Paging Al Unser III

Rocket racing. Real rockets, real pilots.

A private group of rocketeers has banded together to create the Rocket Racing League with aims at blurring the line between competitive racing and human spaceflight. Their vision: A fleet of at least 10 stock rocket planes flown by crack pilots through a three-dimensional track 5,000 feet above the Earth.

"Imagine not one, but 10 of these fire-breathing dragons flying around a race course." -- Peter Diamandis

One of these visionaries is Peter Diamandis, who also founded the $10 million Ansari X Prize suborbital competition for private piloted spacecraft.

The liquid oxygen/kerosene fuel mix is expected to have a burn time of about four minutes, which would force pilots to repeatedly shut down their engines and glide, then restart as needed to surpass opponents, explained Searfoss, who will demonstrate the method during the upcoming prototype demonstration.

Because of their fuel type, X-Racers should also generate a 20-foot flame easily visible from the ground, which will be vital for spectators, Diamandis said.

These people aren't crazy, they're looking to foster greater interest among the population for civilian spaceflight.

Better duck, NASCAR.

Thanks to Chris Hall at Spacecraft for the pointer. He's got some interesting background tie-in information too.

Posted by Ted at October 6, 2005 05:41 AM | TrackBack
Category: Rocketry