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Armadillo is led (and largely funded) by John Carmack, a developer of computer games including DOOM and Quake. All of its employees (including Carmack) have other, full-time jobs and contribute their efforts to Armadillo on a voluntary basis. Like other Ansari X-Prize candidates, Armadillo runs on a relatively small budget, i.e., without support from major aerospace companies or agencies like NASA, ESA, or Boeing. Armadillo Aerospace has publicly declared itself fully self-funded.[1] As of July, 2004, Carmack estimates he has spent around US$1.5 million of his id Software fortune on the project, a tiny sum compared with the budgets of established manned spaceflight programs.[2]
Armadillo uses modern computer technology to simplify and reduce costs of rockets. For example, instead of stabilization fins which complicate the design and increase drag, it uses an aerodynamically unstable design, where the computer controls jet vanes based on feedback from fiber optic gyroscopeA gyroscope is a device which demonstrates the principle of conservation of angular momentum, in physics. The essence of the device is a spinning wheel on an axle. The device, once spinning, tends to resist changes to its orientation. The gyroscope was ins. Armadillo also has stated a preference for simplicity and reliability over performance, which is evident in its choice of hydrogen peroxideProperties General Name Hydrogen peroxide Chemical formula H O Appearance Colourless liquid Physical Formula weight 34. 0 amu Melting point 272. 4 °C) Boiling point 423 K (150 °C) Density 1. 4 ×103 kg/ m3 Solubility miscible Thermochemistry ΔH0 -136 (50 % concentration in water) and methanolProperties General Name Methanol Chemical formula C H OH Formula weight 32. 04 amu Synonyms Methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, carbinol. CAS number 67-56-1 Phase behavior Melting point 176 K (-97 °C) Boiling point 337. 7°C) Triple point 175. 7°C) ? bar Critica as a mixed monopropellantA (usually liquid) rocket propellant that can be used by itself, without the need for a second component. Monopropellants can either be a single chemical that can be made to decompose exothermically, or a mixture of chemicals (generally a fuel and an oxid for its Ansari X-Prize class vehicle. Rocket engines for several other propellants, including 90 % hydrogen peroxide, peroxide and keroseneKerosene or paraffin is a colorless flammable hydrocarbon liquid. It is obtained from the fractional distillation of petroleum at 150°C and 275°C (the to range). At one time it was widely used in kerosene lamps but it is now mainly used as a fuel for jet bipropellant and liquid oxygen and methanol bipropellant, have been tested. Armadillo is also notable for having an incremental testing strategy that involves firing the engines and flying the vehicle as much as possible, many times more often than other X-prize contenders.
On August 8August 8 is the 220th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (221st in leap years), with 145 days remaining. Events 1585 John Davis enters Cumberland Sound in quest for the North West Passage. 1588 Battle of Gravelines ends Defeated by the English duri, 20042004 is a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 2004 calendar), and has also been designated the: International Year of Rice International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition Elections are to be held in 73 co, a test flight of Armadillo's prototype vehicle ran out of fuel, crashed, and the vehicle was destroyed. The costs of constructing a new vehicle have been approximated to be around US$40,000.