UTMC

Peter Madsen, amateur astronaut wrote:It is, of course, insanely dangerous - compared to the NASA odds of 1 in 50, that's 4% of everyone that's launched into space - dead. On the other hand, it is an incredible experience - to actually do something like this.

If NASA, with the full blessing of the world, can make a makeshift spaceship of tin foil and launch themselves toward the moon in it, why are we being reckless? When our odds are the same?

And what's the alternative?

You're not going to reach the end of this blog alive, if your heartvalves fail within the next few seconds. They are these pieces of thin tissue, almost like torn pieces of skin, and if they should fail you die in seconds. They are whipping about in the blood stream. Thump... thump... thump... and if they fail you die.
Close to half of all danes die of heart failiure, the other half of cancer. Then there are other diseases and traffic. Wether you get on the rocket or not, you're a dead man in a few minutes, months, maybe years. Yeah sure, you might get laid, you might develope impotency, you might have kids, they might hate you, you deteriorate - and you might have some good times reading a book sitting in your rocking chair with your cat... But if you launch into space, you still have a 96% chance of having all that.

Personally, when I consider everything - I have no doubts. I'm pressing the button and I accept the consequences. Don't think that I'm not afraid. I think about it every time I dive with the Nautilus - or even when I'm falling asleep. But besides the fear, I also have this tingling sensation in my body, and I can almost hear Kennedy giving his speech about the rocket they are going to build with alloys they haven't even invented yet, or Churchill talking about "our greatest hour" - and I know it's a good feeling.

I think we can do it - and make it out alive and it will probably be the greatest thing since things were invented.

My life has given me so much, that I can hit the earth at Mach 3,5 and still be happy with it - instead of spending my last moments in a nursing home smelling of pee because the nurse is too busy to change my diaper. No, then I'd rather aim for the sky, right NOW.

For his famous 1996 ascent, Kropp left Jönköping on October 16, 1995, on a specially-designed bicycle with 108 kg (240 lb) of gear and food. He traveled 8,000 miles on the bicycle and arrived at Everest Base Camp in April 1996. Following a meeting of all of the Everest expeditions currently on the mountain, it was agreed that Kropp would attempt to summit first. On May 3, Kropp blazed a trail through thigh-deep snow and reached a point 300 feet from the summit. However, Kropp decided to turn around, believing that he would be too tired to descend safely if he went up further. While Kropp recovered from the ordeal at base camp, the 1996 Everest Disaster unfolded. Kropp helped bring medicine up the mountain. Three weeks later, on May 23, Kropp again tackled the mountain, this time successfully summitting (without extra oxygen support). He then cycled home.[1] He returned to Everest in 1999 with girlfriend Renata Chlumska to undertake a cleanup, during which they removed 25 discarded canisters from the mountain. They also made a successful summit attempt together.

piccini9 wrote:This is just fucking amazing. Sadly, it reminds me of the time I told my Mom about this guy Goran Kropp.

From the Wiki:

For his famous 1996 ascent, Kropp left Jönköping on October 16, 1995, on a specially-designed bicycle with 108 kg (240 lb) of gear and food. He traveled 8,000 miles on the bicycle and arrived at Everest Base Camp in April 1996. Following a meeting of all of the Everest expeditions currently on the mountain, it was agreed that Kropp would attempt to summit first. On May 3, Kropp blazed a trail through thigh-deep snow and reached a point 300 feet from the summit. However, Kropp decided to turn around, believing that he would be too tired to descend safely if he went up further. While Kropp recovered from the ordeal at base camp, the 1996 Everest Disaster unfolded. Kropp helped bring medicine up the mountain. Three weeks later, on May 23, Kropp again tackled the mountain, this time successfully summitting (without extra oxygen support). He then cycled home.[1] He returned to Everest in 1999 with girlfriend Renata Chlumska to undertake a cleanup, during which they removed 25 discarded canisters from the mountain. They also made a successful summit attempt together.

After telling her this story, her only response was, "How did he get all that time off from work?"

I never had a chance, did I?

Bigshankhank wrote:I, for one, welcome our new Danish overlords...

Peter Madsen, amateur astronaut wrote:you might have some good times reading a book sitting in your rocking chair with your cat.

DerGolgo wrote:Doesn't really look like they have managed stable chamber pressure yet.

Sisyphus wrote:

DerGolgo wrote:Doesn't really look like they have managed stable chamber pressure yet.

Isn't that a pulse jet? You Germans are familiar with that technology, aren't you?

The word from BOOSTER is that we are convinced that the oscillation problem seen in that video has been solved with an adjustment to the oxidizer flow and some baffles added to the combustion chamber.

BOOSTER wrote:There can roughly be three things: We can get a crash, we can fly supersonic or we can not shoot because of weather. If it becomes a crash, we hope it becomes a spectacular crash.

rolly wrote:which is a $10 hairdryer.

Rev wrote:Our local bar, Rocket to Venus, which I know Rolly is familiar with, gets its name from a similar amateur space flight attempt.