Rocket to the Toon

10:46am Wednesday 2nd July 2008

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MOTORISTS could hardly believe their eyes as they watched a space rocket cruising up the A1 yesterday.

Britain's biggest space rocket has been unveiled, the latest step on the way to sending tourists into space by 2013.

The 58ft long, Nova 2, was revealed at Salford University by Steve Bennett, head of the university's Space Technology Laboratory.

The academic, who also runs a private company, Starchaser Industries, plans to launch Nova 2 in September next year, to test a safety system which, if successful, will form the design of an even bigger rocket to carry visitors into space.

It was transported across the M62 and along the A1 to visit pupils at Jarrow School, South Tyneside, yesterday.

Mr Bennett said: "We are setting out on a nationwide tour of schools across the country and we hope some of those pupils will join us for the launch next year.

"Our ultimate aim, though, is to carry people into space and our latest rocket takes us another step closer to that."

If successful, Mr Bennett's space tourism initiative will enable the public to purchase flights where they will spend 20 minutes in the air and experience three to four minutes of weightlessness, travelling at 3,500 miles per hour.