I am Kristian Von Bengtson, a Danish architect who is building the first homemade spacecraft to send a human into suborbital flight.

My partner Peter Madsen and I are the founders of Copenhagen Suborbitals, a non-profit which aims to be the first space company to make space exploration possible without spending the millions of dollars it costs government-funded agencies and private companies. If we're successful--a manned launch is projected for sometime in the next few years--Denmark would be the fourth country in the world, after China, to successfully launch a manned rocket into space.

Motherboard recently produced a documentary about our efforts, which you can watch here. By all means, ask me anything!


Comments: 190 • Responses: 81  • Date: 

id_aa_carmack78 karma

I haven’t kept up with all the details of your (laudable!) efforts, so this may have been explained previously.

The move from the minimalist Tycho Brahe spacecraft to the Apollo style Tyco Deep Space capsules seems like it dramatically increases the necessary booster size, and hence decreases the likelihood of it every seeing suborbital space.

The Tycho Brahe spacecraft looks like it could be launched on something only two to three times the size of Armadillo’s Stig rockets, while the Tyco Deep Space capsule looks like it needs something about the size of a Redstone rocket. You have enough experience now to know that it will probably take at least a half dozen shots with attending losses of vehicle to get something that is fully successful, so say nothing of reliable enough to want to ride in.

Cost scaling isn’t linear, but making it nine times larger seems likely to make it cost at least five times as much and take at least twice as long, which looks harmful to getting to the goal.

What pushed you away from the man-crammed-in-a-tube design? It looks frightening and unconventional to people, but I still think that it is potentially within actual reach.

John Carmack

Kristian_Suborbitals31 karma

Hey John, Thanks for the interesting question.

There are several reasons for this change. First, I have to say that I am still in love with my first design (the tube-capsule) mostly because it doesn't get any smaller than that. The simplicity was great. You are basically wearing the capsule. Also, it was done at a time where we didnt believe we could handle bigger rockets, but that has changed. The economy and manpower has expanded!

The tube-capsule had some serious issues. First of all the parachutes had to be placed aft, divided in several chambers always being a huge risk for entanglement during deployment. Also, we really wanted to have the kind of safety system which is provided by the LES. There are other reasons as well, but those were the main causes for the change. There is no doubt that we could reach our goal much faster if we kept the old design, but we felt it was the right way to go, even though it might end up costing us 10+ years. Keep in mind we love the R&D in this as much (or even more) than the final flight. So, we dont mind adding year to this phase... Thanks for being an inspiration to us!

QuantumG20 karma

John Carmack asking a question on Kristian Von Bengtson's IAMA.. this is almost enough to make me read Reddit again (almost).

That said, I lost a good part of my enthusiasm in Copenhagen Suborbitals when you abandoned the Tycho Brahe design. It was unique and that's worth something. If I want to see another ruddy capsule splash about in the water, I'll follow slow-as-molasses Orion developments at NASA.

Similarly, I miss seeing Armadillo Aerospace vehicles do graceful vertical landings. Your GPS guided ballutes are awesome John but after years of saying vertical landing is where it's at, I think we all were a little sad to see you abandon it.

Kristian_Suborbitals12 karma

I dont think it matters what kind of capsule design we use. You will still see capsules having a hard time during splashdown. The road to space is long and difficult and will demand capsule and rocket failures before you get there. Sorry you lost the enthusiasm. Hopefully you will get it back at some point :)

QuantumG11 karma

You're reliant upon donations, so you have to remain interesting. I think I've donated in every campaign. Your love for the original design was shared by us and something was lost when it was abandoned.

I'll give another example. You're currently still pursuing a sea-launch paradigm. If, sometime in the future, you discover that ground launch is a heck of a lot easier and decide to go that route instead, you'll lose a little more of your uniqueness.

I hope I've been constructive here. Thanks for making yourself available here.

Kristian_Suborbitals11 karma

Yes, we rely solely on donations and this is an challenging dogma for the project. Many times we have discussed if we can remain interesting, especially in a very long phase where there are "boring" test rockets which doesnt have that first-time feel or size to impress. One thing is for sure.. if we stop working or show results the donations will stop. So, it is some kind of self-regulating system where you get as you deserve. I like that.. thanks yourself :)

Son_of_Tsiolkovsky24 karma

This is Delft Aerospace Rocket Engineering saying hi! We are all watching your work with very keen eyes and hope you can take the altitude record from us with HEAT X2. Good luck!

