This is a non-profit suborbital space endeavor, based entirely on sponsors and volunteers.
Our mission is to launch a human being into space.
We are working fulltime to develop a series of suborbital space vehicles - designed to pave the way for manned space flight on a micro size spacecraft.
Two rocket vehicles are under development. A small unmanned sounding rocket, named Hybrid Atmospheric Test Vehicle or HATV and a larger booster rocket named Hybrid Exo Atmospheric Transporter or HEAT, designed to carry a micro spacecraft into a suborbital trajectory in space.
dom Member
Posts: 855 From: Registered: Aug 2001
posted 08-29-2010 10:31 AM
This story got some 'jokey' coverage in the British press:
The Soviet Union gave the world cosmonauts, America followed with astronauts and China eventually added its own Sinonauts. If all goes to plan on a floating platform in the Baltic sea during the next three weeks, a 63cm-wide rocket hand-built by two self-employed engineers will herald the unlikely arrival of a new breed of space pioneers – the Danonauts.
Personally I can't see anyone being stupid enough to volunteer to be a Danonaut and fly this rocket...
capoetc Member
Posts: 2169 From: McKinney TX (USA) Registered: Aug 2005
posted 08-29-2010 10:32 AM
Looks like a job for an X-Games alumnus...
gliderpilotuk Member
Posts: 3398 From: London, UK Registered: Feb 2002
posted 08-30-2010 12:10 PM
I would have thought they'd at least go for the "Vikonauts", featuring Einar and Eric.
Hart Sastrowardoyo Member
Posts: 3445 From: Toms River, NJ Registered: Aug 2000
posted 08-30-2010 12:17 PM
quote:Originally posted by dom: Personally I can't see anyone being stupid enough to volunteer to be a Danonaut and fly this rocket...
Hey, if its goes 62 miles/100 kilometers up, I'll volunteer and even apply for dual citizenship... even if means getting my relatives from Holland upset at me. I even have an ad campaign lined up - get Dunkin' Donuts to sponsor a Danish....
Lou Chinal Member
Posts: 1306 From: Staten Island, NY Registered: Jun 2007
posted 08-30-2010 01:18 PM
"Dunkin' Donuts to Sponsor a Danish"
That was a good one.
gliderpilotuk Member
Posts: 3398 From: London, UK Registered: Feb 2002
posted 09-01-2010 09:09 AM
Danish rocketeers ready to launch British dummy
No - not the first politician in space, but a test dummy..
I tend to agree with this witty comment:
"Whoever volunteers for the first ride on this rocket needs their head examined. Preferably before launch, when it'll be easier to find..."
Jay Chladek Member
Posts: 2272 From: Bellevue, NE, USA Registered: Aug 2007
posted 09-01-2010 02:08 PM
So when is LEGO going to offer a version of this rocket for sale?
I agree the "capsule" looks like it doesn't offer much protection on recovery. Instead of "spam in a can" it will likely be "crushed sardine in a can" if the recovery system doesn't work. Glad they are going to try it with a stand in as I think they haven't quite worked out all the bugs yet.
The position one occupies in the craft also isn't a smart one. How is anyone going to enjoy the view if they are recovering from blackout after a high gee liftoff? Not even fighter plane Gee suit pants can help with everything. There is a reason why astronauts and cosmonauts go into space sitting the way they do.
jasonelam Member
Posts: 691 From: Monticello, KY USA Registered: Mar 2007
posted 09-02-2010 09:01 AM
I have to say there are parts of this that seem a little squeamish. I agree, Jay, that the seat issue is one problem. Launching a person sitting vertical is not the best way to go. Not gonna be a good thing if the person who rides that thing suffers a blackout due to the G-forces heading up and then a "red-out" heading down.
It doesn't seem like they have done any air-drop testing of the recovery system, only ground level work.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 09-05-2010 08:21 AM
Today's launch attempt has been scrubbed.
According to early media reports and the project's Facebook page, the scrub was first attributed to a bad battery but the actual cause was found to be a stuck (frozen) valve on a liquid oxygen (LOX) feedline.
The first launch attempt of a homemade rocket built by two Danes failed on Sunday because of a technical glitch, according to Danish media.
