Copenhagen Suborbitals Updates and Testing

[Voyager4DK]

So what's happening on June, 22th with the clock ticking down on the website?

This summers launch campaign window wil open (June-Sep). And they have 5 launches planned this time.

The most exiting test is of course the Tycho Deep Space pad abort test:

Launch window: June-Sep, 2012
Test-range: ESD139, Baltic Sea
Trajectory estimates: apogee 1 km. downrange max 1 km.
Launch platform: Sputnik: 0-degree launch pad.
General info: Our new space capsule Tycho Deep Space will be launched using the LES-engine. Three main parachutes will provide us with a controlled capsule splash down at sea followed by recovery operation of Tycho Deep Space and the LES-engine.

[Voyager4DK]

Tycho Deep Space has been given a name:


LES / Tycho Deep Space Separation Test #1:


The first flight of LES + Tycho Deep Space is set to 27-29. July 2012.

[Zero-G]

LES / Tycho Deep Space Separation Test #1:

Looking at that video, it seems like the LES did not separate cleanly. One of the struts remained attached or hung up?

[Voyager4DK]

Wired Copenhagen Suborbirals profile

..have a lot to be proud of since they founded their non-profit space program four years ago. In June 2011, for example, Copenhagen Suborbital’s army of volunteers successfully built, launched and recovered a 31-foot-tall rocket — the largest “amateur” launcher ever built — with a crash-test dummy tucked inside.

It’s a kind of crazy approach, but what they’re doing isn’t anything that requires magic. It’s pretty low-tech and low-performance, but their concepts are workable,” said Ben Brockert, a mechanical engineer at Armadillo Aerospace who has eagerly followed Copenhagen Suborbital’s progress for years.

[Voyager4DK]

1. Video of first drop tests of Beatiful Betty (in Danish)

[Zero-G]

1. Video of first drop tests of Beatiful Betty (in Danish)

Thanks for this link!
Could you please give us a short summary about what is being said in this report, especially by Mr. von Bengtson?
Did he make any comments on the fact that the capsule came to rest upside down (I think for Apollo this was called "Stable 2"), and if they had a system installed that should right up the capsule?

[Voyager4DK]

Thanks for this link!
Could you please give us a short summary about what is being said in this report, especially by Mr. von Bengtson?
Did he make any comments on the fact that the capsule came to rest upside down (I think for Apollo this was called "Stable 2"), and if they had a system installed that should right up the capsule?

Yes, that part of the test failed, they have 4 uprighthing bags as descripted here. They didn't inflate fully, so the capsule didn't turn as it should. The guys think there must have been a short in the system somewhere. So they will repeate that part of the test locally at Copenhagen habor.
You can read more about the test here:
DIY Capsule Drop Test, Pyro Separation and Betty Page (Wired blog)
Capsule tumbled nice round, but the balloon system shorted (google translated)

[Morten C.]

1. Video of first drop tests of Beatiful Betty (in Danish)

Thanks for this link!
Could you please give us a short summary about what is being said in this report, especially by Mr. von Bengtson?
Did he make any comments on the fact that the capsule came to rest upside down (I think for Apollo this was called "Stable 2"), and if they had a system installed that should right up the capsule?

This report is from the local news, where they tell that the crane on Lindoe shipyard, is used to test the new capsule.

Mr. von Bengtson said that, he is glad they are able to use the crane for this test, because it is the only place in Denmark where they are able to do these tests. As the crane is so high (100m) it is able to do drops + there is water, make it a perfect place to test. All in all, he is happy with the tests, feels that they got the data they need, doing the day.

Another clip from the test

http://www.tv2fyn.dk/article/358626:Foelg-test-af-rumkapsel

There was a short circuit in the upright system, so 2 bags was not inflated all the way. But they will be able to do some more test back home in Copenhagen harbor.

Regards
Morten

[Zero-G]

Thanks a lot for the translation and the links, guys!

[Morten C.]

von Bengtson says in the video:
This time we do not drop parachutes, we drop a capsule. We have our lates
version with us. It is outside and later we can all see it in details. Simply
said, it weight 450 kg,have a diameter of 2 m and the point of this test is
drop it with an angle, to see how it react when hitting the water. How it move
around in the water, what it's buoyancy capabilities are and how we can handle
it when it is in the water.

Some conclusions from the test:
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/06/diy-capsule-drop-test-evaluations/#more-116353

[Morten C.]

This week the launch platform Sputnik took the trip from Copenhagen to Nexoe,
where it will be, doing this summers tests. It took 26 hours to do the trip this
year, compared to last year 36 hours. Other than a minor oil leak from one of
the engine the trip was done without problems.

First test will be on 13.-15. July, if the weather allows it, where a 2 stage
rocket called SMARAGD will be launch. The rocket will be passive stable, with a
counter rotating top, outfitted with radio downlink to HDTV, GPS, accelerometers and gyroscopes as well as cameras and a parachute.

The first SMARAGD will have a 2. stage with only 20% fuel, the rest water. They expect it to reach 8 km. The second SMARAGD will have 100% fuel, and it is expect to reach 20 km, and will be launch 27.-29. July.

The main objective with these rockets is to test telemetry and radio downlink



SMARAGD without fins and paint

[Morten C.]

A bit more about the TM65 Liquid Propellent Rocket Engine, tested earlier this year. Enjoy

Episode 1 - Peter Madsen explain TM65 - Tordenskjold



Episode 2 - The work setting up the static test, the test itself and some conclusions

[Morten C.]