Kristian_Suborbitals11 karma

Hello Delft... Thanks for the kind words..

Akasazh3 karma

Other dutchie here, and a proud owner of a 'proud sponsor' sweater. You guys rock! Wish you all the best!

Kristian_Suborbitals2 karma


Grrrmachine13 karma

Aside from money money money, what can we (your fans and admirers) do to help you achieve your goals?

Kristian_Suborbitals13 karma

Thanks for being a fan, I you are.. Biggest help is to spread the word. Next best thing is to donate if possible. But the mental support is the most important.. I also believe that if we have enough "fans" no one can stop this project, even if it becomes mixed up in future legal issue :)

Grrrmachine11 karma

I work in a company with an HQ in Copenhagen. When team members go over there they ask me what there is to see:

"Don't bother with the Tivoli. Go and find the guys who are building their own spaceship."

"What? Are they crazy?"

"You've never heard? Daaaanes iiiiiiin Spaaaaaace!"

rolleicord11 karma

I try to spread the word as much as possible as well... Everybody loves Open Source, and even more love the idea of their very own spacecraft!! Kristian, Peter and the rest of the hardworking crew of CS - Keep doing what you are doing! it's so tremendously inspiring in so many ways !

And for everybody else... These guys are recreating the basic steps of early space pioneers, but with the tools available within any good google search. Be inspired by them and if you can, donate....! I leave you with a comparison of a stunning shot from the early US space program by NASA, and Copenhagen Suborbitals own version, made by regular Joe's and your donations, with hardware mostly found on Ebay or the local hardware supplier ! Open Source, for everybody to download and recreate...Remember, this is just the LES (Launch Escape System module :)



Kristian_Suborbitals7 karma

Thanks so much for those words!!!

illectro10 karma

Are you aware of the indie sandbox rocket building game 'Kerbal Space Program' in which many people's first rocket attempts end up fatally flawed. If so, have you considered taking your designs and creating an official mod pack for KSP as a way to promote your real world venture to this community, a community which is predisposed to be supportive of this kind of venture.

Kristian_Suborbitals6 karma

I know the program, but we havent really spend time doing that.. Im not so sure it will simulate anything useful for a real flight mission.

Zimb08 karma

I think they meant it would allow for your company to have some further exposure into a community that's likely interested.

Kristian_Suborbitals6 karma

ah... yes. eventually it would be fun to fly our mission in Kerbal.. sure..

elition9 karma

Do you have any kind of rough estimate as to how much it would cost me to go? Also, is the goal suborbital only, or further distances planned depending on interest/success? Edit. I've been up too long..forgot to say thanks for the thread. So thanks!

Kristian_Suborbitals11 karma

This is a non profit mission. Launching ourselves into space. Not paying tourist. This way we get around most legal issues. Suborbital missions is a good sound way to start. Its like crawling before you walk. When we succeed doing this we may go to orbital..

theronni9 karma

When will you dock with ISS?

Kristian_Suborbitals29 karma

If we cant get the reentry systems to work we might just dock to ISS and claim our right to be saved by other nations by the UN Outer Space Treaty..

econymous4 karma

That's... hopefully a joke?

Kristian_Suborbitals11 karma

yes... but hey.. it might work.. still a joke..

OptioMkIX6 karma

Hi there. I run a website (shameless plug for everyone else: www.astronomyaggregator.com ) and I've asked a couple of questions of you in the past when it comes to the whole CS project via twitter.

Theres a bunch of questions that I'd love to ask you about the TM65 engine and your plans for the next generation engine, since I run the site as a hobby while my day job is a mechanical engineering student.

Is there any chance I can publish those answers on my site as an article? Do you folks have an exclusivity agreement with Wired?

If so I'll just ask here.

Kristian_Suborbitals5 karma

I know your site and we have spoken before..thanks for the support. As you can see on our website we write "absolutely no rights reserved". It is just me bloggin on wired. Everything else on our CS-site, here or if we talk can be used with not strings attached..

Ptolemy486 karma

Besides solving the issue with the capsule door, are there any benefits to having the seat in the capsule upright? From my very limited knowledge of space capsules, I believe that most capsules have the passenger lying on their back to help prevent blood draining into the lower body. Even though this can be avoided using a pressure suit, do you have any thoughts on this?

