StarCitizenReplicas: The Orion!

[Arugela]

Vehicles:

https://www./folder/lnzoupx4r2jku9i,2o1834cvsg8pjq2,7191l6i5gmhkfai/shared<- Updated versions. Base model, Boosters, and version with boosters installed.

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/136120-StarCitizenReplicas-The-Orion!?p=2245048&viewfull=1#post2245048<- Version 2.0

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/122519-starcitizenreplicas-the-orion/&do=findComment&comment=2297919 (1.0.5) Version 3: New version of the ship. Almost done!

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/136120-StarCitizenReplicas-The-Orion!?p=2263041&viewfull=1#post2263041<-The Orion Rover

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/136120-StarCitizenReplicas-The-Orion!?p=2279215&viewfull=1#post2279215<-(1.0.5)The Orion Retriever x13 Plus

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/136120-StarCitizenReplicas-The-Orion!?p=2301901&viewfull=1#post2301901<- (1.0.5)New prototype head for ship. It makes it look more like the real front of the Orion. But it's not quit symmetrical like it is.

 

***My Initial tests with the main Orion vessel were done with a bad physics file and didn't pick up the problems with the nose tilting to the degree it is. I will fix this after 1.0.5 or 1.1 if the performance has improved enough! *I will also be redoing the top third of the craft when the new cargo bays come out to fit the retreiver properly.

I think I've stabilized this enough to share it here. It may still need electric chargeing, communications items, lights, science, probes, and other cargo. It may also need 4 Kerbodyne S3-144000 tanks moved to adjust the center of mass if needed. And more/better RCS.

The Target base weight(no cargo or ore) was 3,720tons. Target Cargo is 600tons to go with the 600 units of cargo on the actual Orion. And it holds 1440 tons of ore. It's primarily designed for smaller planet hops on places smaller than Kerbin. So it should be able to pull that weight if needed. It's also supposed to act like a flying orbital station, and it designed to hop from place to place instead of doing a straight shoot everywhere. If you make sure to go to good destination land and mine/refuel you can get a lot farther. It should be able to get to almost everywhere in the SS. I have yet to test it's landing but I should be used on the lightest planet if possible. It may land on larger ones if needed. And by hopping to small moons you can refuel and use it as a permanent refueling station and keep them anywhere in the solar system. Albeit the game can not run it easily atm. I'm hoping with the 1.1 update some of these issues will be eleviated.

The basic idea is to fly to Minmus and fuel and then head off into the Solar System! If it has enough Delta V to make it to the moon and you can make it to your next destination, knock your socks off! Maybe I will fly one to Minmus fill it up then stick in GSO above the Kerbals home base!

Tip: You can get a little more deltaV by emptying all of the front fuel. Those are for refueling other ships and eventually probes for the Orion. As you are going to refuel on minmus you do not need those tanks full. Especially since it does not use monopropellant for RCS. This saves 66 base tones of weight.

There is a picture with the Orion with a human next to the side of the ship. I think if I put a kerbal there it might be to actual kerbal scale compared to humans. The actual Orion is 170m tall. This is 55m tall.

And beware your boosters may blow up after you decouple them! 8) But they usually do it at a safe distance from the ship. Makes great fireworks!

Edit: I'm currently testing wether I can land on minmus with the boosters attached. Very laggy and slow to test unfortunately. If that is possible you could keep them on hope once or twice to get on laythe, and even possibly eve, moho, or orbit kerbol! (Nvm! You would have to add mining equipment to the boosters and some fuel lines possibly to use the rest of the fuel in the main body. But you could add them!)

Edit: BTW, is DeltaV still calculated: ISP*9.81*LN(MaxWeight/EmptyWeight)? Particularly the 9.81 multiplier.

Either way. Here's hoping for massive performance boosts in 1.05 and 1.1!

Stats:

Parts: 1,401

Base Takeoff Weight: 3,740.4t (3,720t intended)

Max weight: 5,760t

Max weight no Ore 600t Cargo: 4,320t

Max weight no Cargo Max ore: 5,200t approx.

