Comments on: Great hovering armadillos!

By: Kirk

Kirk — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 21:14:27 +0000

Lucky for us, and for Carmack and friends, no government money has or will be spent on Armadillo’s efforts. Private funding is, well, private. So if they take humans into space, to the moon or beyond, only their investors and/or paying customers will have anything to say about it. Your earthbound tax dollars are safe. Just let’s encourage Congress to support private enterprise in space, and not squelch it with overburdensome regulations, fees, etc.

By: alexander justice

alexander justice — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 06:02:59 +0000

Although I do trust some scientists, I don’t trust my government, and I don’t want it (or any other country) to spend any more money on sending humans anywhere but earth orbit. And I trust “private enterprise” even less than I trust governments, and definitely do not want any private mucking about in space authorized for many centuries to come.

There are lots of terrific things going on in space exploration, without humans on board, that don’t cost so much and work very well. As a taxpayer and voter that’s what I intend to support. As for those trillions of dollars that moon and Mars missions would cost, I’d rather spend them on improving elementary school education worldwide, so that reason can begin to prevail and famine and violence are greatly reduced.

By: icemith

icemith — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 05:46:13 +0000

I’m just wondering what happened to my post after 07:18am. Even this had been a second attempt as I had accidently clicked off the previous attempt as I had been checking in Wikipedia to confirm information. Concerned “Flying Bedstead” development in the 50s etc., plus other observations.

Have there been some hang-ups with the account?

Ivan.

By: Phil

Phil — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 18:00:14 +0000

Congratulations to Armadillo Aerospace and ME! 2nd June was my 20th birthday.

By: Eric

Eric — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 15:59:27 +0000

Anyone know what it was that appeared to fall off of the armadillo at the time of the second take off. I am at work so I had to watch the video without sound, maybe that would have told me. It landed OK, so it must not have been anything too important.

By: John Paradox

John Paradox — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 15:18:51 +0000

Pixel is the name of the craft.

but can it walk through walls?

(RAH reference)

J/P=?

By: Bill Higgins-- Beam Jockey

Bill Higgins-- Beam Jockey — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 14:40:09 +0000

Jack Hagerty writes:

“Gary Hudson demonstrated this over 10 years ago (1996?) with the DC-X technology demonstrator at Mcdonnell-Douglas.”

I attended one of the DC-X flights in the summer of 1993, and knew people working on the project. This is the first I have heard that Gary Hudson was involved in that project. Could you be mistaken?

Certainly the vehicle resembles ideas Gary Hudson was championing for a long time. But I didn’t think he had been working for McDonnell-Douglas to build the DC-X or its (hypothetical) successors.