New Release Voyager - The 32nd Anniversary Edition

[Usonian]

This add-on celebrates the 32nd anniversary of the launches of Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 in August and September 1977!

32nd Anniversary?? Well, this is a computer simulation of spacecraft that, for their time, took autonomous computer control to a whole new level. Computers work in base 8 numbers, so in "eight-fingered computer-years" 32 has the same impact as 40 in ten-fingered human years ... :dry:

Whatever, I just felt like doing it.

The Ops Manual includes historical background for the Grand Tour, along with timelines and maps for the planetary flybys.

This is NOT a TransX tutorial and this add-on is probably not suitable for Orbiter beginners. However, the manual does provide links to the excellent Flytandem tutorials. Several launch and Earth eject scenarios are provided, some with complete TransX v3.10 and v3.13 flight plans. The meshes and textures are highly detailed, fully animated and configured with historically accurate performance. Mostly, this add-on is eye candy for TransX fans.

Requires separate installation of Velcro Rockets by Sputnik.

Available at OrbitHangar. Click on the Icons in the Signature section below for a link. And now, screenshots:

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[astrosammy]

Beautiful! I think I have enough TransX skills for that.

 

[tblaxland]

Mostly, this add-on is eye candy for TransX fans.

:drool: Very nice work

 

[Zeehond]

This look very nice!

Having a small problem: With the TransX 3.10 and 3.13 launch scenarios, I get a CTD when staging occurs at the end of the second stage Titan burn (of course, I used TransX 3.10 for the 3.10 scenario and 3.13 for the 3.13 scenario.) The CTD doesn't happen when I don't activate the TransX module in the orbiter launchpad.

 

[Usonian]

This look very nice!

Having a small problem: With the TransX 3.10 and 3.13 launch scenarios, I get a CTD when staging occurs at the end of the second stage Titan burn (of course, I used TransX 3.10 for the 3.10 scenario and 3.13 for the 3.13 scenario.) The CTD doesn't happen when I don't activate the TransX module in the orbiter launchpad.

Anyone else having this problem? Have you tried launching with the module loaded, but TransX MFDs turned off? I don't know what difference that would make but it's another variation. Are you working with fresh installs of Orbiter and TransX? Let me know your progress.

**edit**

I just completed a fresh install of Orbiter, TransX v1.13 and the Voyager32.zip downloaded from OrbitHanger. Ran the v3.10 launch at 1x time warp with no problem. Here is a tid bit from Flytandem (The Man for all things TransX) writing in the Chapman Challenge thread:

"Another tip: The MFD refresh rate in the Orbiter Launchpad Parameters is WAY too slow with the default 1 second value. I have it set to .01 seconds and TransX responds much nicer."

Don't know if this is relevant to your issue. The nine-Stage Voyager 2 flight plan is loaded into five Velcro vessels -- that's a lot for TransX to handle -- perhaps slow updates of TransX data is your problem.

For me, the refresh rate is mostly an issue during long course correction burns at accelerated time warp. It's a really good tip and I wish I had put in the Voyager Ops Manual -- I reset my refresh rate so long ago that I completely forgot about it until you brought up your CTD issue.

 

[Zeehond]

Hi Usonian,

I work with a fresh install of orbiter and TransX. I have tried launching with TransX activated but with the MFD's off, same result (CTD). When I removed the TransX information from the scenario file, there is no CTD, even when TransX is activated.

I always set my MFD refresh rate at 0.05. I have tried changing it to 0.01, but that doesn't help.

 

[Usonian]

Sounds like you covered all your bases (don't know how that baseball idiom translates into Dutch). We have not mentioned a fresh Velcro rocket install, but I suppose you have thought of that.

I am running Orbiter while typing, and got a CTD during the staging event, just as you described. Orbiter.log reports a mesh not found (without saying which one, of course). This doesn't make much sense, given that I am using Velcro rockets which generates a stack of fully initiated vessels with all meshes rendered. (Of course, there may be stuff about Velcro that I don't understand.) I did a quicksave shortly before the staging. I ran the quicksave several times and the staging occured normally.

*later*

I have just completed a second launch with v3.13 running, and the staging was normal. Running the quicksave from this second launch also fails to reproduce the CTD.

Any ideas, Orbiternauts?

 

[Zeehond]

I too found out that doing a quicksave just before staging and loading that save prevents the CTD.

 

[BrianJ]

Very nice, Usonian! About time I got around to making the "Grand Tour" with Voyager

OK, I think I've got a handle on the "staging CTD".

I'm using the Voyager-2 TransX3.10 launch scenario.

