Turning the Robin Reliant into a SPACE SHUTTLE?! | Top Gear

Hammond and May discover if the Robin Reliant would make for a viable space shuttle. Getting it off the ground won't be a problem, but can they get it to safely land again?
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[@RealCheesyBread]

The fact that it actually lifted off and only failed to detach the car is beyond amazing for this show.

[@sven518-7]

They should have tried it again. Would be great to see

[@Cooltrain]

@@sven518-7 Pretty sure they only had the budget for one try...

[@00BillyTorontoBill]

Pretty sure detachment wasnt what the producers wanted. They wanted a dead robin..... and if you can use a rocket to do it.

[@mrguest3749]

this the greatest achievement by a bunch of people without government funding and insufficient money.

[@djpemb]

The amazing thing is James and Richard wanted it to work imagine if it did though

[@fanjerry8100]

The Reliant Robin is actually the fastest car ever on Top Gear, thanks to the rocket.

[@patherrmann3009]

And gravity.

[@MsAelim]

+Pat Herrmann ha! yup

[@theranter]

I suspect that rocket was going much faster than 300 mph on the way up.

[@theranter]

FlappableBean I know that there's software out there somewhere that I might be able to use to determine its speed... maybe I'll try to find it later and find out for sure.

[@ENCHANTMEN_]

FlappableBean You're looking for a delta-v calculation; for that you need the initial and final mass of the rockets, as well as the exhaust velocity of the engines (basically how much impulse you get per bit of fuel expended). Of course, this equation basically gives you a rough measure of how much "oomph" it gets once it's in orbit. When it's in the atmosphere, how fast it goes (or, more importantly, how far it goes) is dependent on its maximum thrust, drag, flight path, etc. IMO, it would probably be easier to just estimate it from the video, but you never know.

[@thaddeusmccaustland8023]

Topgear has now had: -Their own police force -Their own tank division -Their own military convoy -Their own Hookah -Their own Train -Their own caravan gypsy style village +-Their own space program

[@donald_doe]

Don't forget about their own 747 plane

[@filmandfirearms]

Top Gear is basically its own small nation at this point

[@friedrick5088]

And yet their production office is a wooden shack

[@GRIFAbyte101]

@@friedrick5088 Gotta make sacrifices somewhere I suppose!

[@DLBBALL]

Jerome Henwood Oh yeah, I remember that gag.

[@MadnessIncVP]

_”Have you got a spare Billion dollars?”_ “No. That’s why we’ve come to you.” *B O I*

[@TheHighSpaceWizard]

Such a power move.

[@kafkaesk3449]

BBC adds another three 0: is it enough?

[@ArkArchon]

@@kafkaesk3449 thats only ten thousand pounds

[@_zigzak]

Billion dollars ❌ Tea and chips ✅

[@LOKSTED]

"Can we own firearms?" Britain: "no" "Can we build a cruise missile?" Britain:

[@Geolaminar]

well, I mean, it has a range of thirty feet, so...

[@nerfshooter4216]

You can actually own a firearm in Britain ven an Uzi! Only if you have a license and have gone through tests to prove you won't commit any crimes with it

[@K9_Mate]

Not even worth all the hassle.

[@tjfSIM]

@@nerfshooter4216 Yes exactly. You have to demonstrate that you need it for a genuine reason, and that you're not a crazed lunatic. That's why gun crime isn't really a thing in the UK.

[@thomasball5432]

@@tjfSIM shotguns are really easy to get legally, it's on them to prove why you shouldn't have one, and if they can't find a reason then your certificate gets approved. Rifles are the other way around, it's on you to prove to them why you should be allowed to have one. (At least that's the way my dad explained it to me when I was younger)

[@versamax6307]

"So your show is about cars? And only cars?" "Yup" "So what's that behind you?" "Oh, that? It's a cruise missile we made, that we've taped a car to"

[@jonathanchan7896]

Cars and cars ++

[@dragonsword7370]

You sure that wasn't supposed to be a Chevy Nova instead of a reliant? JK. Oh hell, I'd still be playing the Belter version of "Highway Star" while on the launch.

[@jasontermini8487]

Some people say the US had the best shuttle. Some say the soviets. But deep down we all know who had the best one

[@asdfghyter]

And now, 10 years later, they finally managed to send The Stig to space in his Tesla Roadster.

[@redcar1379]

Wow, really so it is !

[@xsailor85]

Happy trails Stig

[@TNTHammer]

Not just to space... But to *MARS*

[@stoybenxi7395]

Technically our boy stig is in geo synchronous orbit and on a return trajectory that will see him safe and on dry land in a few hundred years

[@t.c.thompson2359]

@@stoybenxi7395 There will be tourists visiting the Tesla in it's orbit in space before that happens.

[@Mmouse_]

This was the most powerful non governmental rocket launch in Europe at the time. Which is pretty nuts.

[@punisher299]

It was the most powerful rocket to ever launch from the UK's soil, that was a 250 kg car it took off with more than black arrow's max payload.