Max DeltaV no cargo/ore: 3,315 approx. (ISP 340)

Max DeltaV max weight: 1,750 approx. (ISP 340)

Max DeltaV MaxCargo no Ore: 2,610 approx. (ISP 340)

Max DeltaV no Cargo Max ore: 2012/1864 approx. (ISP 340/315)

Height: 55.2m

Width: 22.8m

Length: 22.8m

Electric Charge: 49,030

Mono Propellant: 4,200

Liquid Fuel: 219,290

Oxidizer: 261,910

Ore: 144,000

Total Torque: 5760 (192 Large reaction wheels.) + other (probe core, 2 cockpits, etc.)

Crew: 42

With Boosters: (Differences)

Parts: 2,001

BaseTakeoffweight: 15,800.8 (3,740.4t + 12,060.4t)

BoostStage DeltaV (Max): 2,987.666 Approx. (ISP 315)

Total Thrust for stage: 272,000

Height: 75m

Width: 22.8m

Length: 22.8m

Liquid Fuel: 1,100,570

Oxidizer: 1,339,030

Shortcuts:

Abort: empty all Ore containers

Lights: Toggle Arming (Advanced Grabbing Unit) 1x on each nose of Mk3 cockpits.

1: Toggle Rhino Engines: 40,000thrust 20 total(4x5)

2: Toggle Mammoth Engines: 40,000thrust 10 total(2x5)

3: Toggle Mainsail Engines: 12,000thrust 8 total(4x2)

4: Toggle Skipper Engines: 5,200thrust 8 total(4x2)

5: Toggle Poodle Engines: 5,000thrust 20 total(4x5)

6: Stop Feul Cell x40 <- This is to be used when monopropellant is full.

7. Start Fuel Cell xAll + ISRU Start all (LF+OX, LF, OX, Mono)

8. Stop Fuel Cell xAll + ISRU Retract Converter xAll (LF+OX, LF, OX, Mono)

9. Toggle Drill xAll

10. Start Surface Harvest + Start Asteroid Harvest xAll Drills

Pics:

Without boosters:

With Boosters:

(Old version) Because I think it looks cool! ><

Actual Images of The Orion:

Ok, maybe not truly to scale(Maybe according to kerbal to human height ratio! KTHR?!). But I think it's close. I think the Kerbals might actually be to scale to normal humans from the looks of this picture.

BTW, those real cockpits look exactly like some cockpits I've seen in mods. Mods could really spruce this thing up. Replace the 42 crew with the actual 6 crew this thing has and use the extra space or weight for stuff.

And, sadly, I don't have the stuff to make it spin! That would really finish this thing off! 8d

Here are some alternative layouts for the Orion. These is not the ones I used to make this. 8) Although similar to my testing vehicles when I started.

I knew I should have made the Ore containers dockable. But it's a pain to do so I avoided it. Maybe if 1.1 has stuff to make stuff docked off the runway...

I will have to add these lights in to make it more accurate. And give some lighting while you mine! Those mines get dark! oO

Edited December 6, 2015 by Arugela

[AxleMC131]

Holy cow... That is a LOT of parts. :0.0:

(Very cool though!)

[Gaalidas]

Pious Bovine indeed... now lets see a video of you putting it into orbit... and surviving... without your computer melting/exploding/both.

[Arugela]

Pious Bovine indeed... now lets see a video of you putting it into orbit... and surviving... without your computer melting/exploding/both.

Best I can do are screencaps. The video software would definetly stop me from being able to do things like click on presets to folow prograde etc.

BTW, this took like 5+ hours to do. It's lags so heavy I'm easily getting 20-30 real seconds per in game second during live flight or worse. It's ridiculously slow! I'm really hoping some of these upcoming updates let me fly this closer to normal in the near future.

----------------------------------------------------

I didn't get this picture in high graphics. (is there a way to make them do that while playing in low graphics mode?. This would be one of the first games i've played without that feature.) But here is Jebediah at the base of the Orion planting his flag!

It's orange because the lag didn't let me maneuver fast enough and I turned on Ignore heat cheat and skimmed 60km on kerbin on the way out. It's avoidable when flying without lag. Hard to turn up in super lag!

Higher Res Photos:

Full High Res: Both Need lighting on the top... If only I had installed some. That would have looked alot nicer.

