Danish space amateurs fail first attempt to launch home-built rocket from Baltic Sea barge

2 Danes fail 1st try to launch home-built rocket

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Two Danish space enthusiasts have failed in their first attempt to send up a privately built rocket into space.

Their spokeswoman, Sophie Dalgaard, says a fuse problem stopped the launch of the 30-feet-long (9-meter-long) rocket Sunday, from a barge near the Baltic Sea island of Bornholm. She says they will try again, but does not say when.

Danes Peter Madsen and Kristian von Bengtson are behind the €50,000 ($64,500) project. They have permission to try and launch the rocket from a military test zone until Sept. 13.

They had hoped the 1.6 ton prototype would reach 18.6 miles (30 kilometers) into the sky.

The launch was the first step toward their dream of eventually flying to the edge of space, some 62 miles (100 kilometers) above sea level.