Kristian_Suborbitals7 karma

You follow the project I can tell :) There are alot of things working better with an upright seat. Regarding acceleration (g-loads) you have to look at the numbers. We will max have 10g running the LES engine, during a failed launch, or during splashdown. Its not a problem in this kind of seat in these short time frames.. I refer to the NASA MSIS manual (google)

GuybrushThreepwood5 karma

On a page about an engine test, you say "This engine was originally build as a throttleble rocket engine for propelling a manned rocket boat."

I started reading because I was excited about your spacecraft, but now I just want to know more about this rocket boat.

Kristian_Suborbitals12 karma

hehe.. it was the small hybrid engine leading to XLR-3 which was used to propel a small boat on a lake. During that development a sound design for a safe rocket was discovered. http://ing.dk/modules/xphoto/cache/31/64323_450_800_0_0_0_0.jpg

dyt3 karma

What sort of propellants did you use in that?

Kristian_Suborbitals2 karma

Nitrous oxide and epoxy

stieruridir5 karma

Hi Kristian!

I loved your original posts on the submarine you were building way back on SomethingAwful, and I've loved your work since. Keep up the good work!

Kristian_Suborbitals3 karma

Thanks. But the post on SomethingAwful was done by Sonny a dear friend of ours and I was at NASA when the subs where build. I wont take credit for any of that :)

stieruridir3 karma

Still cool as shit. You ever gotten a private 'Good luck' from Musk?

Kristian_Suborbitals3 karma

thanks.. no... I think he has enough on his mind :)

NateCadet5 karma

Two questions:

1) What kind of grassroots support have you gotten from locals in Denmark and neighboring parts of Europe?

2) I will likely be visiting friends in Berlin in a few months. If I can, I'd like to make a short visit to Copenhagen and write an article for my blog and repost it on some space non-profit sites here in the US. Would that be possible?

Kristian_Suborbitals7 karma

1) In Denmark we have a support group called Copenhagen Suborbitals Support. It has about 800 members all paying app 20 euros/month. This is fantastic. They also help out with a lot of technical stuff like live streaming. Besides that there a lot of private people donating in Denmark and around the world in general. I think app 4000 people have donated so far. 2)If you email me I am sure we can find a date for this!

ZedsTed5 karma

What drove you to want to do this?

Is this something that you've wanted to do for a long time?

Do you have a explicit interest in astrophysics?

Kristian_Suborbitals8 karma

I love space. I love going from idea to sketch to building machines and hardware. I met the right person (my co-founder) Peter Madsen who also wanted to do this project so it made sense to do this. I love science in general. Math, physics etc. I demand to give myself difficult challenges everyday and this project is perfect that way..

Son_of_Tsiolkovsky2 karma

Peter Madsen is an amazing guy. So inspirational and passionate about what he does. Talking rockets with him in Amsterdam over beers was my highlight of last year.

Kristian_Suborbitals3 karma

I know. Yes, Peter is a fantastic co-partner in this project!!

Son_of_Tsiolkovsky5 karma

I know you guys are working on this full time and unpaid. How do you make ends meet at home?

Kristian_Suborbitals4 karma

From doing lecture and speeches. You dont get rich doing this but thats not the point, so thats OK. But we have managed to get by with the speeches. I also receive art grants from various foundations once in a while...

styguy5 karma


Kristian_Suborbitals9 karma

yes.. email me..

Grrrmachine5 karma

In this case: would you offer tours of your facility to corporate clients (not in the space sector!) in return for a small fee? Would that be a viable way to generate finances for the project, or would it interfere too much with your work?

Kristian_Suborbitals8 karma

Thats actually something we do to finance the project and it is always fun to have people at the facility debating our technology. So, please let me know and we will find the time for you guys..

yankee-in-Denmark4 karma


Kristian_Suborbitals6 karma

Perhaps. But just as well as we find most of our information on the internet everyone else can do just that as well. The open source aspect of this project is much more about the actual process and how we think.

MaxDude4 karma

I have been following you for a long time.....wish you all the best! In my opinion the critical part for your project right now is the steering part - active steering. I wonder why you not crowd-source the steering software ? At least to the point where you get a public review of it. It seems to me that you're relying too much on the work on a single person on this....and it is far to critical for the succes of your project to rely on only one person...IMHO.

Kristian_Suborbitals7 karma

We actually let people review all our software (except the decryption code for starting and controlling the rocket by radio). You can find it in the "resource" menu on our website. Yes, active guidance is critical but it has only just begun. The software has not been written yet only some of the math behind it. I believe we will let people go through it. However, we are actually debating (internally at CS) if we will get into trouble showing software like this. We are bound by normal export control systems.. Basically we dont give a s*** about this.. I hope we can show everyone the software..

