Two rocket booster vehicles are undergoing development: HATV and HEAT. The pre-HATV booster is called XLR-2 and has already been constructed and testet.
Both boosters systems will be hybrid rockets using epoxy as solid propellant.
More general info on hybrid booster rockets here
PRE-HATV BOOSTER (XLR-2)
De Laval nozzle for the HATV in steel and graphite
Epoxy grain for the HATV
The test booster (XLR-2) for the HATV rocket
Copenhagen Suborbitals (XLR-2) hybrid rocket test, Oct 19th 2008. Photo Sonny W.
Peter Madsen and Kristian von Bengtson shakes hands after finishing the booster.
The Hybrid Atmospheric Test Vehicle or HATV, is a 1/3 scale rocket with a 200 mm diameter tube, that will function as a basic flight test model.
The oxydizer for the HATV will be nitrous oxide. This rocket is currently being constructed and a minor hold-down booster were tested two times, with succes, in October and November of 2008.
HATV-LOX II ENGINE FIRED SUCCESFULLY SUNDAY DEC 13, 2009
The Copenhagen Suborbitals team at the Dec 13 HATV-LOX testing
HEAT BOOSTER
The Hybrid Exo Atmospheric Transporter or HEAT, is a real scale rocket with a 608 mm diameter tube that will function as the
final test rocket and carrier of the one person spacecraft. The oxydizer for the HATV will be liquid oxygen (LOX). The HEAT booster will finally serve as the transportation vehicle for the man rated spacecraft.
The HEAT booster will burn for about 60 seconds, providing 40kN of thrust, resulting in less than 3-g making the trip
feasible for humans to endure.
The HEAT booster
Brown=epoxy grain, Red=LOX, Blue=spacecraft
Top section of the HEAT LOX tank (diameter 640 mm)
Peter Madsen working on the HEAT-1X booster LOX injector manifold
Interior picture of the HEAT-1X, epoxy and parafine casting
HEAT-1X parafine chamber with nozzle
BOOSTER CONTROL AND GUIDANCE
We are currently looking into some "basic" guidance control in order to prevent gravity turn and to minimize the touchdown area.
Otherwise, the system is very basic and will rely completely on the laws
of aerodynamics. By having a large launching tower, currently being developed, the rocket will be guided by passive rails
until it have sufficient velocity to reach its apogee using only static fins.
DESCENT AND RECOVERY
Before the spacecraft goes into a zero gravity parabola, the booster system will be jettisoned.
After a while of atmosperic re-enty, the spacecraft will be slowered by a drogue parachute and then 3 main parachutes. Finally the spacecraft will touchdown in water.
Production of graphite Nozzle for HEAT-1X
