Project Space Shuttle Cygnus

[Lydia]

where will the lander be?, and great work so far Felipi cant wait for the release

 

[Felipi1205]

As I said before, yes... Is the Mars Scientific Lander.

 

[River Crab]

OK, this is the Mars Scientific Orbiter.

---------- Post added at 01:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:50 PM ----------

There are some "default" instruments, like a Camera and a LIDAR...

The instruments and design look great, quite realistic looking. The RCS doesn't seem quite right, however...where are the fuel lines? Can those struts handle the stress?

 

[Felipi1205]

The supports are very strong, and the fuel lines are inside the supports, because they're cylindrical and large. And there are three support structures for each RCS, so the fuel lines aren't a problem... The stress can be supported using a resistant material with intertwined wires. The material could be Titanium.

 

[NovaSilisko]

I dunno if you really need that many RCS thrusters. You could have a single block containing six and handle all rotation needs, since I doubt that spacecraft needs the ability to translate.

 

[Felipi1205]

It needs of the translate ability because of the sample colector. The spacecraft is going to make a station keeping to Phobos, and the long instrument, the sample colector, will touch in the Surface of Phobos, grab a rock, and make some studies of the sample... Maybe in the future, a manned spacecraft could be sended to bring the spacecraft and the samples back to Earth...

---------- Post added at 02:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:13 PM ----------

Another pictures of the Carrier. Now the rocket engines were added. As they're not too much powerful, there are several engines. It can add stability.

---------- Post added at 02:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:40 PM ----------

And another note: The engines are going to be used only in the start of the ascent and in the orbit insertion. During almost all the time the scram jets are going to be used. And the auxiliary boosters are going to be used during missions in high altitudes.

 

[MaverickSawyer]

OK, this is the Mars Scientific Orbiter.

---------- Post added at 01:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:50 PM ----------

There are some "default" instruments, like a Camera and a LIDAR...

The use of titanium for the struts is a good idea. That's a well-proven material and shape. However, running fuel lines though them is a difficult task, especially since structures like that typically end up capped off during manufacturing. and I fail to see what the advantage of placing them farther away from the spaceframe is. If you place them in closer, you not only simplify the spaceframe, and therefor reduce mass and complexity, you will also have finer control over your rotation. IIRC, optimum number of thrusters is 16: 4 clusters of 4.

 

[Felipi1205]

OK, I'll adjust it soon. The 4 clusters of 4 can help in the sample collect mission?

 

[MaverickSawyer]

Oh yeah. Just place the thrusters at right angles to each other around a block, and place the blocks at right angles to each other around the spaceframe. That's how the Apollo SM thrusters were arranged. They worked fine, didn't they?

 

[Felipi1205]

Yes, perfect! Now the design of anoher payload is ready! Nice!

---------- Post added at 03:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:56 PM ----------

And another thing: What's the perfect landing site for the Mars Scientific Lander?

 

[MaverickSawyer]

What's the entry/descent/landing (EDL) system? What's the mission objective? Is it mobile, or stationary? What insturments does it have?

 

[Felipi1205]

Stationary. The EDL is going to be similar to the descent of the Phoenix. The lander will study the climate changes during the seasons of Mars, and search for signals of life under the ice of the Mars surface. The landing site should be near of the poles, the best place is the North pole. 300th post!

---------- Post added at 11:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:17 PM ----------

Good news! I tested the Cygnus model in the last days, correcting the bugs! Now it's working fine, and smooth. Tomorrow I'll complete the External model and start working in the VC...

 

[Felipi1205]

Welcome to the last day of the modeling phase! I've created the PB doors and the radiators. Today I'll complete the model with the controls and with textures. Tomorrow is the first day of the VC, the Virtual Cockpit is easy!

---------- Post added Feb 13th, 2012 at 09:56 AM ---------- Previous post was Feb 12th, 2012 at 11:34 AM ----------

OK, today the last things: Texturization of the nose and of the engines.
Tomorrow I'll start coding with spacecraft3. But if someone here is a coder, can you help?
Thanks!

 

[Felipi1205]

Hi! I'm back! The external model is almost ready, now I'm correcting the color of the textures of the front section and adjusting somethings on orbiter. Now I'm thinking about a VC. It should be similar to the Shuttle VC or something very futuristic? What you think?

 

[IronRain]

I would say something like the shuttle, but that is just what I prefer.

 

[NovaSilisko]

I would say something in-between. Like a modern airliner's cockpit.

 

[Felipi1205]

OK, some troubles with the original textures made me use some parts of the Shuttle repaints that I released, but almost everything was changed! Almost three hours of hard work... Now this is the result:

I liked, and what do you think?

 

[Lydia]

sweet man cant wait for the release

 

[Felipi1205]

Here is the Cygnus with the PB doors open:

Now, let's work on the VC...

 

[IronRain]

OK, some troubles with the original textures made me use some parts of the Shuttle repaints that I released, but almost everything was changed! Almost three hours of hard work... Now this is the result:

I liked, and what do you think?

Here is the Cygnus with the PB doors open:

Now, let's work on the VC...

Looking good! I should hurry with my payload for you..