ThiefMaster6 karma

Shouldn't you rather keep the keys private instead of the crypto code itself? As a computer science guy security by obscurity makes me shudder..

Kristian_Suborbitals5 karma

yes.. the key. You see why this part of the project is not in my hands. Luckily all of us..

MaxDude3 karma

I don't know of any danish laws preventing you from publishing it. A car can be used to kill people, yet it is not illegal to publish instructions on how to build a car.....just to make a stupid analogy :-)

Kristian_Suborbitals10 karma

If you give detailed info on both how to build a rocket and turn it into a missile with easy downloaded software you might end up with trouble if someone "bad" uses it.. Someone will always bend the politics this way.

soaljack4 karma

Who do you think with be the first to Mars? A Government or Private company?

Kristian_Suborbitals9 karma

I have no doubt that SpaceX will set foot on Mars. It is one of their plans and these guys rock! I am a big fan and they mean business. But you never know if the chinese suddenly go bananas and leave for mars soon..

oreng2 karma

The Chinese will not be leaving for Mars anytime soon*, feel free to go for the gold.

* they've done the whole manned spaceflight thing which quite unsubtly screams "our ICBMs are the real deal", no need for them to blow their budgets on a Mars Shot.

Kristian_Suborbitals2 karma

We will leave that to spaceX then.. :)

hutchy19933 karma

How do you go about launching one of the most powerful non milatary rockets? surely there are many laws against doing this

Kristian_Suborbitals8 karma

Well. Its all politics. We happen to live in a country (Denmark) which has no beef with anyone. If we did this in Irak or whatever, we might see sanctions like the ones for Iran or North Korea. Also, we are launching at sea because we discovered that the law of the any country stops 12 nautical mile from the coast. Then you enter advisory space and basically the wild west for rocket guys..

justinsayin3 karma

How high to you have to be to call it suboribtal? Seems to me that even skydiving is a suborbital flight.

Kristian_Suborbitals6 karma

The general definition for a suborbital space flight is a parabola jump above the karman line which is 100+ km. Not much skydiving going on there (I hope). If you dont have enough velocity to remain in orbit you call it suborbit.

doctorheredoctor3 karma

Hello Kristian,

Sorry for being late to the party but I've still got a handful of questions if you've got the time to deal with them.

You've hinted before that you'd like to go orbital, one day. This is what's kept me extremely interested in the future prospects of your group. Clearly we are speaking of a far off time, but what would you say needs to happen first for this to be possible?

Would you consider X amount of suborbital flights to be a requirement before moving ahead? Would you eventually test your orbital craft with live animals or would a live human suffice? Would funding present an insurmountable obstacle for designing a booster large enough and for the SM/coms/nav? Do you expect difficulties from governments beginning to take too much interest at this point? Any ideas for a heatshield? Cork?

Very saddened to see this AMA not get the attention it deserved. You guys are going down in history, no doubt.

Kristian_Suborbitals5 karma


As stated earlier you never know if CS decides to go from sub- to orbital once suborbital missions have been accomplished. That leap will make sense but I truly believe it will take another 5-10+ years.

I dont think we would ever test orbital flights with animals. There is no point in doing so. When Iran launched a monkey it was a political statement saying that they can keep a complex being alive in space but it doesnt make sense related to science. The very early flights with animals such as dogs and monkey, in the 60ies, made sense because we had no understanding of survival in space. Now we know so much more.

If we are to go orbit we must have such a huge powerful rocket and worldwide infrastructure that the budget for doing that is going to explode and we need to change the way we get funded (unless everyone on the planet wanna chip in).

I dont think there will be much change in government involvement if we go orbital. If we get into trouble on these matters it will happen already in the suborbital phase. Some people tell me that this project will be stopped when we show a real capability of going 100+ km. But I dont. Lets try and see what happens :)

I dont know if this AMA should have special attention or if it got less than normal.. Im new to this :)

Thanks for the kind words....

Dilong-paradoxus3 karma

I'm looking into doing something involving space (building rockets, working at NASA, etc.) as a job because space is awesome and I want to go there. Your diy spacecraft is amazingly inspiring! How did you get into doing this? What advice would you give to someone who wants to follow in your footsteps? Anyway, keep being awesome.