[@juha9703]

Payload to the orbit is different thing than launching something a bit off ground. Still one of the best gear challenges ever 😂

[@patoaparatofc]

At the time, It was Cape Kennedy => Baikonur => European Space Port in Guyana => Clanburn. Chinese and Japanese space programs...

[@justintimbersaw3934]

James: "The launch site was a military base whose whereabouts are a top-secret" Top Gear: *"Clauburne Military Training Ground, 53 miles N.W of Newcastle just off the A68"* oh man, I miss the old Top Gear

[@gregblackburn4280]

Justin...yeah it was a fun show.

[@Muck006]

Too bad James has become a communist now ... hating everything traditional and old and only wanting "modern" stuff. My guess is it was the girlfriend ...

[@Martin-wx8gd]

@@Muck006 What you are describing isn't even remotly similar to communism.

[@kfg452]

@@Muck006 Shut up please mate

[@happyreeper1]

@@Muck006 wtf are you on about lmfao

[@WarhammerWings]

The fact that it flew is worthy of a chapter in space and aviation history!

[@samahita-vca]

I'm so jealous of people who watch it there that day. I mean you're just casually cruising down the street and then you saw an effing Reliant Robin on a rocket booster lol. What a sight to behold!

[@aidanpysher2764]

Ustio, eh? This must have been the prototype of the V2.

[@andresahay1546]

@@aidanpysher2764 nah, that would be the property of Belka + AWWNB

[@Kimoto504]

You mean general British rocketry history. That wasn't ever meant to get to space, if even Cessna 150 service ceiling altitude.

[@underworldguardian704]

Can’t argue there.

[@glennkolsteeg]

when the BBC accidentally adds another 0 to the budget

[@Mar1s3z]

I think if they accidentally add another "0" into the budget. It'll actually work. lmao

[@ParasocialCatgirl]

when the BBC thought they were allocating the budget in pennies, but it was actually being allocated in pounds.

[@Honeystain]

3[L] so two 0's.

[@mrmaniac3]

Oh crap, the 0 key is stuc00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

[@aquamelon0087]

When the BBC accidentally hands an empty check to a bunch of insane people

[@drbm23]

When you realise that Top Gear's Space Program is more advanced then North Korea's Missile Program...

[@RainingFlow19]

Its a joke but those north korean dudes have launched missiles that went as far as almost 500km....

[@yunkshione-1016]

Up until they nuke your house

[@G_Diddler]

@@yunkshione-1016 Hello mr Kim

[@xsailor85]

And North Korea’s rocket expert is Wile E Coyote.

[@angelzuniga3739]

This reply was deleted by the North Korean government

[@noooreally]

I bet that old toyota pickup would have driven away from this

[@idontknowwhattochangemynam8644]

noooreally yeah seen that episode and I think the Toyota would easily drive away

[@xxoan.1613]

and after that, it could win a dakar

[@tangy.mp4300]

Yup

[@SwissAvgeek]

LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SO TRUE

[@AToyotaPickupx]

noooreally yes

[@charliewhiskey8440]

That ascent until SRB separation was pretty damn well done from the engineering perspective. It's not trivial to keep it going straight up.

[@AugmentedGravity]

It would have been perfect had it just not been for the ex.bolts not blowing and separating the Reliant.

[@milkyway370]

ya I play ksp and even in that game building shuttles is really hard, I can't even imagine the math that went into not only building one on a low budget, but having the orbiter be a fricken car. very very impressive and in genuinely surprised it went straight up instead of immediately tipping over. with a little extra budget and a working decoupler system, this thing could've actually worked

[@spaceguy9025]

@@milkyway370 I mean with some practice it's pretty simple in ksp but I still can't imagine what the process in real life would be, amazing how far technology has come

[@EpicFishFingers]

@@milkyway370 Agreed, this really shouldn't be understated. Asymmetrical rockets are a complete bastard in the game and in real life: someone would have had to code a gimballing and throttling program that would change the rockets' thrust as it ascended to keep it upright. Not to mention these rockets very likely didn't gimbal so they just had to adjust the thrust on the liquid booster to compensate, and also allow for the burned fuel changing the centre of gravity towards the reliant. Also: the reliant was n aerodynamic brick, as they showed. I'm amazed it didn't flip onto its back.

[@fobbitoperator3620]

I concur. For a moment, (or 2) I thought this footage was of a miniature model rocket thingy. But then...oohhh COCK!

[@MrJumpyJ]

Everyone's all proud of SpaceX shooting a car into space... Top Gear has already done that ten years ago. Sort of.

[@onceuponaban]

For an extended definition of "car", at least.

[@callumcbg8922]

it didn't even get close never mind the fact that the external fuel tank didn't decouple and then proceeded to make the "shuttle" hit the ground and explode

[@13game3]

@@callumcbg8922 That's the joke

[@callumcbg8922]

yep and i just realized that

[@carlost856]

@@onceuponaban and also an extended definition of space.

