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Space Science

Romanian Team Entering X-Prize competition 127

Posted by timothy from the enter-away dept.
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 :)"
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Romanian Team Entering X-Prize competition More

Romanian Team Entering X-Prize competition

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  • Even with Scaled Composites minor mishap, they still look to be so far in the lead that a lot of people wouldn't even bother.

    Cheers to this new attempt by the Romanian team.
    • Perhaps, but bear in mind that not everyone's primary motivation is to win the prize, nor is the prize the only pot of gold at the end of the spacebow.

      Cheers to this new attempt by the Romanian team.

      I had a Romanian great grandfather, so I'll give a cheer to the old home team, but, yeah, I admit it, my money was on Burt from the start and don't exactly see any reason not to let it ride.

      KFG
    • That is the part that I find most amazing about the competition: Before the competition, there seemed to be very little activity. Then it came, and suddenly we have around 20 teams working on it, even though many of them know they won't win anything, since it will be won soon or run out at the end of the year. Still they keep going because it is not really the competition that is the goal, getting into space is the goal.

  • Good luck (Score:2, Insightful)

    by ravenspear ( 756059 )
    With only 4 months to go before the deadline, and Scaled inevitably winning before then, how does someone just entering now have any chance?

  • NOT environmentally sound! (Score:3, Funny)

    by MountainMan101 ( 714389 ) on Sunday September 12, 2004 @03:19AM (#10226303)
    Water vapour is not environmentally safe! H2O is 5 times as effective as CO2 as a green house case. It's about time some one took resposibility and educated the population.

  • Be wary - the legend of "In Romania..." (Score:5, Interesting)

    by mccalli ( 323026 ) on Sunday September 12, 2004 @03:22AM (#10226319) Homepage
    I know someone working inside a fairly well-known news site, and I commented to him about the large number of utterly unbelievable "In Romania..." stories, such as man marries cow, or man believes he is the reincarnation of Dracula (reincarnation of the undead?).

    He replied that most of them were just made up. Many were filed by a reporter living in Austria, and he thought it sounded close enough to be believable but obscure enough that no-one could ever check any references. "In Romania..." stuff just happens. Allegedly. Certainly in some circles, it's just press shorthand for a fluff story that may be completely made up.

    Not saying that's the case here - I still need to read it. Just a general warning regarding stories about Romania - crank up the scepticism level just a bit.

    Cheers,
    Ian

  • what about Ansari ??????? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by rasz ( 788512 ) on Sunday September 12, 2004 @03:29AM (#10226344) Homepage Journal
    How come its not ANSARI X PRIZE anymore ? Arent you forgetting something ? He is a BIG contributor to the prize pool, be nice and dont forget about him.

  • Cloaking Device? (Score:5, Funny)

    by daeley ( 126313 ) * on Sunday September 12, 2004 @03:30AM (#10226346) Homepage
    Hmm, must be that it's really late, but I could have sworn the title was "Romulan Team Entering X-Prize competition" when I first looked at it. I was imagining some Trekkies in Romulan costumes milling around the SpaceShipOne compound. :)
  • Talk about being late to the party *and* under funded!
    • You'd think they had Alan Keyes on their design team.

    • Re:Late to the party... (Score:1, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      They can't all compete with 20 million dollars. I think it's pretty cool they're making the effort. Besides, for all we know SS1 could blow themselves up and eliminate themselves from the competition.
  • The rocket launched itself, two minutes before the planned launch. It was on the news, two days ago...

  • The construction of a liquid rocket engine fire test stand began in April 24, 2002. The engine used monopropellant fuel [arcaspace.ro] (hydrogen peroxide 68% mixed with ethylic alcohol). The first cold test with this stand was realized on May 16, 2002. The calibration of the injection head of the engine was realized the next day by using water. The results were encouraging. Only a 3% fuel debit error from the project was recorded. The pressure feed system worked at 20 bars, ensuring a 14 bars burning chamber pressure. The pressurization of the tanks was made with nitrogen from a tube at 150 bars.

