One new challenge is the crew capsule; once the capsule separates from the rocket, we'll have to control each part on its own to bring them both back down to Earth in the desired orientation.
When separation occurs, the GNC computers for the two components will need to understand that the parameters for optimal flight have changed. But from a software point of view, that's a minor problem compared to those we've solved already. Bianca Diana works on a drone she's using to test a new guidance system for the Spica rocket. My specialty is parachute design.
I've worked on the ballute, which will inflate at an altitude of 70 km to slow the crewed capsule during its high-speed initial descent, and the main parachutes, which will inflate when the capsule is 4 km above the ocean.
We've tested both types by having skydivers jump out of planes with the parachutes, most recently in a test of the ballute. The pandemic forced us to pause our parachute testing, but we should resume soon. For the parachute that will deploy from the Spica's booster rocket, the team tested a small prototype of a ribbon parachute. Mads Stenfatt. For the drogue parachute that will deploy from the booster rocket, my first prototype was based on a design called Supersonic X, which is a parachute that looks somewhat like a flying onion and is very easy to make.
However, I reluctantly switched to ribbon parachutes, which have been more thoroughly tested in high-stress situations and found to be more stable and robust. I say "reluctantly" because I knew how much work it would be to assemble such a device. I first made a 1. So on that small prototype, I had to sew connections. A full-scale version will have 7, connection points.
I'm trying to keep an open mind about this challenge, but I also wouldn't object if further testing shows the Supersonic X design to be sufficient for our purposes. We've tested two crew capsules in past missions: the Tycho Brahe in and the Tycho Deep Space in The next-generation Spica crew capsule won't be spacious, but it will be big enough to hold a single astronaut , who will remain seated for the 15 minute s of flight and for two hours of preflight checks.
The first spacecraft we're building is a heavy steel " boilerplate " capsule, a basic prototype that we're using to arrive at a practical layout and design. We'll also use this model to test hatch design, overall resistance to pressure and vacuum, and the aerodynamics and hydrodynamics of the shape, as we want the capsule to splash down into the sea with minimal shock to the astronaut inside. Once we're happy with the boilerplate design, we'll make the lightweight flight version.
Copenhagen Suborbitals currently has three astronaut candidates for its first flight: from left, Mads Stenfatt, Anna Olsen, and Carsten Olsen.
Three members of the Copenhagen Suborbitals team are currently candidates to be the astronaut in our first crewed mission—me, Carsten Olsen, and his daughter, Anna Olsen. We all understand and accept the risks involved in flying into space on a homemade rocket. In our day-to-day operations, we astronaut candidates don't receive any special treatment or training.
Our one extra responsibility thus far has been sitting in the crew capsule's seat to check its dimensions. Since our first crewed flight is still a decade away, the candidate list may well change. As for me, I think there's considerable glory in just being part of the mission and helping to build the rocket that will bring the first amateur astronaut into space. Whether or not I end up being that astronaut, I'll forever be proud of our achievements. The astronaut will go to space inside a small crew capsule on the Spica rocket.
The astronaut will remain seated for the minute flight and for the 2-hour flight check before. Carsten Brandt. We keep costs down by buying standard off-the-shelf parts as much as possible, and when we need custom designs, we're lucky to work with companies that give us generous discounts to support our project.
We launch from international waters, so we don't have to pay a launch facility. When we travel to Bornholm for our launches, each volunteer pays his or her own way, and we stay in a sports club near the harbor, sleeping on mats on the floor and showering in the changing rooms.
I sometimes joke that our budget is about one-tenth what NASA spends on coffee. Yet it may well be enough to do the job. We had intended to launch Spica for the first time in the summer of , but our schedule was delayed by the COVID pandemic, which closed our workshop for many months.
Now we're hoping for a test launch in the summer of , when conditions on the Baltic Sea will be relatively tame. For this preliminary test of Spica, we'll fill the fuel tanks only partway and will aim to send the rocket to a height of around 30 to 50 km. If that flight is a success, in the next test, Spica will carry more fuel and soar higher. If the flight fails, we'll figure out what went wrong, fix the problems, and try again.
It's remarkable to think that the Spica astronaut's eventual minute ride to the stars will be the product of more than two decades of work. But we know our supporters are counting down until the historic day when an amateur astronaut will climb aboard a homemade rocket and wave goodbye to Earth, ready to take a giant leap for DIY-kind. One reason that Copenhagen Suborbitals has advanced quite slowly toward its ultimate goal of crewed spaceflight is our focus on safety.
Before each launch, we run simulations of the flight profile to ensure there's no risk of harm to our crew, our boats, and any other people or property. We launch from the sea to further reduce the chance that our rockets will damage anyone or anything. We recognize that our human-rated spacecraft, the Spica rocket and crew capsule, must meet a higher bar for safety than anything we've built before.
But we must be honest about our situation: If we set the bar too high, we'll never finish the project. We can't afford to test our systems to the extent that commercial companies do that's why we'll never sell rides on our rockets. Each astronaut candidate understands these risks. Speaking as one of those candidates, I'd feel confident enough to climb aboard if each of my friends who worked on the rocket can look me in the eyes and say, "Yes, we're ready. Mads Stenfatt first contacted Copenhagen Suborbitals with some constructive criticism.
In , while looking at photos of the DIY rocketeers' latest rocket launch, he had noticed a camera mounted close to the parachute apparatus. Stenfatt sent an email detailing his concern—namely, that a parachute's lines could easily get tangled around the camera. That's how he became a volunteer with the world's only crowdfunded crewed spaceflight program. As an amateur skydiver, Stenfatt knew the basic mechanics of parachute packing and deployment.
He started helping Copenhagen Suborbitals design and pack parachutes, and a few years later he took over the job of sewing the chutes as well. He had never used a sewing machine before, but he learned quickly over nights and weekends at his dining room table.
I immediately began modifying it for rendering. Hopefully others will find this model and explore it as Copenhagen Suborbitals makes progress and headlines. It will be interesting to see what others use it for and what process if any, SketchUp can play in Open Source design projects. The model was built using Copenhagen Suborbital's open source. But space exploration is still expensive and this is where Kickstarter comes in. Kickstarter is a crowdfunding site that has become popular for startups, artists and ambitious makers around the world.
Several space entrepreneurs have even funded part or all of their projects using Kickstarter. Many of these projects are based on Open Source Hardware technology, and some are even releasing their designs as Open Source Hardware for the rest of us. Not satisfied building a Cubesat or funding a Kickstarter campaign? I'm a geek who loves to build stuff.
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Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Spaceflight Insider. Amateur spaceflight? Rae Botsford End Rae Botsford End is a freelance writer and editor whose primary work currently is writing technical white papers, contributing to SFI, and working on a speculative fiction novel that she hopes to have published soon.
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