[@TheModelBoatGuy]

To be fair to the rocket folk, this was incredibly impressive. To keep it going straight up is incredibly hard. The SRB ejection too is darn complicated. As James said though I wish it had actually worked, would have been such a brilliant thing to see. Must have been a cracking project to work on

[@largol33t1]

Several actual aerospace engineers commented that it was mind boggling that they got the boosters to separate during flight. That scene where they freaked out about how complex it was is one of the biggest stumbling blocks to getting into space. There's just tooooo many things that can go wrong and ruin your day.

[@siremerrionepie9796]

No wonder United Kingdom left the EU, they didn't fund the reliant robin space shuttle project

[@itsallaboutme9779]

Lol 🤣🤣

[@dpm2937]

Call Elon he's in

[@JKK_85]

@The Program We already did. Britain has the distinction of being the only country to develop an orbital launch capability only to then give it up.

[@itz_cornchip]

Lol

[@jogmanson9510]

True words from Pinkamena Diane Pie.

[@portalowy5346]

"The launch site is a military base, whose whereabouts are top secret" Clanburne Military Training Ground 53 miles N.W. of Newcastle Just off the A68

[@DJBoysToys]

+Portalowy or in other words RAF spadeadam just north east of Carlisle

[@blairwanhg356]

Declan Morland near Brampton

[@rhodesianwojak2095]

lol

[@aupwhatsthat]

Otterburn training area.

[@minitrundle]

If you get to Darlington, turn round, you've gone too far.

[@Max_Jordan]

meanwhile, jeremy is watching at home with the fuel tank eject button in his hand...

[@bogdansofroniciu387]

lol

[@piguy222]

It was clearly sabotage by Jeremy who is parshal to Space X. When Space X saw them making a car-rocket , something they needed 10 more years to finish, they recruited Jeremy to prevent the success of the launch thus eliminating any compatition in the space-car market. We cant let Space X win! You must try again! If you couldnt tell already this was just an excuse for them to do round two.

[@thefearhawk8805]

And his Cock in the other...

[@josephastier7421]

That was the fastest quarter mile ever for the Reliant Robin.

[@largol33t1]

Probably the fastest quarter mile for any car or truck in history...

[@olafdoppenberg4874]

@@largol33t1that Tesla car was probably faster

[@FightingDicks]

im poop a 1/4 myle at time vinn deesiel

[@crackgrid1395]

I'm convinced theres a alternative universe where the reliant robin lifted and landed successfully and was adopted by ESA

[@wilboersma9441]

I want this lol

[@carkua6512]

Never seen May so happy. Put a smile on my face. Same with all the engineers when it took off initially

[@chrisst8922]

@@basiltbl No I think it was the real deal. There's too many cues that authentic it as true.

[@chrisst8922]

@@basiltbl The quality of framing from at least 9:06 onwards is of concern because it appears inconsistant with what I feel might have been achieved in the heat of the moment arising from the failure of the tank to separate from the Robin orbiter. However the logistics involved in re-shooting that sequence also seem inconsistent with the objectives of the piece. We learned from the BBC's willingness to procure an injunction against Collins that under Willman's production details will remain confidential but here's an interesting resource: www.pyrosociety.org.uk/forum/topic/2619-top-gear-rocket-launch-uk/ Carkua comments on the reaction of the engineers at the launch. Do any of them look like the engineers throughout the rest of the film?

[@chrisst8922]

@@basiltbl But I hadn't seen that evidence when we started conversing and this is meant to be for fun. Besides they weren't acting at launch which was the OP's point.

[@chrisst8922]

@@basiltbl These were the top people. I've seen it somewhere, British Interplanetary Rocket Association or something. I know what you mean of course. I've seen the budget estimated at £4-600.000

[@observationsfromthebunker9639]

It's probably the the happiest he's been on the show. Hammond though, looked like he was having a transformative religious experience for a minute! :D

[@slypask9185]

9:12 : *TACTICAL RELIANT INCOMING*

[@british-sama7007]

Enemy reliant incoming!!!! It's over

[@Jame5man]

Who needs nukes when you have a Tactical Reliant

[@fury4539]

V1 rocket required in these coordinates...

[@VascoCC95]

Meanwhile, at FBI headquarters... TOP LEVEL WARNING: ICB-RR Launched !!!

[@windaubessss]

@@VascoCC95 Pretty sure it has appeared on some early warning radar

[@vtn05001]

As an engineer, you can feel their pain when May presented the idea to them.

[@tony_5156]

It genuinely made me sad to see it fail, hearing those engineers cheer truely puts a smile on my face.