Kristian_Suborbitals5 karma

If you want a space job you must go the traditional way getting the traditional degrees. I did that as well and got two masters degrees ending up working for NASA. But its wasn't until I learned to weld I was able to actually do something about it. Be your own master is the way to go unless you just want that job?

Theory is useless until put into practice....

Yeugwo3 karma

Do you guys do much CFD on your designs? If so what software?

If you need volunteer work on such, let the reddit community know! (/r/cfd)

Kristian_Suborbitals3 karma

At the moment I do a lot of CFD on capsule stability. I would love to have such volunteering work for this project... How to proceed?

Yeugwo2 karma

I think the biggest issue would be software licensing, unless you are on open source software like OpenFOAM. what do you guys use for meshing and solving? Also for CAD? If you could get around that issue, I think a lot of people (myself included) would love to help in any way.

Kristian_Suborbitals3 karma

For basic 2D CAD you can find a lot with no cost. Hardcore 3D, FEM and CFD is done using SolidWorks who is a software sponsor for this project

Yeugwo2 karma

Ah, okay! Well if you can get me a license, geometry, and a problem I'd love to donate my time. I do CFD for a living. Well 75% CFD, 20% testing(wind tunnel), 5% other.

I haven't used that specific CFD software, but have used SolidWorks in the past for general CADing. My CFD experience has been with ICEM/CFD++ and more recently STAR-CCM+.

If this would be beneficial for you guys and doable at all, PM me and I can give any additional info, etc.

Kristian_Suborbitals2 karma

I cannot provide anyone with a license... unfortunately..

jlkajdsf3 karma

What's your estimate for the probability of launch failure (and death/serious injury)? What's an acceptable probability to the team/astronauts?

Kristian_Suborbitals3 karma

I have assembled possible scenarios here http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/10/top-10-most-horrible-deaths-in-a-diy-space-project/ We believe that we can reach the same probability as the shuttle program (app 1/60). But lets see. Its a grey zone and will be difficult to estimate.

BobbaRay3 karma

Do you enjoy crossdressing?

Kristian_Suborbitals3 karma

I guess you read my twitter post :) hey, who doesnt. I was young and needed the money..

Grrrmachine2 karma

What's the most desperate thing you'd do for money these days?

(not a private offer :D)

Kristian_Suborbitals3 karma

Personally I dont care about money. They are a tool just like anything else to achieve a goal. Since I have managed so far I never think about this. Id rather starve doing this project than being forced to do some kind of crappy job.. Do you have a non-private offer? :)

BobbaRay2 karma

Can we start to herald that the first(official) crossdresser in space will be danish? :)

Secondly, what size of donation for CS would be required for you to wear a dress for your first launch?

Kristian_Suborbitals2 karma

Im pretty sure I will be removed (officially) from the team.

MilkTheFrog3 karma

Thanks for doing this! In the future, would you like to see other people and groups try to emulate what you're doing? Could DIY spaceflight become a 'normal' thing?

Kristian_Suborbitals8 karma

I really hope so.. If there should be some kind of "legacy" from our work I would like it to be a change in perspective on how we see human spaceflight. Not only for big companies and governments..

trylleklovn4 karma

Open source manual: introduction to space travel for beginners?

Kristian_Suborbitals7 karma

I hope.. We try to show as much info as possible.. My blog "rocketshop" on wired.. our webpage www.copenhagensuborbitals.com etc.. if you dig, you probably find the info you are looking for on how to do this..

LeThor3 karma

When this project is done and you have successfully launched and landed Peter... Then what? I heard you planned building a blimp, but isn't that a little lame compared to rocketry?

Kristian_Suborbitals8 karma

I might fly go on a high-apogee suborbital mission. We might go orbital or we just go do something else.. its difficult to say. One thing is for sure... it will be hard to find another project topping this one..

DungeonDimensioner3 karma

It took the US ten years from launching a monkey to returning it alive. How do you motivate yourself (and others) for what looks like an extremely long-term project? To be more specific: Most entrepreneurs achieve their goals through a healthy dose of reality distortion in the form of unrealistic optimism, which might not be optimal if you are trying to safely launch a human being into space. How do you manage your (and the public's) expectations about the likelihood of success?

