ReFuel's Lunar Test Platform

[HiPotOk1978]

Launch of LTP-01


June 13th, 2069


At 13:49 UTC, The XR5 Edmund Fitzgerald was launched to Earth Orbiting Platform (EOP) as the first stop of a mission for ReFuel to test out the new hardware that will be used to assemble the Lunar Orbiting Platform. The mission officially named Lunar Test Platform Mission 1 (LTP-01), is actually a test platform that will be assembled for testing of the new “Beyond LEO” station elements that were constructed to protect its crew from the hazards of long stays outside of the Earths magnetic protection. The Lunar Test Platform (LTP) will be operated by ReFuel for 6 months as a new location for short stays of two weeks at the longest to verify the functionality of all sorts of components that needs to be field tested before put into production. TLP will also serve as an orbiting station to practice meeting up with a station in Lunar orbit to establish protocols for EOP/LOP transfers


Some of the new technologies that will be tested are the new Mark II solar panels arrays, various radiator designs, flight computers and software, external life support modules, and various materials for airlock and fuel piping seals

 

[HiPotOk1978]

LTP-02 Life Support Module Delivery

June 25th, 2069


The sun was sitting at Wideawake International with the countdown running smoothly. The engines of the massive Energia HLLV and its boosters exploded to life. The mission of LTP-02 is to deliver and test out the reliability of a new life support module for integration into the Lunar Orbiting Platform as well as a possible upgrade to the life support systems of EOP in the future. Seven minutes and 48 seconds after liftoff, the Energia core booster detached its payload, the Delta Tug and ReFuel-21, one of the many Delta Glider IV's that are in service in the companies fleet of space craft. After separation of the craft, the crew coasted to its parking orbit apogee of a mere 165km from the surface of the Earth where the tug fired its engines to complete the insertion of its parking orbit. The crew had approximately 45 minutes in their parking orbit to go over the craft as a final check to verify all the systems were ready for a trip to the Moon. Once the window for a trip to the moon came, the Delta Tug fired it engines for a second time taking the crew near 90% of the way. The tugs separation was flawless and the gliders engines fired up to finish the burn. About 2 day and 17 hours into the TLI, the glider again fired its engines to to adjust its approach to the moon taking its perigee to approximately 4200km from the lunar surface. A final plane burn was done bring the orbital planes about 0.18 degrees off from LTP. 5 minutes later another burn was performed to bring the eccentricity of the orbit near zero. Now in lunar orbit, the craft remained in this 4200km parking orbit for about 72 minutes til another series of burns were performed to bring the glider within 30km of the station. Another 20 minutes and the glider had a visual on the station and performed a series of burns with the retro engines and main engines to bring them no closer than 5km from the station. From this position, the glider was able to use RCS thrusters to move closer to the docking. After 3 days and 8 hours ReFuel-21 was docked at LTP. Once capture of the station had occurred, the crew had a scheduled sleep period before opening the airlock, and transferring materials and supplies for their 3 day stay. During the time that LTP is on the far side of the moon, the crew examined the experiments that were left during LTP-01 and begin transferring data to a portable data storage devices. Other experiments were disassembled and stored back on ReFuel-21 for transport back to Earth. New experiments were setup after the scheduled EVA for installation of the external life support module. The EVA required ReFuel-21 to un-dock from the station since the small station does not have an airlock to cycle the company astronaut out. Once the 20 minute EVA was complete, the astronaut returned to ReFuel-21 and re-docked. After 3 days on-board LTP, the crew planned to return to Earth and return to Ascension Island complex. The stations panels were aligned with the sun, and spin stabilized before the DGIV un-docked.
The main experiment of testing out the new life support module, performed flawless and will be left at the station for the LTP-03 crew to use on their longer stay on the station. Un-docking of LTP-02 occurred at 22:03:00 UTC on July 1st, and RCS thrust was applied to move the craft safely away from the station as it completed ¾ of an orbit around the moon before engaging its main engines to put it on a return trip home. 80 minutes after un-docking, main engines were lit up and the the crew were on their way home with an additional burn 14 hours later to speed up the trip to LEO. About ½ of the way back to Earth a 3rd scheduled burn was performed to lower the perigee for retro braking. Parking Orbit Insertion burn was finally completed placing the glider into a 105km parking orbit completing the 87 hour flight form the moon removing over 3km/s of excess velocity. The crafts very low orbit slowly deteriorated as its approach back to the island spaceport came into position 40 minutes later. With no need for a deorbit burn as such a low altitude, the craft slowly descended down into the atmosphere turning itself as it lost altitude from atmospheric drag. After over 85 minutes, the crew had completed re-entry and was safely back on the ground at Wideawake International. The pilot opened the airlock and canopy on the final taxy back to ReFuel's hangar and the mission was offically considered a success.

