Project Silisko Industries

[NovaSilisko]

I am currently repurposing parts of my Orbiter project, so hang in there as I get more details and pretty pictures up.

-------- Old post follows --------


Hello! I have recently started making addons for Orbiter after my experience with doing the same for KSP. I'm very attracted to Orbiter's realistic take on spaceflight, and am doing my best to design realistic vehicles.

Download WIP - MPOD-V and Sparrow Core
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/575558/Silisko Industries - Release 1 - Socrates and Sparrow.zip

I'll expand this thread soon, but first I just want to show what I've done so far:

First, the MPOD-V (Multi-Purpose Omni-Directional Vehicle)

A small one-man (two-man if you don't mind it being cramped) orbital maneuvering vehicle. It carries 1080 kg of Hydrogen Peroxide monopropellant, stored in a toroidal tank around the pressure vessel.

A version with legs is also in the works:

(Model very outdated, will be updated in the future)

I've successfully landed* on Phobos with the non-legged version perfectly well, so the vehicle is proving to be quite capable of landing on asteroids.

*By landed I mean I've removed all relative velocity to Phobos while sitting on its ghost surface, since it's not a fully accurate collision mesh

It also has a virtual cockpit, eventually fully featured:

A future development, the Reusable Payload Module:

Quite simply, it's a logistics vehicle with the ability to capture things in its grasp. In the case of a malfunctioning satellite, the target is captured by simple encapsulation. If it's too large by means of solar panels, as much as possible is done to make them fit - either by simply folding them or detaching them (by means of the satellite or through the RPM cutting them off) and pulling them inside.

After which, the chamber is very slightly pressurized and flooded with expanding foam, holding the cargo in place. The propulsion unit performs a deorbit burn and is jettisoned, and the capsule maneuvers using its own (very limited) RCS system to a reentry over a body of water.

Upon reaching a suitable altitude, parachutes are deployed, pulling a metal ring upward to prevent the vehicle from landing nose-first. Just before water impact, airbags are deployed as further rollover prevention.

In addition to orbital recovery, it serves as a reusable delivery and return vehicle for payloads (such as the MPOD-V).

It can also be fitted with a crew cabin, allowing transport for (hopefully) up to ten astronauts. The same cabin can have its seats removed and be used for pressurized cargo.


Lastly, the Sparrow Orbital Outpost, currently only a core module:

All of these areAll but the MPOD-V are made with Spacecraft3, which I am simultaneously very grateful for and feel somewhat guilty for using.

:tiphat:

​

 

[Scruce]

All of these are made with Spacecraft3, which I am simultaneously very grateful for and feel somewhat guilty for using.

As you get better, you can move on to a '.DLL'.

Very excited with these, especially the spaceplane, we need more of those. :thumbup:

 

[Hlynkacg]

I dunno, I'm partial to the legged MPOD myself, Space-Planes may be sexy but lunar landers are a neglected niche.

 

[NovaSilisko]

I dunno, I'm partial to the legged MPOD myself, Space-Planes may be sexy but lunar landers are a neglected niche.

Yeah, the Beagle was more of a test bed for a model I already had working, now I can get to the fun stuff.

 

[Jarvitä]

Love the lander/orbital tug design.

What kind of delta-V are we talking here?

 

[NovaSilisko]

Love the lander/orbital tug design.

What kind of delta-V are we talking here?

According to the Rocket Equation, 2.3 km/s. But that can't be right, and I think I put in some numbers wrong... What's the exhaust velocity of a monopropellant hydrogen peroxide thruster?

 

[Pipcard]

H2O2 monopropellant specific impulse: 117 s

117 s x 9.81 m/s^2 = 1147.77 m/s
(at least that's the effective exhaust velocity)

 

[NovaSilisko]

H2O2 monopropellant specific impulse: 117 s

117 s x 9.81 m/s^2 = 1147.77 m/s
(at least that's the effective exhaust velocity)

Derp. I have the ISP set to 325, and exhaust velocity at 2 km/s...

 

[Hlynkacg]

Remember ISP (in orbiter units) should equal the ISP in seconds multiplied by 9.81 m/s^2 (acceleration due to gravity).

