New Release Interplanetary Modular Spacecraft RC9

[Noldi400]

Thanks. I knew it would be something simple; isn't it always the simple things that make you crazy?

BTW, a large "Thank You" to you and the dev team. This is a really nice piece of work and has opened up possibilities I've been wishing for since forever.

 

[sorindafabico]

Is it possible to config multi-purpose modules like Zvezda? I mean a module with engine, fuel, solar panels and crew room.

 

[jedidia]

Is it possible to config multi-purpose modules like Zvezda? I mean a module with engine, fuel, solar panels and crew room.

Not currently. There is a major overhaul of moduletypes planned for RC3 to make them more flexible, but engines will always stay separate modules for various reasons. I am also not sure about the solar panels, it would be a bit of work, but they could be made to behave separate from the module, as radiators do currently. I'm not sure if I'll go so far, though, as the potential for new bugs is huge.
you can still make a module like Zvezda by making it multiple modules (a core module with propellant and crew, a solar panel, and some RCS thrusters) and building them together before launch.

Anyways, the way my life currently is, I'm not quite sure when I'll get around to RC3. The whole of October looks pretty bleak, and I can't say mch about November at this point.

 

[PeterRoss]

Is it possible to config multi-purpose modules like Zvezda? I mean a module with engine, fuel, solar panels and crew room.

This is how I solved it:

I doubled Command Module's battery capacity and increased cooling capacity and added consumable storage capacity to a node. Together with 7m-solar panel, standard SBB radiator and docking adapter for crew and cargo transfers it works fine. Tranzit, although an individual vessel, works as fuel tanks/RCS. Not exactly Zvezda, but it performs quite well.

I could add integrated fuel tanks and RCS too, but I need vessel's backward port for other purposes.:shifty:

---------- Post added 01-10-12 at 00:31 ---------- Previous post was 30-09-12 at 17:02 ----------

Even better solution:

This one has its own RCS and fuel tanks as much as lifesupport, and its solars and radiators area is doubled. ALMOST fits into BuranT (solars sticking out abit). And it recharges more battery on the light side than it eats on the dark side, which was not true for the previous solution (yes, it was quite a flaw).

All the changes I've mentioned above remains true: doubled battery of CM, its cooling capacity increased (not necessary anymore as Lifesupport adds its cooling system), consumables storage capacity added to node (air and water may be minimal since we have regeneration now, food reserves defines maximum mission duration without resupply).

Oh, and you should change

Battery = xx

into

BatteryCapacity = xx

in all lifesupport modules' configs. My bad.


Here is the minicoupler module with fuel tanks and ports for RCS, solars, and radiators:
http://ge.tt/2mRskcO/v/0?c

 

[Noldi400]

If I wanted a batch of identical trussed modules that could be assembled into a 'block' or 'cube' formation, would it be as simple as changing the mesh reference in similarly sized modules to, say, BM230?

 

[PeterRoss]

Not sure I follow your question, but changing mesh reference in config file will change its visual appearance and nothing more (except the case when your module has animation - it would be bad, I tell you). All docking ports coordinates/attachment points should be changed manually if they don't match.

Of course you'll have to change all the additional parameters, or you'll get more nuclear reactors than you want.

 

[Noldi400]

Sorry. Re-reading my comment, I did over simplify a bit.

But I think you answered my question. I'm talking about using the "exterior" components of a module - MeshName, docking/attachment points, size, inertia, and so on and reconfiguring it by putting in a different ModuleType and associated config lines. No animations involved.

I guess the nearest real-world equivalent would be taking a module, ripping out all the internal "guts", then putting in new works to change the function while leaving the exterior appearance unchanged.

Your answer sounded like what I needed to know, though. Thanks.

 

[jedidia]

I'm talking about using the "exterior" components of a module - MeshName, docking/attachment points, size, inertia, and so on and reconfiguring it by putting in a different ModuleType and associated config lines.

