Its Rocket Science

[Guest GroundHOG-2010]

Ok, just a little background about me and this project:

I go to this school in Christchurch, New Zealand, the same place that has been having earthquakes for the last year. After the second big one (February 22 2011), we were vacated from our school building, and have been shoved into another school\'s space, sharing with them, for the last year (today). The school allows students to persue what they want as well, so me and a few friends, each of us under the age of 18, are planning on building a series of rockets. The main goal is getting into orbit. How hard can it be.

At the moment we are designing it, so that we can get funding for the first goal, engine testing.

The goals are...

Engine test a engine meeting a pre defined power (yet to be determine).

1km up / parachute and electronics test

10 km up / Camera Test and electronics test 2

30 km up / Photograh the curvature of the earth

100 km up / Electronics test 3 / parachute test 2 / heat sheld first installement

Orbit (radio beacon, orbit for 3 orbits - 24 hours of orbiting)

Do you think this is possible, or could give any advice?

[jgjiscool]

Just let the space people know that it isn\'t a shooting star!

I\'m only 15, but I wish you luck from Rotorua (a little further up New Zealand if you\'ve done some geography).

[what-the]

This will take awhile. I think you should scale it right down too little hobby rockets and a few hundred meters. Wait a minute, are you talking about the game or real life?

[Guest Flixxbeatz]

Tip: how about using KSP to design your rockets?

[Kryo]

Ok, just a little background about me and this project:

I go to this school in Christchurch, New Zealand, the same place that has been having earthquakes for the last year. After the second big one (February 22 2011), we were vacated from our school building, and have been shoved into another school\'s space, sharing with them, for the last year (today). The school allows students to persue what they want as well, so me and a few friends, each of us under the age of 18, are planning on building a series of rockets. The main goal is getting into orbit. How hard can it be.

At the moment we are designing it, so that we can get funding for the first goal, engine testing.

The goals are...

Engine test a engine meeting a pre defined power (yet to be determine).

1km up / parachute and electronics test

10 km up / Camera Test and electronics test 2

30 km up / Photograh the curvature of the earth

100 km up / Electronics test 3 / parachute test 2 / heat sheld first installement

Orbit (radio beacon, orbit for 3 orbits - 24 hours of orbiting)

Do you think this is possible, or could give any advice?

are you serious about reaching orbit? I assume youre not talking about KSP^^

I dont think that is possible without shit load of money and engineering knowledge.

Start try to reach some km will be hard enough I think

[Guest Flixxbeatz]

I dont think that is possible without shit load of money and engineering knowledge.

Yup. This.

[Tosh]

Can 5-10 teenagers get a rocket into orbit? I hope so...

I fear they can\'t.

Start by reviewing existing light satellite and suborbital launchers. E.g. Safir-2 which lifted 27 kg into the low orbit weighs 26 tonnes. Even suborbital HEAT 1X weighs 1.5, quite a big thing to be built by 10 students (which, apart from everything else, need some time to learn and some way to fund their space program).

Also consider contacting some amateur rocket team like CSXT. I believe that coming involved into an existing project would be a bit more practical.

[witeken]

First try 15km and you\'re already busy for years

[Radion]

Go ahead and good luck, so long as you have 2 cruise liners filled with money, and are willing to risk it all if one wire short circuits.

[Kryten]

If Brazil, a major nation of almost 200 million people, can\'t make an orbital rocket, I kind of doubt a bunch of teenagers can do it.

[TwoHedWlf]

The goals are...

Engine test a engine meeting a pre defined power (yet to be determine).

1km up / parachute and electronics test

Don\'t forget to contact the CAA and get a notam posted.

[Radion]

If Brazil, a major nation of almost 200 million people, can\'t make an orbital rocket, I kind of doubt a bunch of teenagers can do it.

Good God man! Pad explosions, in flight failures. Wait, if I play KSP why am I surprised?

Anyway, you\'re going to need lots of money and several degrees to go suborbital. I\'d say stick with hobby rockets, but you never know.

[Caesar15]

Wow, orbit = never, at least in your situation, even space... lets try getting to the mid atmosphere first

[LukeTim]

You should probably have a look to see if there is any active amateur rocketry in your area, and speak to them. That\'ll be a good place to start with rocketry.

Orbit is out of the question, however, unless at least one of you happens to be a billionaire.

[Dub_freak]

A more realistic option would be a balloon

Sure it might not be a rocket, but at least you can actually send something up there at a low cost.

[LukeTim]

A more realistic option would be a balloon

Sure it might not be a rocket, but at least you can actually send something up there at a low cost.

Agreed. Young Students have been known to do this before, too.

[Guest GroundHOG-2010]

Thank you for you encouraging words. S:|

Funding is planned to be...

Engine tests - School funded

Rockets - Sponsorship?

No launch from balloon, rocket only.

Yes we will contact the right athoritys.

Yes we are not meaning in ksp and we are serious. Thats why its on the offtopic forum. And it won\'t just be us alone, we will have help (hopefully) from a University and several other sources

[LukeTim]

Thank you for you encouraging words. S:|

Funding is planned to be...

Engine tests - School funded

Rockets - Sponsorship?

No launch from balloon, rocket only.

Yes we will contact the right athoritys.

Yes we are not meaning in ksp and we are serious. Thats why its on the offtopic forum. And it won\'t just be us alone, we will have help (hopefully) from a University and several other sources

If you manage to get an object into orbit (even if its, like, a toothbrush or something) then you get massive props from me.

However, I will have to see it to believe it.

[Cthulufaic]

Strap the rocket on a RC plane, Tropo-Launch it, (You can\'t get into the Stratosphere with an RC plane )

And it will impress people more, and possible get you sponsorship.

[Guest GroundHOG-2010]

If you manage to get an object into orbit (even if its, like, a toothbrush or something) then you get massive props from me.

However, I will have to see it to believe it.

Would hearing it on a radio work?

[ping111]

Sorry pal, this is wishful thinking.

I note that you don\'t want to use a balloon or plane (which would be insanely cool!), so I had an idea as zany as yours:

Climb Everest or K2. They\'re so tall that the average, $50 model rocket could likely make it to the mesosphere!

[Dub_freak]

You could probably build something simple that could reach high in the atmosphere, but building a rocket that can orbit is just out of the question.

I admire the optimism but you have to be realistic.

[Polecat Industries]

are you serious about reaching orbit? I assume youre not talking about KSP^^

I dont think that is possible without shit load of money and engineering knowledge.

Start try to reach some km will be hard enough I think

I disagree. I say good for him! GO! I wish my school would give me funding for something like that. They\'d probably look at me like I was crazy...

[Kryten]

That\'s the other thing; it\'s not at all certain whether his school actually will fund anything like this.

[UmbralRaptor]

The costs for getting anything to orbit will eat you alive. 100 km might be doable, but will take lots of time and effort. Good luck!