Da Vinci Project Postpones X-Prize Attempt

brainstyle writes "To some people this won't come as much of a shock: the Da Vinci Project's inaugural launch has been delayed. I'm a Canuck, so I'm rooting for these guys, but it always felt a bit iffy. The Canadian Arrow team seems to be doing things a bit more intelligently, so if any Canadian launch works, I'd bet on that one."

Re:And when we don't win?

[brainstyle]

There's the annual X Prize Cup [space.com] which will hopefully give a number of teams motivation to keep working on what they're doing. Anyways, I doubt that many of the teams would quit just because the prize was won... I mean, I think they all just want to get into space, and they're closer now than they've ever been (even if they're still a ways off).

Re:And when we don't win?

[shawn(at)fsu]

I think the encouragement is that they put a lot of effort and money in to it already. In many competitions you don't stop because someone else one you keep going to prove that you can finish, like marathons and climbing Mt Everest. Granted you wont get as much publicity or notoriety as the first team to do it but you will still have done it. I really don't think that most of these teams are doing it for the money I think they are doing it because some one put out a challenge.

Re:Canuck ?

[Anonymous Coward]

It's like the difference between "New Zealander" and "Kiwi". :)

Re:Hmm

[Anonymous Coward]

the discountrocketry.com has some really anoying spyware. Please mod down.

Just so wrong...

[Anonymous Coward]

I understand the need for corporate sponsorship, and welcome it if it helps bring about the success of an effort like this one, but still, The da Vinci Project, officially called the Golden Palace.com Space Program powered by the da Vinci Project hurts just to read it.

Let's all (hopefully) welcome noted online casino Golden Palace.com into the pantheon of world space agencies. I'll be first in line to play at the LEO blackjack tables.

Re:And when we don't win?

[Carnildo]

Since it's just as likely as not that a Canadian team won't win, what's to encourage these teams to carry on developing their space programs?

Well, the Canadian Arrow team is planning on developing an Extreme Skydiving [canadianarrow.com] industry.

Very minor

[babtras]

I called Kindersley, where the launch is to take place. They assured me that the delay is "very minor" and the delay is likely to be only about a week. They will give about 7 days notice before the launch.

Re:da Vinci Design: Not very practical

[david.given]

IANARS, but it also appears that the Tier One design is highly scalable. Just make a large enough plane that can achieve a high altitude that can carry a large enough orbiter and fuel, and this thing can become a new LEO personnel or unmanned shuttle, or the much-lamented spaceplane.

Alas, it can't; there are fundamental reasons why SpaceShipOne or any similar vehicle can't get into orbit. This principally boil down to not being able to get enough delta-V from that rocket technology, and no thermal protection system for reentry. Changing the propulsion system and adding a TPS would involve a fundamental redesign from scratch.

What it is is a good technology demonstrator. They're getting experience in dealing with multistage vehicles, rocket propulsion, freefall attitude control, supersonic flight, etc; all well worth while, and all necessary on the path to a real orbital vehicle.

Plus the PR benefits are huge, too --- you could probably write the whole Tier One programme off as advertising. Think how much publicity Scaled Composites has gotten out of this...

Based on German technology

[Buran]

The Canadian Arrow is a modified A-4/V-2 missile which incorporates some of the ideas that von Braun had for his system back in the 1940s but never was able to try before his government was no longer funding him. (He dropped the V-2 work after the late 1940s to build his next rocket, Redstone.)

Canadian Arrow spacecraft in launch configuration [canadianarrow.com]

V-2 systems diagram [wikipedia.org]

And the interior is A-4/V-2 based as well:

Canadian Arrow engine [canadianarrow.com]

A-4 components during production before installation of outer skin [wikipedia.org]

In addition to this, the photo of the landed return capsule is very reminiscent of the Gemini program.

CA descent capsule awaiting recovery [canadianarrow.com]

Gemini crew capsule awaiting recovery [starshipmodeler.org]

What goes around comes around!

Re:Canuck ?

[rford]

Canuck is usually used in a patriotic way, at least when used by Canadians.

This is probably due to the influence of Johnny Canuck [collectionscanada.ca] an Uncle Sam like character.