If your question is wheather you can take existing configs and edit them to give the modules different properties, then the answer is of course yes. That is in fact the exact purpose the configs are here for. The mesh is visual representation, and visual representation only. It s utterly unconnected to the data contained in the config.

 

[PeterRoss]

I've changed the thing a little. It has now one APAS docking port and one DG port and new solar panels made to fit into BuranT.


Now it fits tight inside together with Smerch tug:

Here it is with solars/rads deployed.

The point is its mass is small enough for Smerch to deliver the thing into lunar orbit...


APAS docking adapter and BR010 solar panels:

http://ge.tt/1cLtb0P/v/0?c

 

[Wallenberg]

Thank you very much for this great addon!
This is what I have achieved so far:
The "Seiner Majestät Raumschiff S.M.R.S. St. Georg" capable of sustaining 2 crew members for a lifetime (cyanide capsules and antidepressants included).
20 LH2 tanks at 52t each give a dv of 24km/s, all crew-accessible modules have redundant radiators to deploy individually according to the attitude towards the sun.
2 gas-core NTRs with 1.5MN accelerate the full craft at 0.3g.

Now I got a question. I would like to fly this to a Jupiter/Europa mission (knowing well that this is a one-way trip). Do you plan any further modules to enable us to build landing craft?
A small LOXLH2 engine and a self-sustaining command module would be great!
I would be able to modify existing modules with a little help, I guess.

About rotating parts before integrating: It may look quirky before integrating, but usually it integrates perfectly. Once in a while a part seems to be detached after integrating and far from its original position, but a save & load all of the times got rid of the problem.

 

[Nexiss]

Nice ship :thumbup:

Do you plan any further modules to enable us to build landing craft

You could always make your own modules and configs, I believe thats what Jedida intended, for the comunity to build lots of compatible addons, even I can do that in its simplest form and I'm no moddler, trust me, configs are easyish aswell, or alternativley you could take along a docked xr2, xr5, dg etc as your lander.

 

[PeterRoss]

Thank you very much for this great addon!
This is what I have achieved so far:
The "Seiner Majestät Raumschiff S.M.R.S. St. Georg" capable of sustaining 2 crew members for a lifetime (cyanide capsules and antidepressants included).

It's great! :thumbup:

Now I got a question. I would like to fly this to a Jupiter/Europa mission (knowing well that this is a one-way trip). Do you plan any further modules to enable us to build landing craft?
A small LOXLH2 engine and a self-sustaining command module would be great!

The only thing we don't have needed for a fully-functional lander is touchdown points which is still planned for further releases, hence the lander partially sinks in the ground landing on its mass center. The only LOX_LH2 engine included in RC2 was meant to be a hover engine for a lander, by the way.

I would be able to modify existing modules with a little help, I guess.

No problem, if you have any questions - just ask :hello:

About rotating parts before integrating: It may look quirky before integrating, but usually it integrates perfectly. Once in a while a part seems to be detached after integrating and far from its original position, but a save & load all of the times got rid of the problem.

A known problem. Noone knows where is comes from and the walkaround is too simple to bother about it right now.

 

[Wallenberg]

Thank you, Nexiss, I had a first glance at the .cfg files now and they seem to invite reverse engineering. Good to know!
My quest for a custom built lander, though, is because the XR and DG series just don't fit the "pioneer era" performance envelope for my taste. There is great potential in Jedidia's add-on, and I think a ready-made vehicle docked and taken on the voyage would spoil the bold curiosity for the adventure ahead! (Peter Sellers in "Dr. Strangelove")

And Peter Ross, thank you very much, too. I was blind not to see the hover engine! Just when you mentioned this "included engine", I again went through all modules to check. And there it is!

Adding a modular lander will add a great deal of immersion to my interplanetary ship!

 

[PeterRoss]

There was a problem with these engines overheating easily during accent/descent long-time burns. We have plans to rework engines' efficiency to make them more heat-resistant, so you can change it to 99.999999 in the config file to avoid overheating.

