Smallest orbital-grade rocket?

[Artlav]

What is the smallest in dimensional terms rocket available around today, that could put a man into orbit?

A man - 90Kg, a space suit - 100 kg, reentry pack - 100Kg and some basic shell - 10kg.
So, it needs a total of 300Kg to orbit capability and have a slow enough acceleration to be a survivable ride.
Orbiter add-on availability is also preferable.

 

[Urwumpe]

What is the smallest in dimensional terms rocket available around today, that could put a man into orbit?

A man - 90Kg, a space suit - 100 kg, reentry pack - 100Kg and some basic shell - 10kg.
So, it needs a total of 300Kg to orbit capability and have a slow enough acceleration to be a survivable ride.
Orbiter add-on availability is also preferable.

In this range, we have only Falcon 1 and Rockot today.

Angara and VEGA are more or less near today. Minotaur and Thor are past.

 

[Usquanigo]

A man - 90Kg

Are you planning to launch mini-me or something?

 

[T.Neo]

Are you planning to launch mini-me or something?

That is kilograms, and 90kgs I would regard as being average human male weight.
Either that, or Artlav is planning to launch someone with a slight build.

 

[Artlav]

Minotaur and Thor are past.

Better phrasing then:
What is the smallest in dimensional terms rocket ever successfully launched, that could put a man into orbit?

Are you planning to launch mini-me or something?

A man does not necessarily means male or usa'er.

 

[Usquanigo]

That is kilograms, and 90kgs I would regard as being average human male weight.
Either that, or Artlav is planning to launch someone with a slight build.

I read it correctly. 198lbs

I was making a joke really. I'm 6'2" with an average build (a few extra pounds but by no means fat in any regard), though I do have a heavy frame, and I can never get below 220. But visually I'm "average" (from what I've seen), so when I see people talk about sub-200lbers to me, that's either a midget, a teenager, or someone who's about to keel over from starvation. :lol:

 

[T.Neo]

I just tried to make a scenario launching Artlav's ummucone with a Velcro Conestoga 1620. It went up way to fast on ascent, and would have fried, and the Star48 wrecked the orbit.

Requires Velcro Rockets, Universal Cargo Deck and Artlavs Ummucone:

BEGIN_DESC
Ummucone Launch.
END_DESC
BEGIN_ENVIRONMENT
System Sol
Date MJD 55602.629167
END_ENVIRONMENT
BEGIN_FOCUS
Ship Stg1_1
END_FOCUS
BEGIN_CAMERA
TARGET Stg1_1
MODE Extern
POS 9.73 -0.51 -123.30
TRACKMODE TargetRelative
FOV 50.00
END_CAMERA
BEGIN_HUD
TYPE Surface
END_HUD
BEGIN_MFD Left
TYPE Surface
END_MFD
BEGIN_MFD Right
TYPE Orbit
PROJ Ship
REF Earth
END_MFD
BEGIN_SHIPS
RP-1:ummucone
STATUS Landed Earth
BASE Cape Canaveral:6
HEADING 095.00
PRPLEVEL 0:1.000 1:1.000
NAVFREQ 0 0
UMMUCREW Capt-Fuechslin_Beat-11-77-65
END
Stg4:Velcro/Star48B
STATUS Landed Earth
BASE Cape Canaveral:6
HEADING 095.00
TGT_HEADING 095.0
IGNITENEXT 0
DELAYSTART 60.0
FUEL 1.000
CONFIGURATION 0
END
Stg3:Velcro/CastorIVB
STATUS Landed Earth
BASE Cape Canaveral:6
HEADING 095.00
TGT_HEADING 095.0
FUEL 1.000
CONFIGURATION 0
MEngineVec = 0 0 1.0
FAIRING 2 1.0 0.0 4.0 0.2
PAYLOAD Interstage Velcro/Parts/ConestogaInt Velcro/Parts/ConestogaInt 0 0 4 100.0 0 0.0 1.0
PAYLOAD Fairing2 Velcro/Parts/ConestogaRFair Velcro/Parts/ConestogaRFair 0.0 0.0 4 150.0 0 0.0 1.0
PAYLOAD Fairing1 Velcro/Parts/ConestogaLFair Velcro/Parts/ConestogaLFair 0.0 0.0 4 150.0 0 0.0 1.0
SERIESBURN 0 Stg4 0 0 -1.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 
END
Stg2_1:Velcro/CastorIV
STATUS Landed Earth
BASE Cape Canaveral:6
HEADING 095.00
TGT_HEADING 095.0
FUEL 1.000
CENTERTHRUST 1
PRIMEBOOSTER 0
CONFIGURATION 0
CAMERA 0 0 30.0
MEngineVec = 0 0 1.0
SERIESBURN 1 Stg3 0 0.375 -3.44 0.0 1.0 0.0 
END
Stg2_2:Velcro/CastorIV
STATUS Landed Earth
BASE Cape Canaveral:6
HEADING 095.00
TGT_HEADING 095.0
FUEL 1.000
CENTERTHRUST 1
PRIMEBOOSTER 0
CONFIGURATION 0
MEngineVec = 0 0 1.0
PARALLELBURN 1 Stg2_1 0 -1.425 -3.44 0.0 -1.0 0.0 
END
Stg1_1:Velcro/CastorIV
STATUS Landed Earth
BASE Cape Canaveral:6
HEADING 270.00
TGT_HEADING 095.0
FUEL 1.000
CENTERTHRUST 1
PRIMEBOOSTER 1
CONFIGURATION 0
CAMERA 0 0 30.0
MEngineVec = 0 0 1.0
SERIESBURN 1 Stg2_1 0.325 -0.8125 -3.44 0.866 0.5 0.0 
END
Stg1_2:Velcro/CastorIV
STATUS Landed Earth
BASE Cape Canaveral:6
HEADING 095.00
TGT_HEADING 095.0
FUEL 1.000
CENTERTHRUST 1
PRIMEBOOSTER 0
CONFIGURATION 0
MEngineVec = 0 0 1.0
PARALLELBURN 1 Stg1_1 0 -1.425 -3.44 0.0 -1.0 0.0 
END
Stg1_3:Velcro/CastorIV
STATUS Landed Earth
BASE Cape Canaveral:6
HEADING 095.00
TGT_HEADING 095.0
FUEL 1.000
CENTERTHRUST 1
PRIMEBOOSTER 0
CONFIGURATION 0
MEngineVec = 0 0 1.0
PARALLELBURN 1 Stg1_1 0.325 -0.8125 -3.44 0.866 0.5 0.0 
END
Stg1_4:Velcro/CastorIV
STATUS Landed Earth
BASE Cape Canaveral:6
HEADING 095.00
TGT_HEADING 095.0
FUEL 1.000
CENTERTHRUST 1
PRIMEBOOSTER 0
CONFIGURATION 0
MEngineVec = 0 0 1.0
PARALLELBURN 1 Stg1_1 -0.325 -1.1725 -3.44 -0.866 -0.5 0.0 
END
CargoDeck:UCargoDeck
STATUS Landed Earth
BASE Cape Canaveral:6
HEADING 095.00
NAVFREQ 0 0
XPDR 0
CORE_NAME Stg4
JETTISONSPEED 1.00
JETTISONINT 5.00
ALLOW_SEND_FOCUS 0
DEF_ATT_PARAMS 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.00000 1.00000 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000 1.00000
PL_DESCRIPTION RP-1 0.000 0.000 2.000 -0.0000 -0.5736 0.8192 0.0000 0.8192 0.5736 0
IN_JETTISON 0 0
J_MARKER 0.00
END
END_SHIPS

