Rocket-Powered Car Aims for 1,000-Mile-an-Hour Record

Oct. 23, 2008 -- A British team launched an attempt on Thursday to set a new land speed record with a rocket-powered car that could reach 1,000 miles per hour.

The Bloodhound Project is led by Richard Noble, who oversaw the team which set the existing record of 763 m.p.h. in the Black Rock desert of Nevada 11 years ago.

Unveiling a model of the car at London's Science Museum, Noble said the project also aimed to encourage more children to study engineering.

"Going fast is not the total reason for doing this. We're setting off today on the most incredible engineering adventure which we hope will inspire the future generations to take up careers in science, engineering and technology," he said.

Noble, who first set the land speed record in 1983, said Britain had to stay ahead of the competition.

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"We have held the land speed record for the last 25 years and we still hold it. There is early competition developing and we have to defend our record."

The car will be driven by Royal Air Force pilot Andy Green, who was also at the wheel when ThrustSSC set the record in 1997.

Almost 13 meters (43 feet) long, it will weigh 6.4 tons, as much as four family saloon cars.

But it will be able to reach speeds of up to 450 meters per second -- equivalent to the length of four football pitches.

To achieve its aim of adding more than 200 m.p.h. to the existing record, the car will need to be as tough as a submarine, withstanding 12 tons of force per square meter.

The organizers say they are confident of securing sponsorship for the 10-million-pound ($16.3 million) project, which is being developed by the Bristol-based University of the West of England.

They are aiming to complete the construction of the car by next year and achieve the new record by 2011.

The land speed record is the highest speed achieved by a wheeled vehicle on land.

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Bloodhound Project

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