me on the way in

It must have been on a treadmill.

But couldn't the problem be fixed with a point release?

everyone will forget about it by then

My only regret is that Carmack wasn't on the rocket, and it didn't crash land on some martian base with no lights, spooky demons and TWO HANDED f***ING TORCHES ZOMG CAN'T USE PISTOL WITH TORCH.

*cough*

i thought his game programming experience would naturally transfer to rocket science

I remember seeing the doco on SBS or ABC about that whole private enterprise space race thing. Carmack's spaceship looked pretty crappy then, and I assume it didn't get any better. ;)

that was a different competition for companies to try & get a commercially viable craft out of the atmosphere (into space) & back. this competition was for a vertical take-off & landing craft like the lunar lander.

also, omg lolz doom3 == teh dark lolz :D