 

[Zatnikitelman]

I'm lightweight, about 160 pounds, but 6'4"
Given the max weight of 300kg, Orbital Sciences' Pegasus would work! But that'd be one heck of an interesting ascent for a person!

 

[Artlav]

I just tried to make a scenario launching Artlav's ummucone with a Velcro Conestoga 1620. It went up way to fast on ascent, and would have fried, and the Star48 wrecked the orbit.

Nice one!
Here is a fix to ummucone for it to show an astronaut mesh at scenario load:
http://orbides.1gb.ru/orbf/ummucone_dll_090109.zip

 

[T.Neo]

Thanks. I noticed that the mesh did not come up at scenario load.

 

[Artlav]

Sorry if the jokes are stupid, but:

 

[Usquanigo]

Might want to add a cage to better support the guy, and maybe hold a bottle of LOX, a larger water tank (and heater and nuclear batteries), and maybe even hoses and external "waste" tank, but it would work, and be dirt cheap. Hell, even fun. :lol:

 

[Linguofreak]

What is the smallest in dimensional terms rocket available around today, that could put a man into orbit?

A man - 90Kg, a space suit - 100 kg, reentry pack - 100Kg and some basic shell - 10kg.
So, it needs a total of 300Kg to orbit capability and have a slow enough acceleration to be a survivable ride.
Orbiter add-on availability is also preferable.

I've generally heard estimates of about 1000 kg per person, and the Mercury and Gemini capsules were both around 2000 kg per person at launch and 1000 kg per person at splahdown. Vostok was 4000 kg per person at launch and 2000 kg.

So I'd say that the smallest rocket that can get a man into orbit would be the smallest rocket that can loft a Mercury capsule, although with modern materials you might shave off a few hundred kg, so you might get it down to 600 kg or so.

 

[tblaxland]

I'm lightweight, about 160 pounds, but 6'4"
Given the max weight of 300kg, Orbital Sciences' Pegasus would work! But that'd be one heck of an interesting ascent for a person!

Crikey, if you turned sideways you'd disappear!

I've generally heard estimates of about 1000 kg per person, and the Mercury and Gemini capsules were both around 2000 kg per person at launch and 1000 kg per person at splahdown. Vostok was 4000 kg per person at launch and 2000 kg.

+ Soyuz (~2400kg/person launch, ~1000kg/person landing), FYI.

 

[T.Neo]

Sorry if the jokes are stupid, but:

:lol:

Thats hilarious!

If you want a cheaper flight, choose a star 37.

 

[Missioncmdr]

Sorry if the jokes are stupid, but:

:rofl: Made me laugh!