 

[NovaSilisko]

Remember ISP (in orbiter units) should equal the ISP in seconds multiplied by 9.81 m/s^2 (acceleration due to gravity).

So, wait. It's just the effective exhaust velocity then? Why name it ISP in that case?

 

[Moach]

that's actually a pretty good question....


it took me a while to figure that one out too, when i was getting myself started with orbiter addons.... it's a simple linear scales conversion between the two, anyways - but confusing nonetheless :huh:

 

[NovaSilisko]

I'd like some opinions - should I remove the solar panels on the MPOD-V, or use a "skeletal" look?

Another alternative would be to put mylar foil on the outside of it like on the Lunar Module...

 

[Codz]

I'd like some opinions - should I remove the solar panels on the MPOD-V, or use a "skeletal" look?

Another alternative would be to put mylar foil on the outside of it like on the Lunar Module...

I'd keep the panels.

 

[NovaSilisko]

I'm also working on a rocket for launching the MPOD-V (and potentially Beagle)

---------- Post added at 06:48 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:43 AM ----------

Nebula I launcher almost done. The hard part will be coding it, but that's for later.

Planning on LOX/RP-1 for the first stage, and LOX/LH2 for the second stage. Once I get the weight values, I can run some delta-v calculations and see what sort of payload it could get to orbit - hopefully enough for two fully fueld MPOD-Vs.

 

[MaverickSawyer]

Glad to see the high quality of your work on KSP can be put to use here as well

 

[T.Neo]

Another alternative would be to put mylar foil on the outside of it like on the Lunar Module...

MLI would help from a thermal perspective, even if it were wrapped around the individual elements of the framework instead of hiding them.

You could still have solar panels over the MLI, or you could perhaps go for battery power. It might also be a good idea to add a radiator(s) for dissipating heat.

Also, cool looking launch vehicle! :thumbup:

How many engines is that on the first stage? And what is the intended payload to LEO/TLI?

 

[MaverickSawyer]

Looks like at least 3, probably more like nine. Looks like an advanced Falcon 9, which I have no argument with. It's a sound design.

 

[NovaSilisko]

MLI
How many engines is that on the first stage? And what is the intended payload to LEO/TLI?

I'll probably put MLI over the toroidal tank, and maybe some of the support structure.

There are four engines on the first stage. Intended payload might be a bit unrealistic, two fully fueled MPOD-Vs at 10t each...

What pressure would the hydrogen peroxide normally be stored at? I assumed a high range for density of it without taking pressurization into account. The tank has roughly 6 cubic meters of space available, but I'm beginning to call my weight/amount estimates into question.


In other news, I finished a revision of the center part of the MPOD-V:

---------- Post added at 08:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:09 PM ----------

Hmm...having some trouble with the MFDs in the virtual cockpit.

 

[Hlynkacg]

Assuming you did the code right, MFD display issues are usually a result of not having good UV data or trying to paint them to a black (non-luminous) material.

 

[T.Neo]

What pressure would the hydrogen peroxide normally be stored at? I assumed a high range for density of it without taking pressurization into account. The tank has roughly 6 cubic meters of space available, but I'm beginning to call my weight/amount estimates into question.

Depends on the chamber pressure, which for pressure fed engines is perhaps in the range of 7-10 atmospheres. Tank pressure needs to be higher than chamber pressure, to force the propellant(s) into the engine.

Since H2O2 is incompressible, pressure won't be your major concern when it comes to density. Temperature might be more important, but probably the most important issue affecting density is the concentration of the H2O2- pure peroxide is something like 1450 kg/m^3, but you'll be using a high concentration of peroxide (something like 95-98%). The information on the density of these propellants should be readily available on the internet (such as here).

There are four engines on the first stage. Intended payload might be a bit unrealistic, two fully fueled MPOD-Vs at 10t each...

Depends on the thrust and ISP of the engines, and the volume of the tanks (and thus mass of the propellants). If you give me the basic dimensions (tank diameter, cylindrical section lengths, ellipsoidal section dimensions, etc) for your vehicle, I'll be happy to do some calculations to show what the payload capability could be. :tiphat: