New Sponsor: AirGas

We are proud to announce that AirGas has become a sponsor for Team Phoenicia in the Lunar Lander Challenge. AirGas, the largest U.S. distributor of industrial, medical, and specialty gases and related hardgoods, is sponsoring Team Phoenicia by providing all of the liquid oxygen (LOX) and helium that the team needs for thorough testing and participation in the LLC. Team Phoenicia's rocket design, The Wind at Dawn, uses kerosene and LOX for its propellant combination. Without AirGas' sponsorship, Team Phoenicia would be unable to do nearly as thorough a test program as will now be possible. This greatly increases our chances of winning the Lunar Lander Challenge.

Both AirGas and Team Phoenicia are both very excited by the prospects this partnership brings. This is a tremendous sponsorship and Team Phoenicia is deeply grateful!

Now a word about our sponsor:

Airgas, Inc.(NYSE: ARG), through its subsidiaries, is the largest U.S. distributor of industrial, medical, and specialty gases and related hardgoods, such as welding supplies. Airgas is also a leading U.S. distributor of safety products, the largest U.S. producer of nitrous oxide and dry ice, the largest liquid carbon dioxide producer in the Southeast, and a leading distributor of process chemicals, refrigerants and ammonia products.

Airgas Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Peter McCausland founded the company in 1982. Through more than 350 acquisitions and internal growth, Airgas has built the largest national distribution network in the packaged gas industry. More than 14,000 employees work in more than 1,100 locations includes branches, cylinder fill plants, production facilities, specialty gas laboratories, and regional distribution centers to serve a diversified customer base. Airgas markets through multiple channels, including its own branches and outside sales force, a Strategic Accounts Team focused on large customers, distributors and resellers, telesales, catalog and eBusiness channels.

New Sponsor: Online Metals

Team Phoenicia is proud to announce that Online Metals, a ThyssenKrupp, NA Company, has joined Wind River, Ansoft, and emachineshop.com in our pursuit of the X Prize's Lunar Lander Challenge. Online Metals has agreed to and delivered the material necessary for the construction of the structure our rocket, The Wind at Dawn. Even more graciously, they are in the process of delivering the material for a second rocket and enough for a third will follow as Team Phoenicia is ready. With this great generousity, Team Phoenicia will be able to construct test our design in an extraordinarily thorough manner.

The Wind at Dawn's first structure will be complete within a week. Without Online Metals' help, this would not have happened nearly as quickly or as well. We thank them deeply for their aid.

Now from our sponsor:

Since 1998, OnlineMetals.com has been the Web's most dependable online store for small quantities of metal plastic and more. Buy online, or over the phone. The OnlineMetals team offers their complete support, and will ship materials right to your door.

OnlineMetals' stocks a variety of aluminum, copper, brass, stainless steel, bronze, hot roll steel, cold roll steel, titanium, tool steel, zinc, nickel, and most industrial plastics. The newest additions to their inventory include expanded metal, decorative sheet, metal tiles,
tool room supplies, and patinas.

OnlineMetals specializes in cut to length materials, so you buy only what you need, and there are no minimum orders. Their products have been used in a wide variety of customer applications, and they're pleased to add Team Phoenicia's The Wind At Dawn Rocket to the list.

Blowing Away the Dust

There has been a lot going on at Team Phoenicia since we last posted.

We have added team members.

We have added more sponsors.

We have bent metal.

We are set.

We will be flying and quite soon.

Over the next month we will be putting up a lot of blog posts. Today we will be starting with one of our new sponsors.