I noticed that if you leave the external view unchanged (it's set to "ground - track target" in the scenario) and use cockpit view during launch, then hit F1 and switch back to the "ground" view during the ascent - if the rocket is out of sight (not rendered) then the main engine is shut off(thus triggering booster jettison).

If you use the autopilot, it will switch the engine back on when you resume cockpit view. If you don't use autopilot, you have to manually restart.

Is this a known issue with Velcro Rockets?

When it comes to stage2 -> Centaur seperation, if the external view is still set to "ground" you get a CTD, even if you're in "cockpit" view, if TransX is enabled.

Switching the external view to "target relative" (for example) before launch eliminates the engine-shutoff bug and staging CTD.

I think it's some kind of interplay between the Velcro rendering bug and TransX.

As a further note, even if you use "target relative" external view but zoom out say 6000km then zoom back in and switch to cockpit view with TransX enabled-> CTD!

Without TransX enabled - no CTD.

Hope this helps. Now I know what to avoid (external "ground" view), I'm on my way to Jupiter

Thanks and best regards,
Brian

 

[Usonian]

BrianJ & Zeehound,
I have been playing with this and finally got a scenario saved that consistantly causes a CTD, but mine goes CDT at staging between the Centaur and Propulsion Module. I can correct this scenario's performance with a Quicksave, or by exiting Orbiter then reload the Current State scenario.

Looking at my CTD scenario I notice that the TransX flight plan includes a section for the Titan's first stage (Titan3A-1), but that vehicle does not exist in the scenario. I have Velcro configured to delete the jettisoned stage/vessels 60 seconds after staging. When I deleted the Titan3A-1 label and its flight plan from the TransX MFD section of my CTD scenario, then the scenario staged normally.

Somehow, during staging, I think TransX is telling Orbiter that a vessel called Titan3A-1 is there, Orbiter says, "Is NOT!" then quits in a huff. (Don't you just love my deep technical grasp of this computer jargon and stuff.) A Quicksave, or exiting and re-entering Orbiter, tends to fix the problem because those actions cause TransX to do a fresh writing of the scenario file, eliminating vessels that no longer exist from the flight plan.

Zeehound, please help me out. Go to your Config\Vessels\Voyager folder, with a text editor open the Titan3A-1.cfg file. Put a semicolon in front of the line reading Mayfly = 60 so it looks like this:

;Mayfly = 60

Save the file and try to recreate your CTD. You may have to do this to all the Velcro powered vessel configs: Titan3A-1.cfg , Titan3A-2.cfg , CentaurD-T1.cfg , PowerModule.cfg and MIRScover.cfg

This is looking like an odd, intermittant conflict between Velcro and TransX. They both rely heavily on data written and re-written to the scenario file.

 

[tblaxland]

It sounds like TransX is not correctly detecting the deletion of Titan3A-1, either via the opcDeleteVessel function or by not verifying the vessel handle before it is used.

 

[Usonian]

I posted a bug report on OrbitHanger to warn folks, and give them the tentative fix of deactivating the Mayfly line in the config files.

In thinking it over, I believe the config files for MIRScover, the Titan boosters and shrouds can be left alone -- TransX is never loaded into these vessels so the Mayfly line in their configs will not be a problem.

To use 10,0000x time warp it is necessary to delete extraneous vessels from the scenario. If TransX and Velcro's Mayfly function will not play together then deleting spent Titan parts and Propulsion Module will have to be done manually. After the ejection burn, exit Orbiter, open the scenario and delete all vessels except Voyager.

Meanwhile, I have two installations on my computer so I can run some comparisons, one using Mayfly and one with Mayfly deactivated on vessels loaded with TransX.

Off to work now. This will be a slow fix.

 

[Zeehond]

Maybe setting the MayFly value to some high number like 6000 (so the stages will be deleted after all staging events are done) will solve the problem? I tried this and had no CTD's.

edit:

A quicksave after all velcro things are deleted still had all the TransX entries for those things. I wonder if that is really a problem?

 

[Usonian]

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[Usonian]

Maybe setting the MayFly value to some high number like 6000 (so the stages will be deleted after all staging events are done) will solve the problem? I tried this and had no CTD's.

I am resonably well convinced that delaying the auto-delete is the solution to the conflict. I am uploading a patched version of the Voyager add-on to Orbithangar. The patch sets auto deletes to begin about 9800 seconds (2-3/4 hours) after launch. This permits a 1-1/2 rev parking orbit, plus some extra time for Voyager to re-enter Sun light before performing the boom deployments and jettisoning the Propulsion Module (I like to wait for sunrise so I can see my animations ). The historical parking orbit of less than one rev is also permitted, of course.

