The micro spacecraft (MSC) will be launched by a HEAT rocket to an altitude above 100 km. Prior to re-entry it will jettison the booster and decelerate by a succession of parachutes. This version named "Tycho Brahe 1" is 640 mm in diameter and should support a crash test dummy in a June 2010 flight to 40 km. The temperatures are expected to be below 200°C rendering a heat shield superfluous. The MSC supporting a person would be 800 mm in diameter, exclusive heat shield. The view dome is made of Perspex. The eyelets are for the parachutes. The MSC will be painted in glossy orange for easy recovery in the sea.
<a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Necessary_Evil" title="User:Necessary Evil">Necessary Evil</a>
2010-02-13
<span class="int-own-work" lang="en">Own work</span>