First amateur manned space launch coming soon?

[Smersh]

(For info, EarthlingX included this story in a post in his Experimental Launches thread, but seeing as this would be quite a historic event if it happens, both in terms of manned spaceflight and amateur rocketry, I thought it might be worth a thread of its own.)

Danish Amateurs Hope To Launch Suborbital Rocket Next Week

It’s something like the movie “Astronaut Farmer,” but this is for real. And it’s in Danish. Copenhagen Suborbitals, headed by Kristian von Bengtson and Peter Madsen, hope to launch the world’s first amateur-built rocket for human space travel. As of this writing, the launch countdown clock on the Copenhagen Suborbitals’ website reads 7 days and 12 hours, which would put the launch on August 30 at about 1300 GMT. This upcoming flight will be an unmanned test flight, but if all goes well, Madsen hopes to be inside the single-passenger capsule named Tycho Brahe for a manned flight in the near future ...

Full story: http://www.universetoday.com/71845/dani ... next-week/

Maybe the Danes will be the next ones on the moon then, the way NASA is going (or isn't, at the moment) I'm not sure I'd want to be sitting on top of that big firework though ...

 

[strandedonearth]

I recall way back in Grade 5 or so, a friend and I drawing up plans to launch our own capsule. We figured one or two hundred Estes 'D' rocket motors should do it. Obviously, we never got to the bending metal stage.

 

[mr_mark]

My greatest fear that if they eventually launch someone in this thing and they get killed, it could really have a negative effect on funding in the United States for the more larger commercial providers such as Spacex, Boeing or Orbital Sciences or say Virgin Galactic who all have been trying very hard to provide the safest access to space possible. In the case of Virgin Galactic it could really have a bad effect causing the public to doubt suborbital systems of any kind. Opponents could use a failure to tarnish the whole human rated commercial space industry. It could set everyone back at least 10 years. I want to wish them success but, in a way, I hope it never gets off the ground. :?

 

[Smersh]

Hmmm ... interesting point mr_mark and one I hadn't thought of.

They seem determined to go ahead though and looks like they will be launching the test mission in a few days. If that's successful the manned launch will follow at some stage. If the possible scenario you point out would definitely happen then I guess we'd better hope it either fails at the test stage or both launches (and any follow-up ones) are completely successful (which we'd hope anyway of course.)

Having said that though, there have been space accidents in the past (shuttles etc) and those don't seem to have deterred the 'space tourists,' so far. Any accident with the Danish mission might set Virgin Galactic etc back a bit though I suppose.

 

[Gravity_Ray]

Can you say "E ticket ride"?!?

Whoa! That is a tight fit "half standing/half sitting astronaut" and basically in a tube with a glass top.

Thank goodness it’s sub-orbital. Honestly I am a space nut, but you wouldn’t get me in that thing if you paid me. Talk about being shot out of a cannon!

That is one brave SOB!

 

[mr_mark]

Unfortunately, I'm afraid if there is a manned failure, Senator Shelby will have all the ammo he needs to put a space torpedo into the commercial spaceflight industry. I can hear him now, "see, see what happened. How can we trust the commercial space industry when they are willing to take risks like this". Shelby will say anything to get his way, give him an inch and he'll take a mile. It's like giving him a loaded gun and letting him aim it at the head of commercial space. I would not mind if their first manned launch came after the manned success of Spacex and Virgin Galactic but remember, this company could be the first attempt at privately launching someone. Do you really want this company being the first? It could possibly be the last!

 

[mr_mark]

If I was the head of PR for Spacex, Bigelow Aerospace, Orbital Sciences, Boeing ect., I would quickly find a way to separate this company from the rest of the US commercial launch industry. Try to get as much distance message wise and politically as I could. That way if there is a success GREAT and you wish them the best! But, if things go bad, you have business and political cover. I have a feeling this is going to be a wild ride in more ways than one.

 

[Gravity_Ray]

Well there is a major difference between sub-orbital work of amateurs, and orbital launchers like SpaceX or Orbital Sciences.

That being said, you are right to extant that some will use this as proof that private = some crazy scheme and over the top risk taking.

I read some more about this guy, and actually he is pretty smart, and I wouldn’t put it past him to succeed. I'm still not getting in that thing though! But with only enough room for one person (and that has to be the pilot) this isn’t really aimed at commercial use, just private use.

 

[mr_mark]

Gravity_Ray, you've already made a wrong assumption. There is NO pilot. The person who takes the ride is a passenger. The only thing the passenger can do is throw the emergency auxilary parachute and that's about it (if there is one). This is like strapping yourself to a guided missile and hoping for the best. Scaled Composites test flights of Spaceship One were flown by test pilots, some of the best in the business. The passenger on this rocket is along for the ride. If anything goes wrong, he'll scream all the way to his death. They should provide a free cyanide capsule with ever flight. That way if things go bad at least you can go out quick.

 

[sxjenks]

HAHAHA!! I love this!!

Have just been on their website and this is exactly the kind of spirit that started the aviation industry at the beginning of the last century... Sure, a lot of the early powered flight pioneers smashed themselves to tiny bits, as may well happen to these guys but without them we never would've gotten of the ground... and those guys never had the luxury of un-manned test flights!

If they're not putting the general public at risk, more power to them!

