Rocket racers on the rise

Andy Motherway, Minneapolis, MN — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 04:46:38 GMT

Awesome! Finally!!!

Rocket racers on the rise

Bill McPherson, Martinsville, Indiana — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 05:03:37 GMT

If we have rocket races, sub-orbital flights, all with a goal of going even farther out than that, when and where will college courses be taught to expand all of this technology to the next generation? Dare we call it "Star Fleet Acadamy", even if unofficially? Think of a space shuttle named "Enterprise" that actually flew. I'd much rather have a space race, than an arms race.

Rocket racers on the rise

John Doe, Seattle, Washington — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 06:33:05 GMT

Starfleet Academy will come sooner or later and I would prefer sooner. This is awesome news. I wonder how much XCOR's stock is worth with all this new growth in Rocket Racing?

Rocket racers on the rise

Adam, Vancouver, WA — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 06:39:27 GMT

Is it me, or is this disaster waiting to happen? In all the articles I've read about this, no one has mentioned safety. NASCAR has at least three good crashes every race. I wonder how long this league will last once a fire ball of death takes out the grandstand. German Airshow, anyone?

Rocket racers on the rise

Alan Boyle — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 07:01:36 GMT

In fairness, I should say that Whitelaw did bring up the safety issue during the interview: "A couple of the things that we're going to be doing are focused on safety." As examples, he talked about how to make the cockpit safer for pilots and passengers, just as in auto racing "there has been a tremendous amount of research done on how to build a cockpit around the driver." Another effort would seek "to make the workload decrease in the case of a problem or an emergency" by automatically putting the plane into the proper glide path for an emergency airport landing. "The point is to bring a process to aviation and aerospace different from what I think is currently being done today - much more like what we're doing with race cars."

My only caveat would be that not all the issues surrounding rocket planes are like cars, even high-performance Ferraris. Maybe the rocket scientists out there could go into more detail about the differences. ;-)

Rocket racers on the rise

Bill Fowler — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 07:16:03 GMT

A flagrant waste of natural resources.

Rocket racers on the rise

red bull — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 07:42:00 GMT

you gotta be kiddin'
rockets schmockets
do they supply binoculars?
how does one read the numbers to follow their fave?
grow up, rocketeers...yer never goin' anywhere but rapidly around in circles...around a track or around the globe...same ol' same ol', eh?

Rocket racers on the rise

j powell elmira ny — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 07:56:53 GMT

what about the red bull races how do they compare

Rocket racers on the rise

Ferris Valyn, Ann Arbor, Mi — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:02:37 GMT

Bill Fowler,

Hardly - anything that helps to push the development of space helps society. And this most certainly helps us do that.

Rocket racers on the rise

Dr. Lucky lagos, Nigeria — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:14:52 GMT

big waste of resources which could used for the welfare of mankind in medicines and other life savings equipments.

Rocket racers on the rise

Colten Long, Indiana, 16 Years. — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:25:00 GMT

"A flagrant waste of natural resources.
Bill Fowler (Sent Monday, April 14, 2008 3:16 AM)"

Totally agree. At a time like this. When my generation (1990s) just came into the age of driving. With gas prices these "ROCKET RACERS" are just going to suck up alternate resources. Personally. I love aviation. I hope to find a career and serve my country in that field, but right now is not the time to start a "Nascar in the Sky". NASCAR is the most pointless thing I've seen. I enjoy the wrecks (sounds evil but thats what people really want to see) but i don't like the idea of it all. Again my point, it just sucks up more resources, resources that could be used for alternative fuels.

Rocket racers on the rise

Red Rum, Melbourne, FL — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:42:50 GMT

Waste of natural resources - perhaps - but the energy crisis may have a solution in space. Also, as Ferris Valyn said, anything that helps space exploration helps society.

Rocket racers on the rise

Wayne Martin — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:55:37 GMT

“big waste of resources which could used for the welfare of mankind in medicines and other life savings equipments.”

This is not a government financed venture so your comment is worthless! If this new sport flies… it flies... if it fails… it fails! This is the American way of competition and free enterprise which by the way helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need, never asking a thing in return.

How about Nigeria?

Rocket racers on the rise

stan — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:38:03 GMT

Tired of the "Wasting Resources" comment from folks with private jets and suv's.
Science spin off feeds the hungry, allows them to live longer, over-populate so we can feed some more (no natural population controls). We live well because of science and bash it constantly.

Rocket racers on the rise

Richard Speck — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:20:26 GMT

We are talking about Rockets which use about as much fuel as fits in a SUV tank (plus a larger quantity of Liquid Oxygen, extracted from the air). These efforts to advance technology will not put a crimp in supplies (compared to people driving to a football game).

The money invested would not be sufficient to PAY a high profile Football Player or singer. If you want to talk about wasting money - target them first!

It these developments lead to even a small improvement in NASA launch efficiency or costs, both the fuel burned and cost will be recovered from those improvements in LARGE Rocket performance.

Rocket racers on the rise

Dennis Gorman, Charlottesville, VA — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:53:38 GMT

Rehashing what could have been done with late 1950s rocket technology in airframes that are only designed to fly at half the speed of sound is certainly not progress. A good jet trainer (and some piston powered planes) could outfly every rocket plane that is currently proposed for racing. Now if all those folks that have millions to throw away were to fund a private race to the moon... That might push the technology a tad.

