Doom designer's X-Prize attempt X-plodes

  • By thorsen-ink, GameSpot
  • Posted Oct 30, 2007 10:39 am PT

In 2000, famed game designer John Carmack founded Armadillo Aerospace, a company dedicated to building and launching a spacecraft and winning part of X-Prize Foundation's burgeoning purse of prize money. Unfortunately in August 2004, the company's attempt to get a $35,000 rocket off the ground...

In 2000, famed game designer John Carmack founded Armadillo Aerospace, a company dedicated to building and launching a spacecraft and winning part of X-Prize Foundation's burgeoning purse of prize money. Unfortunately in August 2004, the company's attempt to get a $35,000 rocket off the ground failed spectacularly, generating a Doom-worthy inferno seconds after ignition.

For the next three-plus years Armadillo Aerospace has tested and fined-tuned its designs to prevent another disaster. Over the weekend, Carmack and company again took to the proving ground, this time to vie for $350,000 in the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge, part of this year's X-Prize competition.

Sadly, Armadillo's attempts went up in smoke--literally--when the vehicle tipped over and exploded just seconds before it would have won the prize by hovering for 180 seconds and then landing on a simulated moonscape. Pieces of the vehicle reportedly flew off in all directions in the explosion, which caused a fire large enough for Carmack to call for emergency assistance.

"From the field, we heard a little bit of a boom and there was a hard start on the engine of some type," X-Prize Foundation chairman and CEO Peter Diamandis told Space.com, which snapped a photo of the ensuing flames from afar (pictured). Carmack was more circumspect, saying only, "Today is officially a bad day when it comes to our vehicle."

64 Comments

  • Setmose

    Posted Aug 6, 2008 5:40 am PT

    It's a Carmack vehicle. It's supposed to explode.

  • Prowler_x1

    Posted Dec 7, 2007 8:50 am PT

    John, for $350,000 I am sure you can make a garbage can get at least 10 feet off the ground before it explodes. Heck, go crazy and make it 20 feet.

    If you got money to burn you might as well give it to the charity and avoid the humiliation.

  • SlyCoopersButt7

    Posted Nov 5, 2007 11:20 am PT

    I heard of that crash for a while but I never knew John Carmack was the one behind that rocket! I was surprised to see this. UAC is having a bad start!

  • F10yd

    Posted Nov 1, 2007 10:44 am PT

    Shouldnt he be busy coding the new id tech 5 engine

  • jodamn

    Posted Oct 31, 2007 11:39 pm PT

    I'll bet DOOM took a couple of tries too.

  • Bozanimal

    Posted Oct 31, 2007 11:10 am PT

    NASA sabotaged it to maintain their monopoly, those punks!

  • loumart08

    Posted Oct 31, 2007 11:09 am PT

    I was there when it happened

  • Doolum

    Posted Oct 31, 2007 10:24 am PT

    better luck to him next time

  • WormyTheWorm

    Posted Oct 31, 2007 10:06 am PT

    punishment for Doom3 LOL.... hmmm i think sum1 else may have already said that

  • demollyon

    Posted Oct 31, 2007 8:30 am PT

    Carmack is GOD!

  • rock_solid

    Posted Oct 31, 2007 8:20 am PT

    we need a video

  • Seymour47

    Posted Oct 31, 2007 6:49 am PT

    The X-Prize competition hasn't exactly been rife with success over the years. Until Scaled Composites actually got their craft into orbit and then back to earth safely a few years ago, no private company had succeeded in any facet of the competition. So, the moral of the story is; this isn't a surprise. Kudos to them for getting so close though.

  • jknight5422

    Posted Oct 31, 2007 6:42 am PT

    Sounds like this "re-invention of the wheel" crap for the space program isn't possible after all. Build on what has been proven to work already.

  • CLeRKSfan4life

    Posted Oct 31, 2007 4:56 am PT

    John Carmack is hardly "Our Hero" when it comes to rocket science

  • bluedevil64

    Posted Oct 31, 2007 4:27 am PT

    They fail to mention that Armadillo's craft was the ONLY one to actually launch, so not a total failure.

  • cann0n2o

    Posted Oct 31, 2007 3:44 am PT

    I've seen the footage its really cool, the explosion is the lamest bit! you can see it on the x-prize site and also the armadillo site... its well impressive

  • Chickensoup911

    Posted Oct 31, 2007 2:04 am PT

    It's Gods way of telling you to give up rocket science and to hurry up and make Doom 4!

