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December 27, 2002

Wright Stuff for RocketCam

Leonard David
Space.com

An imaging system that gives viewers a rocket's-eye look at blasting off Earth is set for a century's worth of time travel.

Ecliptic Enterprises Corporation's RocketCam(TM) -- used lately on a NASA shuttle Atlantis liftoff, as well as on the maiden flights of Atlas 5 and Delta 4 rockets -- will provide onboard video of the commemorative flight of a full-scale replica of the historic Wright brother's Wright Flyer.

Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first controlled, powered flight nearly a 100 years ago, in December 1903.

A century later, teams at Utah State University in Logan will begin initial test flights of their Wright Flyer lookalike. A demonstration flight in July is slated at the Centennial of Flight premiere event in the Wright brothers' hometown of Dayton, Ohio.

Initially, RocketCam video of the plane's operation from the pilot's point of view will be recorded onboard for later playback and analysis. As experience with the craft builds, more RocketCams may be added to provide alternative onboard views and live video-transmissions.

"The famous takoff photo of the Wright Flyer still captivates the imagination. Next year, using modern technology, we'll be able to capture that excitement from onboard the vehicle -- as vicarious co-pilots," said Rex Ridenoure, Ecliptic's chief executive officer in Pasadena, California. "With launch vehicles at one end and the Wright Flyer at the other, RocketCam will be getting the picture in aerospace from Mach 25 to 25 miles per hour," he told SPACE.com.