It appears you must exit and re-enter the scenario twice before TransX will edit out the deleted vessels from the flight plan, but this does not seem to effect operations. It is something you would only be aware of if you open and read the scenario file.

I also find that you can exit, save and re-enter a scenario between a staging event and the delayed auto-delete of the jettisoned stage without any ill effects. The Velcor Mayfly function just continues the countdown to deletion from were you exited the scenario.

Bottom line, Velcro should now clean up the scenario, TransX should behave, and the user should be able to fly a Voyager mission with the usual level of freedom to save, exit and reenter a scenario (and no more than the usual level of CTD glitches).

One last note... I want to stress that the problem I am experiencing appears to be a conflict between TransX and Velcro. This is NOT a "bug" in either program. If anything, it is a "bug" in my add-on, the result of inadequate testing before issue.

Thank-you Zeehond for the "post-beta" testing!

 

[Zeehond]

Thanks for all the work! Now I have to brush up my TransX skills and leave earth.

 

[BrianJ]

Yay! Voyager2 mission completed successfully - manual launch from the Cape, TransX3.13 all the way, 11% fuel remaining at Neptune. Much fun

Some "postcards" from the journey.....

Jupiter

Saturn

Uranus

Neptune

 

[Usonian]

Yay! Voyager2 mission completed successfully - manual launch from the Cape, TransX3.13 all the way, 11% fuel remaining at Neptune. Much fun

Fantastic and congratulations, Brian J

I have never quite managed it without adding fuel, so I am pleased to know that it can be done. Do you have any tips or details you can share? Is there some significant element of luck, or do you think you can readily repeat this performance? My feeling has been that everything hinges on a near-perfect ejection burn, to minimize subsequent course correction burns.

Very nice screenshots, BTW.

edit:
I am especially impressed with your manual launch. Achieving a well-aligned parking orbit, with enough fuel left in the Centaur to make the ejection burn, all without autopilot, is a nice bit of Orbiter piloting!

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Now, if you could get my Clementine addon to make the transfer from polar orbit around the Moon, swing twice past Earth, and go on to encounter Geographos, you would not only put me to shame but also best NASA... Even the real rocket scientist couldn't pull it off.

 

[BrianJ]

Hi Usonian,
I don't know how much luck was involved - I'd have to give it another run to check!

An accurate escape burn is required - and I guess I did cheat a little by using multiple burns on the kick-motor to correct the escape trajectory until I was a good 10,000km from Earth. (Not very realistic, I think) But since I had some fuel left on Voyager2 at the end, I think I could have done it with just a single burn on the kick-motor.

I was using your TransX set-up, which worked very well. My method was simply to keep "one step ahead" - i.e. when setting up a TransX maneuvre to target the Jupiter flyby, I was watching the distance of the Saturn intercept.

I think the trick is not to make too many course corrections while you are far away from your target (TransX gets more accurate as you get nearer) - but you have to balance that against the fact that the closer you are to the target, the more dV you need to make the correction.

The Saturn flyby seemed to be the most problematic and generate the largest error post-flyby. Possibly because of the high inclination and large gravity J Coefficient?

I haven't been out beyond Saturn for a while (in Orbiter that is, not real-life!) so it was an interesting trip. Learned a few new things:
IMFD "Map" (a favourite of mine) is pretty useless past Saturn - it won't show a long enough trajectory arc to be useful.
Had some strange behaviour from TransX - complete computer freeze-up occasionally with TransX showing "IND#" instead of data; and once I had passed Uranus, TransX started to show Uranus' orbit expanding and contracting (from within Jupiter to beyond Neptune) periodically. I can't reproduce these bugs with a stock DG though.

I tried your Clementine ages ago, I seem to remember running out of fuel just short of being able to intercept Geographos - I'll have to give that another go sometime. (I also recall that the LAN of the Lunar orbit is crucial!)

Thanks again for another great add-on.

Regards,
Brian

---------- Post added at 04:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:33 PM ----------

edit:
I am especially impressed with your manual launch. Achieving a well-aligned parking orbit, with enough fuel left in the Centaur to make the ejection burn, all without autopilot, is a nice bit of Orbiter piloting!

Ho ho. Actually, the reason I went for manual launch is because I think the Titan main stage doesn't start until the boosters are (nearly?) finished. With the autopilot, the boosters and main stage burn simultaneously. On manual launch, you can keep the main engine at ~1%
until the boosters are finished. I think this is actually more efficient(because there is no need for the drastic pitch-down manuevre?) - so you end up with plenty of fuel on the Centaur to play with, align planes, etc.

Cheers,
Brian