Editing Armadillo Aerospace (section)

===Wirefly X-Prize Cup 2006===
[[File:ArmadilloAerospace Pixel Attempt1 c.jpg|thumb|right|Pixel attempting level 1. White tanks are insulated and contain [[liquid oxygen]], grey tanks contain [[ethanol]].]]

Armadillo Aerospace competed in the 2006 [[X PRIZE Cup]]. Armadillo Aerospace was the only competitor in the [[X-Prize Cup#Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge|Lunar Lander Challenge]]. The company took two similar vehicles, Pixel and Texel, to the event. The vehicles narrowly failed to win the Level 1 prize, after making three dramatic attempts totalling over 5 minutes in the air,<ref>[http://www.armadilloaerospace.com/n.x/Armadillo/Home/News?news_id=337 Armadillo Aerospace – News Archive<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070315233935/http://www.armadilloaerospace.com/n.x/Armadillo/Home/News?news_id=337 |date=March 15, 2007 }}</ref> finally crashing out on the final attempt. Persistent landing problems were the main cause of failure, with the undercarriage breaking several times, and landing slightly off the pad on one occasion due to guidance difficulties. These flights were a highlight of the Wirefly X-prize cup.

====Quad vehicle====
{{Main|Quad (rocket)}}
The quad vehicle design is [[Pressure-fed engine (rocket)|pressure-fed]] in blow down mode from an initial pressure of 320 psi for level 1 (400 psi level 2). The roll thrusters are cross-fed by gas drawn from ullage space of the opposite tank. The vehicle is able to transfer propellant through connecting pipes between opposite tanks by controlling ullage pressures with the thrusters; this helps it balance, minimizing gas use. The main engine has two-axis [[thrust vectoring]]. The vehicle is fully computer controlled; with guidance from GPS and fiber optic gyroscopes.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}