Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Copenhagen Suborbitals: The world’s only manned, amateur space program

copenhagensuborbitals.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 72 posts

Re: Copenhagen Suborbitals: The world’s only manned, amateur space program

#31

Post by jasonpeacock »

imglorp wrote: post #28

I'm curious how a volunteer organization will achieve the culture and technical maturity to make human rated hardware without a high probability of a horrible death. Think about all the conditions in a long chain of events that must all go right, in a launch, to avoid cooking, freezing, squishing, cratering, asphyxiating, poisoning, exploding, or drowning your crew. After decades of practice, NASA ended up under 1:10…

And yet everyday you (and everyone else) get in a car with much higher risk of death.

Why the double standard for experimental space fight?

Re: Copenhagen Suborbitals: The world’s only manned, amateur space program

#32

Post by rfrey »

jasonpeacock wrote: post #31
imglorp wrote: post #28

I'm curious how a volunteer organization will achieve the culture and technical maturity to make human rated hardware without a high probability of a horrible death. Think about all the conditions in a long chain of events that must all go right, in a launch, to avoid cooking, freezing, squishing, cratering, asphyxiating, poisoning, exploding, or drowning your crew. After decades of practice, NASA ended up under 1:10…

And yet everyday you (and everyone else) get in a car with much higher risk of death. Why the double standard for experimental space fight?

Do you really think car travel has a 1/100 chance of death, or is this a whoosh moment for me?

Re: Copenhagen Suborbitals: The world’s only manned, amateur space program

#33

Post by akiselev »

dogma1138 wrote: post #23
z3phyr wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Feasibility is the major contributing factor. Time, Space and Money are hard to come by. Then of course there is the red tape from the respective government involving permission for a very costly hobby. Then, the easiest to acquire, knowledge.

Also regulation I’m not entirely sure how many countries would let you build what amounts to at least an intermediate range ballistic missile in the back yard. I’m actually wondering how did they get by with the multiple missile technology non proliferation treaties out there.

The majority of ITAR restrictions (and other similar export laws, in my experience) are for technologies that help with navigation and targetting, not propulsion. The technology to build an amateur rocket is a lot more widespread and easier to build locally or import.

Besides, export restrictions are rarely absolute - they mostly just add paperwork to legally certify that neither you nor your clients are sending the technology in question to Iran or NK.

Re: Copenhagen Suborbitals: The world’s only manned, amateur space program

#35

Post by jakobegger »

solarkraft wrote: post #17
tomjen3 wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A pirate space organisation that gets the air space over them closed by the government.

Air space over international waters can be controlled by a government?

Maybe the military just informed airlines that they are doing tests in that area?

(I have no idea how air traffic control works)

Re: Copenhagen Suborbitals: The world’s only manned, amateur space program

#36

Post by xae342 »

Cool project, but I always find it amusing when the word “suborbital” is used since it’s sort of a fancy way to say normal or not space. Reminds me this Feynman story:

> Or his questioning of space shuttle engineers: ''They kept referring to the problem by some complicated name - a 'pressure-induced vorticity oscillatory wa-wa,' or something. I said, 'Oh, you mean a whistle!' 'Yes,' they said; 'it exhibits the characteristics of a whistle.' ''

http://movies2.nytimes.com/books/97/09/21/reviews/feynman-do...

Re: Copenhagen Suborbitals: The world’s only manned, amateur space program

#37

Post by HeadsUpHigh »

adim_web wrote: post #19
drmpeg wrote: post #8

I was tangentially involved in the Nexo II launch. Alexandru Csete (author of Gqrx) used my GNU Radio DVB-S2 transmitter code to send live HD video from the rocket. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwSYv8eVQqQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYF8Am-lt20 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqwJu6cSBW4

Ron, both of you are famous in free software and amateur radio communities due to your work, so thanks again. I have some doubts though regarding the safety of manned launches here. Seems like a serious issue to me and I hope it's not treated lightly.

>I have some doubts though regarding the safety of manned launches here.

I have some doubts about the safety of climbing mount Everest too. That doesn't mean people shouldn't do it. People like to do risky stuff.

Re: Copenhagen Suborbitals: The world’s only manned, amateur space program

#38

Post by HeadsUpHigh »

imglorp wrote: post #28

I'm curious how a volunteer organization will achieve the culture and technical maturity to make human rated hardware without a high probability of a horrible death. Think about all the conditions in a long chain of events that must all go right, in a launch, to avoid cooking, freezing, squishing, cratering, asphyxiating, poisoning, exploding, or drowning your crew. After decades of practice, NASA ended up under 1:10…

I don't see why a volunteer organization should be held at the same standards that a tax funded agency -wrongfully imo- is. They can do whatever they want with their lives.

Re: Copenhagen Suborbitals: The world’s only manned, amateur space program

#39

Post by gregschlom »

imglorp wrote: post #28

I'm curious how a volunteer organization will achieve the culture and technical maturity to make human rated hardware without a high probability of a horrible death. Think about all the conditions in a long chain of events that must all go right, in a launch, to avoid cooking, freezing, squishing, cratering, asphyxiating, poisoning, exploding, or drowning your crew. After decades of practice, NASA ended up under 1:10…

Climbing the Everest has a 1:10 chance of death, yet many people try their luck every year. It's the same thing.

Re: Copenhagen Suborbitals: The world’s only manned, amateur space program

#40

Post by 13of40 »

xae342 wrote: post #36

Cool project, but I always find it amusing when the word “suborbital” is used since it’s sort of a fancy way to say normal or not space. Reminds me this Feynman story: > Or his questioning of space shuttle engineers: ''They kept referring to the problem by some complicated name - a 'pressure-induced vorticity oscillatory wa-wa,' or something. I said, 'Oh, you mean a whistle!' 'Yes,' they said; 'it exhibits the charac…

They also seem to be taking some liberties when using the term "manned". But yeah, cool project.
Post reply on HN