New Zealand to join space race!

[Correlli]

New Zealand will launch its first rocket into space. Yes, we're a bit behind, but we got there.

http://spacefellowship.com/2009/11/1...et-into-space/

[knumbskull]

all right! way to go boys

[mike_v_s]

I guess this thread is as good as any to announce that I'm joining the space race, too. Obviously, my first attempt will be unmanned, but I'm feverishly working on my second generation capsule that will take my dog into a low orbit. This will serve two purposes. The first is to judge just how long my dog can live in zero gravity with a limited supply of oxygen. The second is that my dog recently crapped on my floor and this is a VERY convenient way to get rid of him.

Mike

[hbarcat]

Hey, this little rocket is awesome!

[Mark Wilson]

Originally Posted by mike_v_s

I guess this thread is as good as any to announce that I'm joining the space race, too. Obviously, my first attempt will be unmanned, but I'm feverishly working on my second generation capsule that will take my dog into a low orbit. This will serve two purposes. The first is to judge just how long my dog can live in zero gravity with a limited supply of oxygen. The second is that my dog recently crapped on my floor and this is a VERY convenient way to get rid of him.

Mike

I'm actually going to post to OT from Space.

[Thunderscreech]

Originally Posted by Mark Wilson

I'm actually going to post to OT from Space.

Are you going to be using your macwheel?

[Mark Wilson]

Originally Posted by Thunderscreech

Are you going to be using your macwheel?

Yea, it's got a sweet LAN connection up there.

[Thunderscreech]

Originally Posted by Mark Wilson

Yea, it's got a sweet LAN connection up there.

That must be a long cable.

[Mark Wilson]

Originally Posted by Thunderscreech

That must be a long cable.

Yea.
It cost a few extra bucks, but it's worth it in the long run.

[Thunderscreech]

Originally Posted by Mark Wilson

Yea.
That's what She said

fixed.

[Mark Wilson]

Originally Posted by Thunderscreech

fixed.

Wow..

How did I miss that...

[Baskesman]

Kiiiiwiiiiiiiis in space!

[Mark Wilson]

[ByF]

Very interesting. The new solid propellant is a particularly important development--it says that it only burns in the presence of a liquid oxidizer, which implies that the engine could be stopped by shutting down the oxidizer. Solid motors are great for lifting heavy loads, but traditionally they can't be shut down once they start--that's a hazard when human payloads are involved.

I'm glad to see private industry getting directly involved in space flight, because that has been the private playground of a few large corporations. Competition is always a good thing, if the goal is reliable and affordable access to services.

But I have to take exception with this statement from the link:

"The ability to launch in the Southern Hemisphere will redress a major imbalance in climate data as most launches to date have been in the Northern Hemisphere. There’s currently a big gap in high-altitude or near space data recorded in the Southern Hemisphere."

That's a misleading statement. NASA studies the world's climate by launching orbital spacecraft, not sounding rockets like the Atea-1. All orbiting spacecraft cross the equator twice in each orbit, no matter where they are launched. They all spend equal time over the north and south hemispheres. In fact, many climate-studying spacecraft are in sun-synchronous polar orbits, so they pass over the North and South Poles once in each orbit.

So yeah, most sub-orbital sounding rockets have been launched in the Northern Hemisphere, but those have not been the most important tools for climate study for, oh, about 40 years.

I've worked on several Earth Observing Satellites at a NASA facility since 1975, so I'm very interested in this kind of development.
Ed

[Mark Wilson]

Originally Posted by ByF

Very interesting. The new solid propellant is a particularly important development--it says that it only burns in the presence of a liquid oxidizer, which implies that the engine could be stopped by shutting down the oxidizer. Solid motors are great for lifting heavy loads, but traditionally they can't be shut down once they start--that's a hazard when human payloads are involved.

I'm glad to see private industry getting directly involved in space flight, because that has been the private playground of a few large corporations. Competition is always a good thing, if the goal is reliable and affordable access to services.

But I have to take exception with this statement from the link:

"The ability to launch in the Southern Hemisphere will redress a major imbalance in climate data as most launches to date have been in the Northern Hemisphere. There’s currently a big gap in high-altitude or near space data recorded in the Southern Hemisphere."

That's a misleading statement. NASA studies the world's climate by launching orbital spacecraft, not sounding rockets like the Atea-1. All orbiting spacecraft cross the equator twice in each orbit, no matter where they are launched. They all spend equal time over the north and south hemispheres. In fact, many climate-studying spacecraft are in sun-synchronous polar orbits, so they pass over the North and South Poles once in each orbit.

So yeah, most sub-orbital sounding rockets have been launched in the Northern Hemisphere, but those have not been the most important tools for climate study for, oh, about 40 years.

I've worked on several Earth Observing Satellites at a NASA facility since 1975, so I'm very interested in this kind of development.
Ed

...

[Correlli]

Originally Posted by mike_v_s

I guess this thread is as good as any to announce that I'm joining the space race, too. Obviously, my first attempt will be unmanned, but I'm feverishly working on my second generation capsule that will take my dog into a low orbit. This will serve two purposes. The first is to judge just how long my dog can live in zero gravity with a limited supply of oxygen. The second is that my dog recently crapped on my floor and this is a VERY convenient way to get rid of him.

Mike

Sorry about your doggy.

[Correlli]

Originally Posted by ByF

Very interesting. The new solid propellant is a particularly important development--it says that it only burns in the presence of a liquid oxidizer, which implies that the engine could be stopped by shutting down the oxidizer. Solid motors are great for lifting heavy loads, but traditionally they can't be shut down once they start--that's a hazard when human payloads are involved.

I'm glad to see private industry getting directly involved in space flight, because that has been the private playground of a few large corporations. Competition is always a good thing, if the goal is reliable and affordable access to services.

But I have to take exception with this statement from the link:

"The ability to launch in the Southern Hemisphere will redress a major imbalance in climate data as most launches to date have been in the Northern Hemisphere. There’s currently a big gap in high-altitude or near space data recorded in the Southern Hemisphere."

That's a misleading statement. NASA studies the world's climate by launching orbital spacecraft, not sounding rockets like the Atea-1. All orbiting spacecraft cross the equator twice in each orbit, no matter where they are launched. They all spend equal time over the north and south hemispheres. In fact, many climate-studying spacecraft are in sun-synchronous polar orbits, so they pass over the North and South Poles once in each orbit.

So yeah, most sub-orbital sounding rockets have been launched in the Northern Hemisphere, but those have not been the most important tools for climate study for, oh, about 40 years.

I've worked on several Earth Observing Satellites at a NASA facility since 1975, so I'm very interested in this kind of development.
Ed

I don't know anything about this project, but thanks for your comments. I know NZ is small, insignificant, and could probably be bought by a small chinese company, but I just love these types of things.