Tech at the speed of Warp

This is simply amazing. Top Gear, a British show about cars/other more or less important things, built a small space shuttle like vehicle and stuck a car on it.

And not just any car, the Reliant Robin, Del Boy's car. They actually launched Del Boy's car! Trotters are going to outer space.
A three wheel car, famous for staring in BBC "Only fools and horses" comedy show.

EDIT: As I was informed, the actual car used by Del Boy was actually Reliant Regal VAN. Three wheel car reminded me of them so I put reference to them, and lets face it, its still is a Trotters car what ever its name is.


The sheer complexity of the task and the probability of a failure make this one of TV's history making moment. For me this is up there with such footage as first launch of SpaceShipOne, the Moon landing and very few others.
It all started as a joke but after seeing the first finished booster rocket it looked more real and interesting. By the end of the show they have assembled it on a military testing site and I was expecting it to go BOOM on liftoff.

BUT THE SUc** LIFTED OFF.

Some of the specs are:

- 1/5th scale Space Shuttle...well sort of.
- Weighing in at 1.4 Metric Tonnes (3080 lbs)
- Installed impulse over 200kNs (R impulse)
- Main power plants consisting a cluster of 6 Hybrid Contrail O motors.
- Two of which were designed to be airstarted.
- Supplemented by 20 other Cesaroni composites.
- Size: 27 cubic metres. (>1000 cubic feet)
- Man capable - seating for 4.
- 4.5 months from design to ignition.

And just to emphasise the point, because it’s so damn cool, this really was the largest non-commercial rocket launch in European history.

Top Gear Shuttle Launch Aka. The New Car Bomb. - The best free videos are right here

the ending is definitely added but thats TV.


For all of you that have not seen the other TV's historic moments here are additional two that rand the highest in my book:

Labels: Space