Rocket Racing League

The Rocket Racing League is a proposed racing league that would use rocket powered aircraft. The formation of the league was announced by Peter Diamandis, founder of the Ansari X-Prize, on October 3, 2005, in partnership with the Reno Air Races. According to Diamandis, the purpose of the league is to "inspire people of all ages to once again look up into the sky and find inspiration and excitement."

Related Topics:
Racing - Rocket - Aircraft - Peter Diamandis - Ansari X-Prize - October 3 - 2005 - Reno Air Races

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Projected to be an hour in length, the races would be between purposed X-racer planes that would use liquid oxygen/kerosene fuel with a burn time of four minutes. The planes, produced by XCOR Aerospace, are expected to cost less than US$1 million each. The design will be based on the XCOR EZ-Rocket, which is in turn a modified Rutan Long-EZ.

Related Topics:
Liquid oxygen - Kerosene - XCOR Aerospace - Rutan Long-EZ

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While still in the planning stages, an exhibition race is tentatively scheduled for October 2006, with league competition starting in 2007. If league competition begins, Diamandis indicated tournament semifinals would be held each September in Nevada, with finals each October in New Mexico at the X Prize Cup.

Related Topics:
2006 - X Prize Cup

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Races would take place on a race course two miles long, one mile wide, and 5000 feet in the air. A typical race would take about one hour, and fans would be able to see multiple camera views, including cockpit, "on-track," "side-by-side" and wing-angle views.

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Additionally, a computer game is planned which will interface with racer position data in real time over the internet, allowing players to virtually compete with the rocket pilots.

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