The initial report on Pixel’s crash: Challenge rules prevented Armadillo from repairing the broken leg on the vehicle, so they instead “propped up” the leg and resecured one of the competition-mandated weights on it. However, when the rocket started to lift off the vehicle tilted again; the flight system detected this and initiated an auto shutdown, causing the vehicle to tip over and fall.

Armadillo Aerospace’s Pixel vehicle lifted off on its return trip for the level 1 Lunar Lander Challenge at about 1:35 pm MDT. However, the vehicle lost attitude control just seconds after liftoff and flipped on its side, crashing back to the pad at about a 90-degree angle. That’s it for Pixel and the Lunar Lander Challenge this year, unfortunately.

The X Prize Cup organizers just had one of the prize officials on the big screens here being interviewed. He was explaining about how Pixel landed right near the end of the pad (about 15-20 cm away from the edge, at it turned out), and had just started to discuss an issue with one of the vehicle’s leg–when the PA announcer interrupted to tell attendees that Anousheh Ansari would be available to sign autographs in another tent. (The PA announcer was almost drowned out by the groans of those of us in the media tent.)

An X Prize official did come in a moment later to state that one of the legs had snapped off on landing, but that the leg could be repaired and Pixel would fly again to compete the Level 1 challenge.

Armadillo Aerospace flew Pixel again just after 12:40 pm MDT, staying in the air for approximately 95 seconds. It appeared to land upright but right on the edge of the pad; while there was some initial concern regarding whether all the legs made it onto the pad, one official reports that all the legs are indeed on the pad. If so, this would appear to be a successful first leg of the competition.

A new window for an Armadillo Aerospace Lunar Lander Challenge level 1 attempt opened at 11:45 am MDT (about one hour earlier than previously reported). They’re towing Pixel to the starting pad right now and we should see a launch attempt probably within an hour so.

I spoke for a few minutes a little while ago with John Carmack after Armadillo brought Pixel back to the staging area. The vehicle landed with two legs on the pad and two off the pad, which caused it to tip over. Carmack said the problem is with a sluggish control system that makes it hard for him to steer the vehicle directly over the pad for landing. The vehicle is undamaged and they plan to essentially dust it off and try again in a window that will open around 12:45 pm MDT.

According to X Prize officials, Armadillo Aerospace will try again later today for the Level 1 Lunar Lander Challenge. Pixel suffered only minor damage when it tipped over on landing and Armadillo believes it can be repaired. Also, a small piece of leather wrapped around the base of one of its legs fell off during ascent, but that appears to be a just a minor inconvenience. They plan to bring the vehicle back to the staging area shortly.

Armadillo Aerospace’s Pixel vehicle flew the first leg of the Level One Lunar Lander Challenge, but the vehicle landed off the padd and tipped over. There are no fuel leaks reported.

Here’s a video of a pair of Tripoli high-powered amateur rocket launches one minute apart a little over a half-hour ago. The first launch (on the far left of the screen) is about 10 seconds into the video, the second (in left-center) is about a minute later. The large white rocket in the center hasn’t launched yet.

Just got word (at 9:15 am MDT) that Armadillo is about 15 minutes away from fully pressurizing their LOX tanks, at which time they’ll be ready to fly.