I want to build a rocket capable of launching a 100 kg payload into a more or less circular orbit about 400 km in altitude.

What would be required to do this? What kind of materials does the rocket need to be made of? What is the cheapest, most rugged way to accomplish this? How about newer rocket engines like aerospikes? What would be the size of this rocket? Is it feasible to accomplish this task with a team of just a dozen people?

Actually, if you want to carry people out to an attitude of 400km, an ordinary space shuttle will do. A space shuttle can carry up to an average of 7 people. Maybe a size 1/4 times bigger than the shuttle. Most planes are made of titanium.

Hope this answers your question.

Hi cefarix,
on your question mate...i suppose it really does depend on your budget as to what things you require e.t.c....

Just the cheapest way to do it. I'm thinking, maybe a couple hundred thousand dollars??

It would cost about 2.2 million US dollars to launch a 100kg into orbit, assuming the current estimated minimum of 10,000 dollars a pound. That doesn't include the millions of dollars that the rocket development would cost. You have to keep in mind that 90% of the launch weight has to be fuel. So you can at best only get 10% of the total weight into orbit. And the rocket itself is going to weigh a lot more than 100kg. If you wanted to launch something into space I'd recommend contracting the Russian Space agency to do it. It would still cost a few million though.

Well, I want to know if there is a cheaper more reliable way to build a rocket that can do so. I'm sure that a rocket designed with the latest technologies could be built to do so in less than a million dollars. Question, what will it take? What materials? What kind of fuel? What kind of engines?