indy91
Addon Developer
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2011
- Messages
- 1,226
- Reaction score
- 588
- Points
- 128
Didn't make a dedicated thread for the RTCC MFD yet, so here it is!
The first post is a big update to the MFD, a completely updated Mission Plan Table (MPT). The MFD already had this feature, but it has been vastly improved now. To showcase the new features, I will do a walkthrough of a typical planning situation, planning the descent to the lunar surface. For this example I am using the Apollo 11 mission scenario "Before PDI Day". The planning is done in the LM, because the MFD still has restrictions that it can only use calculate most maneuvers for the vessel you are in.
Open the MFD and select Mission Plan Table. There press the ACT button to active the planning feature. First the MPT needs to be initialized. For that press the INI button. The MPT is actually two separate plan tables of maneuvers, one for the CSM and one for LM. Both of them need to be initialized. You can switch between the two with the TAB button. Next the MPT needs to know which vessel is the CSM, so press the VEH button until it says Columbia. At this point the AUT button can be pressed to automatically read the current vessel configuration and masses to the page. The page should update to CSM+LM config, 37718 lbs CSM mass and 33773 lbs LM mass. These initial values are acceptable so the data should be transferred to the MPT by pressing the M55 button (updates the configuration), M50 button (updates the masses) and the TUP button (updates the initial trajectory). At this point the page should look like this:
Next the same needs to be done for the LM. So press TAB once and VEH until it says Eagle next to it. The masses and config are still the same on the page, so another auto update isn't really necessary. However, the first LM maneuver (DOI) doesn't happen until after undocking, so the initial configuration LM should be used. So click on CFG until it says LM. Then do the update to the MPT again with the three buttons on the right (M55, M50, TUP). The page should look like this:
The next step is to add the separation maneuver. This is added as a direct input to the MPT. So go back to the MPT page and then press INP to go to the direct input page. The maneuver data that should be input here are:
Vehicle: CSM
Code: SEP
Option: DV Vector (P30)
TIG: 100:45:00
DV: +0 +0 +2.5
Thruster: RCS -X (4 quads)
Docking event: undocking
Config after the maneuver: CSM
The page should look like this:
Then press the MPT button to transfer the maneuver to the MPT. Go back to the MPT page which should now have the sep maneuver:
The maneuver code is CR01SEP. C for CSM, R for RCS, 01 for the first maneuver of this vehicle, SEP is the maneuver code we entered.
Next the DOI maneuver needs to be calculated. This is done as before with the MFD, so here just a screenshot of the page:
What is new is that this page only created an impulsive velocity change. To make a finite burn out of this the thruster for the maneuver needs to be selected. This was done for a few calculation pages already. So after the DOI calculation press the MPT button on that page and you will get to the thruster selection screen. Choose DPS here and then calculate the finite burn. This will also have added the DOI to the MPT:
Next up is PDI. This will be as simple as pressing the PDI button on the MPT page, but the PDI calculation does need a valid landing site REFSMMAT. So go to Utility, REFSMMAT press OPT once and then calculate. This should calculate an acceptable REFSMMAT for PDI. Go back to the MPT page and press the PDI button. If the PDI maneuver appears on the table then you know you did it right:
At this point you could start planning for the T2 abort from the surface. The time for the abort is 21:24 after PDI, which is 103:02:16 in my case. The nominal insertion targets for the T2 abort are +5515.2 and +19.6 ft/s, so these numbers can be used to add an ascent to the MPT on the lunar ascent page. Calculate and then press MPT to move the maneuver to the MPT:
After this boost, CSI etc. maneuvers could be added, but that would go beyond the scope of this initial MPT walkthrough. I will probably add some flight controller worksheets to help in calculating this stuff. The real flight controllers would have used worksheets and checklists to aid in their procedures as well.
The first post is a big update to the MFD, a completely updated Mission Plan Table (MPT). The MFD already had this feature, but it has been vastly improved now. To showcase the new features, I will do a walkthrough of a typical planning situation, planning the descent to the lunar surface. For this example I am using the Apollo 11 mission scenario "Before PDI Day". The planning is done in the LM, because the MFD still has restrictions that it can only use calculate most maneuvers for the vessel you are in.
Open the MFD and select Mission Plan Table. There press the ACT button to active the planning feature. First the MPT needs to be initialized. For that press the INI button. The MPT is actually two separate plan tables of maneuvers, one for the CSM and one for LM. Both of them need to be initialized. You can switch between the two with the TAB button. Next the MPT needs to know which vessel is the CSM, so press the VEH button until it says Columbia. At this point the AUT button can be pressed to automatically read the current vessel configuration and masses to the page. The page should update to CSM+LM config, 37718 lbs CSM mass and 33773 lbs LM mass. These initial values are acceptable so the data should be transferred to the MPT by pressing the M55 button (updates the configuration), M50 button (updates the masses) and the TUP button (updates the initial trajectory). At this point the page should look like this:
Next the same needs to be done for the LM. So press TAB once and VEH until it says Eagle next to it. The masses and config are still the same on the page, so another auto update isn't really necessary. However, the first LM maneuver (DOI) doesn't happen until after undocking, so the initial configuration LM should be used. So click on CFG until it says LM. Then do the update to the MPT again with the three buttons on the right (M55, M50, TUP). The page should look like this:
The next step is to add the separation maneuver. This is added as a direct input to the MPT. So go back to the MPT page and then press INP to go to the direct input page. The maneuver data that should be input here are:
Vehicle: CSM
Code: SEP
Option: DV Vector (P30)
TIG: 100:45:00
DV: +0 +0 +2.5
Thruster: RCS -X (4 quads)
Docking event: undocking
Config after the maneuver: CSM
The page should look like this:
Then press the MPT button to transfer the maneuver to the MPT. Go back to the MPT page which should now have the sep maneuver:
The maneuver code is CR01SEP. C for CSM, R for RCS, 01 for the first maneuver of this vehicle, SEP is the maneuver code we entered.
Next the DOI maneuver needs to be calculated. This is done as before with the MFD, so here just a screenshot of the page:
What is new is that this page only created an impulsive velocity change. To make a finite burn out of this the thruster for the maneuver needs to be selected. This was done for a few calculation pages already. So after the DOI calculation press the MPT button on that page and you will get to the thruster selection screen. Choose DPS here and then calculate the finite burn. This will also have added the DOI to the MPT:
Next up is PDI. This will be as simple as pressing the PDI button on the MPT page, but the PDI calculation does need a valid landing site REFSMMAT. So go to Utility, REFSMMAT press OPT once and then calculate. This should calculate an acceptable REFSMMAT for PDI. Go back to the MPT page and press the PDI button. If the PDI maneuver appears on the table then you know you did it right:
At this point you could start planning for the T2 abort from the surface. The time for the abort is 21:24 after PDI, which is 103:02:16 in my case. The nominal insertion targets for the T2 abort are +5515.2 and +19.6 ft/s, so these numbers can be used to add an ascent to the MPT on the lunar ascent page. Calculate and then press MPT to move the maneuver to the MPT:
After this boost, CSI etc. maneuvers could be added, but that would go beyond the scope of this initial MPT walkthrough. I will probably add some flight controller worksheets to help in calculating this stuff. The real flight controllers would have used worksheets and checklists to aid in their procedures as well.
