Masten Space Systems Successfully Completes Lunar Lander Challenge

MOJAVE, Calif., Oct. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Masten Space Systems successfully
completed level one of the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge X Prize
Wednesday. The 715lb vehicle originally named XA0.1B - referred to as "Xombie"
- completed two flights to qualify for the $150,000 Level One prize of the
Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091008/SF89926)

The flight trajectory involved taking off from a pre-designated launch pad,
ascending to an altitude of 53 meters, flying 50 meters horizontally to
another pad, and landing as close as possible to the pad's center. The small
Masten Space team then refueled Xombie before making an identical flight back
to the original pad. Average landing accuracy for the two flights was 16cm
(6.3 inches) from the target on each pad.

Qualifying for level one of the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge X
Prize is a huge demonstration of the company's ability to turn a vehicle
around quickly and efficiently as it works towards a high flight rate
commercially. "We flew two fairly boring flights within two hours. I suspect
we could have done it half a dozen more times if we had the fuel available. We
should be offering that same operational efficiency to our customers very
soon," said David Masten, CEO.

Xombie's propulsion system is a proprietary regeneratively cooled isopropyl
alcohol and liquid oxygen rocket engine. The engine was originally designed
for 750 pounds of thrust but is now running at around 900 pounds. "Xombie's
current engine is a variation to those we've used in the past," said
propulsion engineer Jonathan Goff. "We expect to continue to use this line of
engines well into the future and make them available commercially."

"Being able to complete level one means we're ready to start scaling up the
vehicles and pushing the flight envelope," said Ian Garcia, Masten's flight
software engineer. "I'm really looking forward to going higher and faster
until we hit space."

In addition to flying "Xombie," the Masten team is assembling and testing
another vehicle - XA0.1E - for two Level Two attempts later this month.
"XA0.1E - or 'Xoie' as she's called - is lighter and has larger propellant
tanks to handle the additional flight time required for Level Two," said
project manager Ben Brockert. "Now that Xombie is done we can focus
exclusively on Xoie. Being able to compete for both Level 1 and Level 2 in the
same month with two different vehicles will be a seriously cool
accomplishment."

Masten expects to begin offering payload slots on low altitude commercial
flights by 2010. "Using the same technologies and operational procedures
demonstrated in the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge, we can offer
affordable payload options for research, Technology Readiness Level
acceleration, or quality assurance applications," said Michael Mealling, Vice
President of Business Development. "Along with our recent Department of
Defense SBIR contract, this flight signals the advance of Masten Space Systems
into a new stage of business."

"Ultimately, we are looking to open up the final frontier by making space
travel as safe, simple and ubiquitous as flying an airplane," said Masten.
"This is just one small step on that path."

About Masten Space Systems
Masten Space Systems is a Mojave, CA, based aerospace company developing fully
reusable vertical takeoff, vertical landing (VTVL) launch vehicles,
rocket-related products, and engineering services. The company's 6000 square
foot production facility and 100,000 square foot testing facility is located
on the Mojave Air and Space Port. The company designs and builds aerospace
solutions that focus on durability, long operational lifetimes, and minimal
per-flight maintenance. For more information on the company see
http://masten-space.com

About The Lunar Lander Challenge
The Lunar Lander Challenge is a two-level, two million dollar competition
requiring a vehicle to simulate trips between the Moon's surface and lunar
orbit. The vehicle is required to rise to a height of 50 meters, translate to
a landing pad 50 meters away, land safely, and then return, following the same
path. Two levels have been defined: one with smooth landing pads and total
flight time of 90 second, the other with a replica lunar surface and 180s
flight time. The prize purse is provided by NASA's Centennial Challenges
program which provides cash prizes to independent inventors for significant
advances in technologies of interest to NASA and the nation. Support of the
XPRIZE program beyond the prize purse is provided by Northrop Grumman
Corporation, a world leader in providing technologically advanced, innovative
products, services and solutions in systems integration, defense electronics,
information technology, advanced aircraft, shipbuilding and space technology.
For more information see http://space.xprize.org/lunar-lander-challenge

Contact:
Masten Space Systems
Michael Mealling
+1-678-640-6884
mmealling@masten-space.com
http://www.masten-space.com

SOURCE Masten Space Systems

Michael Mealling of Masten Space Systems, +1-678-640-6884,
mmealling@masten-space.com