University of Salford - Starry ideas to take flight

The UK's largest space rocket was to be unveiled to the public this week by a Salford academic who plans to send tourists into space by 2013. Steve Bennett, who heads the university's Space Technology Laboratory, presented his 17.7m high Nova 2 rocket and discussed how his company, Starchaser Industries, planned to launch it in September 2009 with the help of school pupils from across the country. The Nova 2 has been created by Starchaser to test a safety system that, if successful, will form the design of an even bigger rocket to carry visitors into space. The trips Mr Bennett hopes to offer would last 20 minutes, with space tourists reaching speeds of 5,633 km/h and experiencing four minutes of weightlessness.