Masten's Xombie Nails Vertical Flight Test

By Nancy Atkinson - February 16, 2012 at 9:33 PM UTC | Space Exploration

Masten Space Systems'

unmanned Xombie rocket recently made a successful flight test, flying from one pad to another and landing again. This was the first free-flight test for Xombie as part of NASA's Flight Opportunities Program. Using the GENIE (Guidance Embedded Navigator Integration Environment) System, the Xombie suborbital rocket lifted off 50 meters to a stable hover, then flew laterally down range 50 meters, and then landed safely during a controlled 50 meter descent. The testing, which exercised the autonomous guidance, navigation, and control technology needed to fly planetary landing trajectories, was conducted at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California.

Last year, Masten was awarded a two-year contract to fly research and technology payloads to suborbital space. NASA hopes this program will enable regular, reliable and low-cost access to near-space, with easy recovery of intact payloads.

Six other private spaceflight companies — including Virgin Galactic, Armadillo Aerospace and XCOR Aerospace — also received funding. Altogether, the contracts are worth a total of $10 million.

Other rocket technologies that Masten is working on includes a new engine called "Scimitar," which throttles between 1100 lbf (pound force) and 300 lbf, and incorporates a number of new technologies, and the 3000lbf Katana engine.

Masten says they have also recently signed contracts with other non-governmental entities.

In 2009, Masten won a $1 million prize in a the NASA-backed Northrup Grumman Lunar Landing Challenge, a simulated lunar landing contest using the Xombie rocket.

Nancy Atkinson

Nancy Atkinson

Nancy Atkinson is a space journalist and author with a passion for telling the stories of people involved in space exploration and astronomy. She is currently retired from daily writing, but worked at Universe Today for 20 years as a writer and editor. She also contributed articles to The Planetary Society, Ad Astra (National Space Society), New Scientist and many other online outlets.

Her 2019 book, "Eight Years to the Moon: The History of the Apollo Missions,” shares the untold stories of engineers and scientists who worked behind the scenes to make the Apollo program so successful, despite the daunting odds against it. Her first book “Incredible Stories From Space: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Missions Changing Our View of the Cosmos” (2016) tells the stories of 37 scientists and engineers that work on several current NASA robotic missions to explore the solar system and beyond.

Nancy is also a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, and through this program, she has the opportunity to share her passion of space and astronomy with children and adults through presentations and programs. Nancy's personal website is nancyatkinson.com