[@timothykock6799]

I know right, the genuine glee in their voices is amazing to hear

[@walterengler5709]

Oh I still remember this whole thing. And I really, really, wanted the car to separate and watch it glide. SOOOO close … but the entire thing (building, the launch, initial booster separation, even the turn to get to release) was so beautiful up to that point. But you can't go wrong with a major explosion at the end lol

[@j-dog7767]

Soviets: Send humanity to space Americans: Send humanity to the moon The British:

[@UnBronySonikero]

Elon Musk try this first

[@duncantalksalot]

Sends a Reliant Robin into the ground

[@FatGouf]

Bullshit, moon is a hoax

[@zombiekiller225]

Then the colonies copied us anyway

[@mrcaboosevg6089]

@@FatGouf Well it isn't, it's really not hard to get into space given you've got the right people and most importantly the money. Russia never claimed it was fake, the Soviets would have snapped at the chance to prove the Americans lied but Russia instead congratulated them even though they certainly weren't happy about it

[@alexjjgreen]

People complaining about taxpayers money wasted. Relax, they later sold this tech to North Korea.

[@johnmorris8409]

As an American, I have always appreciated the British taxpayers for providing the rest of world with entertainment.

[@bodkinofnurk8898]

At it's peak TG made £50 million a year, mostly financing the £34 million that F1 cost the BBC to show live. Hence when TG was no more, we lost the F1 as well.

[@reececameron5070]

They certainly did! 😁

[@Cpt_Boony_Hat]

They think your kidding but considering the UK basically gave the UK jet engines I wouldn’t be that surprised

[@samborlon]

Had they used a Toyota, they could have used it again.

[@mikester1290]

Yes, because it would have never left the ground.

[@samborlon]

@@mikester1290What makes you think so?

[@mikester1290]

@@samborlon Well, how much does that Toyota weigh compared to the fibreglass shitbox with 3 wheels?

[@coyotem3a1]

A toyota hilux would have survived

[@thesabre8458]

Mike Creed you realise its a joke and a reference to their indestructible toyota?

[@MrSupercar55]

5:20 His description of the Reliant’s performance on glideslope was actually on par with the real Space Shuttle. The Shuttle’s aerodynamics weren’t great, thanks to the orbiter’s rounded nose and relatively narrow wingspan. This called for a brutal technique from the commander (the commander was the person flying the Shuttle and the co-pilot was actually called a pilot). Glideslope was flown very forcefully with a 10,000 feet per minute descent rate and an airspeed of 345 mph. But it wasn’t over once they got to the airstrip at Kennedy Space Centre, which was 15,000 feet long, just to put it out there. The pre-flare manoeuvre would commence at 2,000 feet and the landing gear was lowered in the last 300 feet of descent. The orbiter would finally touch down at an airspeed of 255 mph, slightly faster than a Bugatti Veyron, necessitating the use of a drag chute. To simulate such crazy conditions, Shuttle commanders were trained by flying a business jet with the landing gear down and the engines in reverse.

[@HalNordmann]

And some of the original Shuttle concepts even had smaller wings. Granted, they also had auxiliary jets, but still...

[@WayneRandall]

It's actually the Kennedy Space Center. In America. If I have to use tyre and aluminium when watching Top Gear, you can use center when talking about the KSC. ; )

[@shawnjoseph4009]

@@HalNordmann fun fact: that actually would have worked better and the only reason it’s shaped the way it is is because the military wanted to be able to launch/recover from polar orbits and NASA changed the design for military funding

[@HalNordmann]

@@shawnjoseph4009 NASA also wanted the bigger wings - as I said, the small wings of the earlier concepts would've had an even steeper glideslope, and they also had bigger re-entry heating. The military offer was just the final push.

[@bussesandtrains1218]

'not interested'

[@THEM1GHTYPHUZ]

This is un-ironically the largest rocket Britain has ever made...

[@tisFrancesfault]

The UK actually built an orbital rocket, the whole program cost £100,000 in today's money, and built by men in sheds. It was cancelled by the government.

[@THEM1GHTYPHUZ]

@@tisFrancesfault Ah typical.

[@wilfridsetterfield-milln4910]

@@tisFrancesfault Are you talking about Black Arrow?

[@Dogsushi42]

tisFrancesfault so this is the biggest rocket that they’ve launched

[@panda4247]

there was the lipstick thing...

[@Martin.Wilson]

This is a huge leap forward in British space travel. There previous attempt to reach the moon ended when they ran out of scaffolding.

[@KoploperMau]

One of Richard's best quotes to date. "How are you gonna use it again?!?!" Brilliant, I was gone when he said that.

[@lilBabyBornInCalifornia]

and the terror on his face before hand was just amazing XD 9:17

[@HayWilliamJohnson]

Elon musk got his idea from someone

[@DangItshere]

Sjoer d lolol

[@jwarnes71]

"Thats why..." then the hamster cut him off. What was captain slow about to say???

[@kierancarruthers9602]

Should’ve used the Toyota

[@kinoepigrafe]

They really need to do this one again. Maybe with even more power and/or NASA/ESA working on it for a more aerodynamic design. It would be ridiculously expensive, but history isn't made for free.

