 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| . |  |
. |
Rocket Racers Promise To Take Formula One Into The Sky
New York (AFP) Oct 03, 2005 Personal spaceflight pioneer Peter Diamandis unveiled plans Monday to take Formula One racing into the skies with rocket aircraft that will race around a three-dimensional course at up to 300 miles (480 kilometers) per hour. Diamandis, the founder of the 10-million-dollar X Prize for private spaceflight, said his Rocket Racing League would seek to tap into the highly lucrative market enjoyed by Formula One and Nascar racing. "It'll change the face of racing completely," he told reporters in New York. The aerial racetracks will be approximately two miles (3.2 kilometers) long, one mile (1.6 kilometers) wide, and about 5,000 feet (1,520 meters) high, running perpendicularly to spectators. The rocket planes, called X-Racers, will take off from a runway both in a staggered fashion and side-by-side and fly a course based on the design of a Grand Prix competition, with long straights, vertical ascents, and deep banks. Each pilot will follow his or her own virtual "tunnel" or "track" of space, separated from their competitors by a few hundred feet. "Of course it's risky," said Diamandis. "We're dealing with a new frontier." Pilots will use state-of-the-art Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to reduce the chance of any mid-air collision. The X-Racers, which are still in the development stage, are expected to cost around one million dollars each. They will be powered by a single 1,800 pound (800 kilogram) liquid and kerosene rocket engine. Instead of a throttle, the racers will have a simple on/off switch to operate the rocket burner. "It's either a glider, or it's a rocket, depending on which way the switch is clicked," said Rick Searfoss, a former space shuttle commander who will be among the first X-Racer pilots. The vehicles will only carry around four minutes worth of fuel, forcing the pilots to exercise their judgment in choosing the optimal moments to fire the rocket burner. "It will mean multiple shut-offs and relights," Searfoss said. Four of the aircraft will be brought online in 2006 and the league expects to have 10 X-Racers competing by 2007. The project envisages competitions across the United States, with annual finals at the X Prize cup in New Mexico. Diamandis, an aerospace engineer turned entrepreneur, is best known for the X Prize which he offered to the first ever privately funded spaceflight. The 10 million dollar reward was claimed in October last year by the rocket ship, SpaceShipOne, whose successful sub-orbital flight was seen as ushering in a new era of space tourism. Diamandis said commercial success for his new racing league would generate new investment in rocket technology and provide a further boost to the nascent space tourism industry. "It's all about making space flight accessible," he said. Related Links SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express
NASA, Industry Partners Complete Tests Of Solar Sails
Sandusky OH (SPX) Sep 28, 2005NASA engineers and their industry partners have successfully deployed two 400-square-meter solar sails during ground testing. This is a critical milestone in the development of a unique propulsion technology that uses the Sun to propel vehicles through space. |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
