New Release DART

[BrianJ]

Download: DART

The DART and LiciaCube spacecraft, asteroid Didymos and its moonlet Dimorphos.
Launch and post-launch scenarios in "DART" folder.
Scenarios use custom Solar system config file "Sol_DART.cfg" which includes default Orbiter2016 planets and Didymos/Dimorphos.
Installation and operation info in "Doc/Dart/dart_readme.txt

Launch scenario requires:
Falcon9 for Orbiter2016

 

[BrianJ]

Thought I might mention you can do some "imaging" with the spacecraft ;-)

Images saved as monochrome .bmp in respective DART_Images or LiciaCube_Images folders, in Orbiter root folder.

 

[pushkin]

Wow I need to try this! Does it actually change Dimorphos orbit too?

 

[BrianJ]

Hi,

Wow I need to try this! Does it actually change Dimorphos orbit too?

sadly, no.
I would have had to make Dimorphos as a vessel (and have some code for collision detection etc.) rather than a celestial body. This was my original intention. But I found that the orbit around Didymos was very unstable, decaying to escape/collision within days.

(I'm guessing this is due to the Earth/Moon being not-so-far away and perturbing vessels but not Didymos which keeps to its purely Keplerian orbit.)

Cheers,
BrianJ

 

[Gato Mafioso]

Hey Brian!, you never thinked about do the updated CCSFS LC-40 for F9?, the other one has dismantled and not used years ago.

 

[BrianJ]

Hi,

Hey Brian!, you never thinked about do the updated CCSFS LC-40 for F9?, the other one has dismantled and not used years ago.

I wasn't thinking about it - has it changed much since SpaceX started using it for Falcon9?
You have a link to a photo?
It seems pretty much the same from what I see on Youtube launch coverage.
Cheers,
Brian

 

[Gato Mafioso]

Hi,

I wasn't thinking about it - has it changed much since SpaceX started using it for Falcon9?
You have a link to a photo?
It seems pretty much the same from what I see on Youtube launch coverage.
Cheers,
Brian

that black one is the updated.

 

[BrianJ]

that black one is the updated.

Ah, yes, the strongback certainly isn't white anymore!
I'll put it on the list for next update
Cheers,
BrianJ

 

[barrygolden]

hey is there a scenario with the DART close to the targets ?

 

[pushkin]

hey is there a scenario with the DART close to the targets ?

Yes there is a scenario called "4 Impact-100s 26 Sep 2022" It starts 100s before impact.

 

[Gato Mafioso]

Ah, yes, the strongback certainly isn't white anymore!
I'll put it on the list for next update
Cheers,
BrianJ

yes, it is Black now, and the Structural support has changed a lot, the other white pad is more common to see in Vandenberg AFB LC-4