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Carmack aims for Space

Software boffin hopes to blast-off within two-years

Whilst Doom 3 appears to be progressing very nicely, certainly in the technology department, id Software supremo John Carmack’s technical wizardry could soon face its toughest test as the entrepreneur enters the space race competing for the ‘X-Prize’. The $10 million space program award will go to the first team that can build and launch a three-person spacecraft to an altitude of 62.5 miles twice in a fourteen-day period.

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Twenty-one teams have so-far entered into the race, designed to encourage the dream of passenger space flight into reality, with members of NASA and military aerospace engineers among them – Carmack certainly faces some very tough competition.

“I'm paying for it out of my own pocket. The money is there. We just need to go do it,” commented the 32 year-old in the Houston Chronicle recently. Carmack predicted victory within two years, despite better-qualified rivals.

Recently Carmack's company, ‘Armadillo Aerospace’ successfully carried out the first manned flight of their ‘lander’. The movies are very impressive and it must have taken some 'balls' to be the guinea pig pilot.

Their website is at www.armadilloaerospace.com.

More news on this as we get it.

1. We can only hope that John Carmack experiences a nasty decompression if he goes up.

   Prophet Tenebrae Saturday, 19 October 2002, 06:39:35