NASA and Diversity

On Sat, 18 Feb 2006 08:41:54 -0500, Saville
wrote in ::


There's hope though:

We are seeing a replay of the 20's and 30's. there's work on rocket powered
air racing; the X-prize was won and Diamandis is working on another more
lofty (pun intended) goal. This is one way aviation technology leaped
ahead in the past, and how space technology may leap ahead in the future.
Note that these are private enterprises.


[Thanks for your input in the earlier thread]

Indeed, the 21st century is upon us:



X PRIZE CUP
http://www.xpcup.com/index.cfm
2006 X PRIZE CUP Week
October 16th - 22nd
TWO-Day Spaceflight Exposition
October 21st & 22nd



DIAMANDIS LAUNCHES ROCKET RACING LEAGUE
Premier Competition of 21st Century' Unveiled
http://www.rocketracingleague.com/me...nches-rrl.html
Rocket races will operate much like auto races, with the exception
that the "track" is up in the sky. Courses are expected to be
approximately two miles long, one mile wide, and about 5,000 feet
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 straight-aways, vertical
ascents, and deep banks. Each pilot will follow his or her own
virtual "tunnel" or "track" of space through which to fly, safely
separated from their competitors by a few hundred feet.

Highly skilled X-Racer pilots will employ state-of-the-art
differential GPS technology to ensure minimal chances of physical
contact between the racers.

Upon take-off, onlookers will easily follow the race as the rocket
planes remain in view and sport 20-foot rocket plumes. Fans can
also track their favorite pilots' progress via large screen
televisions and hand-held GPS tracking devices using WiFi to
stream video of the cockpit, live "on-track" shots, "side by side"
views and wing angle views.

Fans at home will be treated to a three-dimensional course where
the "tracks" pilots are following can be seen. Special effects for
lap completions, barrier violations and penalties will also be a
part of the show.



ROCKET RACING LEAGUE
http://www.rocketracingleague.com/
In addition to hosting independent race events worldwide, The
Rocket Racing League will exist as the primary race support and
hosting element of the X PRIZE Cup. The first race is planned for
September 2006 and will take place at the inaugural X PRIZE Cup
event in New Mexico.

About the X PRIZE CUP
Awarding the $10,000,000 ANSARI XPRIZE was not the end, but the
beginning of an annual event called the X PRIZE CUP. This is your
space program. The X Prize Foundation has created an event which
the public can attend in order to experience space and be a part
of the next generation of spaceflight. ...



The EZ Rocket
http://www.xcor.com/ez.html
The EZ-Rocket is a modified Long-EZ homebuilt aircraft. The
aircraft is powered by twin 400 lb thrust regeneratively cooled
rocket engines and fueled by isopropyl alcohol and liquid oxygen.



October 6, 2005
Rocket Planes, A New Era For Air Racing...
http://www.avweb.com/newswire/11_40b.../190717-1.html

....The Evolution Of X Prize...
http://www.avweb.com/newswire/11_40b.../190718-1.html



Rocket-Powered Air Races to Launch Next Year
http://www.popsci.com/popsci/aviatio...cbccdrcrd.html
The airplanes will initially be based on the XCOR Aerospace
EZ-Rocket, a modified Long-EZ (a homebuilt aerobatic airplane
designed by Burt Rutan) that has been used as a testing platform
for the XCOR corporation’s rocket technology. XCOR will upgrade
the engines to 1,500- to 1,800-pound liquid-oxygen and kerosene
motors that generate twice the thrust of the current 400-pound
liquid-oxygen- and alcohol-fueled motors, two of which power the
EZ-Rocket. Racing teams will be allowed to modify their vehicles
and introduce new technology to enhance performance—hence the
development potential for future space-tourist flights.

Although the X-Racers will carry enough fuel for only four minutes
of powered flight, the engines could be shut off and reignited
repeatedly during races, allowing the pilots to time their boosts
to critical moments and then coast down from their top speeds
until the boost was needed again.



‘Rocket racing league’ gets its start
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9572408
"It is nothing like NASCAR or Indy car," he told the journalists.
"It is 10 times louder."

"We're here because we see this as another means of making rocket
flight more tangible to the public. This is an opportunity to
introduce the power and thrill of rockets in the form of
high-velocity entertainment," Smith said. "Today's announcement
resurrects the great American tradition of air racing, wraps it in
the technology of the 21st century, and gives the nation a
thrilling glimpse of things to come, thanks to Peter Diamandis and
Granger Whitelaw. The Rocket Racing League is an atmospheric
showcase for the kind of rocket technology that will evolve in
time from spectator sport to citizen suborbital spaceflight."