Project Orion MPCV

[Astro SG Wise]

So, does MPCV have usable VC MFDs now?

 

[francisdrake]

Well, it will have. Still have to integrate the MFDs into the front panel. The MFDs will only be a visual representation to populate the cockpit, no clickable buttons. Have to make a virtual cockpit as well.

---------- Post added 02-21-15 at 11:04 AM ---------- Previous post was 02-20-15 at 10:58 PM ----------

From the cockpit workshop. Visible out of the window is the near-Earth asteroid 2008 EA9.

One more learning: The MFD material should be emissive white, otherwise the MFDs are hard to read in the dark.

 

[francisdrake]

** New version 08 **
Small update, simple virtual cockpit with live MFD's, as shown above.
Astronaut mesh borrowed from UMmu (not yet working).
Different water texture after landing.

The forum would not let me upload the zip-file as an attachment,
too big at 1.3 MB (?). Here is a download link:
http://home.arcor.de/francisdrakex/download/Orion-MPCV-08.zip
_______

Question: Is there a method so the Sun does not illuminate the cockpit interior?
I tried it with self-illuminating material, but this did not help. Looks funny when the inside walls are lit by the outside sun.

 

[Astro SG Wise]

Thanks for the update Francis. I agree with the sun, it is quite a glare, and it looks odd in the VC. One recommendation is to make the view out of the windows tinted gold like the windows look from the outside as well.

Astronaut mesh borrowed from UMmu (not yet working).

Have you ever thought of putting ACES suits in the cockpit? The pumpkins sure would be cool to see on future Orion flights!

Thanks again :tiphat:.

 

[pclaurent]

Hello there... No news from Francis, does it mean the project ends here? I hope not, as we are many hoping to have UMMU support and active MFDs. Anyway, great thanks to Francis for the job already done! Staying tuned...

 

[richfororbit]

Mr Drake, I've only just notice this.

Well I did a reinstall of my orbiter folder. So an MPCV, a module, and a Mars For Less file.

Ofcourse the heavy file didn't work, I guess I need that seperately. An auto pilot launch.

 

[francisdrake]

Hi, the project is still active. Could not do much recently, due to real world interferring.
Still, UMMU is on the list for the next version. Will try to make it a release candidat.
Any test reports or creative new scenarios are welcome!

 

[richfororbit]

I only tested it quickly, the docking with the station, I was quite impatient, I failed at docking!

I suppose I was so used to doing that for so long I lost interest and focused on Launching into orbit.

It is certainly a nice craft compared to your now end of decade one before. Certainly I'll be keeping this one as default orbit craft for docking. Who knows it might pursuade me to take a trip to the moon.:idk:

 

[IronRain]

Nice spaceship to fly, great work!

Some things I noticed (not sure if posted already):

Solar Panels separate from the SM at jettison

You can see through the parachute cover after jettison (you can see the cover a bit to the right and below the droques).

 

[francisdrake]

Thanks for keeping up with test flying!
Solar panels separting from SM after jettison: Reason is a hack I use to display both meshes after separation. Was intended to be replaced once unfolding panels mesh animation will be programmed, probably somewhat later.
Missing cover inside: Forgot to make an inside surface. Will be corrected.

Currently busy making the vessel 2015 'safe'. Had ocassional crashes and the landed vessel tipping over. Seems to work now. Below is a screenshot, after separating from the updated FalconHeavy. You've gotta love Orbiter 2015 for the visuals!

 

[Astro SG Wise]

Weird. I didn't notice the solar panel problem at all on my computer. :shrug:

Just some recent pictures/experiments I have been doing with MPCV and SLS:

I need to update my Orbiter version. It's not working the best. I might as well switch to 2015.

On Orion MPCV Development

So, Mr. Drake, I have thoroughly enjoyed your Version 8 Orion. It really compleetes all the Orion MPCV needs to be to make it realistic. Good work! :thumbup:

Some great things that have been covered:

Working LAS
Compatible Fairing Settings
Realistic Crew and Service Module Textures
Good Basic Virtual Cockpit
Working Animation for EVA Hatch
Float Balloons
Incremental Positioning for SM Solar Panels
Detaching Parachute Cover
Drogue and Main Parachutes
Compatibility with Gattispilot's Space Launch System
RCS and Main Realistic Propellant Meshes (thrusting)
Auxillary Thrusters
Perfect Docking System
ect.

Now, this is all great, and I have loved the attention to detail, but to make the Orion MPCV an even better product, some of these details should be considered:

LAS that Adapts to Conditions Correctly (at ground, or in flight)
Crew Meshes for All Seats
Animations for Parachutes, Solar Panels, Inflation Balloons, etc.
Drogue Cover Pulling Out Drogue Parachutes (animation)
Complete and Working VC, including MFDs and Realistic Cockpit
EVA Directly from EVA Hatch
Water Mesh Editing
:blahblah:

I am sorry, I do not mean to undermine all the work you have put into this Francis, but I am just stating the options.

Cheers!

 

[francisdrake]

These are very nice screenshots! And a good wishlist.
Some of these points are on my to-do list, e.g. UMMU support shall take care of crew managment, egress and ingress. Animations are farther down the road. Still have to get familiar with parent-child animations.

Weird. I didn't notice the solar panel problem at all on my computer.

This is due to the quality of the hack.
You will not notice it if the SM is separated in a stable (not rotating) condition and outside of the atmosphere. Then the resulting error is too small to be noticed before the SM vanishes out of sight.

