[WIP] US Probes - Old and New - Dev Thread

[TMBakeNaut]

Wow! Going to have to test these soon. Really nice looking updates on all of your mods, thanks for all your efforts.

[CelticCossack51]

Wow! Your models are so detailed! Even how hard I work on Blender and Photoshop, I can't reach the level of detail and excellence. As only a request not an order, but a simple request, can we be seeing a Hubble? (Yes, I know Lionhead has a Hubble replica)

Edited November 16, 2014 by CelticCossack51

[raidernick]

Ulysses is in the game now. Continuing to work on a few other probes before release. I will release it without the shuttle cradle done as that is going to be a separate download.

[raidernick]

Deep Impact is done. This contains the Satellite and Impactor. They are both controllable via RCS jets. Up next are NEAR and Stardust.

[Hattivat]

They both look gorgeous!

[raidernick]

NEAR is done. Up last before release is Stardust, which will require significantly more work than the other probes so expect it to take longer.

[raidernick]

Stardust is done, expect a release soon.

[Guest]

That looks really good. Kartoffel really needs to finish his Delta II, most of those probes were launched on it.

[raidernick]

Released in release thread: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/93389-0-25-US-Probes-Pack-Old-and-New-v0-27-Release-11-24-14?p=1560200&viewfull=1#post1560200

[raidernick]

Here is what I am planning on adding next, one of the TDRS satellites.

[hieywiey]

Here is what I am planning on adding next, one of the TDRS satellites.

http://i.imgur.com/GjtCKN2.png

Yay! But since TDRS-B was destroyed with Challenger in STS-51-L, I kinda have a inner urge to make some kind of Challenger memorial.

[lextacy]

I love this probe pack ! anymore probes coming?! Hey I have a little issue with the Galilieo probe. IM not sure if this is by design, but the atmospheric probe is blocking the thrust of the orbiter. Im only able to use a rockets upper stage to break Jool orbit, seperate Galileo from upper stage, drop off the little probe, then use the orbiter to thrust back into orbit.

[raidernick]

I love this probe pack ! anymore probes coming?! Hey I have a little issue with the Galilieo probe. IM not sure if this is by design, but the atmospheric probe is blocking the thrust of the orbiter. Im only able to use a rockets upper stage to break Jool orbit, seperate Galileo from upper stage, drop off the little probe, then use the orbiter to thrust back into orbit.

Yes that is how it worked in real life. The probe was sent to Jupiter using the IUS booster. A month or so away from Jupiter it released the probe THEN used its engine to change its orbit so it wouldn't enter the atmosphere also.

[lextacy]

Yes that is how it worked in real life. The probe was sent to Jupiter using the IUS booster. A month or so away from Jupiter it released the probe THEN used its engine to change its orbit so it wouldn't enter the atmosphere also.

haha thats pretty daring and wicked, but Love the challege

[raidernick]

I finally got around to making the PAM/Star48 for Magellan. I am withholding all updates until 0.90 is released though as it will likely break everything again.

[Guest]

Nice. We really need that Shuttle cradle to properly launch those probes.

Also, the TRW-made, Shuttle-launched TDRS actually looked more like this:

The one here is a later generation sat, launched on an Atlas and made by Boeing. That said, it'd be great to have the earlier TDRS as well. Besides scientific satellites, early TDRS sats were the primary use of Shuttle-IUS combination. We'd only be missing Chandra, Magnum (unlikely to be made, since it's classified) and DSCS for a complete list (IUS was also used for DSP satellites, but that was with Titan 4).

[TMBakeNaut]

Other than the Solar Panels it is pretty spot on to the image you posted Dragon.

http://i.imgur.com/GjtCKN2.png

Remote Tech is one of my latest favorite realism additions, it'll be really nice to have something besides the crap stacks I've done to get coms up. Very nicely done Raider will look forward to the release.

Bob Fitch made some impressive TDRS builds in his Odessy video series, will be nice to have it as a single ship though. Your Sputnik 1 & 2 were used in his Real Solar System series too in case you didn't know.

[Guest]

Not quite spot-on, the designs are similar, but there are important differences between the Boeing and TRW designs. The latter folded into a hexagonal package with antennae folded like umbrellas and sticking out of the front (hence the different panels), while the former launches with intermeshing antennae and panels flat on the sides. Also, the antennae on the bus are quite a bit different, and the bus itself is hexagonal as opposed to rectangular. There's a lot of minor details as well. Also, only the TRW version was launched from the Shuttle using the IUS. The Boeing version, on the other hand, flew on the Atlas V.