    I especially liked the part right under that where "[...]an explosion caused by an ignition system malfunction destroyed most of the installation."

  • You Get What You Pay For (Score:4, Insightful)

    by DarkElf109 ( 799937 ) <DarkElf109@ibe n d i t . com> on Sunday September 12, 2004 @03:47AM (#10226413)
    Yes, because I really want to send myself into a frozen vacuum inside a craft that cost less than most boats...
    • Chuckles. Ok, you asked for this. It starts here!
      Nobody to my recollection has pointed out who might
      and should be the passenger (if any) on Rutans X-prize attempt.

      I vote for Sir Arthur. Hey, he deserves it.

      (stop giggling. It's bad for you)

      As a nod to the dark side then he should be punished by having to carry with him some of the
      mortal remains of his old nemesis (but look at it this way Arthur - he hated flying when he was
      alive ).

      How quickly do you think slashdotters could mount a petition on this one?

  • disposable rockets (Score:3, Interesting)

    by xlyz ( 695304 ) on Sunday September 12, 2004 @04:24AM (#10226508) Journal
    even if they don't win, 30k $ per launch it's a very interesting price point.

    in term of business potential I won't disrespect them at all

    • Re:disposable rockets (Score:1, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Suborbital isn't very interesting, except for lobbing nuclear bombs. Commercially, there's no real point, since it can't compete with air travel on cost (even at $30K/launch, assuming the dang thing can actually support 3 people at that price without some safety mishap killing everyone), and satellites have to be inserted into orbit. So, no, $30K/launch isn't a very interesting price point. On the other hand, that's the construction cost for their whole vehicle, so refueling costs are probably a small fr

      • Re:disposable rockets (Score:1, Informative)

        by Anonymous Coward
        BTW, the rocket (which was only a demonstration, more like an oversized model rocket) only reached 1.2km, compared to like 160 km or something for Spaceship 1. That's still sub-orbital, technically, but it's kinda stretching the definition...

  • Good Luck! (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Fallen Andy ( 795676 ) on Sunday September 12, 2004 @05:04AM (#10226636)
    Hey, they need it. I don't think anyone except Burt Rutan's outfit have a snowballs chance in hell.

    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 /. fare)

    So mod me down ok?
    • ***But,it isn't about *winning* this prize. Even Burt doesn't really care about that.***

      well.. as much as we all like spaceshipone they're really using more money in this than what was the goal of the competition.

      though, maybe it's a good thing as they really have to yank up some commercial uses if they want to get any money back.
    • Nope, he'll take the hit. It's worth it for the following reasons:

      1. You get the first pick of the smartest kids on the block.

      2. You get asked by *engineers* for advice.

      3. It's kool.

      Go figure it.
      (As a side note there are other engineer's engineering outfits - notably Don Cameron's "Cameron Balloons" in Bristol UK. Much lower profile though...).

      But I'm glad there's at least one place we can *dream* of running that doesn't have to pacify
      Brian Beancounter and friends ...

  • Korean Mushroom Cloud (Score:5, Funny)

    by JiffyJeff ( 693994 ) on Sunday September 12, 2004 @05:39AM (#10226710)
    Successful launch by Romanian rocket scientists -- Mushroom cloud a mere 5,000 miles away on the N. Korean/Chinese border...


    Coincidence, I think NOT!


  • ... all ecological as they produce oxygen and water vapours ...
    Its not: first you need nuclear power plants to produce all the oxygen and hydrogen from water, and than you burn it not perfecly producing lot's of ozon.

  • An earlier Romanian rocketeer... (Score:4, Informative)

    by gdav ( 2540 ) on Sunday September 12, 2004 @07:33AM (#10227015)
    was Hermann Oberth [about.com], from Sigishoara in Romania (birthplace of Vlad the Impaler). I visited Sigishoara last year and found that the town museum had a room devoted to Oberth. The first Romanian in space (in Soviet times) was awarded the "Hermann Oberth Gold Medal".

