After several real technical problems were found and solved overnight,
none of them turned out to be the cause of the previous day's computer
launch aborts. The actual problem was a clogged igniter inlet.
(Like with many liquid fuel rockets, MSS' igniters are actually just
much smaller rocket engines themselves.)
With the problem solved, Xoie flew the first of two required flight legs.
There had been a fuel leak.
Then after landing, the purge of propellants from the shutdown of the engine
made a normal small fireball which lit the dripping fuel on fire.
Xoie was damaged in the fire. Since only one liftoff had occurred,
the X-Prize judges ruled that another attempt would be allowed next
morning. Repairs of Xoie began in earnest before the judges even made
their decision.
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