Live footage of the launch off the Baltic island of Bornholm appeared to show brown smoke coming out of the rocket after the countdown.
Experts interviewed by TV2 News said the likely cause was a failure of the ignition system.
After an inspection, the builders of the rocket decided against a second launch and did not set a date for a new attempt.
Prospero Member
Posts: 94 From: Manchester, UK Registered: Mar 2006
posted 09-06-2010 10:30 AM
Hopefully it won't take them long to get this sorted out and proceed with the programme.
quote:Originally posted by dom: Personally I can't see anyone being stupid enough to volunteer to be a Danonaut and fly this rocket...
I'd be stupid enough to do this. Anyone who wouldn't is clearly not a true space fan and must immediately resign from this forum.
Prospero Member
Posts: 94 From: Manchester, UK Registered: Mar 2006
posted 09-06-2010 10:41 AM
Thinking about it, between us the members of this forum probably have enough money and technical knowhow to attempt something like this. Wouldn't that be something? collectSPACE's first manned space shot - we could create our own collectibles.
Jay Chladek Member
Posts: 2272 From: Bellevue, NE, USA Registered: Aug 2007
posted 09-06-2010 11:35 AM
quote:Originally posted by Prospero: I'd be stupid enough to do this. Anyone who wouldn't is clearly not a true space fan and must immediately resign from this forum.
NOT! If I could go, I would, but I want it to be in a design that is tested well enough because although I have knowledge about certain things and can fly a plane, I know I don't have the experience to be a test pilot of such a craft. As such, I would be just a passenger with my fate totally out of my hands. I would rather enjoy the fruits of a flight into space and tell others about it rather then have my mug on a headstone saying I was a martyr to the "cause" of spaceflight for passengers. Plus, if a few potential basement bomber approaches to spaceflight end up in failure with a body count, it will end up spoiling things for the companies that are taking the slower more measured approach to spacecraft design and testing for passenger flight. Not to mention public support for such endeavours will likely be reduced as well.
Of course, to me, spaceflight for the masses means moving mankind off the planet and outward, not something that could be pitched as just a "rip-roaring rollercoaster thrill ride" and more akin to bungie jumping or a goofy stunt being tried out on an episode of "Top Gear".
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
By anyone's standards, the mission was daring. Consisting of a cylindrical capsule that snugly fits around a person, with a clear plexiglass dome so that the astronaut can see out, the Tycho Brahe 1 rocket resembles a human canonball.
The BBC reports that the "valve controlling the flow of very cold, liquid oxygen to the motor had frozen up" and the Copenhagen Post sheds some light on why: the power to the valve's heater - a hairdryer, purchased at a Danish supermarket for under £12 - was cut off.
Ridiculous or ingenious, the inventors at Copenhagen Suborbitals have created their rocket on a budget of about £42,000 - less than many Mercedes-Benz drivers spend on a car.
Prospero Member
Posts: 94 From: Manchester, UK Registered: Mar 2006
posted 09-07-2010 05:03 AM
quote:Originally posted by Jay Chladek: Of course, to me, spaceflight for the masses means moving mankind off the planet and outward, not something that could be pitched as just a "rip-roaring rollercoaster thrill ride" and more akin to bungie jumping or a goofy stunt being tried out on an episode of "Top Gear".
Me too, but you've got to start somewhere. These low cost suborbital efforts are potentially the first step towards developing the capability to get into orbit for a realistic price. Personally, I think Arca's Stabilo vehicle is a better bet from the point of view of crew survivability, but I'm all for anyone who's making efforts in this area.
jasonelam Member
Posts: 691 From: Monticello, KY USA Registered: Mar 2007
posted 09-07-2010 09:37 AM
...the power to the valve's heater - a hairdryer, purchased at a Danish supermarket for under £12 - was cut off.
Talk about "parts built by the lowest bidder"! Or, in this case, "parts sold in a supermarket".
Prospero Member
Posts: 94 From: Manchester, UK Registered: Mar 2006
posted 09-07-2010 03:24 PM
They should have come to me. I could have got one for them much cheaper.
