[RSS/RO/RP-0] Soviet Engines playthrough (Hard)

[NathanKell]

Now that various scanning devices are supported, we launch a radar mapping mission into Earth orbit to prove the technology for later use (the Moon and the near planets). Wisp 1 is the first launch of the Wisp program. It produces highly-detailed radar topography.

 

 

[NathanKell]

Faerie 2 - Phobos

The Faerie 2 stack finally reaches Mars. We capture into Mars orbit and then set up a Phobos transfer. After Phobos capture the stack separates and the lander touches down on the surface of Phobos.

 

[MatterBeam]

What texture level are you using? Phobos' textures are rather blurry....

[legoclone09]

8 hours ago, MatterBeam said:

What texture level are you using? Phobos' textures are rather blurry....

He probably has a very low res texture for phobos, it is a TINY asteroid. Escape velocity is 6 m/s, and it has 6km maximum diameter.

[NathanKell]

I'm using 8192s, so...whatever the max res texture for Phobos that we have in RSS.

[NathanKell]

Wisp 2 is a Block II Wisp mission. It uses a new mark of the Wisp spacecraft, one which we plan to send to Mars and Venus as soon as windows open. To test it out, we send one to the Moon to perform low and high resolution radar topography. Yet another night launch...at least we get some pretty views of the Florida coast!

 

[NathanKell]

While we have an active robotic space program, we also have a comprehensive human spaceflight program at home. The Dalmatian spacecraft was always intended for dual use: it is meant to serve both in Lunar orbit and as an LEO

 

 

[NathanKell]

With the station safely in orbit, we send up the first crew rotation!

 

[NathanKell]

30 days later, the crew is ready to come home--for the New Year's celebration of their lives!

 

[Red Iron Crown]

Great job! Your recovery location is really close to where I live.

[NathanKell]

@Red Iron Crown Hah! Well, let's just say the crew waved.

(So did the crew of the icebreaker required to support the landing...not the smartest LZ choice for late December.)

[NathanKell]

This will be going on hiatus a bit due to experimentals and my playing a US game from the start again.

[NathanKell]

A preview of things to come: the Ivory launch vehicle is in testing. It will take human beings to the Moon's surface, and perhaps outside the Earth-Moon system. To LEO, it offers a massive 8x jump in capability over the Hyalite, a full hundred and seventy tons to LEO.

 

The Ivory LV masses, all up, 2735t plus payload. It uses 4x RD-0120 engines burning for nine minutes as a core with 4x RD-170 strapons burning for 2m45s. With the power of hydrolox that is only about 3.5x the mass of the old Hyalites but 9x the payload--and with a Hawthorne upper stage (1x RD-0120) it can push even more. Our current lunar plans involve two-launch EOR: one launch will loft the lunar spacecraft and the second will launch a Hawthorne stage with docking capability. The lunar stack will capture into lunar orbit and descend using a crasher stage. It will land with the terminal landing stage (which will contain exploration supplies, the landing equipment, etc) and then will lift off with just the command and service modules. The service module will be a stretched, uprated variant of that flown on the prior lunar orbital missions. The spacecraft and mission will represent the ultimate evolution of the Dalmatian type.