 

[mr_mark]

It's a different age and we have already been there and done that. The problem is these people don't give a crap about the commercial space industry but, their potential failure could devastate it. Also, people are saying these are amateurs. That's incorrect as well. If you look at their website it is a company and it is set up as what we would call here in the states as a non profit corp. Also, people are also making the mistake that this is a piloted vehicle like a mercury capsule. It clearly is not. A passenger is taking a ride on a missile. There a no controls. You are at the mercy of the rocket. I have no problem with a volunteer going up on this, it's his risk. But, let's state what this is and is not. There is too much at risk for commercial space and I'm afraid that enemies of commercial space back here in the states, would use any disaster by this company to halt a human spaceflight program.

 

[aaron38]

My greatest fear that if they eventually launch someone in this thing and they get killed, it could really have a negative effect on funding in the United States for the more larger commercial providers such as Spacex, Boeing or Orbital Sciences or say Virgin Galactic who all have been trying very hard to provide the safest access to space possible.

I'm not so sure about that. People get themselves killed all the time doing stupid stuff like base jumping mountain climbing and skydiving. Once a week a small private plane crashes killing 4-6, and no one ever complains about that. I don't see why a crash of this rocket would hurt SpaceX anymore than a Cessna crash hurts Boeing.

There's a big difference between public and private. If someone wants to blow themselves up with their own money, the public is perfectly willing to go ahead and let them. It's when taxpayer dollars are used that everyone complains.

Now a Virgin Galactic crash would certainly hurt their ticket sales. But I bet a lot of people would be secretly glad a bunch of millionaire playboys bought it.

Of course if you're talking about Senators, their behavior isn't logical or predictable so I can't help you there.

 

[bdewoody]

Well Guys and Gals we can't have it both ways. Either we stay with government funded and managed manned space flight or we allow private ventures to make their attempts with the inevitable failures that are bound to happen. As I have said before just look at the automobile. Approximately 40,000 fatalities in the USA alone each year. Last year China and India alone had over 100,000 traffic fatalities and no one is seriously proposing the bannishment of automobiles.

We can't make progress in space flight without an occasional loss of life and anyone who thinks we can is nuts. I think anyone with the money and drive to construct their own space vehicle should be allowed to do so with minimal government intrusion. My fear is that a failure at this stage will drive up insurance costs to beyond the capability of all but a few to make such an attempt. I doubt that any entity will be allowed to launch a large rocket without obtaining insurance to cover the cost of any unforseen disaster such as a booster crashing into a populated area.

 

[JonClarke]

Looks scary but I hope he succeeds!

 

[mr_mark]

My personal opinion is that this rocket will get about 50 feet off the ground and explode or cartwheel into the sea. Have you seen the video with the extreme thrust occilations. Scary stuff indeed not something you'd want to put a man on. I personally think it may never get that far. But, if it does the passengers cyanide capsule is on me, just kidding of course. :shock:

 

[jumpjack2]

Subscribed and waiting for news.
Does this launch have its own blog for realtime follwing?

 

[samkent]

I'm afraid if there is a manned failure, Senator Shelby will have all the ammo he needs to put a space torpedo into the commercial spaceflight industry.

If I was the head of PR for Spacex, Bigelow Aerospace, Orbital Sciences, Boeing ect., I would quickly find a way to separate this company from the rest of the US commercial launch industry.

I see no connection to commercial space what so ever.

It’s like comparing Cessna to some one who builds an ultra light in their back yard.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the pilot/passenger did have a certain amount of control. A joystick would make a cheap redundant control system.

 

[kk434]

Just read about it on spacedaily, at firsth a thought it was a boring sounding rocket but when i found out that they are planning to put a human inside my jaw dropped! Very bold move, hope it works

 

[jumpjack2]

Just read about it on spacedaily, at firsth a thought it was a boring sounding rocket but when i found out that they are planning to put a human inside my jaw dropped! Very bold move, hope it works

:shock:

 

[kk434]

WOW!! Is this for real? This guy flying away in this thing? If it works it will be all over the news.

 

[jumpjack2]

WOW!! Is this for real? This guy flying away in this thing? If it works it will be all over the news.

first launch will be unmanned. If all goes fine, next launch will be manned.

 

[RVHM]

Nuts.

 

[alpha_centauri]

WOW!! Is this for real? This guy flying away in this thing? If it works it will be all over the news.

first launch will be unmanned. If all goes fine, next launch will be manned.

I don't think so, they are planning plenty of tests to be sure,

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn1 ... othes.html

How are you reducing the risk of riding in such a minimal spacecraft?

This is actually a very cautious strategy in developing spacecraft. If you look back to the 1980s, the very first NASA shuttle flight was manned. We do not put people's lives at stake in test flight; we have an unmanned vehicle that flies over and over again until we are certain that it's reasonably safe. You fix those weak spots and fly again until you reach the point that it can take the entire flight without damage. Doing it any other way would be trying to learn to drink from a fire hose.

 

[mr_mark]

This is completely crazy. Someone needs to give the passenger a cynanide capsule and I'm not kidding. This is nuts and dangerous. If the rocket explodes, he's dead and that's the quick way out. If the chutes don't open he'll fall over 50 miles before going splat on the ocean surface. The person riding this thing is a passenger not a pilot. There are no controls, don't kid yourself. Basically he's strapped to this thing for better or worse. This is also not guys in a backyard making this. This is put together by a no profit company which is soliciting donations. They say they know what they're doing, they say they've built a submarine. For God's sake what does a submarine have to do with building a rocket? Well, if someone gets killed I've said my peace on this and it is their choice to take the ride. Sounds like assisted suicide to me.

 

[EarthlingX]

I volunteer for any of the flights, though i would prefer at least one successful test before that.

Space is obviously not for everyone, but i think there is enough people who are not afraid of a bit of risk.

The rest can be safe and stay at home.