 

[Wallenberg]

Thanks, I've edited the efficiency of the sidemount engines. This is exactly the kind of add-on that makes Orbiter a complete space travel sandbox; I can't wait for RC3!

 

[jedidia]

Once in a while a part seems to be detached after integrating and far from its original position, but a save & load all of the times got rid of the problem.

Yeah, I'm still stomped about that. I eliminated one cause of the bug (it happened a lot more frequently in ALPHA-builds), which was that center of gravity shifted in the same frame as the mesh was added, but have been unable to identify why it still occurs on occasion...

RC3 will take a while, reason being not much time and/or strength to to work on it at the moment. Glad you like it so far, though.

 

[Wallenberg]

RC3 will take a while, reason being not much time and/or strength to to work on it at the moment. Glad you like it so far, though.

Very much, jedidia, very much. It adds the perfect balance to the farther future vehicles I used to explore the solar system with.

And I fully understand you. I used to do skinning for Rise Of Flight, modelling aircraft for X-Plane and play in a small band, but all it takes is a small change in how important your boss thinks that your spare time is to reduce all to cinder and increase your "productivity".


Another question: i would like to create a module similar in size and mass to the CONTROL_AI module which is self-sufficient for a few days (battery, cooling, life support - food/oxygen/water) and can accomodate 1 crew.
Do I only need to copy together all the properties I need into one new config file?

 

[PeterRoss]

I'm afraid it's not that simple. We have modules divided into several types and different types has different parameters, some of them use the same parameters for different purposes.

You can make your CM (Command Module) to accomodate crew, to produce power and store energy in batteries, to have cooling system capable of cooling the CM as well as some other modules, to store consumables and propellants.

You can't make your CM to get rid of waste heat completely i.e. to radiate heat into space, to regenerate consumable resources, to have any means of attitude control like engines and RCS.

There are walkarounds though. You can make your cooling capacity to be insanely big - in this way you'll have no need in radiators for some time; if it's insane enough you may have years of normal operations. You don't really need lifesupport if your storage capacity is big too, especially if you want crew of just one.

You can't do anything about attitude control though. I'm using tugs for that purpose, or you can add at least one RCS module which will allow you to control at least two rotational axes - don't forget to make your CM to have appropriate propellant capacity.

Someday we will add gyro capability to IMS which will allow us to make CM truly self-sufficient. We have plans on decreasing module type diversity too and make properties more universal instead.

 

[Wallenberg]

Thank you for the comprehensive answer.

I've found the parameters necessary to store food/oxygen/water, to accomodate 2 crew in the "control ai" module, but I'm not sure how I could add a generator to it. Maybe I should add an ASTG module like your lander has?

; ======================================
; IMS specific parameters
; ======================================
;Dimensions = 5 5 5
Oxygen = 4
Water = 4
Food = 4
CrewNumber = 2
PowerInput = 6000
CoolingCapacity = 9000
BatteryCapacity = 55

I'm planning now to make a similar lander to yours, to operate from a Jupiter orbit in which I'm planning to place my main spacecraft.

I failed to notice that you also are involved in development, thank you too for this great add-on again, and for the help!

 

[jedidia]

You can make your cooling capacity to be insanely big - in this way you'll have no need in radiators for some time;

That would be heat capacity, not cooling capacity A large heat capacity will mean that the module can absorb lots and lots of energy and only heat up a little bit in the process. A large cooling capacity merely means it can transport a lot of heat to the radiators, but won't help if there are no radiators to transport it to.

but I'm not sure how I could add a generator to it

You have to define a PowerOutput parameter, and if you want a GeneratorEfficiency parameter (default efficiency is 30%), but I'm not actually sure if these parameter are recognised for command modules... I think it isn't. A battery will work in any case, though.

Also note that consumables storage is in kilograms, so you just barely have enough for a nice picnic for two... consumables regeneration is in persons per day, and they use the same parameter (which is interpreted differently for the moduletype LifeSupport), so that's probably confusing.