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Romanian Team Entering X-Prize competition
cripkd writes "Although two days passed already I am proud to announce that a Romanian team launched a sub-orbital unmanned flight. Demonstrator 2 is a prototype to the actual shuttle they will enter in the X-Prize competition, build with 30,000 USD, pocket money, as they say, compared to the other projects. The project's home site is here and an article about the launch can be found here.
PS. And it's all ecological as they produce oxygen and water vapours :)"
We'll be launching a shuttle of which parts we bought online using stolen credit card numbers.
there is no evidence that water vapor added to the ecosystem has a long term effect on the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere. Most of it probably returns as rain. Additional CO2 stays in the atmosphere a long time and has a near continous effect.
Hey, they need it. I don't think anyone except Burt Rutan's outfit have a snowballs chance in hell.
/. fare)
But,it isn't about *winning* this prize. Even Burt doesn't really care about that. If in the 70 or so years you get on this planet you get to fulfil your dream (and create many others in younger minds) then
consider yourself a worthy citizen (of the world)
Losing isn't fun, but unless you try you'll never win.
(Had to post this as an antidote to all the crass
stupidity that claims to be typical
So mod me down ok?
Successful launch by Romanian rocket scientists -- Mushroom cloud a mere 5,000 miles away on the N. Korean/Chinese border...
Coincidence, I think NOT!
(So, I will use my mad language skillz, namely skillz at having friends who are Romanian, to translate said article)
Demonstrator 2, a Romanian small-scale model of the Orizont (Horizon) Rocket couldn't restrain itself anymore and burst into space two minutes before official launch at Midia Cap. The presurizing hose of the engine came off by surprise and triggered the tiny rocket by touching the contact and leaving Dumitru Popescu, president of ARCA ( Romanian Astronautics and Aeronautics Association) motionless.
Wrapped up in steam, Demonstrator 2 went its own way and, influenced by the gusty wind vanished into the clouds after reaching 1,200 m at 13 m/s before eventually sinking into the Black Sea, just off the to shore.
Even though the rocket didn't get to 2,000 m as planned, the ARCA students are now very confident they will find support and get the $200,000 they need to beat the American team Space Composites in the X Prize Cup competition, a team which already reached 100 km.
Apparently, Romanians are using a secret formula based on World War II technology for torpidoes, also used on the Kursk Russian submarine. It's all about decomposing oxygenated water with the touch of a mysterious catalyzer. And if it's not silver nor platinum, then what is it, we ask? "Just some tablets", Dumitru Popescu responds and that's the only thing we can wring from him.
Having spent only $30,000 to build Demonstrator 2, ARCA has already got offers to sell a miniature rocket in all the toy stores in the Unites States.
www.eissq.com/BandP.html Ball and Plate System. Amuse your friends. Crush your enemies.