Request Long March rockets

[4throck]

A quick search turned up a nice photo gallery: http://www.ecns.cn/hd/2019-04-25/detail-ifzhtktn3336072.shtml#
Images are a bit small but you can see some interesting details:

Here an engine test https://www.popsci.com/long-march-5-space-rocket-stretches-its-legs/:

Upperstage (images from twitter):

CZ-500 NGLV (Chang Zheng), Gallery

https://www.tropicalhainan.com/scientists-reveal-cause-of-failure-of-second-long-march-5-rocket/

Hope it helps!

 

[N_Molson]

Thanks that last one is especially interesting, almost a side view, I think I can get decently accurate proportions from it ?

 

[N_Molson]

With the boosters YF-100 engines (those will be tilted outwards by circa 10°) :

 

[N_Molson]

With the core stage aft brownish thermal protection layer (because LOX/LH2 engines), and the sections with longitudinal struts :

 

[4throck]

Once you add the texturing it will look really good.
Doesn't need to be extra detailed for our purposes.

I guess I must do some launch site tiles!

 

[4throck]

There you go, some level 18 tiles for Wenchang and a simple scenario with the pad location.
Base map is from Google.

Wenchang Space Launch Site - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[N_Molson]

Interstage and fairing adapter struts :

 

[N_Molson]

And under the interstage things are shaping up :

Doesn't need to be extra detailed for our purposes.

True but while we're there, I'll make it suitable for other uses than Tianwen as a "standalone". In fact, it would make sense to release it as a "Long March 5 LV addon" with Tianwen as default payload. Most of the work remaining will be the second stage unshrouded aft with lots of tanks, wires and plumbing...

Also I'd like, as a final goal, that we publish a Tianwen mission video even better than the one from KSP, in a "KSP is fun but Orbiter is the real deal" spirit. If Jarmonik's experiment on HDR turn well, that should do it.

 

[4throck]

I think they'll use Long March 5 to launch the large space station modules.
So yes, it's worth having the rocket as an addon. Feel free to use the launch site tiles

 

[N_Molson]

What would be really cool is that launch tower on that KSP video.

 

[Gargantua2024]

I think they'll use Long March 5 to launch the large space station modules.
So yes, it's worth having the rocket as an addon. Feel free to use the launch site tiles

As a matter of fact they do. The core module of their future large space station, Tianhe, is planned to launch on a two-stage version of Long March 5 (CZ-5B) as early as April this year

 

[N_Molson]

Yes an overall this is quite a versatile launcher that could be used in a lot of custom scenarios.

Now focusing on the second stage aft, with the 2xYF-75D engines nozzles and the frame supporting the actuators. I suspect that the small spheres are tanks are He supply for starting/restarting. I'll have to get a bit creative to fill the empty space between the engines. On the few pictures I have it is filled with pipes and wires to the point I can't even identify anything.

 

[N_Molson]

With the actuators for pitch, yaw & roll TVC :

 

[cosmonaut2040]

Yes an overall this is quite a versatile launcher that could be used in a lot of custom scenarios.

Now focusing on the second stage aft, with the 2xYF-75D engines nozzles and the frame supporting the actuators. I suspect that the small spheres are tanks are He supply for starting/restarting. I'll have to get a bit creative to fill the empty space between the engines. On the few pictures I have it is filled with pipes and wires to the point I can't even identify anything.

A close up view of the mess of pipes and wires between the engines from an on-board camera was seen in the Chang'e 5 webcast (by the way, that is yet another exciting mission that used this launcher). I don't know if it is of much help, but just in case here is the link:

the views of the the upper stage start at 7:53:22 and it can be seen afterwards in several different lighting conditions.

Here is an example screen shot:

 

[N_Molson]

Thanks, everthing helps really ! Here we can see an electronics box with 8 USB-like plugs, that's the kind of detail I can add. Also I didn't notice there was an exhaust pipe on the side of the nozzles. Also tells where we should put the onboard cam POV, on the aft bulkhead below the engines ? Also we see that most of the "undinstiguable mess" is made of more or less loose wires.

 

[N_Molson]

Also, if by any chance someone speaks or understands Chinese (something I can't do, I learned a little bit of Russian but those are my limits) I could use some audio of those launch videos if they say things like "Liftoff !", "Tower Clear", "Boosters Separation", "Nominal flight" etc...

Added the propellant ducts, strapped and connected the He tanks, also added the nozzle side exhaust :

 

[N_Molson]

Added the electronics box, the aft camera, and connected the turbopumps to the combustion chambers. Still a couple of pipes to add. Of course its simplified but the small turbine is for H2, and the big one for O2. LH2 comes from the big top tank, goes in the turbine then some go in the combustion chamber and some go to the nozzle itself, which is made from hundred of little tubes arranged in a spiral fashion. YF-75D is an "open loop" engine, so the H2 used for cooling is vented from the nozzle outer rim.

 

[Gargantua2024]

Also, if by any chance someone speaks or understands Chinese (something I can't do, I learned a little bit of Russian but those are my limits) I could use some audio of those launch videos if they say things like "Liftoff !", "Tower Clear", "Boosters Separation", "Nominal flight" etc...

This is from the launch of Tiangong 2 with some of the callouts being partially translated into English, might be of help :

 

[N_Molson]

We're getting there, it begins to look like messy enough :



Still a couple of wires to add and we'll be good.

 

[N_Molson]

Second stage upper end, with the quite complex tank filling system, looks like a small refinery on its own. Also an adapter that matches with Tianwen, I saw that thing lying in the Tianwen assembly hall so I supposed it might be the adapter (Jebediah Kerman approved method ? ). I'm not sure, but it more or less matches the (low-res) CNSA spacecraft separation animation.

So I'm mostly done with the second stage, next I'll add some details to the boosters and proceed to model cleaning, then copy-pasting the different elements in different scenes in order to get the Orbiter meshes. I'll take care of textures once everything exports correctly.