Launching a Dragonfly

[TMac3000]

In realistic terms, once a Dragonfly is built (on Earth), what sort of rocket/vehicle would be needed to launch it into service?

I tried doing this with a Shuttle-A, but the instant I hit the hovers, Orbiter wigged out and sent me careening into outer space

 

[N_Molson]

The problem is that the Dragonfly is quite large. I think it doesn't fit in the Space Shuttle Cargo bay. A "Dragonfly lite" version, smaller & simpler, has been released if I remember well.

Else you have to find a launcher (rocket) with a fairing large enough to fit the thing in. But it won't be easy, even Proton is too small if I remember well... Or you could try something really nasty like a Saturn-V or an Energia booster ! Or an Ares-V rocket in heavy lift version.

 

[TMac3000]

The problem is that the Dragonfly is quite large. I think it doesn't fit in the Space Shuttle Cargo bay. A "Dragonfly lite" version, smaller & simpler, has been released if I remember well..

Err...I meant that I docked it to the front of the Shuttle-A (big bug-looking cargo carrier thing). But Orbiter flipped out when I tried to take off with the Dragonfly attached.

Else you have to find a launcher (rocket) with a fairing large enough to fit the thing in. But it won't be easy, even Proton is too small if I remember well... Or you could try something really nasty like a Saturn-V or an Energia booster ! Or an Ares-V rocket in heavy lift version.

A Saturn V - yowch!:blink: I bet that would lift the Shuttle-A and the Dragonfly!
Unfortunately, I am running Orbiter on an older computer that will not let me use rockets or anything tail-sitting, period.

 

[vonneuman]

Try using this: [nomedia="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=1036"]ENERGY project, release 4[/nomedia] With this:[nomedia="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=1292"]Space Tugs, release 4[/nomedia]
Oh and you will need this to make it work:http://www.kulch.spb.ru/Eng/PM_project.html

 

[Shadow Addict]

Try using this: ENERGY project, release 4 With this:Space Tugs, release 4
Oh and you will need this to make it work:http://www.kulch.spb.ru/Eng/PM_project.html

Wait, you have to download PM separately now?

 

[Hielor]

Err...I meant that I docked it to the front of the Shuttle-A (big bug-looking cargo carrier thing). But Orbiter flipped out when I tried to take off with the Dragonfly attached.

Orbiter *really* doesn't like vessels to be landed while docked.

 

[vonneuman]

Wait, you have to download PM separately now?

I don't know. I downloaded all three separately.

 

[Ghostrider]

The Dragonfly fits nicely in the XR5 Vanguard's payload bay.

 

[Fixerger]

Imho... PM is included into Spacetugs... I've used it on 2009beta with Velcro Energia %)

 

[N_Molson]

Done :lol:



Just got rid of the 3rd stage, it was dead weight ! :lol: But the Saturn V was necessary to put the huge 33 feet fairing (I considered it weighted 15 tons). The 21-feet used for Apollo was too small, because the Dragonfly is "cube-shaped" !! :rofl:

EDIT : oh, I tried to fit the Shuttle-A in it too. In theory that would work, it weights 82.5 tons (with fuel), plus the Dragonfly 11 tons. But the Auxiliary Pods are not fairing-compatible ! Too bad

 

[Andy44]

Dragonfly almost fits in the space shuttle payload bay, if you don't mind seeing the antennae poking through the doors, you can live with it. There are also different slightly smaller meshes for the Dragonfly out there on OH which reduce the size a bit so it fits into the shuttle or a Titan IV fairing.

 

[Goth]

The small version:
[nomedia="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=752"]Dragonfly-Lite (CVE-lite)[/nomedia]

 

[Fixerger]

Can you post scenario for that?

 

[Goth]

The add-on already has scenarios examples inside its zip file.

 

[Fixerger]

The add-on already has scenarios examples inside its zip file.

Oh.. so that on that screenshots is small Dragonfly?

 

[N_Molson]

No, it's the standard Dragonfly. For this scenario, you need 2 add-ons :

- Velcro Rockets
- Velcro Saturns (an expansion for the base Velcro add-on)

Both are available on Orbithangar.

---------

BEGIN_DESC
An very expensive manner though efficient to put the Dragonfly into (high) orbit...

Press "O" to unleash hell . See the doc of the great Velcro rocket add-on for further info.
END_DESC

BEGIN_ENVIRONMENT
System Sol
Date MJD 39602.47000
END_ENVIRONMENT

BEGIN_FOCUS
Ship S-1C
END_FOCUS

BEGIN_CAMERA
TARGET S-1C
MODE Extern
POS 9.73 -0.51 -123.30
TRACKMODE TargetRelative
FOV 50.00
END_CAMERA