[@alfie9876]

Looks like they almost had it. The explosive bolts didn't work on the main tank, if they did I'm sure they would have pulled it off. It appears that he did have control of the craft before it crashed but it was way too heavy to fly with that big tank.

[@brandonse167]

Alfred Timins Something tells me the reason it didnt go further was because of legal issues. Maybe it was easier/less expensive/safer to have the rocket just glide back to the ground.

[@VulpisFoxfire]

One thing they must, *must* do if they retry it...put a crash dummy in the seat and name it 'Jebediah'. :-) If this isn't Kerbal iRL, I don't know what is.

[@nesossin]

VulpisFoxfire Hammond even looks like a distressed kerbal just before the reliant blows up

[@aldionsylkaj9654]

They needed X-Plane to determin the flight characteristics. and Rigs of Rods to determin the stresses.

[@JoyHoffi]

Men don't grow up, the toys are just getting more expensive 😂

[@Creeperboy099]

Basically the real thing IS the toy

[@fobbitoperator3620]

& dangerous!

[@alexwright6038]

Men grew old, Women mature.

[@Xbrine-]

True...

[@combativeThinker]

@@alexwright6038 It’s the other way around in my experience. At least, since the 60s.

[@kristjanreisman3439]

I always become very emotional when I see how happy engineers are when Robin sucessfully takes off.

[@nomadben]

Every time I watch this, I get goosebumps when it launches. Easily one of the greatest moments in the history of television.

[@mohammadrasoulfard-habibi3066]

I know right, it's epic.

[@Muck006]

... and you hope beyond hope ... "maybe it separates THIS TIME".

[@newem1nem]

The first 10 hrs on Kerbal space program.

[@Maravone]

and thrust vectoring

[@zachg9065]

When I was young, I couldn’t believe the fact that this thing actually got off the ground, I still don’t.

[@NOMORE-ss9qx]

that's why they had to explode it on impact rather than "just" crash land it. So you couldn't see it wasn't a reliant robin at all but a load of plywood etc. That's my theory anyway!

[@fobbitoperator3620]

Not only did it get off the ground, but it's also deeply embedded INTO the ground, at that!

[@samuelseidel6148]

@@NOMORE-ss9qx I thought maybe there was a descent amount of unburnt fuel that stopped propelling the rocket when it started nosing over.

[@panda4247]

getting off the ground is the easy part the hard part is to land safely with astronauts in it. It's like with nuclear reactor. building a reactor is easy. Building a safe protected and sustainable reactor is hard. Check out the Nuclear Boy Scout story (a kid who literally built a reactor in the back yard)

[@Brinta3]

panda4247 “Getting off the ground is the easy part” Challenger proved the opposite.

[@brickhead48]

That shot at 8:13 is almost biblical. What an achievement this was

[@leroyjenkins140]

I swear top gear has the funding of a small nation.

[@SammehEatWorld]

+leroyjenkins140 Well, BBC... So, yeah.

[@Kcwiro]

+leroyjenkins140 ....they get a kickback from all the speed-cameras they ....hate...

[@ecutechltd]

+flip inheck £3.7 million a year? its significantly more than that...

[@ecutechltd]

In 2015 the bbc's annual budget was £5.1 billion!

[@ecutechltd]

+flip inheck well we pay through licence fee..then the government give the rest of the money...which is taken from us by tax tax and more tax

[@Kirk00077]

*Revert to Vehicle Assembly Building*

[@Hunne2303]

+Kirk0007 got the staging wrong again, ey? nevermind...just add "moar boosters"...works everytime...until it somehow explodes...not my fault though...mechjeb does that! honestly!

[@hatman4818]

+Kirk0007 Something's wrong. Spam spacebar. Hmm... Add moar boosters.

[@metropod]

+Kirk0007 if anyone reading this section does not get the joke, you are REALLY missing out on something.heck, I'm doing right now. off to minmus.

[@Minotaur1975]

+Hat Man and moar struts

[@hatman4818]

Minotaur1975 Yes Komrade, moar stuts Wehrner Von Kerman, moar struts indeed.

[@Baamthe25th]

"I'm affraid for the robin it's the other way around " What a classic line

[@hariharan224]

ITS JUST PLUMMETING TO THE GROUND 😂

[@Hex-Trinity]

@@hariharan224 Like a lift with the cable cut XD

[@ToJoAudio]

can we just take a minute to appreciate that a couple of guys in a shed in manchester were able to get a damn reliant robin off the ground like that lol you can tell elon musk watched this and thought, ooo tesla in space :D lol

[@davidrenton]

cost them 10/ 6 and all the tea they wanted, they didn't have the budget to go to bacon butties

[@globalko]

Doesn't matter that it crashed that was a massive success

[@xsailor85]

Pepe's bodega a crash & explosion worthy of Wile E. Coyote.

[@Cataegis-2cb]

Yeah but if it didn't

[@wetkneehouston6293]

Spectacular waste of money and %100 worth it

[@captainjacksparrow7482]

“The one that has to take off, and be used again!” Elon Musk: Write that down, write that down!

