SLS / Block I / ATV-SM / Orion-MPCV

[whoshotdk]

Here’s an attempt at a real-world spacecraft, the Orion MPCV. Complete with SLS booster, Block I ICPS “range extenderâ€Â, ATV derived service module and Orion capsule.

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Right-click the download link and use 'Save As' or similar.

TLDR? Just read this important bit…

Separation between ATV-SM and Block I *may* be a tiny bit quirky - nothing real bad should happen but you might have a minor space-tussle as the engine fairing of the ATV-SM clips the discarded Block I. Quicksave before separation if in doubt!

Statistics

Subject to change.

Tonnage: 54t dry

Parts: 190

After SLS & LES separation; Delta-V: 2,652m/s

After Block I separation; Delta-V: 1,360m/s (approximately 20m/s out from the real thing, according to Wikipedia)

Total Delta-V: 7,114 m/s

Launch parameters - 200km circular orbit

1. Enable SAS and launch

2. Begin gravity turn 45deg east at 7km

3. Stage - Drop SRBs when empty

4. Action group 0 - Discard the LES (non-abort)

5. Stage - Drop SLS booster when empty

On decouple, give a quick squirt on the engines to ease the Block I / SM / MPCV out of the booster fairing

6. Circularise your orbit with the Block I engines

7. Action Groups 4, 5, 6 - extend antenna, solar panels and switch on the lights

Landing parameters

1. Perform de-orbit burn

2. Decouple the ATV-SM

3. Deploy drogue chute at appropriate altitude - i.e its up to you

4. Deploy main chutes at appropriate altitude

5. Land (speed approximately 7m/s).

Action Groups / Controls

[4] Toggle ATV-SM antenna

[5] Toggle ATV-SM solar panels

[6] Toggle Lights

[0] Eject the LES (non-abort)

[ABORT / Backspace] Eject the MPCV with LES

Notes

The booster fairing remains on the SLS booster. I did this because A. I hate tons of debris floating around, B. It helps keep part count down and C. Emerging from the fairing like an apprehensive mouse from its hole looks cool.

This version of the SLS booster can put you into a 100km circular orbit with a couple of DV to spare. In real life, you’d drop the SLS booster before circularisation and use the Block I to circularise. Aiming for higher orbits will require some help from Block I.

The CM has RCS thrusters so you can do a bit of maneuvering even after ATV-SM separation.

I’d like to improve this at some point into a Mark II version. If you know a bit about Orion and can see something particularly wrong with this craft I’d be happy to hear some constructive criticism. Obviously the scale is smaller than real-life, but I can live with that as I want to keep the part count down. I realize the fairing is wrong too - I’m waiting for KSP 1.0 with its procedural fairings to help fix that issue.

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Enjoy!

[Yukon0009]

Very nice designs!

[Columbia]

Great work! Could use a bit of optimization with fairings, though.

Nice anyways.

[whoshotdk]

Thanks for the comments guys!

Columbia - would you care to elaborate re the fairings? I'm actively looking for suggestions for this craft and would of course credit you in the main post for any suggestions I implement.

[Darth Lazarus]

nice work on your Orion. Yes, Fairings can be a pain in the a**, i know this. I wait for the 1.0 fairings too ,relly curious in how they will work. But with some experience, good looking and working stock fairings with moderate partcount are possible.

so you have the ATV service module. not sure how to improve it, because i used the original service module for my Orion with the more complex RCS layout

here a picture of my current NASA mission architechture:

[whoshotdk]

I really like your strut work on the ICPS & EUS plus the SLS fairings looks very tidy! It's all very pretty.

[Darth Lazarus]

thank you it was a lot of work and it's still not finished. minor things that needs to be added, altered or fixed. but all rockets are workign so far. even got teh time to build a Delta IV medium for saome heavy satelites. it's awesome to see, how already build rocketparts can be combined to form new ones.

[Commander Jebidiah]

Darth Lazerus on your orion 1 what fuel tank is there.

Whoshotdk nice orion.

[Nik_601]

Good work, whoshotdk! Nicely done and rep for you for low part count

Your Orion reminds me of my own, which I've built some time ago

[whoshotdk]

I see you also did the proper RCS thruster layout same as Darth Lazarus; I like that on both your designs and kinda wish I hadn't been so lazy with mine

Still, part count is important to me as I'm running on a pretty low-RAM Mac so I try to avoid over-detailing now. Having said that, Nik; your Orion looks pretty low part-count too, and probably less than mine. Nice stripe on the Delta IV, it looks a lot like the real one!

[Darth Lazarus]

Darth Lazerus on your orion 1 what fuel tank is there.

Whoshotdk nice orion.

twi FL-T200 are hidden inside teh service module, thanks to the offset tool

my Orion MK 1 has roughly 700 m/s of dV