  • First (translation) post! (Score:5, Informative)

    by otter42 ( 190544 ) on Sunday September 12, 2004 @07:37AM (#10227032) Homepage Journal
    (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.
    • (Wow, replying to my own post)

      So, this is my analysis:

      My Romanian roommate constantly referred to Demonstrator 2 as a "racket" instead of "rocket". Slip of the tongue? You decide.

      Or, as further proof:

      Dear friend,

      My father just died after building a rocket designed to win a $10 million competition. However, before he died, he could not raise the money to build the full scale rocket, which is certain to win the money. I know that you, the kindest of people, will not shun from helping me realize his dream
    • Some tablets? Sounds like POTASSIUM PERMANGANATE to me.

    • My friend who translated the story pointed out that this was her original submission title. My apologies as hers was far better, and less self-serving, than mine.
    • oxygenated water
      Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2, with more oxygen than water, H2O), I expect.
    • Even though the rocket didn't get to 2,000 m as planned

      I suppose the original poster was strictly correct when he said it was a 'suborbital' flight.

      Of course, I just took off my show and tossed it in a similar "suborbital" shot into the corner.
    • All the mods listed on this are "Informative". Shouldn't that be, "Funny"?

      For one thing, maybe I'm just a little spoiled, but any vehicle that launches unexpectedly "two minutes before official launch" and then "sink(s) into the Black Sea " is a lot closer to a cool model rocket than to a human-certifid spacecraft.

      I think this sentence is the giveaway:

      Apparently, Romanians are using a secret formula based on World War II technology for torpidoes, also used on the Kursk Russian submarine.

      Uh huh. The

  • Mintrubbing - The Romanian attitude towards work (Score:4, Funny)

    by ehiris ( 214677 ) on Sunday September 12, 2004 @08:48AM (#10227304) Homepage
    This is another proof that mintrubbing [mintrubbing.org] can produce amazing results.

  • Romanian aeronautic history (Score:4, Informative)

    by ehiris ( 214677 ) on Sunday September 12, 2004 @09:04AM (#10227362) Homepage
    To anyone interested in the subject, Romania (pre- fing WW2 and fing communism) has had potential for a strong position in the aeronautic industry. Henri Marie Coanda, known for the Coanda-effect and the first jet aircraft [fiu.edu], was Romanian. More info about Coanda can be found here [slashdot.org]

  • Estes threatens patent lawsuit (Score:3, Funny)

    by Larthallor ( 623891 ) on Sunday September 12, 2004 @09:36AM (#10227516)
    It turns out that "Orizont" is just Romanian for "Big Bertha [i12.com]".
  • I applaud their spirit and all but the Romanians didn't accomplish much after all. You can buy [publicmissiles.com] model rockets that will go higher than 1000m.

    The goal of x-prize is to reach a height of 100,000 m - about 100 times higher than what the Romanians achieved in their test flight. The flight has to be manned as well. They have a long way to go.

  • These guys did not study chemistry very well. On the "tests" page, they describe their "monopropellant fuel" as a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and ethylic alcohol (another name for ethanol). When this mixture burns, you will get CO2 and traces of CO in the exhaust in addition to the H2O and some O2, O, and O3 (depending on the flame temperature). They will also, depending on the flame temperature at the exit of the engine, produce some NOx from oxidizing some of the nitrogen from the air.

    This type of fu
  • well, this did sound like a funny XPrize attempt at the beginning .. but after a little wikipedia & co, it sounds a lot different ... the romanian aviation school from the precomunist times sounds impressive!!

    Traian Vuia [wikipedia.org] (August 17, 1872 - September 3, 1950) was a Romanian inventor, designed and built the world's first self-propelling heavier-than-air aircraft.

    Hermann Oberth [wikipedia.org]
    "considered the foremost authority on rocketry outside the United States."
    and
    " one of the founding fathers of rocketry an

  • Nu ma nu ma nu ma iei!

    ~D
  • since when is 1000 meters sub-orbital? give me a break.

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