^This large version of this last pick is now my desktop background! 8)

Edited October 9, 2015 by Arugela

[Arugela]

Here are the updated 2.0 versions:

https://www./folder/l67chbca97sklat,2kby7hw85lw6t0f,9m1nrct459w6k5y/shared <- Warning! 2000-2600 parts approximately. *(Forgot the downward facing landing lights. I'll reupload when I add them)

The boosters need to be strutted on like in the version with the boosters. Without that strutting they have a serious problem doing gravity turns and getting into orbit. Also make sure to dump weight in the upper fuel compartments and either empty the ore containers in the VAB or use the Abort key on the runway to empty them for optimal takeoff and DeltaV values. And if you can add cargo. It still needs good probes.

I'm playing around with aerobrakes and stuff for atmospheric landings but I may remove these in the end or reduce them to optimal levels for things like jool breaking or other non landing related activities. I was trying to see if I could manage 0 fuel landings on atmosphere based planets to extend the vehicles range, but this will probably not be possible. So, I will probably just make an exploration vehicle for it. It has a designated 600tons of cargo space anyway. Which may not even be possible to use up entirely.

BTW, the last vehicle got stranded on Minmus because the mining gear couldn't make surface contact sufficiently. I have since lowered them on the structure. I had tested them on the runway and they worked but when I used them on Minmus they were a bit to short to mine. So now it is a memorial to the first landing on Minmus and my venture into the rest of the solar system. I am also going to use the updated version to pick up the 4 kerbals stuck in the first vehicle! The flag ironically reads something about a successful first mission... I guess it's fitting in this sort of a game.

So, I now dub that High res version of the pic: "Stranded in Space!" or "So close, but so far!" (It needs a better name!)

At least it wasn't filled with all 42 Kerbals. That would be one heck of a weird rescue mission!

If I work on anything next, it will probably be making the front more round like in the actual pictures of the Orion and trying to make it look like that. I'll likely add cargo bays sidways and maybe some MK2 fuel things to round it out and then adjust the RCS and other parts so it has sideways cargo bays with full depth etc. And probably working on the proportions. The engine pods, minus the landing gear, are now exactly 16ms long That is exactly 1/2.5 scale. I can try to make the rest of the ship exactly to that scale.

That would make the proper ship dimensions:

Length:

Front: 28m

Middle 24m

Engines 16m

Width: (From the corner of the X shaped mineral storage pods as opposed to the middle ones that are in a + position.)

Middle: 20m

I also need to make some quick reusable probes for initial scouting of planet resources and some basic reusable vehicles for ground mission and landings. Especially Eve and the other extreme planets.

Here are some cool glitchy explosive shots. The ship is both in deep space and on it's launch. I accidently did something stupid while using time warp. But the massive lag made a cool visual affect.

I particularly like this glitch!

Edited October 15, 2015 by Arugela

[Arugela]

Here is my first vehicle meant to accompany the Orion.

The Orion Rover!

http://www./download/rmnml1va4v51fq4/The_Orion_Rover.craft<-Updated version with additional 88-88 com and more electricity/generators and struts. Hopefully it's not unstable because of the extra parts. And thankfully kerbal heads are immune to damage.

I've made some improvements to make it more rugged. It should be harder to destroy now. Although it could probably use more struts in the internals for extra safety.

Instructions are in the vehicles description box!

Edited October 27, 2015 by Arugela

[Red Dwarf]

Dang dude, that is seriously impressive. It's really a monster!

[Arugela]

The Orion Retriever x13 Plus:

 

Version 1:

Parts: 670

http://www./download/ejbtrpkkh0jdv74/The_Orion_Retriever_x13_Plus.craft

Version 2:

Parts: 580

https://www./folder/e2p245gf6ho77o8,v2q5eu1ts8ymx1w,bmwubaedtgul9ql/shared<-Version 2 (both ships independently and one version combined.) Beware of sudden accelerations. The top can become unstable. Version 2 will also be getting a small ore tank and a small converter when they are put in game.

Version 3: (1.0.5) adaptation. 679 parts! I went over the 300 tons limit for this version.

https://www./folder/tey4ttyooaqcizb,6j8s8u4kzisuadg,rbqwag0u554z5lp/shared

When stowed in the Orion the main body of this is 300tons empty and will need to be fueled before use.(I'm hopeing for better fuel management later on in the game.) This is half of the 600tons cargo capacity of The Orion!