Space Possum New Member
Posts: From: Registered:
posted 09-09-2010 07:55 AM
Let's keep in mind, the hair dryer didn't fail, someone "failed" to keep it turned on! We all know that space (or near-space) is a challenging environment and equipment needs to be of a higher quality than even aircraft grade. But sometimes, especially when a govt' is involved, we tend to over think things. I hope these folks try again as soon as possible.
jasonelam Member
Posts: 691 From: Monticello, KY USA Registered: Mar 2007
posted 09-09-2010 11:44 AM
According to the website, the launch has been postponed until June of 2011.
lordolsen Member
Posts: 112 From: Denmark Registered: Jun 2010
posted 06-03-2011 12:37 PM
The amateur-built Danish rocket 'Tycho Brahe' successfully made it up and down again (Danish link)."
The article includes a video of the launch, which is a mix of Danish media coverage and English launch chatter.
Editor's note: Threads merged.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-06-2011 08:27 AM
Video showing the "pilot's" point of view on HEAT-1X Tycho Brahe:
tegwilym Member
Posts: 2331 From: Sturgeon Bay, WI Registered: Jan 2000
posted 06-06-2011 11:08 PM
Very cool! Congratulations to the Danish space program. Kind of seems like that "light sport aircraft" of manned rockets, but have to start with something.
Tom (part Danish myself - mom from Denmark)
xlsteve Member
Posts: 391 From: Holbrook MA, USA Registered: Jul 2008
posted 06-07-2011 08:54 AM
It seems to me there was a great deal of 'pogo' on the launch.
Saturn V Member
Posts: 176 From: Golden, Colorado, USA Registered: Nov 2006
posted 06-07-2011 12:25 PM
Yes, they need an "inboard engine out" sequence in their programing... Oh wait, that is what happened and the pogo stopped.
Jay Chladek Member
Posts: 2272 From: Bellevue, NE, USA Registered: Aug 2007
posted 06-08-2011 01:12 AM
Uhhh, the recovery needs a little work as it seems the parachutes got tangled on the way down.
lordolsen Member
Posts: 112 From: Denmark Registered: Jun 2010
posted 06-22-2011 12:50 AM
Copehagen Suborbitals has just announced the name for their next spaceship.
They have named it Max 1 after Max Faget.
MAX-1 - Spacecraft
Named after American spacecraft designer Maxime "Max" A. Faget (pronounced FAhzay) (August 26, 1921 – October 9, 2004), the spacecraft MAX-1 is currently being developed.
The MAX-1 is a step towards the historical Mercury spacecraft using 1 top-placed and deployed main parachute for final descent. Placing the parachute systems in the top eliminates the posibility of a acrylic top view dome, but these functions are replaced with at 360 degree acrylic cylinder around the head of the astronaut.
The ingress/egress hatch is placed above the head of the astronaut and can be open and closed from both the inside and outside using 8 pneumatic cylinders.
MAX-1 will be produced in aluminium.
BNorton Member
Posts: 150 From: Registered: Oct 2005
posted 06-22-2011 07:13 AM
Little did I realize that when I built and launched my Estes rocket with its cricket payload that I had built a “spaceship”.
While I am glad that this group is having fun, this is about the same level as what is done at Black Rock by Tripoli and NAR model rocket organization members (using solids or hybrids) or other amateur US groups working with liquid propulsion systems.
The apparent seriousness given to this work, and many others like it, is a major problem for any real space program proposal.
lordolsen Member
Posts: 112 From: Denmark Registered: Jun 2010
posted 12-31-2011 04:43 AM
Wired Science Blogs' Rocket Shop offers a quick video and photo update of the engine tests performed Dec. 30 of Launch Escape System engine BIG-LES and active guided rocket SAPPHIRE-1.
Both engine had a great burn and so far it seems like we got the results we wanted. BIG-LES had a 3 seconds perfect burn providing about 8 tonnes of thrust and will eventually be used for a LES-test of space capsule Tycho Deep Space Summer 2011. Sapphire had a perfect long burn while the jet vane rudders was running a preprogrammed sequence while measuring the movement of the rocket with load-cells.
