Bristol Grammar School's final Stem Café of the academic year took place yesterday (17 April) with a spellbinding talk from Mark Chapman, Chief Engineer on the Bloodhound SSC project.
Bloodhound SSC is the Bristol-based attempt on taking the world land speed record to over 1000mph. Last year this car was tested in the UK to over 200mph and is now being prepared for high speed trials in South Africa later this year. The aim is first to break the existing record at 763mph, mach 1.02. Ultimately the aim is take the record over 1000mph in 2020.
The project is unusual in that the principle aim is not to break the land speed record, but to inspire a generation to the possibilities of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths, as well as showcasing future technologies, from Cloud based analytics and additive manufacture to the future in launch vehicle technology.
Mark has been with the team since 2008 working on the initial concept ahead of the public launch at the Science Museum. At the Stem Café he talked through the technical challenges on the project to date and explored the next stages in the development of the car, as well as what it’s like to work on engineering projects that are truly cutting edge.
Thank you to Mark for coming in to talk to us about this fascinating and impressive project; we wish the Bloodhound team well as they travel to South Africa later in the year.