[@alphonseforadori3768]

Me: Mom can I watch the space shuttle? Mom: we have space shuttle at home Space shuttle at home:

[@leorodgers2715]

I mean it survived cus I’ve seen it

[@WreedTrimmer]

@@alphonseforadori3768 this is a lot better.

[@jackd9928]

This is the difference between the old Top Gear and the shocking version of today.

[@TheParachaz]

Too true, I don’t watch it as it’s just a different show regardless of the impressive hardware!

[@Jabber-ig3iw]

Jack D if it’s shocking why do you watch it? And if you don’t watch it, how do you know it’s shocking?

[@DarkTheFailure]

Modern top gear: actually about cars and shit like that Past top gear: whatever the fuck this is

[@mrcaboosevg6089]

I like the new top gear personally, now they've got some decent hosts

[@johncenashi5117]

Im not into cars. Or well lets say, i dont need to know what car is the best. I have a generall interest since i watch F1 and so on. But old Top Gear and TGT is just amazing.

[@iielysiumx5811]

Honestly one of the most amazing moments in TV history, the fact that some car show in the UK managed to do this is simply staggering

[@PenumbralBehemoth]

KSP in a nutshell.

[@whackyjinak4978]

It worked better than my rocket on Kerbal Space Program. Mine blew up before it even loaded.

[@ikkeheltvanlig]

I'm about to try and make my own there now :P The hard part? Making the Robin

[@whackyjinak4978]

yea i tried and it did the same thing theres did. :(

[@whackyjinak4978]

space engineers is easier

[@beanie3526]

Haha yeah

[@chaincyclist2736]

No biggie, just revert to launch and try it again.

[@eseagente]

they should check the staging, though

[@alicomputertech]

Add a couple of Sepatrons

[@zacharywolf5666]

they defiantly forgot to add decouplers

[@chaincyclist2736]

Yeah. they may need to add some more SAS modules.

[@jokullalfre7052]

and rcs

[@ZoniesCoasters]

Lmao this ended up in my recommended again after watching a bunch of space x videos

[@jimoflh5773]

Zonies Coasters lol same here. Did you see the cut on impact?

[@ZoniesCoasters]

Jim Of LH yeah

[@08566581846]

Suddenly we all become rocket science now.

[@RILEYARENBURG]

This could have gone into space and the tesla in space wouldnt be so big

[@thecanadiankiwibirb4512]

Rusty UFO yes

[@ew7607]

Perfect opportunity lost for Jeremys favorite catchphrase. "And on that bombshell..."

[@christopherleetrf]

I would really want Top Gear/The Grand Tour or any other similar TV shows to reattempt this challenge today because with nowaday's reliable robotic parts and open source support I reckon it will be much easier to do. In this case, I'm not entirely sure if they have tested the reliability of the FM radio controller when encountering possibly huge interference from the rockets, and whether the range is sufficient. Nevertheless the fact that it did go vertically upwards is impressive enough.

[@problem5697]

And if they somehow they got help from copenhagen suboritals they would most likely do way better.

[@Muck006]

They should start with a MUCH easier (and sellable) project .. the ampbibious car! - take a pickup and rip out the engine - put the engine behind the cabin - use the engine to produce power for four electro motors at the wheels AND a water pump which powers the car on water like a jetski (and pumps out water leaking in) - add some retracteably hydrofoils / wings for stability

[@stevepalmer1847]

I tell you what they don't make TV like that anymore....

[@babalonkie]

Bill Kerman is pleased with initial testing.

[@soarinskies1105]

The fact that it actually took off and the rocket boosters actually separated is nothing short of incredible.

[@user-mf3vq3yk8u]

Me: Mom can I watch the space shuttle? Mom: we have space shuttle at home Space shuttle at home:

[@cyrusthevrus]

Lmao!!

[@maycodes]

Lol

[@agodlessmonstrosity]

Tbf I wouldn't say no to that

[@TheDummyUnicorn]

With this at home I'll survive any lockdown

[@somoneontheinternjet3757]

That would've been an upgrade

[@BunnyRaptor]

9:13 clever TV magic. The rocket didn't actually explode, they cut to a different explosion (you can see a hill in the foreground). It wouldn't have exploded anyways because there was no liquid fuel on board, and the solid rocket motors that are mounted were already depleted.

[@skye_nyet]

So they did, nice pickup

[@BunnyRaptor]

@Ian Turner The shuttle is real and the explosion looks full scale (I think). But when the shuttle hit the ground, it probably just disintegrated and imbedded itself in the dirt. Then they went and filmed an explosion somewhere else and cut at that moment. Also if you play at 0.25 speed, you can see when they cut and the shot with the explosion in it is digitally tracked downwards at the same rate the shuttle was falling in the previous shot. You can tell it's digitally tracked and not optical because there is no motion blur on the ground in the few frames as the explosion starts.

According to the Top Gear Yearbook, the explosion was from a military Bomb test, which was filmed by the crew later that day.

