cheapest way to lauch 0,8kg out to space?

kosamika

hello

id own small computer and its ready to send me a signal via internet(satellite connection)
dimensions :120x70x40mm
weight: 788 grams (including cpu, modem, and batterys)
now i want to send it out of atmosphere

id suppose it can be done with a rocket..
but i just know the physics from primay school :p
any help would be apreciated

JaredJames

N-Prize by any chance?

We had a similar thread previously regarding a space hose.

The device required is going to be determined by what end result you want. If you want it to get into orbit you'll need something slightly more sophisticated than if you simply want it to get into space.

kosamika

ill simply want to reach atmosphere and look how computer dies
the goal is to make it cheap...accesible for a simple worker like me

JaredJames

Look how the computer dies? You're probably going to want to clarify that.

We are in the atmosphere right now, do you wish to reach the upper atmosphere or actually get into what is technically considered 'space'?

kosamika

well, i suppose the computer its not gonna survive to space conditions.
so, basicaly..yes i want to look, how she dies while reach the space.

JaredJames

The computer is most likely to 'die' due to shock or vibration on the way up more than anything else.

If designed well enough it will survive for as long as required. Surviving landing is another issue.

I recommend you look up model rockets and see if you could work with them. For simply sending something up it would seem the best option. You'd have to check the range though.

Fish4Fun

In theory you simply need to accelerate your 0.8kg mass to 11.2km/s (escape velocity). This means you would need to impart:

1/2 * 0.8 * (11,200)^2 = 50MJ = 14kWh

worth of kinetic energy to your object. If you use electricity, and your rate is $0.10/kWh the cost would be $1.40. If you used gasoline @ $3.00/Gallon, you would need about 0.384 gallons or $1.15.

But don't get too excited! These calculations ignore the friction of the air against your object. Furthermore, these calculations assume that you can convert a form of potential energy with 100% efficiency to kinetic energy, achieving this would earn you a Nobel Prize.

These two "little caveats" are what separate us mere mortals from rocket scientist.

The "real answer" can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_elevator_economics

and the answer is $5000/kg to $40,000/kg.

Fish

boneh3ad

What, so you really want to do something like go out in your back yard and fire off a rocket to send this computer into space? Why? There is no way you will do that cheaply.

DaveC426913

It is an opportunity to learn, even if it's learnnig how deep a gravity well we are in.

russ_watters

More importantly, they ignore the fact that you have to carry the fuel with you, so you're not just carrying fuel to lift the payload, you're carrying fuel to lift the fuel to carry the payload. That's why lifting a 50,000 lb payload requires a million pounds of fuel!

russ_watters

Agreed, though what the OP suggest simply can't be done in a single-step. From the level of knowlege displayed so far, I think the appropriate path is to start with some simple model rockets and go from there: http://www.estesrockets.com/

Nothing wrong with starting small and there is a lot to be learned from it.

Though as an alternative, a weather balloon will get you close to space for a budget within reason for most people.

kosamika

its ok. im here to learn some things
somebody ask ¿why? i say...why not?

i dont think the computer is gonna die due to shock or vibration on the way
theres movile phones that support lot of kicks

id think the best option is to make a rocket able to carry that weight out to space
id say make, not to buy. i dont think you can find a rocket like that in a shop

i can put everything on a cilinder, or whatever, his dimmensions are not very important
in fact, the computer is like a visa card, batterys/modem are what realy annoys

its not gonna be easy....but i think its not impossible, i dont want just to dream
thank you everybody for answers

AIR&SPACE

I'd say a balloon is probably your best choice, depending on how far up you want to go. You can relatively easily get to 100k ft. Little more work and effort you could get further up. But, I think this is prob the most viable option in your situation.

Mech_Engineer

I'd say the best estimate would be around $15,000-20,000/kg, just because it would be pretty expensive to build a rocket capable of reaching orbit...

That being said, launching a computer into space to "see if it dies" is a pretty ridiculous reason. What modes of failure are you interested in that haven't already been tested by NASA for example? I would say thermal is probably your biggest risk, and easily tested in a vacuum chamber with a heat lamp.

Mech_Engineer

Yup, weather balloons are cheap, easy to operate, and would get you up to maybe 150,000 ft if you keep the payload very light...

xxChrisxx

What a total waste of time. It'll either break because it's too cold, or it's too hot. You can do both sat on the ground.
Thats assuming it survives any 'launch'.

Out of interest, are you doing this to waste time or to test a computer for sending back telementry or something?

DaveC426913

Somebody pee on your Cheerios?

How about we try to keep our criticism constructive.