(See press release below)
I've known Ed Wright for a few years now, and he's been threatening to
start a rocket racing association since 1999. We've leased the EZrocket
to X-Rocket (pity the names are so similar) for the 2002 season, not so
much to raise revenue to XCOR but mostly to raise the public
conciousness, build investor confidence, and gain experience. If
multiple teams emerge in the next year or two, XCOR would of course be
happy to sell propulsion systems and safety training to all of them...
Ed's goal of 100,000 feet for the drag race might be a bit too much in
the first season, but I can see 10 kft, 20 kft, 40 kft, and 100 kft in
succeeding seasons. It's a sexy idea.
Have I mentioned lately that I love my job? (I'd better, it's ruined my
social life.)
-- Doug Jones, Rocket Plumber XCOR AerospaceContact: Edward Wright press@racing-rockets.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Rocketship Will Tour Airshow Circuit in 2002
Oshkosh, WI (July 28, 2001) X-Rocket, LLC announced today that the worldıs first rocketship act is now available for airshow booking and sponsorship. "The XCOR EZ-Rocket will tour the airshow circuit during 2002, giving millions of Americans their first chance to see a fully reusable, piloted rocketship in action," said X-Rocket president Edward Wright. "X-Rocket is proud to bring this act to the American public during the 2002 airshow season."
The EZ-Rocket, built by Mojave, CA-based XCOR Aerospace, made its first test flight on July 21, 2001, under the command of test pilot Dick Rutan. Rutan, who won aviationıs highest honors by piloting the Voyager on its historic round-the-world flight in 1986, said the EZ-Rocket performed smoothly and the first test flight was a resounding success. Flight testing will continue when the rocketship returns to Mojave from Oshkosh, WI, where it is currently on static display at one of the nationıs largest airshows, AirVenture 2001.
Speaking at an AirVenture press conference, Wright congratulated Dick Rutan and XCOR Aerospace on their accomplishment. "X-Rocket is proud to have contributed to this project, and we are pleased to see our investment begin to pay off."
Wright said that a number of major airshows have already indicated their interest in presenting a rocketship act. Wright urged interested shows and businesses to contact X-Rocket as soon as possible. "We provide one-stop shopping for all your EZ-Rocket performance, sponsorship, and merchandise needs."
X-Rocket, LLC believes that rocket racing can become a major driver for the development of reusable rocket technology and sees the XCOR EZ-Rocket as the first step toward that goal. "Prior to World War II, air racing was the major driver for the development of aviation technology," Wright said.
X-Rocket would like to see rocket racing beginning with a vertical drag race to 100,000 feet. "The 100,000-foot time to climb record has been held by a Russian MiG-25 variant since the 1970ıs," Wright said. "We think itıs time to bring that record home to the United States. The XCOR EZ-Rocket is the first step toward the development of such racers- racers which, in turn, will develop the technology that enables a new era of routine, affordable space travel for science, business, and personal leisure."
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X-Rocket, LLC (aka The Experimental Rocket Racing Association, LLC) 9609 NE 195th Circle #L-11 Bothell, WA 98011 marketing@racing-rockets.org
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