  • Karmacodelc18

    Posted Oct 31, 2007 1:36 am PT

    Stick to Doom Carmack...

  • K_M82

    Posted Oct 31, 2007 1:29 am PT

    I hope this accident doesn't effect his ability to program great games in the future.

  • Humikimi

    Posted Oct 31, 2007 12:14 am PT

    Ohmigosh John. At least he doesn't give up eh?

  • 705H1R0

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 9:16 pm PT

    thebubbleprince, I doubt he spent "millions," seeing how the first one was only $35,000.

    [Insert joke about Rocket Science vs. Aperture Science here]

  • Reetesh

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 9:14 pm PT

    Hope Third time's a charm.

    350,000$ Wont be that much a problem as it will all be back as soon as a new game releases

  • arbo303

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 9:03 pm PT

    Stay in school, kids.

  • Valherran

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 8:01 pm PT

    Which part? The Rockets or the Car Mechanics?

  • Lumenadducere

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 7:55 pm PT

    I agree, a video would be great. :-p

  • UnchainedPsYcO

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 6:59 pm PT

    LOL Nice try John!

  • Jaeme

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 6:27 pm PT

    Guess he should stick to teleportation experiments. On second thoughjt maybe not.......

  • CHROMEFLAMIN

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 6:03 pm PT

    I think he should make a game about rockets and build off of that .

  • Haklin

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 5:40 pm PT

    man..someone would be in deep doodoo over this..i mean really how could you just let it 'tip over' :S...

  • Lylesburg

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 4:42 pm PT

    Tough Luck

  • thebubbleprince

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 4:41 pm PT

    ... well he wants to launch missles... let him, Hes prolly bawling at the moment because he spent millions on a rocket just to explode on take off.

  • polsci1503

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 3:51 pm PT

    good thing his rocket didn't make it - it would have opened the Gates of Hell.

  • StreetFighter10

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 3:44 pm PT

    This is called Karma. God is a HUUUUGE Doom fan and still plays it regularly. But he was VERY disappointed with the 'Emperor's New Clothes' crapfest that was Doom 3 and it's used-by-no-one engine.

  • Scroll-Lock

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 3:30 pm PT

    frog154 He didn't make Daikatana luckily.

    I'm sure He'll be more lucky next time.

  • mrbojangles25

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 3:03 pm PT

    Thats what you get for making Wolfenstein 2 a 360 only title!

    Huzzah!

  • SgtStrungOut

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 2:43 pm PT

    I guess he's DOOMed to have an eternity of no successful Aerospace projects. HAHAHAHAHA!!!

  • DemannameD

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 2:40 pm PT

    WHy isn't this on Youtube yet!!!!!!?????

  • vancealighieri

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 2:34 pm PT

    John Carmack Is Rocket Scientist first, coding is like a hobby. True innovation doesn't always work the first few times. It takes many failed attempts to get a design right. I guarantee the next version will be much better.

  • dn3datomiced

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 2:31 pm PT

    Man, you guys are awfully mean-spirited about this.

  • bureksasutlijom posted Oct 30, 2007 2:19 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    bureksasutlijom

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 2:19 pm PT (hide)

    PNWED!

  • kyo_tetsuei

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 2:15 pm PT

    Maybe he should stick to rocket launchers, and scrap the science.

  • chakan2

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 2:08 pm PT

    I guess rocket jumping to the target pad didn't work so well.

  • thesaxmaniac

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 2:04 pm PT

    NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

  • Unshaken

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 2:01 pm PT

    at least his games dun suck as bad as his rockets

  • CooVee

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 1:56 pm PT

    Well thank god for that. If that rocket did work it would probably open a gate way to hell somewhere out in space.

  • styphin

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 1:46 pm PT

    C'mon, this isn't rocket science.

    Oh wait.

  • smithy1185

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 1:43 pm PT

    Yikes, that must be depressing for John.

  • okassar

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 1:24 pm PT

    Lol,that sucks.He must have a fun life...making Doom,pursuing rocket science...make us Doom 4!

  • AA7

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 1:21 pm PT

    Stick to games John, go back to your PC and make us Doom 4.

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