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Rocket Racing Gets Its First Team
quad4b writes to tell us Wired is reporting that the Rocket Racing League (RRL), launched last October by Granger Whitelaw and Peter Diamandis of Ansari X Prize fame, has its first official team. "Leading Edge Rocket Racing" was launched by entrepreneurs and former F-16 pilots Don "Dagger" Grantham and Robert "Bobaloo" Rickard who see this as the "next great flying experience."
Once Spacex gets their launch vehicle off the ground, maybe Elon can put up some money for this, too. Come on, put PayPal's money to some good entertainment use.
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They weren't even that good at catching Pokemon.
Ill *safely* call this a gimick for now, but to be honest...
I wont be surprised if this does end up getting off the ground in a few yea--er, decades (pun definitely intended)
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But hey, let 'er rip and we'll see what happens.
Sometimes it's best to just let stupid people be stupid.
The rocket powered aircraft will only be able to turn left.
"Fans on the ground will see the virtual track superimposed over the action on giant TV screens as well as on specially developed handheld units. A video game also in development by the RRL will pit fans at home against actual pilots during races." their are alot of gamers out there who i think would love the oportunity to take on actual f-16 pilots
Sound like just the kind of thing Joe-sixpack can relate to.
If you wanna get rich, you know that payback is a bitch
TFA.
Ex nihilo nihil fit.
It might just be their "next great dying experience" as well.
Yes. People will die in these rocket races. People die on car race tracks. People die surfing. People die exploring Antrarctica, too.
NASA astronauts are treated like national treasures which must be protected at any cost. The whole country goes into mourning when they die and the space program is halted for years. When people will die in these races their comrades will drink to their memory in the evening and climb into another rocket vehicle the next morning.
These rocket races will give small companies a chance to get their hands dirty with rocket engines. The engines that will eventually power the vehicles that take us to space.
Stop worrying about the risks of nuclear power and start worrying about the risks of not using nuclear power.
Still I have no doubt people will be dying to have a go.. ;)
Hm... I tried submitting this story a couple times in the past week, with no luck. I've pasted my submission below, which has a little more info on why the Rocket Racing League could be significant, and a video of former Shuttle Commander Rick Searfoss test-piloting the rocket-plane prototype:
X Prize founder Peter Diamandis's Rocket Racing League has announced its first rocketplane team, headed by two F-16 pilots. The team's expected annual operating cost is up to $1 million, compared to $18 million for a NASCAR vehicle. A video is also available of former Shuttle Commander Rick Searfoss test-piloting a prototype racer at the 2005 X Prize Cup. It's hoped that the competition will help foster the development of more robust, economical, and reliable rocket technology.
I'm still not sure on whether or not this League will be successful. It's a neat idea, but it'll be tricky to do this well, without making it boring or too tacky.
Not that I think this is a gimmick, but just because something makes the cover of PopMech doesn't mean it actually exists, ever will exist, or is even remotely practical. It's a pretty low bar.
... 1:1 reproduction of the Titanic, giant 'floating island' aircraft carrier, 747-sized gyroplanes, supersonic Skycars...).
Not to say that the stuff they have on there isn't usually very cool, it just has a tendency to fail to materialize later. (Examples off the top of my head
These are the same people who were saying in 1955 that there'd be a big lump of plutonium in everyone's water-heater in 20 years, and last time I checked, mine's not sheathed in lead. I wouldn't use it to back up any claims of possibility.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my killbot features Lotus Notes and a machine gun. It is the finest available."
No, they don't use that nick as a radio call sign.
In the USAF, a pilot may have his name on the side of a plane, but it's not 'his' a/c. That's just for a pic to send home to mom. He flies whatever maintenance gives him that day.
This pic shows the right side of an F-16, with the crew chief's name on it. Some pilots name will be on the other side, sans nickname.
Leading Edge Rocket Racing" was launched by entrepreneurs and former F-16 pilots Don "Dagger" Grantham and Robert "Bobaloo" Rickard who see this as the "next great flying experience."
/Thanks I'll be here all week! Enjoy the Prime Rib!
What is the difference between a jet fighter and the fighter pilot inside it?
The jet stops whining when it's turned off.
Rocket Jockey
This is what I was reminded of when I saw the headline. Too bad, they would never add the elements Rocket Jockey had. That would definitely get me to watch it.
Sign me up though when people will be straddling rockets and trying to clothesline each other with ropes. :D