Suborbital Blog

The downside to Rocket Racing

Paul over at P-12C Pilot has some reservations about the new Rocket Racing League.

• Expensive

This one I was expecting, it's certainly going to be one of the hardest, but hopefully the new industry will help out with this, as it will be reaping the benefits in the future.

• Refuelling

Stops every 15 minutes or so may well impede the flow of the race, unless the refuels themselves become an exciting part of the race. Maybe one of the first technology improvements we'll see will be a faster way to refuel the rockets, making it more fun to watch.

• Sound

What exactly will one of these sound like at 482kph (300 miles) so far overhead? Is it going to be the brooom-brooom of NASCAR, the high pitch whines of domestic aircraft? I like the loud bass, but high pitch I find intolerable. If that's the kind of sound they'll make, I don't want to hear it, ever. Will it even be audible on the ground at that altitude? Can you record the sound in the air when it's rushing past at that speed?

• Excitement

As for excitement, I'm hoping we'll get footage from inside/outside the rockets, not just from the ground. It would also be cool to see digital overlays of the track, across actual footage, with GPS tracking of the racers. Another cool thing that should be possible is a three dimensional track, that's something NASCAR is unlikely to ever have.

The Suborbital View

If you've been wondering what the view looks like in suborbital space, here is a great photo, taken by SpaceShipOne pilot Brian Binnie, courtesy of Scaled Composites.

I'd love this on my wall.

Clark's right you know...

This is Rocket Racing! Where's the buzz?
Non-military, manned rockets, suborbital space, racing!
This craps all over the Moller Skycar.
It doesn't get any better than this!

I disagree with Clark on the reason for the lack of buzz.
I don't think it's a lack of interest.
We've dreamed of the stars for so long, I can't believe people don't want to watch this evolution.

I'm in Australia, and I read the news about the Rocket Racing League in WIRED.
Where was the news coverage?
I went to find a blog on the topic, and found nothing.
This is not just a sport, this is history in the making.

I bring you the Suborbital Blog, documenting the exciting new adventures of the Rocket Racing League.

Rocket Racing League is #1

Wooo-hooo! The Rocket Racing League is #1 in The Best: 10 North American Geek Fests

1. Rocket Racing League Inaugural Event
Las Cruces, New Mexico, October 21-22
Think Nascar - but 5,000 feet off the ground and with rocket engines. The new racing series, from the founders of the X Prize, has pilots navigating GPS-created aerial routes at speeds of up to 300 miles per hour.

Dick Stafford thinks it should have been listed as The X Prize Cup.

Inspiration

On The Space Review, Taylor Dinerman asks Will rocket racing help us get into orbit?

Even if it does not directly aid technology or the space tourism economy, the inspiration of the league may be difficult to measure.

My generation grew up with space travel and the moon landings as a fact, as history. We know mankind went to the moon, but we didn't experience the thrill of the event ourselves, it hasn't happened in our lifetimes.

We have Google Moon, Space Food Sticks, cars with astronomical names and more Science Fiction than you can poke a stick at.

The inspirational and aspirational outcomes of the Rocket Racing League are still unknown.
While I wasn't around for the Moon Landing, I plan to travel into space before I die, whether I can afford it or not, may be up to the League.