Would You Ride This Pencil-Shaped Capsule To Space?

If you drop something while in there, I'd like to see you bend over to pick it up! If you have to take a "dump", how ya gonna wipe your azz??

The "dummy head" involved are the Dummy who designed this, the Dummy who financed it and ANY Dummy willing to go on this ONE WAY trip.

Extreme Roller coasters are probably less safe - and there are millions of dummies riding those.

This is super-awesome, but I do think that we need stop getting "orbit" mixed up with "edge of space"... Actually getting into orbit takes a LOT more energy than going up 100km and dropping back down again.

Wouldn't most people tend to pass out in this position?

Can some one say, "Extreme claustrophobic".

Exactly. in this position everybody will pass out. it is a big error . so bad that glass head is useless because you are sleep :D

Let's get a little more facts before you all get over the edge.

One of the designers of this project has worked for your own NASA. The other guy has designed, and produced his own submarine... which they used last year to tow the rocket to testflight....

How many of you guyes can say the same ?

That said... they already changed the design from this "pensil" to apollo/dragon style capsule.

About taking a "dump" ..... well even my 5 year kid, can wait the aprox. 20 minutes the flight will take...

Before you all attack :) Yes i'm danish (sorry for the spelling) and i belive that if this project successed will show that you can get into space (or at the edge) for less money, than you guys use on a toilet seat for the spacestation.

If successfull.. think of the posibility for schools/universities to create/launch own microsatelites.

Steen

Absolutely! Too bad I can't foot the bill!

I agree with @wilcodk (Steen).

You could be interested in reading this science blog on Wired.com:
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/rocketshop
which is written by Kristian von B - one of the 2 founders of Copenhagen Suborbitals.

Kristian von B is an architect, and has a masters degree in space science. He is the afore mentioned person, which had been an employee at NASA.

The other funder, Peter Madsen, has build 3 submarines, the biggest one is "UC3 Nautilus", and is the biggest private build submarine in the world.
Youtube video, one of many: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZX6BHMAf4w&feature=related
It's website: http://www.uc3nautilus.dk/

I'd love this. Personally, I have no problem being in enclosed spaces like this, (especially with such a nice viewport!), but honestly, I imagine some kind of sedation would be available; not everyone shares my range of comfort, after all, and even I can't say with any real accuracy that I possess the fortitude to go through the G's that astronauts do. If it makes going to space cheaper, I'd much rather pack myself into one of these than something more cost-prohibitive.

This posture would be bring great stress to the adventurer's back. It would be interesting to see how they're supported at various points along their frame. I don't think it would be a matter of "if" you would have to take a dump; in this posture with say 5-8 G's, it would be an involuntary affair. Might throw off the W&B calculations with turds rammed toward the bottom. Depends?

Then, during your brief and joyful weightless period, you might have visitors. :(

I am a member of Copenhagen Suborbitals and have worked with gravitational physiology and space medicine for 15 years in Europe, US, and Japan and was principal investigator on a cardiovascular experiment on the Shuttle. We know what we are doing.

Yes, we can launch a man in this upright, supported position in 5G if just we take proper physiological precautions.

However, with the increasing support that we are getting from ordinary people, both in Denmark and the rest of the world, it seems that we can afford, economically and technically, to increase the diameter of the rocket and so the capsule. Should that happen, the pilot of course will take the ordinary, supine seated launch position.

In addition, we are working on (and testing this summer) active guidance of the rocket. When this development is fullfilled, we can reduce the G-load to 2-3G.

Of course we do not launch anybody before the safety is comparable to other kinds of extreme sport; like for example mountain climbing.

No

I think this is cool that they are trying it I'm sure they will have to go through all kinds of safety testing before the government will allow them to launch.

wilcodk again I think what there doing is incredible but there's a big step between making it just into space and putting something in orbit like a micro satellite.

I dont look busy because I did it right the first time