Oh my god.
Yesterday, the countdown for launch-campaign 2012 was started on our website. When this happens it means that we have begun the process of planning the operations and are tuning our brains for action at sea.
2012 is going to be action packed!
It is going to be a summer of ballistic missiles flying and space capsules landing on water. Even though we are never going to beat the feeling of launching for the first time, we are very excited because we will still be faced with complex operation at sea, flying new stuff with unknown outcome. One this is for sure: we will learn so much at test range ESD139 which will be used for 5 planned launch campaigns.
So far, these missions are in the launch campaign book of 2012 (might be changed):
Tycho Deep Space (pad abort test) Launch window: June 1- 15, 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.
SMARAGD-1 Launch window: July-Sept 2012 (specific launch window to be announced) Test-range: ESD139, Baltic Sea Trajectory estimates: apogee 20 km. downrange max 20 km. Launch platform: Sputnik: 10+ degree launch angle. General info: Our new 2-stage rocket SMARAGD will be launched to test long range communication, separations systems and much more. This SMARAGD-1 launch will be short fueled deliberately to have a controlled test and stability verification before going all the way.
SMARAGD-2 Launch window: July-Sept 2012 (specific launch window to be announced) Test-range: ESD139, Baltic Sea Trajectory estimates: apogee 60 km. downrange max 40 km Launch platform: Sputnik: 10+ degree launch angle.. General info: Our new 2-stage rocket SMARAGD will be launched to test long range communication, separations systems and much more.
SAPPHIRE-1 Launch window: July-Sept 2012 (specific launch window to be announced) Test-range: ESD139, Baltic Sea Trajectory estimates: N/A Launch platform: Sputnik: 0+ degree launch angle.. General info: Sapphire is our active guided rocket using 4 jet-vanes controlled by the internal IMU which has to be launched at a zero degree angle in the middle of the test-range area. This test is very important for us. We must learn to master the way of active guidance.
SAPPHIRE-2 Launch window: July-Sept 2012 (specific launch window to be announced) Test-range: ESD139, Baltic Sea Trajectory estimates: N/A Launch platform: Sputnik: 0+ degree launch angle..
Possible launch campaign scenarios 2012 ESD139 in the Baltic Sea. Map image: Google Maps
During spring 2012 there will be a more specific subpage on our website showing the final dates and mission planning as well as the estimates of launch time based on weather predictions.
Hopefully we will have TV coverage once again with choppers providing fantastic aerial video coverage but you will probably not be able to watch this live. But in co-operation with Copenhagen Suborbitals Support we will arrange our own live feed to all interested Internet viewers so you can follow the operations at sea.
It is important to welcome new donators. Since I was blessed with this blog space at wired.com the following persons have donated to us. From all of us a CS, thank you so much!
Juhapetteri Jääskeläinen, Finland Thomas Børsen, Denmark Scott DeGuilo, USA Jason Barry, USA Andrej Pivovarov, Russia Masaoki B Kimiko, USA Stephen Marney, USA Jeff Kearns, USA Terry Josiah, USA
You can read much more about our 2012 launch campaign budget right here. Have a great weekend
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Ad Astra Kristian von Bengtson