 

[pclaurent]

Hi all,
I've played extensively now with Orion-MPCV, and managed to attached the Altair lunar module to it, land on the moon and return safely to earth... If anyone is interested in the same adventure, I've attached a scenario for running an Apollo-like mission from earth. The SLS launcher carries both Orion and Altair modules, attached nose-to-nose. The second stage will be used for TLI. The only difficulty I've encountered is the Orion propellant level to come back to earth. If the route is carefully planned and Altair used for lunar orbit insertion, I think it's possible to use both full tanks for the whole trip, but I was still obliged to artificially fill up the Orion tanks for getting back from the moon...

Scenarion description: the SLS launcher is on departure pad at Cape Canaveral, ready for a departure heading due east. Launch with the O key. Once in LEO, plan and proceed to the lunar transfer using the second stage - EUS (need approx. 15mn full thrust). Jettison Orion and Altair-LM in two steps, pressing J, then Ctrl-F3 (go back to EUS), and finally J again. Orion SM, CM and Altair-LM will then be docked, en route for the lunar rendez-vous.
Modules needed: Multistage, Velcro Rockets, SLS launcher by Gattispilot, CEV-E (Orion CEV, for the LM part) by Francis Drake, Orion MPCV by Francis Drake.

 

[francisdrake]

Thanks for the scenario!

Maybe placing of the Altair lander could be improved if Gattispilot adds a second payload attachment point to the SLS. I guess this could also be done by manually adding an attachment point (or docking point) to the EUS.cfg file.

The scenario of a lunar mission is somewhat unclear to me, since NASA has cancelled the Altair lander. The Orion does not have sufficient fuel to capture into lunar orbit and return by itself, even less with a heavy lander attached to it.
The lunar orbit insertion might be done with the remaining fuel from the upper stage (which has to be kept attached for the outward cruise, assuming not too much fuel boils off in 3 days) and by using the landers engines to finish the capture and shape the orbit. Still a challenging flight!

 

[Delta glider]

I was suprised when I found out that the MCPV did not have enough fuel to get into lunar orbit and back. Does anyone know if it has a chance of returning (by itself) from Mars to Earth?

 

[francisdrake]

The Orion has a dV of 1.3 - 1.5 km/s. A Lunar orbit injection and a trans-Earth injection requires about 0.9 kms each. This is too little for an Apollo 8 - style lunar mission with onboard propulsion alone. The comfortable big-sized capsule comes with a weight penalty.

A Mars mission is far beyond the capabilites of an Orion alone. It has to be part of a mission architecture involving a capable cruise stage (e.g. solar electric) and a habitat providing life support and living room for a year long mission.

 

[pclaurent]

Just to be fair with your superb Orion-MPCV model, I've already made some trips to the moon and back to earth with just the max amount of fuel in the standard Orion ship (without anything else like Altair, of course...).

To do that, I had to carefully plan the trajectory with TransX2, without doing much initial corrections on the orbital planes alignment, and doing these corrections en-route (approx. half of the distance to the moon). Of course, the TLI MUST be made entirely by the launcher upper stage, without using Orion fuel. Getting back to earth is still a challenge, but it is possible if you adopt a large lunar orbit (e.g. Alt 2000 km).

And, a final tip: you can optimise the trajectory from earth if you wait for a maximum declination of the moon (i.e. max. equatorial latitude), if you launch your rocket from the northern hemisphere, of course. As it occurs once a month, you have to wait for the corresponding window (2 or 3 days a month). This constraint disappears if you launch from the equator.

 

[Delta glider]

The Orion has a dV of 1.3 - 1.5 km/s. A Lunar orbit injection and a trans-Earth injection requires about 0.9 kms each. This is too little for an Apollo 8 - style lunar mission with onboard propulsion alone. The comfortable big-sized capsule comes with a weight penalty.

A Mars mission is far beyond the capabilites of an Orion alone. It has to be part of a mission architecture involving a capable cruise stage (e.g. solar electric) and a habitat providing life support and living room for a year long mission.

I was thinking of having a large TMI stage, then a medium sized MOI stage and orion being docket to an inflatable habitat. Orion would complete the TEI burn with the habitat, but I don't think it could perform the TEI.

 

[francisdrake]

I've already made some trips to the moon and back to earth with just the max amount of fuel in the standard Orion ship

Congrats on that! Obviously you do a better trajectory planning than me
It is clever to stay in a highly elliptical orbit, uses less energy for capture and departure.

I have cheated a little by keeping the SLS upper stage attached and used the remaining fuel for lunar orbit insertion. On the other hand, I wanted to meet a lander pre-deployed in low lunar orbit.

Once read about an architecture were the Orion only flies to EML-1, where the lander and an ATV-derived space tug are waiting. The crew embarks the lander, leaving the Orion back. The space tug then brings the lander to low lunar orbit. The lander descends to the lunar surface. After the ground mission the ascent stage rendevous with the space tug, which pushes it back to EML-1, where the Orion is waiting. Interesting architecture, but complicated.

 

[DaveS]

NTRS document outlining the Exploration Upper Stage (formerly the Dual Use Upper Stage): http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20130013953.pdf.
In summary: The EUS would be used for the TLI and LOI burns and use its own RCS for a controlled crash on the lunar surface, freeing up the Orion MPS for the TEI burn.