"Rocket Racing League" launched by X Prize founder
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Print 10.04.2005 @12:06 PM
Contributed by Simon
Edited by Simon


Rocketship racing has stepped out of science fiction with the announcement of the Rocket Racing League by X Prize founder Peter Diamandis.

"The Rocket Racing League will inspire people of all ages to once again look up into the sky to find inspiration and excitement," said Diamandis in a news release. "New aerospace technologies coupled with the spirit of competition will not only extend the boundaries of entertainment, but continue the public's appetite for space ignited a year ago when the Ansari X Prize was awarded."

The news release describes the League as follows:


Similar to auto racing organizations, the RRL will organize, host and run competitions across the United States, with the finals taking place each year at the X PRIZE Cup in New Mexico. The league also plans to produce nationwide tours of its rocket planes and pilots to answer the public's demand for high-excitement entertainment. A video game based on the RRL is slated to launch in late 2007...

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.


The RRL plans to host a variety of races as it grows and each race will result in points awarded to its top finishers and qualifier. Timed qualifying rounds can be incorporated into the races, comparable to the 24-hour Le Mans race.

XCOR Aerospace of Mojave California has been contracted to design and build the first generation of X-Racers, which will be based on the design of XCOR's EZ-Rocket. Next generation vehicles will use an airframe provided by Velocity of Sebastian, Florida.

The RRL aims to generate revenue through sponsorships, ticket sales, broadcast rights, merchandising, tours and gaming. The league has also filed for patents in the area of rocket racing.


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Eh..  beats Nascar for sure.