Bloodhound chases land speed record A rocket engine designed to propel the world's first 1,000mph car will be tested next week in what will be the biggest rocket trial in the UK for more than 20 years. The test will be a milestone in the development of the Bloodhound Supersonic Car, a project launched four years ago by a team of British engineers attempting to beat the existing land speed record of 763mph. The rocket engine will fire from inside a hardened air shelter at Newquay Cornwall airport on Wednesday and the test will be streamed live on the internet. "The worst thing that could happen is nothing at all," said Daniel Jubb, the 28-year-old self-taught rocketeer behind the 4 metre engine, which has been under development for two years and is the largest of its kind in Europe. Mr Jubb said that because the trial was an experiment, that outcome would strictly count as a failure. During the trial a Formula One engine will fire liquid jet fuel through a catalyst into a combustion chamber containing solid propellant, at a rate that would fill a bath in five seconds. It will be the first of five tests, over the course of which the pressure of the liquid will increase, eventually reaching levels necessary to the attempts to break the world record. Not only are the team looking to beat their British predecessors - Richard Noble, the Bloodhound project director, also led the Thrust supercar which set the last record - but they are racing to beat Australian rivals, who also aim to achieve 1,000mph on land by 2014 with the Aussie Invader 5R. Since it was announced four years ago, the project has been remarkable for its accessibility. Early stage rocket tests are rarely open events, but the public gaze is integral to the mission of the Bloodhound team who hope to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. Even so the precise engineering behind the rocket design remains strictly confidential. "The key technologies are being guarded with obsessive secrecy," said Mr Jubb. The solid fuel used by the rocket has a unique composition developed to smooth its propulsion, a goal notoriously difficult to achieve and much sought after by companies developing civilian space flight, who are closely following the project. The project faced funding difficulties after its launch in 2008, as the global recession began, preventing it from meeting its goal of attempting the record within three years. The team were able to continue after having raised £8.3m from several sponsors including a multiyear, multimillion-pound deal from Rolex. Beyond the rocket trials, challenges remain, especially in perfecting the vehicle, which will bear more resemblance to a spaceship than a car. Down to paint being applied in a perfectly even coat, every detail will affect its performance but the team are well aware that, if it succeeds, the project will be a triumph for British engineering and ingenuity.