Just to clarify one thing – we are still on a mission to launch a human being into space on a homemade space rocket. We started out big, by firing the first rocket – not as a small test rocket – but a full-size machine carrying a full-size crash test dummy.

The decision to do so was Peter Madsen's and mine, and may not have made a whole lot of sense to many people, but it boosted the project into what it is today__. A manned space program!__ A program far from the typical small-sized DIY rocket projects which are common in the realm of amateurism.

It seems to me that people either love or hate this project. There are not many “inbetweeners.” The fact that Copenhagen Suborbitals continues to claim that they are capable of producing and launching a manned homemade rocket, for little money, clearly pisses off some people – especially in the pro-space arena.

If you have followed the project, the last couple of years, you may have been looking in vain for large rockets. And so have I. Needless to say, there is a natural development going on justifying these launches and tests, because we like to differentiate systems into smaller tests for better systems-isolated evaluation.

In a few months we are going to launch our first active-guided rocket Sapphire. This is going to very interesting. We are basically letting a guided missile lose to learn more about this crucial system. Without active guidance – no suborbital ride.

But it has been too long! We need to get back on the big track!

It's like the development at Copenhagen Suborbitals has turned into a “sound” process where everyone is nerding and fiddling more and more with smaller and smaller system to know it all. Things are getting slower and smaller and I think we have lost our nerve somehow.

Last week I had a talk with Peter Madsen. Being pretty much synchronized in our strange minds, we decided to get back on the big track. We decided to get our act together and find that special nerve that started the project. So, besides launching the “usual” experimental rockets and capsule each year, the production of the large Ø1600mm engine must begin NOW - and so it has.

Our "big" 1600-rocket compared to known NASA systems. Image: Kristian von Bengtson

Personally, I am aiming for a launch or at least full scale test in Summer 2014.

I know pushing these ideas to Peter Madsen is like injecting amphetamine into his veins and since it happened I have never seen him talking, running and sketching faster. His smile has never been bigger and it just happened that this weekend the construction of our new permanent rocket engine vertical test cell (VTC-3), has begun – capable of holding our ø1600 engine with is 10 meter tall propellant tank. 10 tonnes of propellant. Now, we are talking!

A huge chunk of aluminum sheets has been purchased to begin production of these huge propellant tanks.

Yes, dear friends. We are back on the megalomania track.

It makes me happy. This is what Copenhagen Suborbitals is all about!

P.S. If you are a twitter-person we have created the official Copenhagen Suborbitals twitter channel which sums up most of our news.

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Kristian von Bengtson