Kristian_Suborbitals6 karma

We might spend 15 years for a 15 minutes ride. But the ride itself is not as important as the actual work on a daily basis. The development time is fantastic and I feel lucky that I am doing something which is learning me new stuff everyday. Its a very special feeling and the reward you get. Also, I believe you must give yourself a very very difficult task to solve. By doing so you are forced to learn and forced to go new places as a person, a group or a society. If you do something easy you dont learn anything and the result is not really interesting because you didnt learn anything new. Rememeber.. the more people who believes it cannot be done or it is crazy, the better. Because it tells you that you are working something new which might change the world a little bit...

ctzaran3 karma

I realise that engine related questions may be better asked to Peter Madsen but can you share more details about the fate of the TM65 new years test? From what I saw on the livestream the engine cooling failed (or you had a massive fuel leak in the chamber) but besides that I have not found any solid detail about what happened, why it happened and what the future plans for the TM65 might be?

Kristian_Suborbitals3 karma

The TM65 engine is a double hull structure running alcohol inside for cooling. This process went wrong and actually created a pressure inside the structure which made it collapse. This specific TM65 engine will not be fired again but a new one for the HEAT2X rocket is already being developed..

Xalerwons3 karma

Do you plan on taking a miniature computer (raspberry PI for example) and having it float down from space with you? (So it can take live-footage)

Kristian_Suborbitals5 karma

We have actually talked about deploying some kind of small satellite doing this. But we do have a lot of internals and externals cameras on the capsule and rocket sending live feed to mission control and the rest of the world. We always broadcast our flights to the internet, live.

chesterhawk3 karma

I am always intrigued by the concept of cost-effective spaceflight. Can I ask what enables you to achieve spaceflight so cheaply?

Kristian_Suborbitals5 karma

There are many factors. First, no one gets paid but that doesnt do it. We only use off the shelf product like normal water valves etc and we do not try to optimize the machines using titanium etc. Just plain iron or aluminum. As long as the engine is powerful enough why bother. Remember that the last 5% optimization will make the development cost explode. If you look at www.copenhagensuborbitals.com and check out the Vice video you may see how we do it. Also, if you follow my wired blog http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/rocketshop or the work at https://twitter.com/KvonBengtson you will soon see how :)

je8du393 karma

Capricorn 1? Are you working out of a junk yard?

Kristian_Suborbitals5 karma

ship yard..

Son_of_Tsiolkovsky3 karma

How much contact does CS have to other European amateur rocketry groups and are you keen to collaborate with them? It could be a great opportunity for CS to gain some young and enthusiastic manpower and for students to get experiences in real world applications of space technology.

BTW, here is a quick list of amateur student groups:

  • WARR (D)
  • ERIG (D)
  • HyEnd (D)
  • DARE (NL)
  • OCTAVE (F)
  • TU Space Team Vienna (A)
  • Skyward (I)
  • Sekcja Rakietowa SKA (PL)

Kristian_Suborbitals2 karma

We have tried to engage ourselves in corporations with universities but it doesnt really work out. We also need people to be present on site.. all the time. But you never know.

mtxheadhunter3 karma

Might you guys consider accepting unpaid interns at some point? I'm a U.S. college student (majoring in math), but there's nothing i'd rather do than help you guys for part of a summer. Anyway, love the work you've done so far, and can't wait to see what you'll accomplish in the near future.

Kristian_Suborbitals3 karma

We did have interns. Danish, French and New Zealand. We get many mails about this but its not always the "right stuff". It is important to have production skills as well like milling, welding etc. You may have this.?

mtxheadhunter3 karma

Bummer, Unfortunately I don't. If, however, I do happen to become skilled in any of those, i'll be sure to contact you!

Kristian_Suborbitals3 karma

Yes, please do that. I always try to encourage people to learn the skills to go from idea to product. Great ideas and brilliant minds alone, doesn't get you into space :) I guess 90% of our time is spend bending and welding metal which apparently comes as a surprise to many people.. happy welding my friend

TheGameHippo3 karma


Kristian_Suborbitals5 karma

Hello my friend :) Perhaps. There will be app 3-5 minutes of microgravity so why not?

hallmehn2 karma


Kristian_Suborbitals2 karma

I am not able to officially discuss this :)

ahnakel2 karma

Are you going to write up an instructable on this ;)

Kristian_Suborbitals2 karma

like a how do this manual?

mqsoh2 karma

Have you and Peter Madsen already decided who will be the first to go up?

Kristian_Suborbitals11 karma

Yes. we have found a perfect arrangement starting with Peter and then we see how its goes.. :)

IamSlammaJamma2 karma

Sounds like you could use some help from kickstarter.