BEGIN_HUD
TYPE Surface
END_HUD

BEGIN_MFD Left
TYPE Surface
END_MFD

BEGIN_MFD Right
TYPE Orbit
PROJ Ship
REF Earth
END_MFD

BEGIN_SHIPS
DRAGONFLYragonfly
INTERNAL: v0.9.35
HYDRAULICS:
TANK 1 0.0000 129991 170.00
TANK 1 0.0000 129991 170.00
TANK 0 0.0000 130000 170.00
MANIFOLD 1 1 1 1 1 0
TANK 1 0.0000 69997 70.00
TANK 1 0.0000 69997 70.00
TANK 0 0.0000 70000 70.00
MANIFOLD 1 1 1 1 1 0
TANK 1 0.0000 103 294.52
VALVE 1 0.0000
VALVE 1 0.0000
VALVE 0 0.0000
VALVE 0 0.0000
VALVE 1 0.0000
VALVE 1 0.0000
VALVE 1 0.0000
TANK 1 0.0000 20000 288.00
TANK 1 0.0000 20000 288.00
VALVE 1 0.0000
VALVE 1 0.0000
VALVE 1 0.0000
VALVE 1 0.0000
VALVE 1 0.0000
VALVE 0 0.0000
VALVE 0 0.0000
MANIFOLD 0 1 0 1 0 0
TANK 1 0.0000 4693 294.82
TANK 1 0.0000 2208 295.44
MANIFOLD 1 1 1 1 1 1
TANK 1 0.0000 9102 295.00
TANK 1 0.0000 27000 295.00
VALVE 0 0.0000
VALVE 0 0.0000
VALVE 0 0.0000
TANK 1 0.0000 9100 295.00
TANK 1 0.0000 27000 295.00
TANK 1 0.0000 4800 295.00
VALVE 0 0.0000
VALVE 0 0.0000
VALVE 0 0.0000
ELECTRICAL:
FCELL 0 0.0019
FCELL 2 0.0000
BATTERY 0 5184000.0000 1
DC 121.5000
DC 0.0000
AC 30.0000
DC 0.0000
DC 14.0000
SOCKET -1
SOCKET -1
SOCKET -1
SOCKET -1
SOCKET -1
SOCKET -1
HT 0
HT 0
HT 0
HT 0
HT 0
HT 0
FAN 1
FAN 1
PANEL :
SW -1 1 1 99 4674625
SW END
ROT END
SW -1 -1 -1 -1 -1
SW 1 1 1 1 1
SW 1 0 1 1 1
SW 1 1 0 0 0
SW 0 0 -1 -1 1
SW 1 0 0 -1 -1
SW 0 0 0 0 0
SW 0 1 1 1 1
SW -1 1 1 -1 -1
SW -1 0 -1 0 1
SW 1 1 1 -1 1
SW 1 99 1 -1 1
SW END
ROT 0 0 0 99 1
ROT END
SW END
ROT END
SW 0 0 0 1 0
SW 1 0 0 1 1
SW 1 1 1 1 0
SW 0 1 -1 1 0
SW 1 0 99 1 0
SW END
ROT END
SW -1 0 0 -1 0
SW 0 0 99 -1 0
SW END
ROT END
END INTERNAL
STATUS Landed Earth
BASE Cape Canaveral:6
HEADING 0.00
FUEL 1.000
END
S-II:Velcro/s2
STATUS Landed Earth
BASE Cape Canaveral:6
HEADING 0.00
TGT_HEADING 095.0
FUEL 1.000
CONFIGURATION 0
CAMERA 0 0 50.0
FAIRING 2 1.0 0.0 3.5 0.0
SERIESBURN 0 DRAGONFLY 0.0 0.0 -15.0 0.0 1.0 0.0
PAYLOAD Int2 Velcro/Parts/s2_s4bint Velcro/Parts/s2_s4bint 0 0 0 8000.0 0 0.0 1.0
PAYLOAD Fairing2 Velcro/Parts/33ft_Fairing_1_b Velcro/Parts/33ft_Fairing_1_b 0 0 4.0 5000.0 0 0.0 1.0
PAYLOAD Fairing1 Velcro/Parts/33ft_Fairing_1_a Velcro/Parts/33ft_Fairing_1_a 0 0 4.0 5000.0 0 0.0 1.0
END
s1cinter:Velcro/s1cinter
STATUS Landed Earth
BASE Cape Canaveral:6
HEADING 0.00
TGT_HEADING 095.0
FUEL 1.000
CONFIGURATION 0
CAMERA 0 0 90.0
SERIESBURN 0 S-II 0.0 0.0 -9.25 0.0 1.0 0.0
END
S-1C:Velcro/S1C
STATUS Landed Earth
BASE Cape Canaveral:11
POS -80.6208900 28.6271740 10
HEADING 2.00
TGT_HEADING 095.0
FUEL 1.000
CONFIGURATION 0
CAMERA 0 0 90.0
SERIESBURN 0 s1cinter 0.0 0.0 18.25 0.0 1.0 0.0
PADBIAS -25
END
END_SHIPS

 

[Fixerger]

I've already has that addons! Thanks a lot for scenario!

 

[mc_]

Maybe, Dragonfly should be launched in upside-down position?

 

[N_Molson]

Unfortunately, that's one limitation of Velcro Rockets. You can't rotate a payload on that axis. But we could add some adapter to make it more ""realistic"".

At least the crew can see where they are going lol... If they recover from the ascent at 5-6G's lol

And most importantly, if anything goes wrong with the Saturn, they have no way to save their lives (no parachute, no escape tower, no thermal shielding)

 

[ar81]

[nomedia="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=1077"]PackedDragon[/nomedia]