News Space Plane Eridanus, final development steps

[diogom]

The docking port is in the nose cone. Just like XR-2.
And it was designed to help build the Gaia Space Station, carrying modules to it.

 

[K_Jameson]

Very nice great job, really.

I would have rather seen the inline mount but... in the end if both Space Shuttle and Buran were side mounts there must have been a reason.

For the sidemount configuration, i quote myself:
"the tanks of the rocket are located only in the lower portion of the core stage (the orange part). The upper part (white) is, in fact, an empty aerodynamic fairing. Thus, the cabin and the crew aren't directly beside the tanks (another security improvement)."
Also, the spacecraft has a shroud for his thermal protection (see the schematics at the previous pages of this thread).

One more thing:
(I assume that, like for the Shuttle, the 2 side smaller rockets are solid boosters and the central one liquid) since you have a side mount, why not move the liquid fed rocket engines to the orbiter (I only saw OMS's behind the orbiter), so you can recycle them in future flights?
By leaving them stuck to the bottom of the big central tank (making the tank an actual rocket itself) you'll loose the engines at every launch!
or... did you come up with some re-entry trick for the liquid fed rocket too?

Your assumption is wrong The boosters are LIQUID rocket boosters (LRB), working with liquid oxygen and kerosene (like Energia-Buran). The central core is cryogenic (Lox/LH2), with expendable version of the SSME engines (the RS-25E). An expendable are cheaper than a reusable SSME, and keeping these engines on the core stage we have a lighter, smaller and simpler orbiter.

---------- Post added at 04:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:44 PM ----------

And for Zilesio, this vehicle is launched on the Quasar, which uses Liquid boosters.

right. :thumbup:

 

[fausto]

First Eridanus manned launch trailer:

 

[Cras]

Very very cool. Very Shuttle like, which is always a plus in my book.

May I ask why you guys decided against a dorsal docking config with the airlock in the payload bay? Seemed like it would be ideal for a docking system to be mounted on that.

And that RMS arm also caught my attention. Really look forward to getting to fly this thing into LEO.

 

[K_Jameson]

May I ask why you guys decided against a dorsal docking config with the airlock in the payload bay? Seemed like it would be ideal for a docking system to be mounted on that.

The frontal docking port allows a simpler docking procedure and require less free space around the spacecraft. Furthermore, it leave more space in the cargo bay.

This choice has a real-world background: the original Grumman project for the Space Shuttle (Model 619) shows the frontal docking port. :thumbup:

 

[Cras]

Well how about that.

But it makes sense why they ditched that model for the Space Shuttle, since the final design had such a massive payload bay, and the original intent was for EVAs to be done for work inside the bay. The idea for docking the Shuttle with something came much later.

And your design, with the docking port forward, and the EVA port in the payload bay, adds the benefit of being able to perform EVAs while docked to something. Back when the ISS did not have the Quest Airlock, the hatches in the APDS had to stay closed so the Shuttle crew could use the airlock for EVAs. Wont have a problem here.

Would love to see that RMS in action.

 

[fausto]

Working heat shield (much better than Antares one)

 

[Mantis]

Outstanding job. I can't wait to fly her!

 

[K_Jameson]

A white core stage with transversal black stripe, indicating an experimental vehicle. Will be maybe utilized for a "STS-1 like" launch scenario.

 

[Cras]

Very cool.

 

[fausto]

The Eridanus carrier.. the Airbus made by Simone (FOI member)!

 

[K_Jameson]

A couple of nice images from my betatesting:

robotic arm test.


the frontal docking port.


---------- Post added 06-21-11 at 12:12 AM ---------- Previous post was 06-20-11 at 09:36 PM ----------

 

[zerofay32]

Random question, and sorry if this was covered earlier either in this thread or on OF Italia. Will this use local light sources? Specifically Shuttle-like PLB lights (that are in the bottom of the bay and underlight the payload) and a docking light.

Regards.

 

[Cras]

Could we get a shot of the different types of payloads that will fit in this vehicle? Will nodes from the Station Building Blocks kit fit? Or the MPLMs? Those last shots posted were fantastic!

 

[fausto]

Random question, and sorry if this was covered earlier either in this thread or on OF Italia. Will this use local light sources? Specifically Shuttle-like PLB lights (that are in the bottom of the bay and underlight the payload) and a docking light.

Regards.

yes, we have both docking light and cargo bay light!

Could we get a shot of the different types of payloads that will fit in this vehicle? Will nodes from the Station Building Blocks kit fit? Or the MPLMs? Those last shots posted were fantastic! .

We currently have 4 payloads.. the payload capacity is 4.5 meters wide and 10 meters lenght, 15 metric tons. So yes, i suppose MPLMs are allowed.. for Station Building ones, i don't know..

 

[Loru]

I like overall structure. Personally I'd change vertical stabilisators to be more agressive (more swept back) and use classic STS paint scheme (I don't like dark crew section).

Other than that I'm realli impressed by your work guys

Keep it up.

 

[Wishbone]

The thing about space is you cannot choose your paints... your thermal engineer does that for you...

 

[Cras]

I actually have not used any of the Space Station Building Blocks yet, but I planned on trying to build more of a fuel depot space station rather than a science outpost like the ISS. Looking at the manual some modules seem a bit big, but I guess then I will have to just use a super heavy lift vehicle to get them up there. And I know where to get a very good one of those!

 

[Robitaille_Fan]

... Will this use local light sources? Specifically Shuttle-like PLB lights (that are in the bottom of the bay and underlight the payload) and a docking light. ...

Here is a demo for you!:tiphat:

---------- Post added at 06:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:02 PM ----------

Could we get a shot of the different types of payloads that will fit in this vehicle? Will nodes from the Station Building Blocks kit fit? Or the MPLMs? Those last shots posted were fantastic!

I designed two types of Cargo payloads, like this:

This is "CargoLong", there is another named "CargoShort" that is almost the half of this. I also designed a Spacelab, that externally has the same dimention of the CargoLong, but internally is used for experiments:

The Spacelab has a docking port to join it to a orbiting Space Station (like the two "Cargos"). There is also another Spacelab version, to used in space without docking to a orbiting Space Station:

I hope you enjoy what these pictures show :tiphat:

 

[Cras]

The Spacelab is very very cool