Vessel Commerical LEO destinations and other space stations

[MarkWatney2015]

The side ports are reserved for expansion modules, just like the one render image above

 

[Urwumpe]

The side ports are reserved for expansion modules, just like the one render image above

They seem to be using the same IDA docking port standard as the rest of the station there, so I would say, its rather a soft restriction. Possibly some electrical connectors more nearby, but nothing that would prevent visiting spacecraft from using those docking ports. I don't see any laser retroreflectors on the docking ports in the renders, which would be interesting to tell if there are navigational restrictions.

 

[MarkWatney2015]

If there were no LRRs on the side ports, then there's a possibility that the expansion modules would be initially docked on the front/aft ports, then they'll be moved by an arm to their assigned locations later, much like Mir and Tiangong does

 

[francisdrake]

Here are two screenshots of a Crew Dragon and a Tenacity Dream Chaser visiting the Orbital Reef, docked to the end of the station.
I first added (docked) an IDA docking port with a tunnel to the bulkhead, to get enough clearance for the vessels.

 

[francisdrake]

I was playing around with the Orbital Reef station and put it in a 500 x 500 km orbit, co-planar with the ISS. The solar panels and radiators are tracking, but it looks like their movements should be vice-versa, see attached screenshot.

Attached is a zip-file with two simple scenarios. One with the Orbital Reef passing over Florida. The other one with a Vulcan Centaur and Tenacity Dream Chaser ready to launch a supply mission. The second scenario needs the VulcanCentaur and Tenacity addons.

 

[gattispilot]

Thanks. Not sure what you mean. is the angle wrong on the panels?

 

[francisdrake]

I think, the solar panels align edge-on to the sun, while the radiators are facing the sun flat-on.
It should be the other way round, to maximize the use of sunlight on the solar panels, and to minimize the exposure of the radiators to the sunlight.

 

[gattispilot]

Thanks are you saying the mesh is wrong?
The tracking is based off
double sunangle = atan2(rsunloc.z, rsunloc.y); //

for both.

I am working to be out for 1 week.

 

[jedidia]

The tracking is fine, it just seems to be off by 90 degrees. I remember having that problem, but I had my own animation framework underneath so essentially all I had to do was rotate a vector in a config file by 90 degrees. I'm not sure where you derive the "normal" vector of your panels from that you use as a basis of the calculation, but probably it's just pointing in the wrong axis.

 

[gattispilot]

Lets try this: Now it is around the zx axis

 

[francisdrake]

Yes, this looks much better! Now the solar panels tilt towards the sun,.

Can you apply this for the heat radiators also, this time to face away from the sun?
Or alternatively make the radiators fixed in longitudinal direction.
___
By the way: What are the x-y-z axes of the vessel?
Is z (forward) looking out of the windows?

 

[francisdrake]

Axiom Space is one of the candidates to build a commercial space station in low Earth orbit.

This simple addon represents the assembled, free-flying station. Using the prograde autopilot keeps the station in its correct attitude.
Scenarios with a Crew Dragon visiting the station require BrianJ's Crew Dragon 2022 and Falcon9 addons.
---
Edit: Removed Axiom-01.zip . For the new version 02 see 3 posts below.

 

[gattispilot]

View attachment 31645

Yes, this looks much better! Now the solar panels tilt towards the sun,.

Can you apply this for the heat radiators also, this time to face away from the sun?
Or alternatively make the radiators fixed in longitudinal direction.
___
By the way: What are the x-y-z axes of the vessel?
Is z (forward) looking out of the windows?

Y is the windows and Z is the docking ports on the long side.