Kristian_Suborbitals9 karma

Kickstarter doesnt work in Europe... But I use Indiegogo. Just funded the development of the pressure cabin for my next capsule. http://www.indiegogo.com/TychoDeepSpace2/x/1311508

thecolde2 karma

Great to see continued progress on this, as an early supporter. I haven't been keeping much up with progress lately though. When is launch test planned, and will it be streamed like the previous attempt?

Kristian_Suborbitals3 karma

We will have a number of launches this summer using active guided rockets and 1/3 scale capsule LES test. It will all be broadcasted live on the web. you can always check out www.copenhagensuborbitals.com . Thanks for the support!!

DungeonDimensioner2 karma

Every project needs spokespeople. The two main news channels I am aware of are your blog and Peter's. Do you have any arrangements within CS regarding who is allowed to speak on behalf of CS? How much "I" is there in the "we"? Does everyone speak for him-/herself? If yes, are you afraid of confusing people by too much cross-talk? Keep up the good work! Edit: spelling

Kristian_Suborbitals3 karma

I guess Peter and I are the official spokes-guys for this project. We must always be in tune with aligned vectors. So, you will normally hear about the same approach or mission layout from the both of us. But then again, the two blogs are also personal blogs and it might present crazy ideas or thoughts which are not official CS ideas. Yes, very confusing. But, you can always trust our website. Thats is the final word...

Jizzanthapuss2 karma

I'm so sorry your AMA came up right as the guy who injects snake venom AMA did. I just spent a half hour reading about a crazy person when I could have been reading this.

Kristian_Suborbitals6 karma

welcome.. I hope you will find inspiration here. We dont inject anything here except alcohol and liquid oxygen into the engines..

ThiefMaster2 karma

Have you messaged the mods to be posted in the sidebar, too? Might be a bit late but could still be worth a try.

Kristian_Suborbitals1 karma

not sure what you are talking about. But hey, Im new here.

DannyJayNG2 karma

I'm a half-Danish American, and this excites me. I just wanted to say good luck :)

Kristian_Suborbitals2 karma

Thank you so much!

dyt2 karma

What major political red tape do you have to get through to get your propellants/launch waivers/etc?

What are your biggest technological gaps right now?

How much help do you get from people outside of your project compared to how much research/testing you do on your own? Do people gives you tips on how to do things differently after you live stream tests?

Kristian_Suborbitals3 karma

The propellant is primarily alcohol and LOX and doesnt require any legal treatment. We have fixed the launch issues by doing sea launch. I would say that active guidance for rockets are one of the major gaps right now. We will eventually master this technology but it will take a while:) But also issues like capsule hatch and certain radio technologies are tough areas. We dont really get any help from the outside except when we are asking for ideas/solutions and people are sending those to us. Almost all research and testing are done inside Copenhagen Suborbitals. If someone comes to us with a certain set of skills we add that person to the project. In-house R/D are the fastest and best way to do it..

PlanetaryDuality2 karma

Hey, big fan from Canada here. Why did you decide to use liquid fuel, or hybrid fuel as opposed to straight solid? It seems like a solid fuel booster would be a simpler design. But what do I know, im not the rocket scientist.

Kristian_Suborbitals3 karma

Solid propellant is one of the few components that will require special permission. Liquids are just liquids. Working solid propellant are dangerous and very complex especially when you do large scale. Even the smallest cracks in the cast may make the booster explode. The casting process have to be done in vacuum and we dont have the capabilities to do such large scale casting at our facility. Also remember, a solid booster cannot be turned OFF when started..

PlanetaryDuality2 karma

Ah, I see. I had no idea they had to be cast in a vacuum! Thanks for responding, best of luck to you guys.

Kristian_Suborbitals2 karma

Vacuum casting does not have to be difficult. We do it all the time. But large scale!!...

PlanetaryDuality2 karma

Haha large scale is always the issue! Is this rocket going to be a single stage, or two stage design?

Kristian_Suborbitals3 karma

For the suborbital flight we plan using a single stage...

Aeon2211 karma

For posterity, do you guys have a git where people can help out on the software?

I for one would be willing to plow the occasional hour into spaceflight assistance.

Kristian_Suborbitals1 karma

On this page you will find links to our software http://copenhagensuborbitals.com/resources_downloads.php Feel free to email us if you are interested in helping out in special areas. I know some people "overseas" are already helping and finally it is up for the guys at Copenhagen Suborbitals working this area to decide if they need more assistance.. Anyways.. thanks for your interest and dont be a stranger!

