Sep 08
Danish amateur rocketeers Peter Madsen and Kristian von Bengtsson spent the past two years building a vessel they hope will be capable of reaching orbit. The initial launch attempt from a barge in the Baltic Sea took place this past Sunday and was broadcast live on Danish television. Unfortunately, following a series of technical difficulties and facing a narrowing launch window, the pair made the decision to wait until June 2011 to try launching again.
Their 30-foot high prototype, dubbed the HEAT1X-TYCHO BRAHE in honor of the Danish astronomer, is an attempt to break space travel away from the soul purview of “rich countries.” The rocket was financed for around $65,000 via 2,000 individual contributors and 20 corporate sponsors. The vessel also carried a dummy astronaut in tow, building towards the team’s hopes of sending a person into space within four years.
Here’s a link (via Google Translate) to a Danish engineering magazine that has more technical deets on the project.
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