 

[HiPotOk1978]

LTP-03 Life Support Stress Test

With everything going by the textbook, the Lunar Test Platform has exceeded the expectations of the development teams at ReFuel. The station control team has canceled several missions revolving around the LTP and has slotted mission 6 down to the 2nd manned team to be onboard the station.

LTO-03 mission was also launched with the Energia HLLV and Delta Tug, traveling to the moon in 3 days. LOI occured without and problems the plane alignment burn was one of the least costly to date.

LTP-03's goal is to stress the life support systems onboard the station by having 4 company astronauts live onboard the station for 14 days.

Launch occurred on July 26th with what could be the final launch to the LTP station. The final plans of the Lunar Orbiting Platform are still underway.

On August 10th, at 6:27am UTC, The crew of ReFuel-11 powered up the APU on the Delta Glider and transferred the remaining supplies and experiments into the craft for a return trip to the companies operations center at Ascension Island. The final bit of business was the removal of the life support module for transport home for inspection. The responsibility of this EVA was newcomer astronaut Daniel Chase and started at at 7:04am UTC. Mr Chase did report some problems putting on the Turbopack, which is an assist module for astronauts when they are moving large loads by increasing the output of the thrusters on their EVA suits. The mission was concluded after Chase loaded the module into the payload bay, returned his turbopack, and jokingly tapped on the cockpit glass telling Flight Commander and pilot Don Gioverni to let him in at 7:21am. Mission Specialists Charles Franklin and Sam Steele were also busy when on the station verifying the legitimacy of the tests and experiments left from LTP-02. With each of the four men getting one last look at the station, Mission Control ordered the station to power down and the atmosphere to be vented. As the lights went out, Commander Gioverni confirmed the lights going out and said "Goodnight little space station" as the final systems were powered down. The crew still had less than 1/2 of an orbit left around the moon before performing the engine burns to bring them back home, Once in position, the return trip back home was a matter of 4 days with a sucessful braking, Earth orbit insertion, and final deorbit burn to bring them back home to the Corporate Headquaters in Tucson Arizona, USA.

 

[HiPotOk1978]

LTP-04 Lunar Landing

August 24th, 2069 With the final testing of mission hardware for the Lunar Orbiting Platform, the ReFuel company has decided to add the last two missions back onto the LTP rooster. The first mission launched from Ascension on August 24th, will complete the final testing of the navigation aid software that will allow craft to plan their decent and ascent from the Lunar surface. With ReFuel-07 being launched with the Energia HLLV and a Delta Tug, it's mission is to deliver a fuel pod for the LTP-05 mission. The LTP-04 mission is taking on a double roll transporting 5 new personnel to the ReFuel Lunar base, and will be the final Energia HLLV launch. Further launches will incorporate a refuel stop at EOP before continuing to the moon. The crew of LTP-04 will take a small rest at LTP for a day before unloading their cargo and continuing to the lunar surface.


September 05, 2069

With reports of possible budget overruns, inverters in the EOP/LOP Network project have demanded a proof of concept for the two stations. With LTP-04 delivering a fuel payload to LTP, ReFuel-07 has been slotted to perform a test flight.

With the craft launching at 5:50am UTC, the craft will fly an ascent to orbit, dock with EOP, transfer to the moon, dock with LTP and transfer fuel from the fuel pod, then make a descent to Brighton Beach. The flight time to LTP will be targeted for 40 hours or less due to the off-plane transfer to the moon. The company claims that during an optimal window, the flight to the moon can be done in 24 hours. The flight will take place from the ReFuel Corporate Headquaters adding to the complexity of the manouveour due to the launch locations latitude of 32.5 deg north of the equator

Key mission highlights

Launch from Corporate HQ runway 6
Sep 05 05:50:00

Docking with EOP
Sept 05 07:13:49

Undocking
Sept 05 07:16:42

Distance 500m from EOP, TLI burn 3200kg fuel consumed
07:19:59

Mid Course Correction and Approach Adjustment
Sept 6 00:22:20

LOI (Altitude 1600km)
14:12:11

Retro Burn #1
14:26:00

Retro Burn #2 (Distance from LTP less than 10km)
16:31:16

Approch to LTP
16:48:31

EVA, Refueling, and EVA completion
17:14:32

Touchdown Pad 5
20:14:33

 

[EnDSchultz]

Interesting read, as always! I look forward to more as well as the possible public release of your EOP. =D

 

[HiPotOk1978]

as u can tell from the last time I posted here as well as my reply time, my orbiter time has been limited for quite some time due to real life concerns. I have recently dusted off my install of Orbiter and been playing around refreshing my skills.

EOP has had some work done as far as I know. The guy doing the dll coding haven't talked in quite some time so I am not sure what is going on with that, but I hope we can get working on it again