Borklund Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 (edited) Kerbin Exploration Technologies Corporation, or KerbX, is a Kerbal space transport company headquartered near the Kerbin Space Center. It was founded just recently by former KerbPal entrepeneur Elon Kerman. It is developing the Falcon series launch vehicles and Dragon series spacecraft, among others. During an interview with KNN, Elon Kerman said that he "would like to die on Duna, just not at the point of impact".What is this mod?It is a parts only mod comprised of SpaceX rocket and spacecraft analogues for KSP. The Stinger and I will post work in progress renders and screenshots in this thread as we develop the mod.The team:Project Lead and 3D artist: Borklund2D artist: The StingerTesters: rejooh, B787_300, XNerd_Bomber, actieveling, thefeeblespark, CrossyCriss, demonofspark, SyncV2, Kerbolman, jb2512, ZaranSpecial thanks to DYJ, Rich, Tiberion, Odin, C7Studios, Mu, bac9, BobCat, r4m0n and others on the forums and IRC for your support and helpfulness. Extra credit goes to feeblespark for his invaluable help with part balancing. Edited May 25, 2013 by Borklund Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaverickSawyer Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 There's the old CardBoardBoxProcessor Failcan pack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borklund Posted October 16, 2012 Author Share Posted October 16, 2012 (edited) There's the old CardBoardBoxProcessor Failcan pack.Sure, and while it is still available for download it has been abandoned. I'm not just going to pick up where he left off, I am trying to create own thing and flesh it out more than CardBoardBoxProcessor did with his Failcan pack (not intended as a knock on him or his work). Edited October 16, 2012 by Borklund Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SargeRho Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 I'd just make the whole Falcon-series. Falcon 1, 9, Heavy, X, X Heavy, and XX. Also the Dragon capsule, both with and without the Super-draco engines. That's about the only suggestion I could think of Also looking forward to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borklund Posted October 17, 2012 Author Share Posted October 17, 2012 (edited) I'd just make the whole Falcon-series. Falcon 1, 9, Heavy, X, X Heavy, and XX. Also the Dragon capsule, both with and without the Super-draco engines. That's about the only suggestion I could think of Also looking forward to it.Yes - Originally my thinking was to skip Falcon 1 and the current Falcon 9 block 1 design but I decided against it because it'd be much simpler to start with the Falcon 1 and work my way up, and also because there aren't a whole lot of great references for the Falcon 9 v1.1 and Falcon Heavy designs, the new Merlin 1D and 2 engines or potential Falcon X, X Heavy and XX designs. The first thing I've taken to modelling is the Merlin 1C booster engine. I wanted to freshen up my modelling skills and so the first thing I'm something a little more complicated than a fuel tank. Here's a very early snapshot of my progress on the Merlin 1C, which should hopefully give some indication of the level of detail (and polycount) that I'm ultimately aiming for: Edited October 18, 2012 by Borklund Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolam Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Will you be creating Falcon-like rocket dubs as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borklund Posted October 18, 2012 Author Share Posted October 18, 2012 Will you be creating Falcon-like rocket dubs as well? Dubs? You've lost me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NannerManCan Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 Also maybe make the Merlin engines small? and make a 9 part coupler so you could make a falocn 9. Without sticking the 8 engines on the side of the rocket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAPFlyer Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 Also maybe make the Merlin engines small? and make a 9 part coupler so you could make a falocn 9. Without sticking the 8 engines on the side of the rocket.Actually, I would suggest making the 9-pack a single part, not 10. Makes things much simpler and is how FailCan was done with excellent results for both poly count and for performance both in game and lifting capacity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borklund Posted October 18, 2012 Author Share Posted October 18, 2012 (edited) Also maybe make the Merlin engines small? and make a 9 part coupler so you could make a falocn 9. Without sticking the 8 engines on the side of the rocket.Absolutely! The Merlin 1C will be 1m in-game at the attachment point at the top (the engine nozzle at the bottom is smaller in diameter). The Falcon 9 configuration will be 2m in-game, and so the engine will be scaled to fit both. I will either make the engine configuration for the Falcon 9 one piece, or a shroud with 9 attachment nodes - I don't know which is better yet.Here's another update on the Merlin 1C: Edited October 18, 2012 by Borklund Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KleptoKat Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 This is fantastic! Can't wait! (What do you expect will be the payload limit?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borklund Posted October 19, 2012 Author Share Posted October 19, 2012 Thanks! I don't have a set number in mind for payload mass yet. My current thinking is that I want to recreate the SpaceX designs in a realistic way (scaled to KSP) but also have them be able to carry the crafts people actually build into low kerbin orbit and beyond. The Falcon 1 would be able to deploy satellites and such into low kerbin orbit and keostationary orbit, the Falcon 9 would be able to bring a small lander to the Mun and Minmus and so on. Does that make sense? Like I said, I don't know for sure yet. I'll happily listen to what people who want to use my mod want it to be, within limits. The mod will also have the Falcon Heavy and conceptual heavier designs that will be able to bring a breadth of spacecraft and payloads to all locations in the solar system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AncientAstronaut Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 Falcon 9 cannot get a small lander to the Moon, though. Falcon 9 is a purely Earth Orbital craft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borklund Posted October 19, 2012 Author Share Posted October 19, 2012 Falcon 9 cannot get a small lander to the Moon, though. Falcon 9 is a purely Earth Orbital craft.As I understand it that's not true. The Falcon 9 can get 4,8 tonnes to GTO and as long as the payload has an engine that is capable of doing a translunar injection burn and with enough fuel you're good to go to the moon. The Falcon 9 second stage would not go to the moon, is what I'm saying, but it would propel the craft enough to enable a TLI. Any eventual Google Lunar X Prize winners will launch on a Falcon 9 (not Falcon Heavy). One company, Astrobotic Technology, has already signed a contract. SpaceX surely would not sign the contract if it was impossible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommygun Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 That engine is looking great, very detailed. The Falcon 9 can get 4,8 tonnes to GTOI wonder how much of that 4.8 tonnes can be final payload? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millst0ne MK II Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 That's....a sexy Merlin you have there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAPFlyer Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 That engine is looking great, very detailed.I wonder how much of that 4.8 tonnes can be final payload?Depends on what kind of fuel is used. If they use a STAR upper stage or PAM, then there's a pretty good chance the lander could be 2-2.5 tonnes, or about the size of the MSL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NannerManCan Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 Well good to have the forums back, so how's progress Borklund? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zaran Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 Bork was ill and Stinger was busy last we heard. Grasshopper testing is ongoing, we were waiting for texture work mostly for Grasshopper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MmPMSFmM Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 LOL, Before: 1171 replies, After: 19 replies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B787_300 Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 it is interesting to see how far this mod has come since october Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CardBoardBoxProcessor Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 apparently it is confirmed that grasshopper did indeed fly on wednesday.ah damn it reset my signature... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NannerManCan Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 Source? I don't see anything about this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borklund Posted April 20, 2013 Author Share Posted April 20, 2013 It's on various websites. If the past is any indication to go by we'll have video up on the SpaceX youtube channel in days or weeks max.Anyway, hello again. Odd that they didn't have a more recent backup than October. As for KerbX, I'm busy with other stuff but I'll talk to Stinger soon about where we go from here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CardBoardBoxProcessor Posted April 20, 2013 Share Posted April 20, 2013 Bork did you see the height and such? It's on L2. anyway. It goes like this. It first appeared on the FAA upcoming launches list. It quickly disappeared and has yet to appear on completed launches list however Antares is still on the upcoming list. Thus it happened. Then several people confirmed seeing it fly in person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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