Rocket racers on the rise

Jorge, Miami, Florida — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:10:37 GMT

I don't get it. They will never fly faster than a modern air fighter and they will never go higher than a sub-orbital plane so what is the point? A better competition would be to try to launch an orbital flight. They stop trying to go farther after the sub-orbital flight during the X price. Sooner or later private flight would have to reach orbit

Rocket racers on the rise

Pete, Philadelphia, PA — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 04:30:17 GMT

Even though the Rocket Racing League is talking about using some of the NASCAR safety technology in their planes, I don't think much of it is applicable to a small, light aircraft that is traveling much faster than a race car. A crash at 300+ mph (projected flying speeds for the rocket planes) has a lot more energy to dissipate than a race car crash at 200 mph. If there is a major problem (loss of control authority, structural failure, massive engine failure, etc.) in one of these rocket planes, there aren't many options for survival. Also, because of the very short duration of the flights (rocket engines aren't exactly fuel efficient), I don't think rocket powered aircraft will be anything more than a niche market providing short, but spectacular flight displays at air shows. I just don't see the racing aspect catching on.

Rocket racers on the rise

cpret — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:28:09 GMT

Do you people really think that the U.S. had all its problems resolved when we landed on the MOON? Do you think that there was no strife in the world? That ther weren't whole nations living at the poverty level? I am personally tired of people who constantly bring out that old saw about "wasted resources" or "the money could be better spent". Do you people believe that Spain had all its problems solved when Columbus discoverd America? Grow up people.

Rocket racers on the rise

aaren bull winchester tn — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:57:36 GMT

what are they thinking a rocket that races thats just ignorant but i have heard some pretty stupid things this past year.

Rocket racers on the rise

RAD Victoria BC — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:36:30 GMT

This is an excellent idea. Because of racing, automobile developement surged ahead. I can't think of a better way to spend a day than to watch some rocket developers "push the envelope". There may be some accidents, I hope not but you never know. Did everyone think we were going to grow up into a space faring people without some risk? Just as our pioneer fathers did, I am willing to bet my life that this will work.

Rocket racers on the rise

Alex Hernandez, Miami, FL — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:41:37 GMT

I'm finding it really hard to get excited about this. Everyone says that it's going to advance space travel, but I don't really see how since our space craft are already more advanced than these little planes. Maybe if someone could explain more of the scientific benefits and not just the "cool factor" I'd be more stoked.

Rocket racers on the rise

Frank Glover Rochester, NY — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 21:12:15 GMT

"Now if all those folks that have millions to throw away were to fund a private race to the moon... That might push the technology a tad."

You are familair with the Google X-Prize, are you not?

Yes, it's unmanned, but the point is, lots of private space activity on a broad front, will get a real spacefaring civilization going, faster than two or three countries doing it the hard way...

Rocket racers on the rise

Delmar Fairchild, Barron, WI — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 23:57:52 GMT

As I was reading this, I was thinking back at all the Airplanes that we would see flying over our farm in Peshtigo, WI on their way to Oshkosh during the Fly-in. They came from all over. Vintage Army planes, modern jets, Russian cargo planes, etc. and since I've been on this side of the state, the Concord. We had mini fly-ins where outside towns would get visitors flying around and showing off their stuff. It was great. It gets one excited and makes a person proud to be an American.

I had the thought that perhaps I would just accidently look up and see a blur of a plane about 500 feet above the ground going over at 1,500 MPH, speeding south being chased by another. What a sight that would be. Alas it is only 300 MPH and up so high they need telescopes to view it. I think sometimes my grandkids drive their souped up lawnmowers faster than that as they race around the driveway loop!!

The trick to this whole idea is to start a little smaller than I would have envisioned and work it up over time. These fella having "backyard" ideas, are the people that will figure out something that we have never thought about before. They are the pioneers we need today so we can catch up to the future tomorrow. Good luck to them and to us.

Rocket racers on the rise

Ferris Valyn, Mason, Mi — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 05:15:32 GMT

For people wondering about what spin-offs can come from this, consider the following points and technologies its already developed
1. Races such as this will have a need for rapid refueling capabilities - Historically this has been a long process (think hours). The X-racer uses liquid Oxygen (like most other rockets), but already XCOR has developed a rapid refueling process such that it can transfer into the LOX tank the entire contents in under a minute. Given that you usually have to vent the Oxygen (since it boils and turns to gas below 0 degrees Celesius), this has made fueling a very difficult process. But this rapid refueling can be used by a lot of things, potential, making fuel and go spaceships that much closer.
2. High use rocket engines - historically, most rocket engines get inspected and analysis after every use. This is hardly practical for large scale usage - much like car and plane engines, you need to be able to use these engines multiple times without worry. Racing engines have to have that capablity, when racing.

Its worth noting that engine developed by XCOR for this is also the engine that will be used on its Lynx vehicle

Rocket racers on the rise

Plane nut — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 22:24:36 GMT

A waste? sure is, at least for the spectators and owners who will spend a small fortune creating the sport. The aircraft designers on the other hand, get critical design experience, that to date has been held only by big business. Marketing it as a sport seems to me to be a great way for small aerospace and aeronautical companies to offset the cost of research that they otherwise might not be able to afford, I wish them well in this endeavor.

Rocket racers on the rise

Alex Hernandez, Miami, FL — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:06:13 GMT

Thanks, Ferris, for explaining the spin-offs.

I'm really curious to see whether XCOR or Virgin will be open for business first. My gut tell me it'll be Virgin since they have more financial backing but they've also set their goal pretty high. XCOR is more modest but their goal is more attainable. I'm also dying to see Armadillo's racer.