Some recent promising VTVL demonstrators
for technology research in suborbital flights as well as for moon landings
(or in modular configuration for manned suborbital flights)
 

Norbert Brügge, Germany

Update: 30.09.2011
 

X-Prize Cup: The Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge is a competition funded by NASA's Centennial Challenges program. The competition offers a series of prizes for teams that launch a vertical takeoff/vertical landing (VTVL) rocket
that achieves the vehicle to move between the surface of the Moon and its orbit. The multi-level competition is conducted by the X-Prize Foundation, with sponsorship from the Northrop Grumman Corporation. It has been held annually at the X-Prize Cup.

NG LLC: The X-Prize Cup was canceled for 2008, the Lunar Lander Challenge was held separately by Northrop Grumman.
Winners NG LLC, Level 1: First prize: Armadillo Aerospace 24 October 2008.  Second prize: Masten Space Systems 7 October 2009
Winners NG LLC, Level 2: First prize: Masten Space Systems 30 October 2009.  Second prize: Armadillo Aerospace 12 September 2009

CRuSR: Masten Space Systems of California, and Armadillo Aerospace of Texas were awarded contracts by NASA to provide flight opportunities for engineers, technologists and scientific researchers to fly technology payloads into space. It is part of NASA’s Commercial Reusable Suborbital Research (CRuSR) program.