Smallest rocket capable to send human being into orbit???

[Pawelk198604]

I looking for info what is potential or real smallest possible rocket to send man into orbit.

[magnemoe]

You would want something like the 1.3 ton mercury pod, you might be able to cut some weight using modern materials and electronic.

An falcon 1 might take an slimmed down version to LEO.

[Thaniel]

Well, technicaly, I think that might be the Pegasus. But, the size of the thing would mean a pretty cramped capsule, with a weight considerably less than the mercury capsules. Not sure it would be possible to put a heatshield on it, so, do you ean put a human in space, and bring him/her safely down again? Or just into orbit?

edit: yeah, the Pegasus takes some 443 kg to LEO. So, subtract he weight of the astronaut, (say roughly 100 kg, including a skinsuit.) now, with a suit and a helmet, forego a pressurised cabin, a simple liquid nitrogen RCS system, no parachute or heatshield for returning, no dockingring, it should be possible to make a minimalistic vehicle able to launch one human being into LEO for being picked up by another vehicle in orbit. That is the smallest possibilitiy I can think of.

Edited April 26, 2013 by Thaniel

[Nibb31]

It depends what you want to do with a man once he's up there and for how long you want him to stay alive.

I would think that Mercury-Atlas is just about as small as you could make a spacecraft if you want any chances of survival after a few hours in space. The Mercury capsule was only 1.3 tons (including the astronaut and consumables).

[Rune]

It depends what you want to do with a man once he's up there and for how long you want him to stay alive.

I would think that Mercury-Atlas is just about as small as you could make a spacecraft if you want any chances of survival after a few hours in space. The Mercury capsule was only 1.3 tons (including the astronaut and consumables).

If you increase the number of stages (say, three), I think you could drop the weight on the pad a bit. Using H2/LOX as fuel might give you a tiny further advantage (the Delta IV is very light for its payload, for example). But yeah, around there is the minimum.

Rune. Lowest cost would be a completely different problem, as is also proven by the Delta IV.

[Foamy]

If you don't care about orbit then this is about as small as you can get: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HEAT_1X_Tycho_Brahe

[astropapi1]

Do some reading on this page:

http://www.copenhagensuborbitals.com/

They're a non-profit organization with the goal of sending a human into SPACE!

[Thaniel]

But not orbit, mind you.

[orbitalguy]

Mercury-Atlas specs

Size

Height 28.7 metres (94.3 ft)

Diameter 3.0 metres (10.0 ft)

width over boost fairing 4.9 metres (16 ft)

Mass 120,000 kilograms (260,000 lb)

Stages 1½

-from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_LV-3B