Maybe @BrianJ can tell mw what to do:
void OREEFCONN::DoRadRot() { if (rad_rot_status == 0)rad_rot_status = 1; if (rad_rot_status == 1) { double Radangle; VECTOR3 rsun; VECTOR3 rsuninv; VECTOR3 rsunloc; GetGlobalPos(rsun); rsuninv = _V(-rsun.x, -rsun.y, -rsun.z); Global2Local(rsuninv, rsunloc); Radangle = (PI * ((rad_rot_proc * 2))); // current rotation angle of panels //double sunangle = atan2(-rsunloc.x, rsunloc.z); // current angle of sun on ZX plane relative to z axis double sunangle = atan2(rsunloc.z, rsunloc.x); // current angle of sun on ZX plane relative to X axis sunangle = sunangle + PI; if (sunangle < 0) sunangle = sunangle + (2 * PI); // sanity check - angle always positive if (sunangle < 0) sunangle = sunangle + (2 * PI); // sanity check - angle always positive double Radangle_diff = (sunangle - Radangle); // angular difference between sun and panels int a = 1; if (Radangle_diff < PI && Radangle_diff > 0)a = 1; // check which way the panels should rotate else if (Radangle_diff > PI && Radangle_diff > 0)a = -1; // check which way the panels should rotate else if (Radangle_diff > -PI && Radangle_diff < 0)a = -1; // check which way the panels should rotate else if (Radangle_diff < -PI && Radangle_diff < 0)a = 1; // check which way the panels should rotate double max_rot = step_time * SOLP_SPEED * 2 * PI; // check if angular difference if (Radangle_diff > 0 && Radangle_diff < max_rot) a = 0; // is less than panel rotation else if (Radangle_diff < 0 && -Radangle_diff < max_rot) a = 0; // during this frame double de = step_time * SOLP_SPEED; if (a == 1) rad_rot_proc = (rad_rot_proc + de); else if (a == -1) rad_rot_proc = (rad_rot_proc - de); else if (a == 0) rad_rot_proc = sunangle / (2 * PI); // set exactly perpendicular to sun if (rad_rot_proc > 1) rad_rot_proc = (rad_rot_proc - 1); // range always 0-1 else if (rad_rot_proc < 0) rad_rot_proc = (rad_rot_proc + 1); // range always 0-1 //sprintf(oapiDebugString(), "sunangle %2.2fsunangledf %2.2f rotf %2.2f db %2.2f ", Radangle,angle_diff, rad_rot_proc, de); SetAnimation(anim_ARRAYSOLROT, rad_rot_proc); // set the animation state and we're done! } else if (rad_rot_status == 2) { double de = step_time * SOLP_SPEED; if (rad_rot_proc <= 0.5) { rad_rot_proc = rad_rot_proc + de; if (rad_rot_proc > .5) { rad_rot_proc = .5; rad_rot_status = 3; } } else { rad_rot_proc = rad_rot_proc - de; if (rad_rot_proc >= .5) { rad_rot_proc = .5; rad_rot_status = 3; } } //sprintf(oapiDebugString(), "rad proce %2.2f rad status %d ", rad_rot_proc, rad_rot_status); if (rad_rot_proc > 1) rad_rot_proc = (1); // range always 0-1 else if (rad_rot_proc < 0) rad_rot_proc = (0); // range always 0-1 SetAnimation(anim_RADIATORSWIVEL, rad_rot_proc); } else if (rad_rot_status == 3)SetAnimation(anim_RADIATORSWIVEL, 0.5); }

 

[francisdrake]

I am working on the Axiom station. The first module is being built by Thales Alenia Space in Italy. It looks like the design of the modules has now a more conventional, cylindrical shape. They look like the ISS Destiny module, with some extras. The station still has the solar power tower and the Earth observation post with its large windows and the crab-like window covers.

 

[francisdrake]

Here ist the update of the Axiom Station, as shown in the screenshot above.
If you installed the previous version, I suggest to clear the scenario-files before installing the new one.

It is still a simple cfg-file vessel. For most of the scenarios BrianJ's Crew Dragon 2022 and Falcon9 addons are required.

 

[francisdrake]

Short info on the Axiom Station progress: Hunting mesh bugs and working on a dll module. It will have EVA capability.
Need a better astronaut model, though. This one is borrowed from Space 1999.
Any idea where I could get a contemporary EVA-astronaut figure?


The station shall get a simple cockpit. Will try to show MFD's on the screens of the infortainment center.
B.t.w, is there a way to tilt (roll) the camera by 90° around the z-axis? Reason is the whole model is tilted by 90°, to use the standard prograde autopilot for station-keeping.

 

[gattispilot]

Nice. Mine Orbital reef has no interiors. But this makes me to try something I was asked to do. Which was make the tether movement for the shuttle guy separate from the shuttleguys. So that you attach your guy to the attachment point and use the tether movement rather than rcs,.....

 

[francisdrake]

.. and use the tether movement rather than rcs

I am not sure if I understand that fully. Currently I treat the EVA astronaut like a vessel (with RCS), so it can float free around the station.
When the EVA astronaut is created, the handle to this vessel is stored. The astronaut can be deleted after the EVA is finished.

 

[gattispilot]

So rather than use rcs they wanted to use tether which is really just moving an attachment point but easier to move.

 

[barrygolden]

you guys might need to think about using a new Space X suit for the eva guy