X Prize Cup video scrapbook: Danger! Amateur Rockets

The copy at Space.com’s X Prize Cup video page still promises more than it delivers (and doesn’t spell Lunar Lander Challenge’s title sponsor quite right)… [update: spelling corrected; nagging works!]

Welcome to the Wirefly X PRIZE Cup On-Demand Video Archives
Don’t miss a moment of the 2006 Earth’s Great Space Exposition! Watch the thrilling events as teams compete in the Northrup Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge, Elevator Games, and more! Enjoy all the action, expos and events.

…but a few new videos have been posted since last time I looked, so apparently it’s a work in progress. It’s nice to see the pre-packaged video portions of the program that I missed by actually being at the event, especially the two-parter about New Mexico’s space history, and the somewhat strangely titled “Carmack vs. Moon,” in which X Prize officials explain that Lunar Lander Challenge is meant to inspire alternative technology for landing on the Moon.

Of special interest to Lunar Lander Challenge followers is “Best of Day #2: Highlights, Saturday, October 20th at the Wirefly X Prize Cup competitions.” (Never mind that Saturday was October 21st…) Watch for a couple of shots of John Carmack at the controls during Pixel’s bumpy landings and read his lips. The man wanted to win.

Also in the Best of Day#2, a short clip of the scary Rocket Truck In Chains firing its hillbilly hybrid engine. (Note to Tim Pickens: Maybe spend weekends this year rocketizing something that goes up?)

In other new videos… titles like this can’t be good for the experimental high-power rocket world: “Large Dangerous Amateur Rockets! Homebuilt personal missiles flown by members of the Tripoli Rocketry Association.” Who writes this stuff?

On the positive side, you don’t have to watch The History Channel ads with the Caveman to see the videos anymore. I don’t mind watching ads for Wirefly.com, since they did help pay for the show. On the not-yet-perfect side, this is far from a “Complete Video Archive.”