This is an asteroid retrieving vehicle for the Orion. I'm hoping they put in bigger asteroids for a few more high level targets. Either way it should theoretically be able to pull E asteroids. I have not tested this though. I'm still testing reentry and other features. This vehicle is also a multipurpose explorer and lander etc. Although the ship may have smaller more efficient versions later to go with it. This would then may likely be mainly for very large asteroid retrieval or mainly. Though it can infinitely explore for free if desired.

It is actually 2+ vehicles. The base is the series of Twin Boar engines. The top is a multipurpose probe that can hold ablatives for reentry and even smaller probes for collecting mining data. The smaller probes should be activated while attached to the main probe for electrical access then dropped into polar orbit. When finished this ship and probes will be stored in the Orion Mining vessel and the detachable parts will have extras in storage for replacement. There may also be more probes that can be stacked between the main ship and the top klaw based probe later on.

When this is finished with the main ship I will probably have other things you can stick on the eight jr ports if desired in place of the current items. It will be something like a multipurpose deep space launch system. There will also be minature probe klaws to help place items or replace them. Those Klaw probes may also be fitted for extra claws in case of a retrieval mission etc. Replacement items may also be packaged in a way that they can move to destination to make work easier. And a smaller hauler vehicle will probably be made with a small cargo bay to retrieve items from Kerbin and refill the cargo bays of the Orion more than likely.

*** I'm still doing testing for rentry and other features to make sure everyone works and to find the limits of the vehicle.

Pics Version 1:

Pics Version2: (Favorite look visually.)

Version 3: (1.0.5)

Version 4: (8x deep space version)(1.0.5)

https://www./folder/mafj66cp5epoxrr,5h4xzx579i9k7ok,04ny60nmnd28t4s/shared

This is Version 3 with some Twin Boar engines switched out for orange tanks(along with some other changes) to reduce weight. This version is down to 300t and 600 parts exactly. Meant to be take into orbit via another vehicle and can take off from any planet 8x gravity or lower. Good for refueling. Although I have removed it from some later designs of the Orion because it of realism and a bug with struts sticking out. I may try to fit it back in just to make the ship more kerbal like.  Especially since it can't get off Kerbin alone. And I feel like I'm wasting a perfectly good vehicle.

 

I still like the look of version 2 the best.

Edited December 7, 2015 by Arugela

[Arugela]

New prototype head for the Orion with 1.0.5 parts and to exact 1:2.5ths scale desired for the entire ship. 72 LVN nuclear engines for 4,320 thrust and 20k LF for 3 minutes of burn(Excluding other LF in vehicle) and cheaper travel between asteroids and whatever other purpose they serve.. This is aprox one third of the vehicle. Although it's more like 1/2.5th of it.

It has a mock version of the two above vehicles. The version 3 retriever and the birdy. they demonstrate where the vehicles will go. If I can ever get them in there. When these two vehices are filled, and the fuel from the birdy and the new protoype head are filled up, there will be about 88 tons of free cargo space left. The vehicles weigh 340 tons empty and the 18k mono and 20k lf weigh 172 tons for 512tons of cargo space.

Edit: I did forget to find a new place for a Science facility though. Maybe I'll put it back above the retreiver and move the location of that docking port to the top of the current doors location.

CraftFile:
http://www./download/gu0uyupcc8uiwa2/The_Orion_Head_V3_1_0_5_scale.craft
Final Version below:
http://www./download/on8o9iofini8hej/The_Orion_Head_V3_1_0_5_scale_Science.craft




Version 1: This version is the above picture. It has the vehicle shoved up farther to allow it or the birdy on the bottom to get out without needing to remove the retriever vehicle for either. It is missing a science facility andit would have to be put in one or both of the side cargo bays Or somewhere else on the vehicle.


Version 2:This version has a science lab up in the top area with the widows exposed to the outside for a nice view. But has the bottom vehicles shoved closer together. And it requires that you take one vehicle out to get the birdy out. Although could turn the cargo bay around to let them both out.. I thought it was a cooler design to make them both get out the same spot.. Seemed more industrial and efficient use of space. AKA, it made me feel like I was cheating.



Final version: I think... Keep in mind this ships in the cargo bay are just mockups with minimal parts. They do not have RCS but are the same dimensions as the ships that will go in it. Although for some reason it still won't let me look out the science bay(mobile processing unit) windows. Not sure if the view is blocked, this feature is not available atm, or if the cargo bay is interfering in some non obvious way.

