***MEDIA ALERT***MEDIA ALERT***MEDIA ALERT***

MASTEN SPACE SYSTEMS ATTEMPTS LAUNCH OF LUNAR LANDER ROCKET VEHICLE TO QUALIFY FOR NORTHROP GRUMMAN LUNAR LANDER CHALLENGE MILLION DOLLAR PRIZE

Launch Scheduled For Sept. 16, 2009 at Mojave Air & Space Port, CA

WHAT: On Sept. 16, Masten Space Systems will be the second of at least three teams attempting to win a portion of a $2 million incentive prize purse as part of the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge (NGLLC), funded by NASA, and created and presented by the X PRIZE Foundation.

Masten will compete in Level 1 of the competition, hoping to win a second-place prize of $150,000 (first place went to Armadillo Aerospace at last year’s competition). Masten has already scheduled multiple dates at which they will attempt to complete the requirements for the Level 2 mission in October, which would put them in the running for a $1 million prize purse.

The two-level competition requires private companies to develop and launch rocket technology that will assist in NASA’s return to the Moon. Masten Space Systems will attempt to complete the requirements for the Level 1 mission with its rocket XA-0.1B, also called “Xombie.” To accomplish this lunar analog mission, the team must complete two successful rocket flights within two hours and 15 minutes, with the rocket rising to 50 meters, translating over to a second landing pad, and remaining in the air for at least 90 seconds on each flight. The prize requirements were designed so that the Level 2 mission—which requires a rocky lunar landing surface and flights of 180 seconds each—closely mimics the requirements and the difficulty of a real lunar lander mission.

The competition underscores last week’s report to President Obama by the Augustine Commission, which called for increased commercial sector participation both in orbital operations and NASA’s efforts to reach the Moon by 2020.

On Sept. 12, Armadillo Aerospace, led by id Software founder John Carmack, successfully completed the requirements for the Level 2 NGLLC prize purse, making it certain that NASA and X PRIZE will award at least $1 million before year’s end. Masten and the other teams have until October 31st to match or exceed Armadillo’s accomplishment.

WHEN: Wednesday, September 16

Media check-in at 5:00 a.m.

WHO: Interviews will be available with the following:

· David Masten, President and CEO, Masten Space Systems
· Will Pomerantz, Senior Director, Space Prizes, X PRIZE Foundation (via telephone)

MEDIA: Media are invited and encouraged to attend. Interested media should contact Tom Dietz at tdietz@kirvindoak.com or 702.737.3100.

WHERE: Mojave Air & Space Port

1434 Flight Line St.

Mojave, California 93501

OTHER: According to NASA, the historic 1969 lunar module would cost $12 billion in 2009 dollars. A mere 1/1000 of the cost has been spent by the competing teams ($12 million) to bring lunar landing technology into the 21st century.

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For More Information: Tom Dietz, Kirvin Doak Communications; (702) 737-3100; tdietz@kirvindoak.com