Discussion Uranus and Neptune mission concepts

[K_Jameson]

First hypothesis for the aeroshell:



the base diameter is 2.85 meters. Length around six meters.
I found that with the repositioning of RTGs and magnetometer boom, the size of the aeroshell can be reduced significantly.

 

[Nicholander]

Looks brilliant, K_Jameson!

 

[K_Jameson]

Here the file:

http://speedy.sh/T3gTG/NeptuneCruiseStage.3ds

I've added a medium gain, with a low gain in top of it, a mini RTG and an engine bell (enclosed in protective panels). The original 980 N engine seems a bit exaggerated, so i have scaled it roughly to a 400 or 500 N engine.

Remember that a functional deep space spacecraft must have an RCS system, a sun sensor and star trackers.

 

[Nicholander]

Oh. Turns out this is WAY more complicated than I thought. I was planning to make this a Spacecraft3 vessel (Since it only requires a mesh, ini file and some textures), which is fine, but I have NO idea what to do next. Should I try to unwrap a UV texture? But it looks so complicated, it'd take hours to make that! And then I would have no idea how to make the texture! The point is, I just can't make this. It's a really interesting concept, but I just wouldn't be able to make it.

 

[K_Jameson]

About textures: almost all the surfaces are covered with thermal blankets... so we have almost everywhere only one texture. This simplifies the problem a bit.

Naturally you can do without textures... it is not mandatory... sure, your spacecraft can appears less realistic without textures, but for a first attempt, can be an acceptable compromise.

And... well, some time ago I made [ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=5886"]this addon[/ame] without even a single texture, but with very good results.

 

[Nicholander]

Hmmm... I think first I'll see if that mesh works, but I can't find a single 3ds to msh converter. Do you know where to get say, 3ds to msh? It was on Vinka's website, but that went down and you can no longer access it.

---------- Post added at 03:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:20 PM ----------

YES!!! I decided to try creating the communications dish, RTG panels and engine myself, and that simplified the UV Mapping process by a TON. Anyway, I've created the UV, and I'm not sure was size the texture should be. What size should it be?

---------- Post added at 03:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:24 PM ----------

Ugh. It turns out my UV map is sort of broken. There's quite a few places on the spacecraft which don't have any places on the UV map. I'll try a different configuration, but maybe if you have so time K_Jameson, maybe you could try something. For some reason Wings 3D isn't letting me make another UV map configuration, so I can't create a new one. So, though I really hate to say this, could you quickly make the UV map for this? As I said before, Wings 3D isn't letting me make another UV Map configuration, so I really have no other choice. I suppose it'd be quicker than making the dish, RTG and engine. But anyway, here's the mesh: Here

 

[Nicholander]

Uh... Any new updates, K_Jameson?

 

[K_Jameson]

Not yet. Apart real-life priorities, I'm focusing on Starlab.
Shakespeare/Pope design is totally completed, and awaits only the Spacecraft configuration for Orbiter. The Neptune/Triton probe is on hold; in the last days I started to think at a more conservative approach, that leads to a major redesign.
Also, I started some conceptual work for a Titan orbiter.

 

[K_Jameson]

Various planetary exploration concepts are in maturation; i'm going to go to different and more exotic destinations.

Shakespeare/Pope for Uranus is fully confirmed in the shape you already know, and will be hopefully released soon, along with the sister ship Efesto for Venus and the Galileo II, that are ready from more than one year.

Le Verrier for Neptune is placed on hold; maybe I will opt for a more conservative and low-profile mission, something as the proposed New Horizons 2: a Neptune/Triton flyby (focused on Triton but with Neptune atmospheric probe identical to the Uranus one) and a deep space, Kuiper Belt extended mission. The flyby spacecraft can be derived directly from Shakespeare/Pope, with minimal modification and various semplifications. Direct comparisons between Triton and a KBO can give further informations about the origin of the main Neptunian moon (probably a KBO itself). The problem is: finding a KBO that is in the right place after the Neptune encounter, and is depicted in Orbit Hangar (I don't want to make an entire KBO from scratch, although the creation of a fictional KBO can be funny).

For Titan I have at least three different concepts at various level of development. The planet-like moon is always in my mind along with Enceladus, but at the present isn't the first in the row.

