Project Another Apollo Project

[Hlynkacg]

Those who've followed the development of my Lunar Lander or who read my thread in in the general forum are already in the know, but here's the the official reveal.

Announcing the Apollo Application Project for Orbiter (AAPO)

View Development Gallery​

Description
The intent of this of this project is to balance a historically accurate simulation of the Apollo spacecraft with accessibility and ease of play. In addition to the historical missions and spacecraft I also intend to model the various Apollo follow-on projects proposed by NASA in the 1968 Apollo Hardware Applications Program.

These projects included a 2nd Generation of Apollo Spacecraft and Boosters, Earth and Lunar Orbital Workshops (later revived as Skylab), Additional flights to and longer stays on the Lunar Surface, as well as manned and unmanned interplanetary missions.

What to Expect
The initial release willl include the CSM and LM. Launch scenarios will use Sputnik's Velcro Rockets in conjunction with my own meshes. Once I am' satisfied with the core spacecraft I will get to work on a, DLL based, family of Saturn boosters, and the first batch of AAP proposals

Non-Historical, IE canceled and theoretical missions / spacecraft will be collected in their own download package titled "Apollo Next Gen" (ANG)

Source code and project files will be included as part of the OrbiterSDK

Questions:

• Q: How will AAPO differ from the existing Apollo addons (AMSO and NASSP)?
  Upon initial release. the major distinguishing features will be fully interactive VCs and UMMU / UCCGO support for all manned modules. Individual modules are also being designed with an eye towards compatibility with 3rd party addons and launch vehicles. Want to put an AAPO CSM on top of a Falcon 9? Go for it. You want to use the mighty Saturn 5 to launch your Space Station or Interplanetary Probe? I want you to as well.
  
  
• Q: What do you mean when you say you want to "balance simulation with accessibility"?
  Essentially it's about modifying the historical Apollo to match Orbiter rather than trying to modify Orbiter to match the historical Apollo. Specific examples would be things like supporting and utilizing MFDs or Orbiter's default autopilots even though doing so represents a breach of technical and historical accuracy. As much as I love NASSP, I will not be trying to design a 100% accurate reproduction of the Apollo Guidance Computer.
  
  I also want to ensure that an Orbinaut can open up the Scenario Editor, add a LM to their session, and take it for a spin around Brighton Beach with a minimal amount of fuss and frustration while at the same time giving the sim junkies plenty of switches and knobs to play with. The level of complexity that I'm aiming for is somewhere between AMSO and NASSP and pretty close to Dansteph's Delta Glider or Moach's G-42-200.
  
  
• Your Question here...

Screenshots

AAPO family photo taken on Pad 1 at Brighton Beach. LM, CSM and a UMMU named "Buzz".

AAPO CSM

AAPO LM

Status updates...
*Current as of June 16th 2013*

AAPO:

• CSM: exterior meshes complete, VC in progress
• LM: Meshes complete, VC and displays complete, subsystem modeling and general debuggery in progress.
• Launchers: Saturn 5 meshes complete, currently conducting flight tests using Velcro. Saturn 1B meshes in work.
• OWS/Skylab: on the to-do list.
• Scenarios: Test scenarios only at the moment, plan to include historical launch scenarios for Apollo's 7 - 17 with initial release.

ANG:

• Coming soon

Links
Development Gallery
[ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=6101"]Download Alpha Release #2, updated June 11 2013[/ame]

Notes:

• I'm looking for 2D artists to help me with textures and surface tiles of the Apollo Landing sites. I'll also need help writing scenarios and documentation.
  
• Special thanks to Loru for the Project Patch.

 

[SpaceShuttleFan]

I like the name you chose... good luck! I'm looking forward to downloading this.

 

[4throck]

Looks good.

Personally, I'm not that interested in re-doing Apollos up to 17, since I've done that with AMSO.

But I'm VERY interested in all the Skylab stuff, Lunar base building, Venus fly-by, etc, etc. :thumbup:


An alternative take on this would be to consider that in the future a "CM+LEM replica" was built, that incorporated new tech. Much like today's replica historical ships. They have sails and a compass of course, but also have GPS navigation and radios!

So If I may suggest, some interesting scenarios might be 100th aniversary Apollo mission celebrations. Redoing those missions yes, but to revisit the landing sites, as they are today. :2cents:

 

[Hlynkacg]

Looks good.

Personally, I'm not that interested in re-doing Apollos up to 17, since I've done that with AMSO.

But I'm VERY interested in all the Skylab stuff, Lunar base building, Venus fly-by, etc, etc. :thumbup:


An alternative take on this would be to consider that in the future a "CM+LEM replica" was built, that incorporated new tech. Much like today's replica historical ships. They have sails and a compass of course, but also have GPS navigation and radios!

So If I may suggest, some interesting scenarios might be 100th aniversary Apollo mission celebrations. Redoing those missions yes, but to revisit the landing sites, as they are today. :2cents:

I agree that Expanded Skylab missions and Lunar base building are the most interesting but let's face it, once I've got the basic LM and CSM coded doing Apollo's 7-17 is a simple matter of spending about 20 minutes in the scenario editor to set dates and orbital parameters.

My main concessions to modern electronics will be to replace the DSKYs in both the LM and CSM with MFDs and put a proper HUD in place of the COAS Reticles.

 

[4throck]

Sure My comments are meant as incentive!
Don't "waste" much time with Apollo missions, go for the more interesting stuff.

No problem with the MFDs, this may be an alternate reality were computers developed faster. You can always texture the MFDs as CRTs, as I've done before.