Norph001 karma

Isn't a large portion of the cost of getting into space the fuel? How are you planning on getting around that?

Kristian_Suborbitals2 karma

No. We are using LOX and alcohol. LOX is a sponsored product by AirLiquide but is actually fairly cheap if we had to buy it. Alcohol is not expensive either. When we will be launching a 1.6 meter diameter booster it will be expensive (alcohol), but in general propellant is not the main expense in this project.

vtjohnhurt1 karma

Why send a human into space? It would be so much easier to send a smart machine.

Kristian_Suborbitals5 karma

There are no smart machines.

vtjohnhurt1 karma

What is the relevance of your being an architect to this project?

Kristian_Suborbitals1 karma

In the headline tag, there is no relevance. (I didn't create the headline).

cesarparent1 karma

About a month ago, you talked about retrorocket-braked return. Is it still a considered solution ?

Kristian_Suborbitals2 karma

Afraid not.. I like the idea. But calculations showed that we had to break app 60 meters above sear level.. Thats too tight. :)

OttStew1 karma

How often do you get laid based on your name alone?

I'm a straight male, but I have to admit...I got a little tingly when I saw your name.

Kristian_Suborbitals4 karma

haha.. I am happily married so I dont use my name for reproduction but perhaps a beer or a donation..

elbruce1 karma

Guys. Guys. Guys. Listen. Guys. Hear me out.

Just three words:




Hah? Haah?

Kristian_Suborbitals1 karma

Suborbital flight - bis a big fucking catapult..

itsmine911 karma

By DIY, do you mean a product with assembly required that a consumer could launch themselves into space with? If so, it would seem as though there would be a lot of liability involved. What would be the price point for such a product. Would it be only available to big buyers like corporations and governments?

Kristian_Suborbitals3 karma

No. its not like an IKEA furniture :) DIY just refers to the fact that we are building the rocket ourselves. No one can buy one for home assembly exactly for the reason you mention. We do not want to mix third parties into the mission because you will be stuck in legal issues just like Virgin Galactic and other commercial product. If we build and fly our own space rocket there are no demands for requirements in any law books. Only making sure that no one else is harmed. We work in a legal vacuum..

itsmine911 karma

What are your goals in this space program? Are you planning on merely orbiting, or do you have more longterm goals such as reaching the moon or other large bodies.

Kristian_Suborbitals3 karma

For now its just a suborbital mission to 100+ km. Above the karman line. What will happen next is unknown. We do believe that a suborbital mission on a shoe string is difficult enough :)

perche1 karma

Sorry we already took the "Viking" name.

Also, I'm volunteering for the second flight, after the first successful one.

Kristian_Suborbitals2 karma

As long as you are 170 cm in stature like me and Peter.. This ride is for Scandinavian halflings...

quappucinno1 karma

How will the suborbital food be?

Kristian_Suborbitals7 karma

If you can keep it in your stomach I guess... good? Its a 15 minutes ride. You dont really need any food

quappucinno2 karma

No blankets either?

Kristian_Suborbitals7 karma

Maybe one.. to keep you warm when you are in shock after splashdown..

Kristian_Suborbitals1 karma

Disregard the other one I guess.. Dont know why its there...

perche-7 karma

How are you the first? Virgin is already selling tickets.

Kristian_Suborbitals8 karma

We dont sell tickets.. Virgin is like any other major company spending 100´s of millions on human space flight. We do this 1/10.000 the cost. And all technologies we work are for you to see, in details. You can even help along with ideas.

perche-6 karma

I wish you well, but it sounds really impractical. Spaceships are crazy expensive. You need a team of supersmart people to dedicate themselves to your effort when they could be making big bucks elsewhere. You will inevitably crash many prototypes and have to rebuild from scratch. Without a lot of money to pay a large team of people to do that, that will take a long time each time, not to mention the cost of materials. Have you thought this through? Or is this just a Quixotic quest?

Kristian_Suborbitals7 karma

Good question.. We work simple technologies and cots products and our current development cost is app 1/10.000 "normal" standards. We are capable of launching several rockets a year and capsules. No one is paid but everyone is working hard. Believe me...we have super smart people how used to work the space business as well. Please have a look at www.copenhagensuborbitals.com and check out some video about the work...