The mesh of a medium-sized Mars probe, based on the Efesto/Shakespeare platform, is nearly complete, but I haven't decided the rationale of this mission. Far in the future, a Mars Sample Return will be perhaps the next flagship mission after Galileo II. But will be a complex mission that will require a lot of work and research.

Meanwhile I want to develop a small and low-profile probe class that can be used in different places not too far from the Sun, carrying a baseline array of instruments, with some slight modifications depending on the target. Two candidates for these cheap missions are Io, for the observation of the volcanoes from an high latitude jovian orbit, and the interesting binary asteroid 90 Antiope.

 

[Nicholander]

If you're going to make a low profile Neptune flyby probe, why would you make it from scratch? Though I've sort of abandoned it ( ), you could finish up my low cost Neptune flyby and atmospheric probe mission.

But anyway, I really do like all those other concepts, I really do! For some reason unmanned probe missions are more interesting to me than huge budget manned missions. And for that low-profile probe class, you may want to look into the [ame="http://orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=6379"]Chapman Probes[/ame].

 

[K_Jameson]

Chapman probes are really a source of inspiration along with other Piper's works.
The hypothesized Neptune/KBO probe, for example, can be viewed as a simplified version of its Eris Explorer spacecraft.

Anyway, my main source are the various technical publications that i retrieve from internet. For Galileo II i have spent months in research and downloading...

 

[Nicholander]

I see, and I really do admire Piper's creations too. And by the way, after Wings3D refused to let me fix the Neptune Cruise Stage's UV maps, I tried to make a little spacecraft inspired by Piper's designs, it was supposed to send an atmospheric probe from the Eris Explorer to Venus. I've finished it, but It's really not worth releasing because it's model and texture looks TERRIBLE, to say the least.

Anyway, I'm curious about these Titan mission designs of yours.

 

[K_Jameson]

Anyway, I'm curious about these Titan mission designs of yours.

Well, the first concept was part of an ambitious, flagship-class double mission for Titan and Enceladus. The Titan part includes a large mapping orbiter and an atmospheric probe. This concept was created during the early stages of the Galileo II development; when the jupiter mission went through redesigns and redesigns (and redesigns...), the saturnian mission was abandoned for lack of time. Anyway, some meshes are still available for future uses...

The second concept is about a "titan flyer" for exploring the atmosphere of the moon... a fascinating concept, simpler than the previous one. Meshes complete... In indefinite hold.

The last concept is about an aerocapture orbiter. A medium-sized mission, not particulary complex. Again, awaiting better times...

 

[Nicholander]

Interesting, though if I had to design a Titan mission like that, I'd go for a ~3,000 Kg probe for launch on a Jarvis C, which would Flyby Jupiter on it's way to Saturn, get into orbit similar to the way Cassini did, and do a series of Titan flybys. On the first Titan flyby, it would drop a lander, which would enter Titan's atmosphere and land. It would send data and receive commands from the man probe every time it flew by Titan.

The lander itself would be sort of similar Efesto, though it would also deploy a small rover, similar to the tiny little rovers carried on the USSR's Mars landers. (None of which even got the chance to operate)

 

[ISProgram]

Speaking of Efesto, K_Jameson, I've been thinking of Venus mission concepts, and I could use some feedback.

Maybe in a separate thread? :hopeful:

 

[Nicholander]

I'd think that should be in a separate thread, but I'm all ears for that concept.

 

[K_Jameson]

Speaking of Efesto, K_Jameson, I've been thinking of Venus mission concepts, and I could use some feedback.

Sure!
A separate thread is welcome... maybe for Venus/Mars concepts...

 

[ISProgram]

Sure!
A separate thread is welcome... maybe for Venus/Mars concepts...

Okay, I should have it in a day or two. :thumbup:

 

[Nicholander]

So, why haven't you put your thread up yet? Not to be rude or anything.

 

[ISProgram]

So, why haven't you put your thread up yet? Not to be rude or anything.

Been distracted with other (personal) matters at the moment. Also holding off until I have a picture of the Venus probe. :lol:

---------- Post added at 12:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:37 AM ----------

I can definitively say it should exist later today.