 

[RacerX]

Very Cool! Looking forward to it

 

[boogabooga]

IMHO you should talk to rossco as I think this would be a great complement to the Beyond Apollo add-on.

Your CSM and LM would be a great alternative to AMSO in that add-on and add UMMU suppot. Likewise, perhaps some of his meshes, etc. would be useful to you.

 

[Hlynkacg]

Quick update:

First pass on the CSM's textures is complete and I've added a cut-out to the Service module for carrying UCCGO cargoes.

.

For historical scenarios a seperate SIM-Bay mesh will be used to fill that gap, otherwise the bay will contain slots for two UCCGO cargoes and a UMMU turbo-pack.

 

[4throck]

Interesting. I can see you deploying a solar panel or an inflatable living module for a long duration flight...

 

[Hlynkacg]

Interesting. I can see you deploying a solar panel or an inflatable living module for a long duration flight...

The original AAP actually proposed using the SIM bay to carry supplies and experiment pallets to Skylab much like the "trunk" on Dragon. There were also proposals for an experimental RMS and a deployable, 6 meter, Radio Telescope.

Here's a fit-test of the SM with 2 UCCGO Cargoes and a TurboPack...

And here's the SM with the historical instrument pallet using bitz from NASSP...

 

[PhantomCruiser]

I'd like to marry this up with Skylab 1980...

An extended Skylab (maybe Skylab 2000?) with both the Shuttle and your Apollo as visiting vehicles, mmm this is looking pretty awesome. If you do make up a pallet mounted RMS, with telescope package (et al, coupled with the very powerful Skylab ATM) you'll have an extremely capable science platform.

My main problem with the Velcro Saturn is the Apollo CSM already has the antenna deployed on the launch pad. It's a nit-pick, but hey...

 

[Hlynkacg]

I'd like to marry this up with Skylab 1980...

An extended Skylab (maybe Skylab 2000?) with both the Shuttle and your Apollo as visiting vehicles, mmm this is looking pretty awesome. If you do make up a pallet mounted RMS, with telescope package (et al, coupled with the very powerful Skylab ATM) you'll have an extremely capable science platform.

Are you the current custodian of the Skylab project? I've been trying to get in touch with Usonian about collaboration but haven't had any luck. I've been wanting to do an Apollo 1976 (Bicentennial) pack that would include Skylab B and Apollos 18 through 20 in addition to the historical Apollo flights.

My main problem with the Velcro Saturn is the Apollo CSM already has the antenna deployed on the launch pad. It's a nit-pick, but hey...

That's because NASSP defines it's CSM as a component of the Saturn launch vehicle, as such the antenna is automatically deployed when the CSM is not attached to the SLA.

This is a completely separate project from NASSP (though Tsachim has been very helpful) so the above is not an issue. Unlike NASSP or ASMO my CSM has been specifically designed to be compatible with 3rd party LVs including Velcro.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

Are you the current custodian of the Skylab project?

Sadly, no... I've been attempting to mesh up my own version of Skylab for my alternate reality where the second solar array wasn't ripped off during launch. Progress is slow due to real life (and my own limited meshing abilities).

...my CSM has been specifically designed to be compatible with 3rd party LVs including Velcro.

That'll be awesome. To drop an Apollo onto a Falcon9, or maybe a Jarvis will be pretty sweet.

 

[Hlynkacg]

That'll be awesome. To drop an Apollo onto a Falcon9, or maybe a Jarvis will be pretty sweet.

Before I finished my Saturn meshes I was using Glider's Falcon Heavy as my test bed.

http://www.orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?p=403657&postcount=5013

 

[Graham2001]

If you are looking for further ideas, you might want to have a look at this page of the NASSP Wiki.

http://nassp.sourceforge.net/wiki/Future_Expansion

Sadly all of the NTRS links are down, but the pictures are still online. I have some of the documents which I downloaded from the NTRS, but I'll have to locate them.

 

[Hlynkacg]

Seen them.

As for NTRS, it's down because some congressman got his panties in a twist that we were giving away space secrets to the Chinese or some-such.

http://nasawatch.com/archives/2013/03/congress-vs-nas.html

 

[Tycho]

It's been a while since I've been this excited about an Orbiter addon dev project. Very much looking forward to the release--and I love the idea of adapting Apollo hardware for UCGO and UMMU for alternate history. Good luck and keep up the good work.

I might suggest modeling some extra landing sites (Tycho crater, Tsiolkovskiy crater on the far side, etc. to reflect the cancelled missions that were in early stages of planning, like Apollo 18, 19, 20, etc.) when making the scenery meshes.

Also, you might check out [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canceled_Apollo_missions"]this[/ame] and this for potential landing sites. At any rate, keep up the great work. :thumbup:

 

[Hlynkacg]

Finalized CSM meshes. Vert count is a bit heavy (on a par with the xr5) but If I don't declare it done I'll just keep tinkering with it ad infinitum.

Better to shift my focus to creating a stable version that can re-enter without hitting the water at mach 2.

 

[sorindafabico]

A well done Apollo-like is very welcome if you want to run alternative-reality lunar scenarios (spacially AAP). And, damn, this will have UMMU/UCGO.

I'm waiting this project to be almost completed to suggest its use in RTI cislunar missions.

 

[4throck]

One user didn't read past the thread title, that in fact is "Another Apollo Project".

AAPO will offer other missions beyond the existing add-ons, and a different type of interaction. Don't see how that could be negative. But it's an aspect that's not clear from the title alone. Perhaps it could be renamed to something like Extended Apollo for Orbiter?