Here is what I have found from various sources:
 


SMARAGD-1 got its fins and paint, and got closer to be shipped to Spaceport Nexoe, to meet the launch window on July 13-15, according to Kristian von Bengtson's blog on Wired. Once there, it will be mounted on the Sputnik platform, that arrived a few weeks before.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/06/the-launch-season-puzzle/#more-118230



SMARAGD-1 is about 6m high and have the weight of 160kg. Here seen with Peter Madsen and Flemming Rasmussen (I think)

1. stage


1. stage engine is a shorten HATV (Hybrid Atmospheric Test Vehicle) http://copenhagensuborbitals.com/hatv.php diverted rocket and have a diameter on ø220mm. The stage is expected to reach 400 m/sek after the 4sec burn, according to Peter Madsen on his danish blog on ing.dk.

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=da&sl=da&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fing.dk%2Fartikel%2F130369-2-trinsraketten-smaragd-1-har-faaet-vinger



Data on 1. stage engine
Mass oxidizer (LNOX): 28 kg
Mass fuel (Polyurethane): 5.3 kg
O/F: 5.3
Grain ports: 19 @ 25 mm each
Grain length: 300 mm
Injector canals: 32 @ 5 mm each
Total impuls = 70500 Ns
ISP = 216 s (based on Cf = 1.4)
C* = 1512 m/s
Thrust phase: 3.4 s (pressure below 1.5 bar)
Thrust: 30kN

Data taken from http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/12/smaragd-rocket-tests-data-and-high-speed-video/

2. stage


2. stage is build with a diameter of ø133mm, and contains beside the engine, also the anti roll system, that will keep the payload still, doing flight, using the data from the on board IMU.
The stage is ignited at the same time as the 1. stage, but with a 13.5sec delay. The burn will last 2sec for SMARAGD-1, where the next rocket SMARAGD-2 will burn for 12sec.

Data on 2. stage engine
Mass oxidizer (LNOX): 9 kg
Mass fuel (Polyurethane): 1.5 kg
O/F: 6
Grain ports: 1 @ 40 mm
Grain length: 500 mm
Injector canals: 1 @ 3.5 mm
Total impuls = N/A
ISP = N/A

2. stage static test and more information of the engine 21 min into this video.


Payload


The payload is later separated from the 2. stage, and is hoped to be recovered after being parachuted down to the sea.

The payload consist of:

GPS live downlink
Inertial navigation System
Video live downlink
Pressure measurement to determine the height live downlink
HD video GoPro.
HD Video with another camera.

Video of payload separation test and further information on recovery


More pictures of the rocket can be found here
https://profiles.google.com/copsub/photos

Enjoy

Regards
Morten

Edit: Link fix

[Danderman]

I have to ask this question:

Its all great that these guys are learning to build small sounding rockets, but wasn't the pitch by this group that they were going to do big stuff Real Soon Now?

[Morten C.]

There is talk about a ø650mm HEAT size rocket, going high in 2013. Looks like it is going to be the TM65 engine.

This year they make experiment on the parts they think they need/be better at, learned from the 2012 launch of HEAT 1X - Tycho Brahe.

That is high altitude telemetry test (SMARAGD-1 and 2)
Active guidance with jet vanes (SAPPHIRE-1 and 2)
Parachute test (LES/ Tycho Deep Space)

They are all done with the smaller HATV rocket, except parachute test that is done with a LES engine on the capsule Tycho Deep Space

The reason to use HATV is they are well tested, cheap and fast to produce.
Lessons learned this year, will be put into next years HEAT size rocket.

Regards
Morten

[Morten C.]

CS have conducted their second separation test for the LES/TDS
See the first test further up this thread

[mr. mark]

I'm hoping that Copenhagen Suborbitals will someday get a dedicated section here at NSF.com. These launches, I hope will set a brisk pace of development. Their new sounding rocket seems to be a winner can't wait for the test launch.

[Morten C.]

Copenhagen Suborbitals have posted a sketch for their future direction.

TDS-1 that started as a testbed for parachutes systems, in the lack of being able to perform droptests from airplanes in Denmark, is now the design of choice in CS.
Out is the tube design, and a more classic capsule design is adopted, based on the test and work with TDS-1. Most of the subsystems developed for TDS-1, can be transferred directly into the new capsule.
How the new capsule, called Tycho Deep Space 2, will end up looking, will be decided in the next couple of months. What is known that the diameter is reduced from 2 to 1,6 meter, and aluminum (alloy: AlMg3) is considered, as the material of choice, to reduce the weight of the new capsule. Weight of the capsule is expected to be 500 kg, with a LES system weighing the same.

At the moment the engine department is looking at propellant alternatives to LOX/Alcohol. CS is looking at the WFNA / furfuryl alcohol propellant combination, because it have some properties that would be useful. Since it is more storable than LOX, MLP Sputnik will be able to fuel the rocket in the port of Nexø before sailing to the launch area, leaving one stress factor on land. Another property is that this alternative got more energy than LOX/Alcohol, and that in the end determines the size of the tanks, and length of the rocket. CS have released a report on the work with the test engine called Spectra. Static test have been conducted September 9, and more are expected in the coming time.

Doing the fall and spring, tests of the TM65 will continue, with the goal of making it a stable 65 kN thrust engine, that first will be tested and launch alone, and finally in a cluster of 4 TM65 engines on the rocket that will launch TDS-2. It is hoped that the first launch with a rocket with a single  TM65 engine will happen in summer 2013.

A November launch of the hybrid rocket Sapphire, is looking promising, and will give CS a first time chance to test an active guide rocket. Active guidance have been given top priority, and data is needed for the continued development of a reliable guiding system, for the use in future rockets. First one most likely a rocket with a single TM65 in 2013.

[QuantumG]

Alcohol/WNFA engine test.

[Voyager4DK]

They are now also using crowd-funding to get extra money to build next space capsule "Tycho Deep Space II".

http://www.indiegogo.com/TychoDeepSpace2?c=home

They are almost halfway at there goal of $10,000 and still over 100 days to go.