Rocket gives pickup truck plenty of pick-me-up

It’s not often that you see a rocket propulsion system in the bed of a pickup truck. Yet, that’s what you’re looking at now.

The truck is the brainchild of Tim Pickens, head of Orion Propulsion, who turned his expertise into an obsession, constructing a truck powered by a 2750-pound thrust nitrous-oxide rocket.

You, the driver (if you’re lucky enough to get to drive it), control the engine using a handheld gaming controller. LCDs mounted on the dash let you see the engine roaring to life.

Pickens is showing off his invention at the X PRIZE Cup this weekend. No word yet on whether he’ll attempt the world land speed record.