Da Vinci Project
The da Vinci Project is a privately-funded, volunteer-staffed attempt to launch a reusable manned suborbital spacecraft. It is a contender for the Ansari X Prize for the first non-governmental reusable manned spacecraft. The project is based in Ontario, Canada and led by Brian Feeney.
Design
The project's design concept calls for a small rocket-powered spacecraft to be Wild Fire, is predominantly cylindrical, with a diameter of 1.42 m and overall length of 4.88 m. It has a crew capsule at one end, rocket motor at the other, and propellant tanks between.
The crew capsule is spherical, with a diameter of 1.42 m. It is designed to accommodate three humans in a pressurised atmosphere, but the crew will wear pressure suits. The capsule can separate from the remainder of the craft if necessary, and has its own emergency parachute. There are sixteen large windows, covering most of the front half of the capsule, providing a clear view.
The spacecraft has a hybrid rocket motor, with solid hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB, or rubber) fuel and liquid nitrous oxide oxidiser. The nozzle is steerable.
There is also a cold gas reaction control system, using helium propellant.
The craft uses an autopilot originally developed for turbine aircraft, and can also be flown manually. Both the autopilot and manual controls can control both the RCS system and the engine gimbals.
In the original design, during reentry, the vehicle deploys a ballute, an inflated conical balloon that makes the vehicle aerodynamically stable, provides drag, and acts as a heat shield. The ballute would remain inflated until landing, where it cushions the impact. Between 7 km and 3 km altitude the vehicle would also deploy a helium-filled, fully reusable, and piloted.
History and status
The project was established in 1996. It is named after Leonardo da Vinci, who, among innumerable other inventions, was the first recorded person to design an aircraft. The project is staffed entirely by volunteers, about 600 so far.
The project unveiled their spacecraft, Wild Fire, on August 5 2004 at a hangar at Downsview Airport in Toronto. When announcing the unveiling they had also appealed for funds to fly it. GoldenPalace.com stepped forward with approximately 500,000 (presumably Canadian) dollars, and the project immediately gave the required 60 day notice that they would make Ansari X Prize competitive flights.
To win the X Prize, a spacecraft must make two spaceflights within 14 days. The da Vinci Project's plan calls for a first competitive flight on October 2 2004, launching from Kindersley, Saskatchewan. This is only three days after the first expected competitive flight, by Scaled Composites' project Tier One using the spacecraft SpaceShipOne, on September 29 2004. Tier One's second planned flight is scheduled for October 4 2004. It is possible that a race will develop around October 3 2004 to be the first to make a second flight.
It is planned that the spaceflight on October 2 2004 will carry a famous soccer ball which was bought by GoldenPalace.com in July 2004 and which they are exhibiting on tour. The ball is famous for its use in the 2004 European Football Championship, where David Beckham missed a kick from the penalty mark using the ball as part of England's quarter-final defeat to the host nation Portugal.
