by J.L. Schiff, AAS
When it comes to thinking about countries that launch, or potentially could launch people into space, the small nation of Denmark (pop. 5.5 million) does not readily come to mind. But two self-employed Danish engineers, Kristian von Bengtson and Peter Madsen are planning to do just that. Aided by a coterie of volunteers who provide technical construction skills and a dollop of voluntary contributions from the public and Danish industry, this small band, known as the Copenhagen Suborbitals have plans to conduct an airborne test flight in June 2011 to an altitude of approximately 30 km. The 9m long, 64cm diameter rocket, known as HEAT-1X (Hybrid Exo Atmospheric Transporter) will be fired from its floating (!) launch platform in the Baltic Sea off the southern tip of Sweden.
|
|---|
The original maiden test flight slated for 5 September 2010 had to be aborted when a valve froze over during the fueling stage in spite of efforts with a hairdryer to keep the valve warm. This little hiccup comes after years of grounds test on various hybrid engine designs, the latest one using a combination of liquid oxygen (oxidizer) and polyurethane (fuel). Although the Copenhagen Suborbitals would be considered amateurs in every sense of the word, it must certainly help that Mr on Bengtson is a former NASA scientist who with Madsen also built the world's largest amateur submarine. Fittingly, the sub tows the launch barge to its designated launch site in the Baltic.
The Heat-1X is a single stage rocket that supports a cylindrical pressurised space capsule known as 'Tycho Brahe' after the famed Danish astronomer, that is capable of accommodating a single astronaut in a standing position. Atop the Tycho Brahe capsule sits a plexiglass dome that allows the space voyager to see the entire spectacle all the way to the ultimately anticipated 150 km altitude ('space' is officially deemed to begin at 100 km), after which a parachute will deploy on the way down where the capsule will be picked up floating in the sea.
|
|---|
Test flights will use a crash test dummy in order to test all the conditions that Mr Bengtson will ultimately experience when he is finally lifted into space sometime in the years ahead. With the success of that launch, the era of inexpensive space flight will finally be at hand. And it was all done by a group of dedicated amateurs! Move over NASA.