Xombie on the pad.(Credit: Draper Lab)
Dave Masten
Founder and CTO, Masten Aerospace
Mojave, California
Xearo
- Xaero capable of reaching 100,000 feet
- Next generation beyond Xoie, which won the Lunar Lander Challenge
- Under flight testing now
- 88 tether flights
- 2 successful free flights
- Installing an aeroshell on Xaero changed flight characteristics
- “By the time we figured out what was going on, we were 88 tether flights in.”
- Building a second Xaero within the next few months to do high altitude flights up to 100,000
- Masten has too many customers for the first Xaero, which will be used for low-altitude flights