Project "Starlab" space station

K_Jameson

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After a looooong hiatus, I'm finally about to reprise some work on the station.
One of the most embarrassing problems I've encountered was: how to deliver the two final modules (Starchaser laboratory and Greenhouse module) to the station?
That elements haven't flight capability, FOI hasn't a modern tug in his inventory and the modules are too big and heavy for an Eridanus ride (in the philosophy of the Starlab station, they was derived from tanks of FOI rockets, in this case the Neptune-1b rocket second stage, that has an excessive diameter for the spaceplane's cargo bay).

A first idea was to launch it along with Eridanus but not in the cargo bay, but in the (until now unused) nosecone of the Quasar 220-E launcher, in an "Apollo 9" style rendez-vous and docking in earth orbit.

Concept of the stack (payload in yellow):



The idea, altough ambitious, was dropped because too convoluted and complex. And we have a weight problem too.
Other ideas was to use spacecrafts as tug. Antares-derived space tug:


and relative integration test.


The old "Ercole" ("Hercules") space tug developed for the Gaia station and never used since then:
tug11.jpg


Lately, Fausto convinced me about the convenience of giving flight capability to the modules, thus resolving "brutally" the problem.
As the modules was never meant to be flight capable, no physical room was reserved in the meshes for proper fuel tanks. My only choice was to add external pods. In the Greenhouse I was also forced to give up two of the five windows of the module.

Currently, this is the new appearance:


And this the integration with the Jarvis L launcher:


Unlike the previous Starlab core and Challenger expansion modules, my idea is to give only limited flight capabilities to the Starchaser and Greenhouse modules. Most of the orbital maneuvres would be performed via Jarvis L second stage, that after the insertion in the parking orbit has sufficient fuel reserve for the task.

The launch manifest for the station is currently the following:

Starlab 1: Launch of the Starlab core station (launcher: Quasar 452)
Starlab 2: Launch of the Challenger multipurpose expansion module (launcher: Jarvis E)
Starlab 3: Launch of the Greenhouse module (launcher: Jarvis L)
Starlab 4: Launch of the Starchaser laboratory (launcher: Jarvis L)
Starlab 5: Launch of the Exposed Facility and canadarm (Launcher: Quasar/Eridanus)
 
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boogabooga

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I'm always impressed at how professionally you approach your add-ons.
 

K_Jameson

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Thanks for the support, guys.

Actually, a sixth module comes into consideration. A duplicate of the Challenger module ("Columbia", I guess) to be installed at the back docking port of the core module (here in red).



This addition could provide, along with a new large volume for the crew and an additional set of solar panels, a comfortable location for the installation and the retrieval of the Eridanus logistic modules.



The big advantage of this idea is the zero time for the implementation.
 

Interceptor

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Wow! K_Jameson,beautiful work you have out done yourself,I can't wait to finally dock up with the Starlab using the Eridanus.:thumbup:
 

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mikusingularity
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This has come a long way from the original monolithic core configuration.
 
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K_Jameson

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This has come a long way from the original monolithic core configuration.

Yep.

But still very far from a real modular concept as ISS.
5 launches against 30-35 or so... :)

---------- Post added at 10:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:02 AM ----------

"The Eagle has wings". Thrusters implemented.



Now the launch scenarios and then the animations. I've experienced some weird problem with the meshdebug module and I don't know why... Orbiter has a very strange behavior on my Win7-powered laptop...

...and also Mesh Wizard is not working (some missing dll...). I hope to resolve these problems soon.

---------- Post added 12-17-16 at 12:48 AM ---------- Previous post was 12-16-16 at 10:44 PM ----------

Last but not least: the Exposed Facility in the Eridanus cargo bay.
The module is still not functioning and the placement aboard the spacecraft has yet to be finalized.

 

K_Jameson

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Let's some small talk about the station.
This addon was instructive. The main thing I've learned is that the Starlab core station, as i've envisioned it, is way too heavy to be useful for a serious exploration beyond lunar orbit. In reality, my idea was to use it as an orbital outpost around the Moon, but Fausto, bold and immaginative as always, has embraced the idea to use it in an Earth-Mars scenario (Apollo 8 style: no landing). Has encountered numerous problems because of the weight of the station that, to be sent around Mars, will require various propulsive modules, each of it to be launched with a Quasar SHLV.

Starlab is a test; for a speculative Starlab II my idea is to use instead an improved version of the Challenger module ("Buran"?) with different internals, more solar arrays, less docking ports, more fuel reserve that can act as radiation shield with the accommodation of the tanks around a specific area of the module. Such a explorative hab module could weigh half of Starlab, enabling a much more practical use in BLEO exploration scenarios.

---------- Post added at 09:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:54 PM ----------

Testing the canadarm:



 
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Loopos

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When can I download the addon?
 

K_Jameson

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In these days i enjoyed myself with a new logistic spacecraft intended to be released along with Starlab: the Sagitta:







It's an unmanned spaceplane, some 20 tons of weight, and thus halfway between Delphinus and Eridanus. The name follows the traditional FOI names: stars for capsules (Antares, Arcturus), constellations for spaceplanes (Eridanus, Delphinus), navigators, explorers, scientist for logistic spacecrafts and modules (Verrazzano, Torricelli, Fermi, Nobile etc.).



I wanted a logistic spacecraft that could dock at Starlab and ship experiments to the Exposed Facility, along with a very small pressurized cargo module, but simpler to use than Eridanus. Sagitta has a docking port under the nosecone and a 9 x 3 x 2 cargo bay. The spacecraft will use the lateral docking port of the Starlab core, and the experiments can be retrieved with the Canadarm of the station.
The designed launcher, at present, is the Jarvis L.

It's in reality a rather simple spacecraft, but the idea it's funny! I hope to complete it: I think that could be a small, but nice bonus at this addon.
 

K_Jameson

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I am a big fan of the Starfighter.
It was in service with the Italian Air Force until 2004!

---------- Post added at 09:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:37 PM ----------

Here a simulation of the orbital configuration, with the cargo bay opened and the docking port exposed.



---------- Post added at 10:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:05 PM ----------

Finally, schematics of the pressurized cargo module that can be embarked in the cargo bay. Is 5 meters long and takes just over half of the cargo bay, leaving the remaining part for the unpressurized payloads. It has an approximate pressurized volume of 18 cubic metres.



Additional pressurized volume is located in the forward connecting tunnel which leads to the docking hatch. In green, the pressurized volumes of the spaceplane (with cargo module installed).

 

K_Jameson

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A simulation of the Sagitta docked at the station.

 

toto76math

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Hello.

I would like to ask you: "What program did you used for designing the Starlab?"
I am attempting to create an Orbiter add-on,so i would like to know how to do it.

Thank you for giving me tips.:hello:
 

K_Jameson

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I've some uncertainty about the rocket for this vehicle. Jarvis L or C are more than adequate given the weight of the unmanned spaceplane, but the aesthetics without a fairing seems really bad (and the aerodynamics, I suspect), so the fairing is required. But I don't really want to introduce a folding wing. I start to think about a specific launcher but I don't want to go too far with this...
 

K_Jameson

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Why not a specific fairing?

The spaceplane has a wingspan of 14.3 meters: I think that, regardless of the fairing used, a folding wing is pretty mandatory :)

---------- Post added at 10:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:54 PM ----------

Hello.

I would like to ask you: "What program did you used for designing the Starlab?"
I am attempting to create an Orbiter add-on,so i would like to know how to do it.

Thank you for giving me tips.:hello:

I'm using Anim8or.
 
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