[@aupwhatsthat]

Oh it exploded alright, live about a mile from where it was launched and watched it from my hill top. Used to explosions but it was a load one.

[@dutchmansmine9053]

If you have a look at the original footage there is a considerable amount of smoke when it lands. Not nearly as much as shown here, but still.

[@padzilla8048]

I love the 'top secret' running joke on Top Gear

[@linusdn2777]

Wdym?

[@louishall9224]

@@linusdn2777 They will claim something is top secret, and then give the location down to a tee

[@yammmit]

Linus D N it was legitimately in this video

[@captaino16]

@@yammmit they still gave its location on screen though

[@yammmit]

captaino16 that’s the entire point of the joke... how daft are you?

[@colinheppell5020]

Engineer: “It’s the largest rocket launched in Europe” Richard: * gulps. *

[@mysterioussquirrel4456]

I cant see Evans and LeBlanc doing anything like this.

[@mysterioussquirrel4456]

***** I'm surprised Clarkson and Co scrabbling around on Amazon TV. Amazon are never going to give them the budgets they need to do stuff like this.

[@suficer7827]

+Mysterious Squirrel BBC gave them a nice amount of money to do all their things, Amazon has given nearly double, maybe more. Id think they'd have enough to build a real space rocket this time.

[@mysterioussquirrel4456]

Dontknow And who's going to pay to watch it? Don't believe everything you hear.

[@katzen3314]

I hope they do this exact same thing but with Evans inside.

[@mysterioussquirrel4456]

Katzen4u There's an idea.

[@Diapolo10]

Probably the most hilarious moment in the history of Top Gear. Seriously!

[@jcanimus6700]

Idk the episode where they knocked Jeremy's caravan off the cliff when he went to get ice cream was pretty hilarious.

[@louisnotyourbissness3045]

Well it's the most famous

[@peterperfik2126]

Such fun memories watching this, I remember laughing so hard and nearly wetting myself, they basically made a V2 with a Reliant Robin superglued to it, classic Top Gear

[@Cpt_Boony_Hat]

Yeah but they didn’t get to the bombing London bit

[@largol33t1]

I'm surprised they were able to get permission to launch the thing. What if another country had accused them of building a friggin ICBM and disguising it as a TV show project?😂

[@BennyH11]

For this me this series, and particularly this episode was the peak of old Top Gear. I was absolutely blown away by this when I watched it first broadcast. I would definitely consider it a 'successful failure' so to speak.

[@Fonzleberry]

Easily the coolest thing they've ever done.

[@wackyfunbun9811]

Kerbal space program in real life

[@niteshmurti]

+wacky funbun Hahahaha i was thinking the same thing..

[@_yerf]

+wacky funbun Kerbal Car program : space edition

[@Zoomer30]

..... and Seb was still smiling.....

[@_yerf]

Zoomer30 (Jeb*) I always do.

[@Zoomer30]

+Jebediah Kerman yep, Jeb I mean.

[@ghostrider13bg]

I get that this is Top Gear, but those guys that have built it really love their work, and BBC gave them resourses to make " a rocket" , probably childhood dream of each of them. Seeing them so happy when rocket flew up, and when those afterburners separated is so nice.

[@apmm4209]

The launch itself , was was the most spectacular sight I've ever seen ! Such a shame the release bolts failed at the end .

[@SVE155]

And this is the last time we have ever heard of a project but the Top Gear Aerospace program. A Peel P50 satellite anyone?

[@sayhibobbi]

How about Chris Evans in a Clarkson P45 satellite instead?

[@Nathan93Baker]

Peel p50 sputnic.

[@iMpRiSiOnEd]

the budget and capabilities of the BBC to get permission to do "anything" are both endless. this show will always amaze me purely on those two factors, not even taking into account the entertainment.

[@joneinar4501]

top gear just bombed an army base in this video

[@rodolfoandrade7453]

Fuck rockets, they made a missile

[@billdurham8477]

This never gets old. It probably was out of range of the controller box. This is magnificent on the A-Z bluray

[@ThomasWilliams89]

"it's going to come down like a lift with the cable cut" "You're not filling me with hope Steve.."

[@mantungkwok4056]

12 yrs later, I am still enjoying pretty much every single second of this clip. great work, Hammond and May

[@christianwetzel2199]

a hilux would have been fine

[@MsAelim]

Completely. Just a bit of scuffed paint.

[@MysticMisdreavus]

Christian Wetzel It's too heavy! It won't attach well and hang on. However, that could be powerful enough to kill it!

[@manictiger]

I just thought of the most genius idea... You know how space radiation is a problem for astronauts? Just armor everything in Hiluxes! It can also be used as a heat shield and a buffer against micrometeors and debris.

[@ystermannexe]

I made ur comment to 200

[@jackodees1765]

But, now a serious question: What happens when you fire a Nokia 3310 at a Toyota Hilux?