Edited December 7, 2015 by Arugela

[Arugela]

One more stupid post.

This is where I likely will put Version 3 with 1.0.5 parts for the orion. It is more to scale. And in this pic I took one real quick before it exploded on the runway. The sections(Head, Middle, Engine block) are stable individually empty and full. But together they are still unstable empty. I have to strut it up until it is stable now. But This is what it looks like almost finished. I also have to work out problems with the sub vehicle having fuel lines(And sometimes struts) going in odd direction into the air away from the vehicle and attaching to other things and get it properly into vehicle etc. But here is basically what it will look like.

Empty weight is now around 2880 tons and it goes up to like 8800 tons or more. It no longer is designed to land and refuel on it's own, but should use nukes(144 of them) for deep space travel and other engines for being around planets. It's primarily a 0 gravity vehicle but can do other things if needed. May be an SSTO if I can get it, but that may not happen. It is now 68m tall alone, and only around 1300 parts atm. Which is oddly small compared to the last versions. Should be back up in parts count though once I put the other vehicles in. I also have nuclear based probes to help bring asteroids to it for feeding. So it's much more fuel efficient now. I just need to work out some weight and electric type issues and it will be done besides putting in vehicles.

Pic: (Took this shot before it exploded on the runway! 8p)

http://www./download/wa4wy99omd5r45f/The_Orion_V3_1_0_5_Bottom_Electricity.craft <- This is the newest version without the head and neck of the ship. it is at over 2800 parts(a lot of wich are struts.) and has been stabilized for the runway. Very slow vehicle because of parts count though. This will probably be the main body and engine block for the end ship. Unless and until I find something else to change on it. The head/neck on the above ship will probably be replaced with a different slightly more realistic version. Also less vehicles for realism. Uneless I decide to put them in anyway or I the real ship adds more probes(assuming it doesn't already). I have little mono based probes that are light and hopefully fit the bill of probes on the real ship. If they add more to the real ship I may add more back.

Empty weight is now to scale at around 2,380-2,380.99 tons for a 1:2.5 scale ship. Cargo weight is now the difference between 2880 and empty weight. Ore weighs 2880 and max weight is now 8640 tons.

Shortcuts:

Abort: Jettison Ore tanks contents x All

Brakes: Deactivate all ISRU functions

1: Toggle Rhino engines

2: Toggle Mammoth engines

3: Toggle Vector engines

4: Blank (Will be for starting drills)

5: Reserved to toggle/extend/retract drills

6: Activate ISRU+LF+OX

7: Activate ISRU+LF

8: Activate ISRU+OX

9: Activate ISRU+Mono

0: Toggle LVN engines

Engines:

Main Gravitic engines: 36xRhino engines; 72,000 max thrust

Main Takeoff engines: 14xMammoth engines; 56,000 max thrust

Secondary takeoff/maneuvering engines: 16xVector engines; 16,000 max thrust

Deep space/Main engines: 144xLVN engines; 8,640 max thrust

Instructions:

Empty ore on runway. Use engines in action group 2+3 to get to 6k altitude. Deactivate 2+3 and activate group 1 at 6km. at 30k or so if desired or when out of oxidizer actiavte group 0 and get apoapsis high enough to circularize with lvns only( possibly 300k to 1000k meters). This may work at lower altitudes. (Still working on making this possible. If it doesn't work I will  have to add boosters for initial takeoff after 1.1.). And if you know a better way, go for it! This ships needs all the help it can get getting off kerban! 8) I still have a lot to figure out about how to maximize launches to make this vehicle better.

This version also has 480 generators shoved into the bottom of it to test the electrical system.

Edited December 6, 2015 by Arugela

[Arugela]

Here is basically what the finished product looks like. For now....

I just need to get some small things added and try to get the weight to the correct number and try to get this into orbit as an SSTO so I don't have to add boosters. I think I need to calculate the correct amount of ore to keep the main boosters running longer so I can get a high enough apoapsis to circularize with the nuclear engines between 300k and 1million meters. I got to 185km apoapsis without the fuel in the head of the ship.So There is hope I can slowly float up and then circularize. But the longer I can burn the rhino engines the better.

 

The downside is it takes 5 hours from lag to burn up to orbit and use the fuel up. And that was before I added the rest of the parts just now!! ><

Edited December 9, 2015 by Arugela