And here is the BIG LES test in high speed HD 300fps:
lordolsen Member
Posts: 112 From: Denmark Registered: Jun 2010
posted 05-20-2012 10:12 AM
The TM65 engine is ready for testing tonight, Sunday, 7 p.m. Copenhagen Time. This LOX/Alcohol engine has an estimated thrust of approximately 7 tonnes.
lordolsen Member
Posts: 112 From: Denmark Registered: Jun 2010
posted 05-22-2012 02:34 PM
Yesterday, Sunday May 20, 2012 Copenhagen Suborbitals successfully test fired the largest amateur-build bi-liquid rocket engine in the world.
lordolsen Member
Posts: 112 From: Denmark Registered: Jun 2010
posted 07-27-2012 05:25 PM
Today Copenhagen Suborbital launched their first two-stage rocket; the SMARAGD.
posted 07-27-2012 06:33 PM
CONGRATULATIONS!!! I wish them well.
Somehow you just KNOW that beer is involved with this project.
lordolsen Member
Posts: 112 From: Denmark Registered: Jun 2010
posted 09-08-2012 02:32 AM
Copenhagen Suborbital has made a new gallery.
lordolsen Member
Posts: 112 From: Denmark Registered: Jun 2010
posted 12-18-2012 03:45 PM
Vice motherbord documentary just released a little film called: Spaced Out: Open Source Outer Space: How a Couple of Guys Are Building a Homemade Rocket Ship for the Masses.
lordolsen Member
Posts: 112 From: Denmark Registered: Jun 2010
posted 12-27-2012 09:33 AM
Copenhagen Suborbitals has made a new film. This time it is the complete story of the development and test of DIY space capsule Tycho Deep Space I. Created and edited by Claus Mejling.
lordolsen Member
Posts: 112 From: Denmark Registered: Jun 2010
posted 12-30-2012 03:46 AM
Copenhagen Suborbitals will be celebrating the new year with a third test of liquid propellant engine TM65. You can watch the preparations and test live right here.
Test data:
Date: Dec 30, 2012
Live feed begins: 1200 CET (6 AM NYC time)
Engine test: 1400 CET (8 AM NYC time)
TM65 propellant: LOX and 75% alcohol,
Thrust: 65-80kN
Burn time: 20+ seconds
lordolsen Member
Posts: 112 From: Denmark Registered: Jun 2010
posted 08-16-2013 12:17 AM
This video is a documentary from the launch of the rocket "Sapphire" by Copenhagen Suborbitals in June 2013. The video shows our preparations and the launch itself - from all available camera angles - including footage from our surveillance airplane.
The purpose of the mission was to test active guidance. This is a key element in the Copenhagen Suborbitals mission to launch a human into space. The guidance system was designed entirely by Copenhagen Suborbitals personnel and used a combination of inertial navigation and jet vanes for control.
The guidance system oriented the vehicle at a point directly above the launch platform Sputnik to minimize downrange distance. It worked well, at burnout the vehicle was only 60 meters off target.
Next Copenhagen Suborbitals will combine active guidance and a powerful liquid propellant rocket engine. The HEAT 2X rocket will be a two ton, space capable active guided liquid propellant rocket. Sapphire was the perfect predecessor of HEAT 2X.
Frewi80 Member
Posts: 120 From: Hawaii. Waipahu Registered: Jun 2006
posted 09-16-2013 01:56 PM
This Guardian report has me worried.
Although I salute their bravery I can't help thinking this is not going to end well...
lordolsen Member
Posts: 112 From: Denmark Registered: Jun 2010
posted 08-20-2014 09:08 AM
Saturday, Copenhagen Suborbitals performed the second static test of the HEAT2X rocket engine.
The previous static test of the same engine earlier this year, was stopped prior to ignition. The root course turned out to be a small amount of water that we failed to vacate from a pipe leading to a pressure sensor in the LOX system. The water froze, denying us of readings from the sensor which lead to one of the safety mechanisms kicking in and aborting the mission by venting the LOX pressure to the atmosphere.
Saturday however was the day HEAT2X reached ignition.
The day progressed according to plan up to and including pre-stage, the step where small amounts of LOX and alcohol are injected into the chamber to be ignited. We progressed to main stage, and lo-and behold, the inner surface of the nozzle imploded.
This lead to the alcohol fuel being dumped directly into the exhaust flame, and as a result an alcohol fire broke out around the booster, aborting the test.
posted 08-29-2010 10:30 AM
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