A Silly but possible idea...

[Bj]

Then you may want to move on to engines. Assuming you're going to make a home-made one, you should first simply try to get an operational, scaled prototype. I would suggest liquid fuels (propane, methane, or some liquid hydrogen would make quite good fuels, and LOX is easy to get as well) simply because of the fact that most are very easy to obtain, and don't require tons of red-tape to hack through to use.

A homemade propane rocket :speakcool:

Edit,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2e6pDIOb7Q

rocket propane

 

[Dr Pepper]

A homemade propane rocket :speakcool:

Edit,


[video]

:thumbsup: That's great! Reminds me when my dad lights up the barbecue. I've always found propane BLEVEs to be quite fascinating... :lol:

On a more serious note, propane (when used properly, as was not shown), provides quite a bit of energy, on par with that of Methane.

 

[Bj]

Reminds me when my dad lights up the barbecue.

:blink: :focus:

:rofl:

 

[Eagle]

:thumbsup: That's great! Reminds me when my dad lights up the barbecue. I've always found propane BLEVEs to be quite fascinating... :lol:

On a more serious note, propane (when used properly, as was not shown), provides quite a bit of energy, on par with that of Methane.

Propane has a higher energy density than methane by volume and per mole. However, methane has better energy density by mass (because its more hydrogen rich).

 

[Kyle]

However, the only issue we have is Money. We know enough about orbital mechanics, Calculus, trigonometry, Algebra, rocket design's, type of fuel, ect to get us into LEO. But money's the key, unless someone on here's a billionaire I doubt we could ever afford one. We are rocket scientists, but without the degree or the money.(Actually I have a degree in Aerospace engerneering.)

 

[Star explorer]

well why don't we find an oil feild and dill

 

[JamesG]

Been thinking about this for a while now...

The only real impractical thing I see with this is getting the board users together in one spot at a specific time.

Virtual organization. The development and design of the systems does not have to be done together physically. There is software that allows teleconferencing, telepresence, etc. to allow collaborative work.
A lot of equipment and components can be bought COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) even mil-spec and aircraft grade. Custom parts and assemblies can be designed ACAD drawn and sent electronically to precision fabricators and rapid prototype companies for production of hardware to be shipped for assembly.
Yes somewhere there will have to be a facility for the parts and materials to come together. And there will have to be bodies to do the work. But skilled and experienced contractors can be sourced for that if there happens to not be members with those skills available.

For the first part, before you get started at all, you're going to need a source of income (and thus, a job) and a lot of patience. Without a steady source of income, the project wouldn't ever leave the ground.

Capital. Venture capitalists, "Angel" investors, even advertisers, or a good old fashioned IPO. There is always money looking for new ways to get grown or lost. With the current financial crisis in the equity markets, there are literally Trillions of dollars sitting idle right now.

Next, you need a basic education in physics, chemistry, and rocketry if you want to get the project done effectively and efficiently.

There is quite a depth of knowledge on this board and readily accessible on the internet. With a little bit of publicity and exposure, it may be possible to recruit or at least tap into a very wide base of volunteer information and expertise.

Then you may want to move on to engines... Once you've got the engine running, you could then attempt to pack that into a container (the rocket's body, with all the fins and stuff)

Think bigger and think outside the cylindrical explosive thing.

There will be fixed costs associated with this project that will be the same if you are building a sub-orbital sounding rocket or a Saturn V. From the time you spend thinking and working on plans, to the cost of shipping components together, these are opportunity costs that will be nearly the same regardless of the scale of the project.
Also you will not be able to attract the requisite financing to do anything bigger than a model rocket unless you can offer something new and unique. That means manned. That means reusable. And that means scaleable to something commercially viable.

Besides, I think all of us would like our chance to go into orbit. Not just someone's pet hamster.

If things work out, you could then start scaling up, slowly but steadily reaching your goal of 100km.

Yes. I'm inclined towards building a 1-3 person small lifting body with a scramjet with a secondary rocket engine to get it up to operating speed and to throw it all the way into orbit. To get to high altitude, it is towed from the surface by a lear jet like a WWII glider.

