The spacecraft, called MOD, built by Armadillo Aerospace, a private company of John Carmack tried to win a NASA chalenge worth $350,000 to simulate a flight on the moon. The Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Chalenge is one among many events held al the Holloman Air & Expo, on October 27-28 yearly.

NASA is putting up to $2 million in this chalenge. The competion has two levels. For the first level, the priaetly built devices have to take off from a specific launch area up to 150 feet (50 meters) altitude, and then stay in the air for about 90 seconds and land safely and precisely on a landing pad nearly 330 feet (100 meters) away. This was the first phase of this level, because the spacecraft hast to repeat in reverse the move. This level has to be completed with all, preparation of the spacecraft device and the two trips, in two hours and a half. NASA will award $ 350,000 for the first successful level one atempt and $150,000 for the second team for which the device complete again the two phases.

Level two will be awarded with $1 million for that first successful team builders and second place wins $500,000. For this level, the independently built spacecraft, actually, has to prove that it can really perform a lunar mission. The craft has to fly the same, like in the first level, but when it lands, the landing pad will immitate lunar terrain. So the simulated lunar surface will have craters and boulders like on the lunar surface.

On October 27, John Carmack MOD spacecraft has almost succeded to win the first competition level, as the first phase succesfully had been finished. On the reverse phase, due to ignitions troubles the vehicle had an abrupt take off, but still almost completed the period of staying in the air. Just before landing, in the second 83, a piece of the craft’s engine fell off and MOD started to turn back and forth and when two of its legs caught the concrete, it tumbled sideways.

The team said that damages are not severe and cand be fixed in a couple of hours. They also have a backup MOD to compete today.

Armadillo is the only team that conformed with Federal Aviation Administration safety requirements and was technically ready to launch, among other 9 teams that previously have announced their participation.