Project SKYLABII

[gattispilot]

I thought it needed a separate thread from the SLS.

She is UMMU and UCGO. It is a WIP.

You will need this add on.
[ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=5351"]CMG v2.0[/ame]

This allows the SkylabII to move about.

Looking at all the available documents. They decided the 2 docks fore and aft was the ideal way to go. On the aft is a docking spot for a flexcraft.

here she is:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/71242599/SKYLAB2.4.zip

Updated zip

updated the zip to include the cmg_only mesh

 

[IronRain]

Why are you distributing it this way and not through O-H? Is it still beta?

 

[gattispilot]

Yes it is a beta. It is a Work In Progress.

Docked with Orion Mpcv:

 

[gattispilot]

A couple of images:

I think there are supposed to be 2 suit docks on the aft section.

 

[gattispilot]

I got an image on concepts. The solar panels roll out. I guess I could scale them out?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dmbcm6eh3ao8jjr/skylab2image.png?dl=0

 

[gattispilot]

Here is what she will look like:

And on the front it will have a RMS arm. They said a truss would be there so you could attach modules,...

 

[Astro SG Wise]

Two questions.

In the last picture, did you add the colored tanks for realism? It dosen't look as sleek that way.

Secondly, will Skylab have Solar Electric Propulsion? If so, it would be a good module to use for a Mars mission.

 

[gattispilot]

Yes on the colored tanks. It uses CMG ([ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=5351"]CMG v2.0[/ame]) for maneuvers.

No idea how to add Solar Electric Propulsion

 

[Astro SG Wise]

Well, you made the ARV, and that simulated the durability of Xenon. :thumbup: I would just put Ion Thrusters at the back side.

 

[gattispilot]

As far as I can tell she she has no thrusters.
Added an RMS arm

 

[orbitingpluto]

While Skylab 2 could be made into a Mars hab, solar electric propulsion wouldn't be the way to get it there.

Ion engines, with their low thrust, take a long a long time build up velocity, and thus take while to get where they are going. Travel times that might take a few days with chemical propulsion(like the Moon for instance) balloon to weeks; a destination like Mars could take as long as a year to get to with chemical propulsion, and with solar electric the outlook is multiple years.

Space travel, even in LEO with a lot of the solar and cosmic radiation blocked by Earths magnetic field, is tough on the human body. On a trip to Mars, with long term exposure to the effects we know something about(like microgravity) and ones we only poorly understand(cosmic and solar radiation) it's likely astronauts will face difficult health challenges. There's debate on whether even a year spent traveling is too long for astronauts to be healthy and useful at Mars, and increasing that travel time via ion propulsion would only increase the chances astronauts arrive in poor health.

The conclusion I'm getting at is that solar electric is unsuited for propelling humans around, and that an ion engine equipped Skylab 2 wouldn't be useful for what you want it to do. Sorry Astro:shrug:

 

[Astro SG Wise]

Thank you very much (I agree), solar electric propulsion would be way to slow. Only problem is, why is NASA relying all of their stack designs on SEP?

 

[orbitingpluto]

Thank you very much (I agree), solar electric propulsion would be way to slow. Only problem is, why is NASA relying all of their stack designs on SEP?

SEP benefits from from having comparatively small propellent needs compared to chemical systems, so there's mass benefits from making the propulsion system light, and then more benefits from ion engines efficiency. There's a lot to recommend it, with using SEP to preposition cargo and other stuff for manned flights being one thing.

I wouldn't think that anyone would seriously propose using SEP to move people, but I'm somewhat of of touch(semi-deliberately) with NASA's exploration plans, so I'm not the right person to ask. If you want your question answered, it will probably be fruitful to dig around at NASAspaceflight forums and see whether there's more info there, or if you can't find what your after, post a question.

 

[gattispilot]

I figured that the Skylab2 would just be moved with Orion or another vessel. Use CMG for small changes

 

[gattispilot]

I had to adjust the panels. But they will open and close and rotate along the z axis. Capable of a crew of 10.

Here is the latest:https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/71242599/SKYLAB2.5.zip

 

[gattispilot]

I had the ucgo cargo not seen. Michael C has suggested this using UCD. But in hard coding UCGO the direction of the where cargo is seen is not available. Just the position and rotation. I can make a new cfg for the cargo but is there another way.
UCD:

UCGO: notice the direction of the cargo:

I guess make attachments around the front to do it is possible but it takes away UCGO

 

[Michael_Chr]

SLS and SKYLAB2 beta is out. Please post all future inputs concerning these in the BETA thread