The orbiter has landing gear and is built of carbon composites, aerogel, and ceramics to be heat tolerant and low maintenance. gas and go.

Best of all the concept is scaleable. Build a bigger orbiter and tow it with a 747. Want bigger yet? use the big Antonov 225.

Where there is a will there is a way.

 

[SpaceCowboy]

That's not my plan. Someone else brought that up for the sub orbital rocket you guys were talking about building, so I threw in a suggestion.

No no, I know you were joking.

Okay and SpaceCowboy... HOW is LAUNCHING from ANTARTICA, a GOOD SOLUTION to the idea of going to the MOON in FOUR YEARS?

Seriously?

 

[Everyone PANIC!!!]

i think if your going to build a rocket you have to go the whole way and send someone into space however that leaves us with the problem who?

Personally i think it should be me:lol:

i bet everyone else wants to as well

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

It is certainly possible.

It would require 9 things:

1. Expertease
2. Funding (by multiple means)
3. Time (people willing to give up their day job)
4. Commitment (a lot of people willing to wark hard)
5. Coordination (multiple teams around the world working on seperate things)
6. Publicity & public involvement (best way to generate advertising revenue)
7. Realistic objectives (moon in 4 years is rediculous, more like unmanned orbit in a decade)
8. All legal, certified & above board.
9. Someone willing to sit in the goddamn seat!

How about setting up the project it's own website. E-mail the link to every major news agency in the world. Have a donate system on the site - all donaters are entered into a lottery to win a seat aboard a flight. Mimimum donation = $5. 500,000 people at $5 = $2.5m. Then there's big donations from individuals, advertising, backing by businesses, lottery funding, our own money + all this money could be invested & earn interest.

It isn't impossible, the project just needs a strong host.


-----Post Added-----


The public would go crazy for such a project. There's money out there - it's just about finding a way to get it.

 

[Hielor]

i think if your going to build a rocket you have to go the whole way and send someone into space however that leaves us with the problem who?

Personally i think it should be me:lol:

i bet everyone else wants to as well

How are you qualified to do that? What piloting and engineering experience do you have?

Also, nice thread necro.

How about setting up the project it's own website. E-mail the link to every major news agency in the world. Have a donate system on the site - all donaters are entered into a lottery to win a seat aboard a flight. Mimimum donation = $5. 500,000 people at $5 = $2.5m.

It isn't impossible, the project just needs a strong host.

No one would donate money to a group who has just a website when there are companies out there which have far more than that already (e.g., Scaled Composites, SpaceX). This isn't the sort of thing that you just up and start. You have to transition into it from a similar field.

The public would go crazy for such a project. There's money out there - it's just about finding a way to get it.

No, they wouldn't. 99% of people don't care about space flight, and the other 1% are smart enough to not put their support behind a startup with no experience run by a random group of people from a web forum.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

No one would donate money to a group who has just a website when there are companies out there which have far more than that already (e.g., Scaled Composites, SpaceX). This isn't the sort of thing that you just up and start. You have to transition into it from a similar field.

99% of people don't care about space flight, and the other 1% are smart enough to not put their support behind a startup with no experience run by a random group of people from a web forum.

The difference with this project would be that it is BY the people. People mignt not care so much about spaceflight, but they would care about a group of normal people trying to do something quite extraordinary. Especially if you make the site really slick, have factual predictions from PhD's, blogs, offer people the chance to participate, etc.

 

[Hielor]

The difference with this project would be that it is BY the people. People mignt not care so much about spaceflight, but they would care about a group of normal people trying to do something quite extraordinary. Especially if you make the site really slick, have factual predictions from PhD's, blogs, offer people the chance to participate, etc.

No. People only care about what benefits them. If you think otherwise...well, I'm sorry, welcome to the real world.

Especially with the world economy rapidly sliding down the toilet right now, you're not going to get anyone to just hand you money for a longshot.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

No. People only care about what benefits them. If you think otherwise...well, I'm sorry, welcome to the real world.

Especially with the world economy rapidly sliding down the toilet right now, you're not going to get anyone to just hand you money for a longshot.

But what i'm saying is: Don't make it appear a longshot. Make it appear as an epic endeavour, a voyage of discovery.

Of total world population, this project would probably only appeal to les than .5 of a %. However, that is still millions of dollars worth of doantions. It would not excite "Joe Average", but that's because its not a "Joe Average" sort of project. But there are many people who are not "Joe Average", who would be very happy to see a group of nobody's do something great, especially if you make them feel a part of it too. $5 to 1 person once is not going to ruin them, even if the project does fail.

 

[Hielor]

But what i'm saying is: Don't make it appear a longshot. Make it appear as an epic endeavour, a voyage of discovery.

Of total world population, this project would probably only appeal to les than .5 of a %. However, that is still millions of dollars worth of doantions. It would not excite "Joe Average", but that's because its not a "Joe Average" sort of project. But there are many people who are not "Joe Average", who would be very happy to see a group of nobody's do something great, especially if you make them feel a part of it too. $5 to 1 person once is not going to ruin them, even if the project does fail.

If you can gather $5 from each of a couple million people and send yourself to space, more power to you. I don't think it'll happen, though. People only give donations to causes they believe in. Plenty of people believe in the save-the-X causes. Very few believe in getting-to-space with the same intensity.

Most companies that want to do something like that solicit investments, not donations. Big difference.

For my part, I'm going to use that $5 to do something useful, like buy myself a sandwich. Or invest in a company that a) stands a chance of succeeding and b) treats it as an investment, not a donation.

 

[-Pv-]

"A homemade propane rocket"

NASA butane engine:

http://www.break.com/usercontent/2007/10/New-NASA-Rocket-Engine-Test-384017.html

-Pv-

 

[RocketMan_Len]

I found this;

bummer, a whole year... I wonder if that's per person or just the leader?
Anyway, It would be cool if we could build a rocket ourselves, but I think it would turn out to only be a few people working on it, and more than likely, we wouldn't hit space even if we could build one.

It would probably do this; :lol:

Out of curiosity - where did you find that? Can you post a link?

I ask because I've been building, and flying my own rockets for over ten years... and designing them for five. I have friends who are not only building rockets, but the solid or hybrid motors that power them as well. *Never* have we run into those requirements before... (not even the 'on-site manufacture and use' part...)

 

[garyw]

It's not feasible for one very simple reason.

Within this community there are many talented, intelligent people but they seem to have issues working together. Many projects fall by the wayside because people just cannot get along. Your own attempts to found a Virtual space agency were closed down within weeks because of that.

And you want to do it for real?

You have no business case.
You have no funding.
You have no legal permits.
You have no access to resources or equipment.

This is not "shooting it down". This is plane and simple fact.

It's beyond ludicrous.

 

[pilotpercy]

i think the best way to move forward here is to knock off tens of thousands of post offices/off-licences. well soon have the £10M+. we can then use this money to buy bigger guns and go for the motherload, of course im talking about robbing every £-stretcher in the land! with the fortune we amass we could buy the FAA, build a massive rocket, fly to the moon and bury our stash, thus making us the most ruthless, badass, super-genius space pirates ever to rule the stars!!!

now, correct me if im wrong, but thats what i call a water-tight plan!

 

[Hielor]

i think the best way to move forward here is to knock off tens of thousands of post offices/off-licences. well soon have the £10M+. we can then use this money to buy bigger guns and go for the motherload, of course im talking about robbing every £-stretcher in the land! with the fortune we amass we could buy the FAA, build a massive rocket, fly to the moon and bury our stash, thus making us the most ruthless, badass, super-genius space pirates ever to rule the stars!!!

now, correct me if im wrong, but thats what i call a water-tight plan!

There is something to be said for becoming the first space pirates and having your names forever enshrined on Wikipedia in the list of space pirates, and also having an entry made for space piracy in reality...