Yesterday evening was another great design session on capsule Tycho Deep Space II with fellow co-designer Claus Nørregaard. The milestone of the evening was to get one step further in the design of the basic construction and pressure hull.
We are still going with aluminum and the Kazbek seating configuration as seen in this sketch. This time we did a more detailed drawing in full scale and had to find solutions to the following:
- Basic hull and dished-end thickness
- Hatch placement
- General access to capsule during construction and for seating
- Overall design geometry
We need a hatch which is simple to produce and operate which might end up being an inwards opening hatch with flat flanges for optimized construction and pressure control. Due to the overall diameter of the capsule (1.6 m) and seating size we have decided (so far) to place the hatch on the side of the astronaut. Because it is important for the astronaut to have general outlook orientation we will add a window by the face.
This side-hatch will not be suitable for working inside the capsule and for seating installment later in the development process, so we need some kind of large entrance. Our first idea was to have ¼ side of the capsule opened and finally closed using as many bolts as required. However… we do not trust such a system and it is hell to produce.
So, Claus came up with the idea to divide the capsule by a top-flange which creates a large opening for production but also cuts the capsule in half for eased production. Dividing and assembling a pressure by a flat flange is something we do know how do handle and all sides will be fully welded. I’m just pissed that this was not my idea!
Based on these assumptions I did a rough SolidWorks model of the pressure hull for internal pressure testing. All the interior constructions have not been optimized but I believe we are moving down a useful path.
As always Copenhagen Suborbitals is primarily funded by Copenhagen Suborbitals Support and its almost 700 members and this project would not be possible without the effort and dedication of this organization. But I always try to come up with alternative means of financial add-ons and in order to start building this capsule soon (more drawings and analysis needed though) I have created a crowd-funding site for the development of the basic construction of Tycho Deep Space II. (..and no, Kickstarter doesn’t work in Europe).
Also, do not hesitate to send me ideas and drawings if you have ideas for another construction or if you would like to refine this version. You can always starting by downloading the capsule here. I love to get useful or just plain crazy ideas from readers around the world..
Have a great weekend!
Ad Astra
Kristian von Bengtson