[raidernick]

Other than the Solar Panels it is pretty spot on to the image you posted Dragon.

http://i.imgur.com/GjtCKN2.png

Remote Tech is one of my latest favorite realism additions, it'll be really nice to have something besides the crap stacks I've done to get coms up. Very nicely done Raider will look forward to the release.

Bob Fitch made some impressive TDRS builds in his Odessy video series, will be nice to have it as a single ship though. Your Sputnik 1 & 2 were used in his Real Solar System series too in case you didn't know.

There were several versions of the TDRS. The one he posted was the earliest. The one I posted is one of the latest versions. I do have models are some of the earlier ones, I don't know if I am going to add those also as I'm not entirely happy with how they look.

I have seen his youtube series, he does a good job recreating real life flights.

[TMBakeNaut]

Yes he does, only complaint I had is the orbital was off, e.g. Sputnik 1 was 65.1° 939 Ap x 215 Pe. Regardless, as I have told you before your models have made their way in my personal historical recreation of the space race so was fun to see them show up in his series, lights and all. Not entirely sure why he did not use your model for the Vanguard, then again he likes to tinker and make his own stuff.

TDRS 1-6 or A-G were TRW versions placed into Orbit from a shuttle, image Dragon placed in his post. Your in game screen looks like the Hughs/Boeing 8-10 as he said, launched by an Atlas V which by the way is incorrect it was an Atlas-2A, 5 was not in service when 8-10 were launched, first flight was almost 8 months after 9 was in orbit. In as much as these are concerned the Atlas V was used for the TDRS 11 and L - N. Anyhow, looks wise they are similar other than the dishes and the aforementioned solar panels they are essentially the same design, square main body vs hexagonal would probably need to be changed if you wanted to go to the effort.

Since there are so many varieties of that Satellite and modeling them all would be a horrible undertaking I'd personally work on the most common design or simply the one that inspires you. Do you plan on creating the umbrella/flower bloom main dish deployment? IGNOBIL made the really nicely modeled RT Origami folding antennas that may be a good example of how to pull off the animations.

[raidernick]

I tried a skeleton/bones first for the unfolding animation. Besides the fact that I didn't quite like the way it looked since the dishes on that particular tdrs don't have ribs, it also didn't work properly in game. I decided to just use simple scaling to unfold them. So far the only part of any of my packs that successfully uses a skeleton is the Galileo main dish, and only because it is its own part.

[Guest]

Are you sure scaling will do? Their way of unfolding was more complex than that, this is how they looked like when stowed:

TDRS 1-6 or A-G were TRW versions placed into Orbit from a shuttle, image Dragon placed in his post. Your in game screen looks like the Hughs/Boeing 8-10 as he said, launched by an Atlas V which by the way is incorrect it was an Atlas-2A, 5 was not in service when 8-10 were launched, first flight was almost 8 months after 9 was in orbit. In as much as these are concerned the Atlas V was used for the TDRS 11 and L - N. Anyhow, looks wise they are similar other than the dishes and the aforementioned solar panels they are essentially the same design, square main body vs hexagonal would probably need to be changed if you wanted to go to the effort.

I think that this particular model looks more like the modern TDRS 11, actually. That's why I said it flew on Atlas V. It's similar to 8-10, though. TRW design is much more different, being designed for a completely different way of launching.

[TMBakeNaut]

Fair enough Dragon, there appears to little difference between the 8-10 & 11. 2nd and 3rd generation versions of it appearance wise are very similar, obviously technology improvements and launch vehicles make them distinct from one another. Raider you have a bit of a model animation challenge to work around if you decide to undertake the tulip bloom effect on dish deployment.

http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/694465main_tdrs-2.jpg

http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/tdrs_3rd_generation_0.png

[hieywiey]

Could you maybe make a separate thing where Galileo, Magellan, Ulysses, and the upcoming TDRS will all fit in the Component Space Shuttle? And could you make the Tilt Table using Infernal Robotics?

[Guest]

The former three will fit, and we talked about the table already. TDRS as seen here has no business being in the Shuttle, as it's the later version that wasn't launched on it (a bit of a shame, not to mention the older TRDS would've avoided the animation problems, since it's dishes deploy the normal way). Though it probably should fit as well.