Lindsey and the Rocket Car Blue Peter Bite

This is Blue Peter - but mini.

Expect epic adventures, makes, bakes,

badges, pets,

presenters and your post.

We've only got five minutes, so get ready for your Blue Peter adventure.

On BP, we absolutely love a challenge.

But I've come to Cornwall to meet a team who may love pushing

themselves to the limit even more.

In 1997, they set the record for the fastest speed ever

travelled on land.

Driving a car at 773 mph.

But these guys don't think that's fast enough,

so they're going to be attempting to break 1,000 miles per hour.

I'll say that again - 1,000 miles per hour.

And they're going to be using this - the Bloodhound SSC.

Powered by a jet engine and a rocket,

over the next few years, the team are hoping to break

the land-speed record in South Africa

and, eventually, reach 1,000 mph.

But to get there, they need to do tests - lots of tests.

-OK, Andy, happy with your car checks?

-All good.

Fire extinguisher's good.

I've been given amazing access

to help out at the team's latest trials.

It's not every day you get a Bloodhound car into position.

The engineering that will make this thing move is cutting-edge.

It's got more horsepower than 800 family cars, and the inside of

the rocket that powers it is twice as hot as the centre of a volcano.

It took more than two years of work to get the car

ready for today's testing.

Today's test is just one step towards the final

target of 1,000 miles an hour.

But it will give the team an idea of how the car will react.

Here to see it are local schools,

eager to learn about the science of speed.

And I'm discovering just how heavy all that technology can be.

Am I pushing this on my own? Come on! It's not that light!

An engine as big as this needs a bit of a kick-start,

and I'm getting to do just that.

-It's fairly heavy, but...

-OK, yup, that is quite heavy.

-OK. Pushing it in?

-Push it. Push it, give it a good push.

Driver RAF Wing Commander Andy Green

holds the current land-speed record,

and uses all his experience as he goes through final safety checks.

I cannot imagine what's going through Andy's head

as he prepares to go at 200 mph.

This has gone from being really fun and a bit of a laugh

to quite serious.

Everyone is really focused.

Everything is set.

It's time to see what this car can do.

Runway 1-2, surface wind is six o'clock at 1-3 knots.

OK, Andy's in position.

It's go time.

3-0, Delta, Mike.

This is going to be loud.

Look at the heat!

He's moving!

Woo!

10, 9,

8...

5, 4

3, 2,

1.

BLAST! Oh!

Wow, that is fast!

Bloodhound hits 200 mph for just a matter of seconds.

Any longer and it could run out of runway.

But in the open South African desert, that won't be a problem.

I cannot imagine what 1,000 mph is going to look like.

Unbelievable.

And those few seconds seem to have wowed the crowd.

I felt like the hairs on my neck were standing up.

Really loud, it just sounded amazing.

It's pretty nerve-racking,

because you never know what could happen, going that fast.

It was really cool and it sort of made me vibrate.

For the team, it seems mission accomplished - for now.

Hopefully, all of the kids enjoyed seeing...

Well, I was going to say, the crowd were going wild.

-They were loving it.

-That's exactly what we're after.

And that's why you're here.

So that's almost like the dress rehearsal done.

And now you're going to do the real thing in South Africa,

at pretty much five times that speed. Do you think you can do it?

I'm absolutely certain we're going to do it.

Well, what an incredible day that was. I am genuinely in awe,

and feeling totally inspired. Hopefully you are, too.

And I guess all that's left to say is a huge good luck to the

team in South Africa. I know they can get that world record.

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