Starchaser Rocket Capsule Drop Tests Successful

thaig writes "Starchaser Industries reports that their NOVA 2 rocket capsule has completed two manned drop-tests from an altitude of 10,000 feet. The capsule was put through a number of manoeuvres during its descent to fully validate the steerable ram-air parachute canopy that made it possible to fly the craft like a glider. Starchaser Industries' Thunderbird project is a contender for the $10 million X-PRIZE. Here's the earlier story."

Comments

Starchaser

[bethane]

Well Starchaser are supposed to be launching their one man Nova rocket with sometime this year, with teamleader Steve Bennett in the pilots seat. However they said that last year... Britain could have been third country to orbit a satellite in the sixties had the Black Prince launcher been given the go ahead (see http://members.aol.com/nicholashl/ukspace/ukspace. htm for a comprehensive history of British rocketry in the fifties and sixties), and was the sixth to orbit in 1971. But remember that Britain was very much the declining power at this time and the labour government was cancelling most areospace projects at the time. Its typically British that we're the only country that developed a launcher then cancelled it after one sucessful flight.

Article text in case of Slashdotting

[Magic Thread]

Starchaser Industries have successfully completed two manned parachute drop tests of their NOVA 2 rocket capsule.

The manned drop tests were carried out at the Red Lake drop zone in Arizona USA on the 22nd and 24th July 2003. The capsule was deployed from the rear cargo door of a Fairchild C123K aircraft at an altitude of 10,000 feet.

The capsule was put through a number of manoeuvres during its descent to fully validate the steerable ram-air parachute canopy that made it possible to fly the craft like a glider. Nova 2 was then brought in for a precision landing. Steve Bennett, Managing Director of Starchaser Industries, said, "We are pleased with how the capsule has performed, we've completed two very successful flights. These drop tests mark a significant milestone in Starchaser Industries manned space programme. We have proved the different key systems in our rocket programme and now have the technology to push forward in our bid to win the X PRIZE"

Weighing in at 250 kg and measuring 3-meters in length, the single seat Nova 2 capsule has become Britain's first manned rocket capsule and has been developed to test a variety of systems for use in project Thunderbird; Starchaser Industries entry into the US $10 million X PRIZE, which is on offer to the first non-governmental organisation capable of launching three people into space.

Steve Bennett is available for comment following the success of the manned drop tests, video footage and digital stills are available, please contact Lee Kirby on 08700 278766288 or email lee@starchaser.co.uk

Wrong

[Magic Thread]

That story was about planning a test drop. This story describes how the test drop has been finished successfully.

Warning bells.

[Christopher Thomas]

I'd thought the name sounded familiar.

Isn't this the same Steve Bennett who was planning to launch his X-prize rocket on what amounted to the same kind of engines used by the high-power model rocket community, despite the community trying to tell him that they wouldn't scale the way he wants them to? The guy who was prevented from doing further launch tests because he set the firing range he was using on fire? The guy who was ripped apart in the last three articles about him for not having an adequate understanding of what he's doing?

This does not bode well for his scheduled launch attempt.

Re:Warning bells.

[Anonymous Coward]

> Those incidents you refer to were all several years ago.

No they weren't. I know some guys who went up to one of his open days, his last launch of his Nova apparently used a cluster of Aerotech M-class or similar motors they said, and the guys who went along to his open day, and who are rocketry enthusiasts themselves, said "yeah right" he's still using a cluster of solids by the looks of it. These guys are HPR people, so they have some clues.

> Starchaser has definitely improved its reputation since then,

Really? The word in the UK rocketry community is that he has apparently threatened to sue some UK rocketry people who dared to tell the truth about the technical shortcomings he has had. I'll check with the guys who went to his open day, they seemed to know a whole bunch.

> for its three recent major accomplishments in the last 24 months have all been positive:

They said (rather amusingly), that the liquid engine was probably just about good enough for clearing weeds, and not much else.

This capsule drop test - looks a bit like a powered parafoil trike with an airframe around it, doesn't it ?

Burt Rutan and John Carmack are no doubt, not exactly losing sleep at this point.

Re:Details

[Anonymous Coward]

The page with details on the X-PRIZE says it's 100 km, which is a significant difference.

ram those foils ..

[savuporo]

For people who had somequestion mark in place of "ram-air parafoils.."

"ram-air parafoils" are nothing but a regular recantgular parachute canopies that are used every day in regular skydiving sports ( ive used one exactly 33 times and its been working like charm :) )

It flies like a regular airplane wing, just that the lifting profile isnt fixed. The wing is "open" in front, and the airflow makes the wing "rigid". Thats the general principle anyways. You steer it with pulling the "brakes" on one or other side of the wing, "brakes" are simply the after left and right parts of the wing, that can be pulled down via "steering ropes".
The one that Starchaser is using is obviously somewhat larger than your average skydiver canopy. Beginners canopies measure up to 240sq ft and are rated for average 80-kg person. So if NOVA capsule weighs 250kg+pilot, the canopy must be at least three-four times larger.

And now some general X-Prize remarks. For anyone who is still not getting it: X-prize is not directly aimed at replacing Soyuzes and Shuttles, so none of the contenders is going to orbit, just a suborbital "hop" to 100km's of altitude. Why 100 ? Because thats where internationally agreed boundaries of space begin at. So X-prize passengers will officially be astronauts, the league up until now open to select few of government employees
X-prize and its followup X-prize Cup ( a "rocket NASCAR" ) are hoped to revolutize the private spaceflight industry.

hint: X-prize has its own messageboards @ http://www.xprize.org/messageboard that could actually use some slashdotting.