Posted on 09/05/2010 10:47:56 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
COPENHAGEN (AFP) – The first launch attempt of a homemade rocket built by two Danes failed on Sunday because of a technical glitch, according to Danish media.
Live footage of the launch off the Baltic island of Bornholm appeared to show brown smoke coming out of the rocket after the countdown.
Experts interviewed by TV2 News said the likely cause was a failure of the ignition system.
After an inspection, the builders of the rocket decided against a second launch and did not set a date for a new attempt.
Peter Madsen and Kristian von Bengtsson have toiled for over two years to build the nine-metre (30 feet), 1.6-tonne prototype, which is named after the famous Danish astronaut Tycho Brahe.
They intend "to show that with little financial means anyone can send a rocket into space, which is a privilege not just reserved for rich countries," said Madsen before the launch, which was delayed several times because of bad weather.
The prototype, which contained a doll, cost a total of 50,000 euros (63,400 dollars) and was financed mostly by 2,000 individual sponsors and 20 companies.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
The Danish-built, homemade rocket Tycho Brahe leaves Copenhagen Harbour towards the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea on August 31 for a test launch, escorted by a submarine also built by Copenhagen Suborbital. The first launch attempt of the rocket built by two Danes failed on Sunday because of a technical glitch, according to Danish media. (AFP/SCANPIX DENMARK/File/Jens Norgaard Larsen)
‘Dane’ space venture on a shoestring budget.
Great name they picked.
A pretty unforgiving hobby, glad they’ll get a chance to try it again.
Here are more construction pics uploaded to SomethingAwful.com by one of the CS team members. We're building a rocket
“Danish astronaut Tycho Brahe.”
I did not realize Tycho Brahe went into space,; after all he died in 1601...
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