Everybody at Copenhagen Suborbitals is beginning to feel the heat!
The countdown on our web-page, indicating the opening of our launch window, says 33 days and five launch missions have to be carried out until it closes again ultimo august. The previous years we have only had one major launch and only one launch window. Since we have five launches this summer we had to change our rules of engagement for weekends only in order to have as many essential crew members available.
Our most important partner in crime for these sea launches are the naval home guard. They provide the mission control ship MHV903 and has extensive experience with range safety control and recovery operations. We have asked them for all available weekends in June, July and Aug and those dates are as follows.
Week 22, June 1-3
Week 25, June 22-24
Week 28, July 13-15
Week 30, July 27-29
Week 32, Aug 10-12
Week 34, Aug 24-26
However, these dates have to be cleared with the Admiral Danish Fleet who dedicates sea launch area ESD 139 to Copenhagen Suborbitals and notify the Advisory Airspace Command of the Baltic Sea. So, some dates might get canceled from the list above.
Last year the Secretary General of NATO, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, apologized to Copenhagen Suborbitals for cutting 10 days of our launch window at ESD 139 because a NATO fleet operation suddenly had more importance than our launches. I disagree… But a ballistic missile battle between Copenhagen Suborbitals and NATO would probably not be in our favor, so we backed down. Don’t let it happen again NATO! We are back with more rockets this time..
The previous year we have had national television covering the launches but this year we have joined forces with our great support groups Copenhagen Suborbitals Support who is in charge of live streaming directly from the ocean to the Internet so everyone can watch our potential successes or failures.
The campaigns are:
SMARAGD-1
Trajectory estimates: apogee 6-8 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
Trajectory estimates: apogee 15-20 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.
Tycho Deep Space (pad abort test)
Trajectory estimates: apogee max 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.
SAPPHIRE-1
Trajectory estimates: apogee 8-10 km.
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
Trajectory estimates: apogee 8-10 km.
Launch platform: Sputnik: 0+ degree launch angle..
You will get notified on wired when we are launching and provided with a life feed link. So, stay tuned.
Back to work… much to do!
Ps. Good luck to our heroes at SpaceX on the coming launch and docking of Dragon on ISS.
Ad Astra
Kristian von Bengtson