[@sahijsandhu2219]

6:00 James May:"The launch site was a military base whose whereabouts are a top secret." *proceeds to disclose the location. 🤣 Lmao

[@hadaritm4116]

For some reason I was obsessed with watching this when I was younger, meaning when I was.. atleast 6 (I’m 15 today). My parents would tell me now 9 years later how the first English word I ever said was “separate”.

[@justhelleeew5309]

Same old top gear is my child hood

[@skrubby160]

Bullshit

[@GeoffreyBronson]

@@skrubby160 He probably isn't English

[@problem5697]

@@skrubby160 stfu

[@goodcopbadcop7438]

I remember I used to watch top gear with my brother when we were younger.. (also 15) Good times eh?

[@callumhinwood8314]

The glide ratio is still about as good as the actual space shuttle’s

[@russelthebastard]

Good, but bad

[@robertbilling6266]

Looks like a bird, feels like a bird, flies like a brick. That was amazing! I've been at this computer all day working very hard, and to find something that gave me a real laugh afterwards was truly wonderful. Thanks guys.

[@Zarglog]

09:00 the way they scream "BREAK" makes this bit so much better

[@garrycoates2147]

This was their finest hour

[@lewismassie]

The older I get the more insane this appears. As a big rocket fan this is actually quite the achievement

[@urgedpanda]

NASA: no more space shuttles Top gear: ArE yOu ChAlLeGiNg Me!

[@truck6859]

This level of greatness in TV has never been repeated.

[@mihalis1010]

Still better than North Korea.

[@MysticMisdreavus]

Totally! Especially with 336 likes on your comment!!

[@Redxgamer-jz4ys]

World Known yup

[@muIIiner]

World Known even truer now lmao

[@giuseppefloris5067]

World Known yes

[@cypherusuh]

I dont think NK couldnt build it. the hardest part is to make it land, not launched it

[@Gphazor]

9:37 ...and on that bombshell, back to the studio.

[@TogusaSC9]

The finest example of Kerbal engineering outside of the game "Kerbal Space Program". :)

[@bjornlillpers498]

Good to see SpaceX is finally starting to catch up with the Top Gear space program

[@toby0509]

I remember the first time I watched this episode. I thought the build up was just a piss take and the main event wasn't going to be much of anything. I remember being amazed and impressed when that thing took off. I know that they were disappointed but it was still a bloody good effort I thought.

[@Shadowkey392]

I'm impressed they actually got that off the ground.

[@niklaspilot]

First I was really excited! "IT ACTUALLY LAUNCHED!!!" But then it exploded... :D

[@Ironfist2211]

Spoiler alert? D:

[@niklaspilot]

Yeah, sorry... :D

[@appelpower1]

Ironfist2211 Oh well, we all know these challenges end up like that. 'Ambitious but rubbish'

[@DennisKrger]

Ironfist2211 Do you really read comments before watching the clip?

[@Ironfist2211]

Dennis Krøger I had actually seen this video before watching it on KZbin again. Just doesn't seem fair to the vast minority ;P

[@adamhartley8244]

The newer Top Gear will never ever come even close to having moments like this.

[@CallMeShoe]

There is nothing more British than Top Gear with the trio of May, Hammond and Clarkson

[@Muck006]

Well ... since James has become a communist (hating old stuff / traditions and only getting "modern" but boring garbage) it still fits ... because Britain is being run by [rebranded] commies in their entire bureaucracy and education and media now.

[@spacekii]

2:36 Is that antenna very big or is Hammond just incredibly small?

[@mohammedrazeenzaeencamil9344]

I think it's both

[@fobbitoperator3620]

Yes to both!

[@aalyanraza4796]

They don't call Hammond a hamster for nothing.

[@thorsteinj]

This is a question.

[@evancain4906]

The budget of this show must be infinite

[@joeyverliesharen]

Evan cain Well, Elon Musk just succeeded in flying his car to space. His costs were half a billion. So... Youay take a guess how much money it cost these guys to be pioneers!

[@nickpatrick7021]

Well they had 300 million viewers

[@ApocTheLegend]

you could say its...astronomical

[@mikea1157]

Their genuine excitement and shock is great. You can't help but share the feeling with them.

[@deadaces7949]

most epic episode they ever did

[@alexjaybrady]

+Dead Aces ye my favourite too

[@Polsnulspace]

Always wished they had tried this one again. They came so close.

[@klystron2010]

I wonder how much money I could make selling training wheels for Reliant Robins.

[@bresserskylux12]

+Diamondminor9 oh shit you schooled him son

[@StormsandSaugeye]

+Diamondminor9 The people in the North do.

[@MrFletcherhaggins]

+klystron2010 a ton more than you would make off of rockets for reliant robins, that's for sure.

[@AbsoluteTrash_]

+klystron2010 are you trying to steal Clarkson idea?

[@StormsandSaugeye]

I for one would back Reliant Robin training wheels.

[@F5xToRefresh]

Honestly probably the most impressive thing accomplished on top gear