The Environment

The Environmental Impact of Aussie Invader 5R

The AUSSIE INVADER 5R project is ground-breaking in that it incorporates new technology, materials and design techniques with established methods and materials.  

The Aussie Invader Team is conscious of our impact on the environment.  Like all engines which burn hydrocarbons, the Aussie Invader’s bi=propellant motor will produce Carbon Dioxide (CO2) as a product of combustion. However, the team aims to keep the runs to a short duration (less than 30 seconds) and the team has scheduled a minimum of runs.

The temperature from the rocket engine is about 2,000 centigrade and most carbon that is released will be burnt, but we have conducted a exercise to calculate CO2 emissions.

Photography bt Max Read
Anticipated Carbon Dioxide Produced from the Running of the Aussie Invader 5R

Based on past experience with other World Land Speed Record attempts, the Aussie Invader would be expected to make just 5-10 runs each calendar year, starting in 2020. It is envisaged that the timescale from initial testing runs, right up to a 1,000mph run (1,600+ km/h) would take up to 2 years and will be dependent on the success of the cars performance and any issues that may require modifications.

The main point of this gradual build up in speed (incremental approach) is to test the car at increasingly higher speeds whilst having driver safety as the number one priority at all times. To this effect we are currently looking at initial runs to possibly be remotely controlled.

Chart showing CO2 emission figures

These runs will be broken down into 3 types over approx. 12 – 24 months:

Runs 1 to 4 – Test Runs (half burn – 0 to 600 mph)
Kerosene fuel usage – average 466 kg per run.

Runs 5 to 10 – Land Speed Record Runs (three quarter burn – 600 – 900 mph)
Kerosene fuel usage – Average 699 kg per run.

Runs 11 to 15 – High Speed Record Runs (full throttle – up to 1,000 mph)
Kerosene fuel usage – Average 932 kg per run.

From our calculations Aussie Invader 5R will produce less mass of CO2 in one year than the equivalent to 7 average size Australian passenger cars. 1

1 Assumptions, 0.2kg of CO2 per car kilometre, 15,000km per year average. Aussie Invader’s yearly CO2 output is the average calculated over the three years of the project.

Aussie Invader 5R produces approx two thirds the CO2 load of ONE A330 Airbus passenger jet travelling from Perth To Melbourne (one way) during Aussie Invader’s TOTAL projected LIFETIME.2

2 Assumptions, 300kg of CO2 per passenger for the approx 4000km journey, 300 people on the aircraft.

Aussie Invader 5R and all the support vehicles carbon emissions have been fully offset by purchasing 2000 trees through various registered agencies.