Constellation Mission Packs Discussion Thread!

[PixelatedPig]

I have been working on this project for a month now and decided to take a small break of this project and work on a other project I have been working on.

can you guess what it is...?

 

 

[Majorjim!]

18 minutes ago, PixelatedPig said:

I have been working on this project for a month now and decided to take a small break of this project and work on a other project I have been working on.

can you guess what it is...?

 

 

That's a Saturn V isn't it? An Apollo craft!

[PixelatedPig]

1 minute ago, Majorjim said:

That's a Saturn V isn't it? An Apollo craft!

That's right! 

[NSEP]

My Brabantium and Floris Crew Modules from the Benelux Space Agency are ready for future missions!

What do you think?

15 hours ago, PixelatedPig said:

I have been working on this project for a month now and decided to take a small break of this project and work on a other project I have been working on.

can you guess what it is...?

 

 

Whooow! An Apollo spaceship! Thats amazing!

[The_Shortline_Gamer]

I am done with the Ares I, so here is a picture!

I am very sorry, but I had to hide several ''S1 SRB-KD25k "Kickback" Solid Fuel Boosters'' inside each other. Here are 2 reasons why I did this. 

Reason 1: So the rocket has enough TWR to lift off the launch-pad.

Reason 2: So the 1st stage wouldn't burn out at about 10KM.

I also want to make the 1st stage recoverable. The 1st stage burns out at 25KM, so no thereat of burning up!

22 hours ago, PixelatedPig said:

I have been working on this project for a month now and decided to take a small break of this project and work on a other project I have been working on.

can you guess what it is...?

 

 

For some reason I am thinking Nova Rocket? The safe guess is a Saturn 5, or maybe Saturn I?

Also this interesting picture, that basically shows several launcher options considered for the Orion CEV. I think we can talk about this?

 

[NSEP]

1 hour ago, The_Shortline_Gamer said:

I am done with the Ares I, so here is a picture!

I am very sorry, but I had to hide several ''S1 SRB-KD25k "Kickback" Solid Fuel Boosters'' inside each other. Here are 2 reasons why I did this. 

Reason 1: So the rocket has enough TWR to lift off the launch-pad.

Reason 2: So the 1st stage wouldn't burn out at about 10KM.

I also want to make the 1st stage recoverable. The 1st stage burns out at 25KM, so no thereat of burning up!

 

 

Looks legit to me! It doesnt exactly look like an Ares I. But nothing is perfect! Pretty cool! You could maybe make the first stage a little thicker by just clipping and stuff like that. But thats just a suggestion!

[Majorjim!]

7 hours ago, NSEP said:

What do you think?

I like it! Looks very practical!

31 minutes ago, The_Shortline_Gamer said:

I am very sorry, but I had to hide several ''S1 SRB-KD25k "Kickback" Solid Fuel Boosters'' inside each other.

You and every other person who makes and Ares 1! No worries man, one just wont do it as to prevent it cutting out at a silly low altitude you need to cut the thrust and that requires more than one to get into orbit. I like what you have so far, the Ares 1 shape is surprisingly hard to perfect.

[Speeding Mullet]

I've been toying around with this having had a pop at it way back when (got as far as a Duna lander that could only release the ascent vehicle by splitting in half, very Kerbal!).  Thinking about having another pop at it, and have designed a very very basic Altair lander and slightly more well developed Lunar Ascent Module to get me started, but immediately struck a problem in that without tweakscale it's going to be pretty challenging to create something that looks good around the size of the Altair ascent module.

 

I went for a Hybrid Altair based around a merge of option 1 and 3 from this photo:

The good thing about the mono kick away from the lander before the main ascent engine (aerospike) kicks in is that it prevents unwanted explosions occurring.

Is stock plus tweakscale allowable for this kind of development, or would you say the entire concept revolves around a stock only package?  If that's the case then a re-think is definitely on the cards!

 

SM

[Raptor9]

Now that my new cargo lander is pretty much done, I constructed the new habitation lander tonight.  It comes with an airlock module borrowed from my Mun base infrastructure, plenty of research and habitation space, and even an upper deck dining and hangout area complete with a "porch" or balcony of sorts to enjoy the Duna landscape.  What you see in the picture is 217 parts, but I still need to add a few items such as science experiments and power generation equipment like solar panels and/or fuel cells.

Of special note is an embedded fuel distribution system using fuel ducts.  I have 5 fuel tanks (3 in the back, 2 in the front) feeding six engines, with a slightly asymmetric center-of-mass.  The fuel system allows the forward and aft engine clusters to run at different limiter settings for CoT/CoM balance, but still flame-out at the same time.  Further, if a couple heavy KIS containers were added to the forward cargo platform, the forward engine cluster thrust would need to be increased to compensate for the center-of-mass shift.  No problem there, all engines still have access to all fuel. 

[NSEP]

4 hours ago, Raptor9 said:

Now that my new cargo lander is pretty much done, I constructed the new habitation lander tonight.  It comes with an airlock module borrowed from my Mun base infrastructure, plenty of research and habitation space, and even an upper deck dining and hangout area complete with a "porch" or balcony of sorts to enjoy the Duna landscape.  What you see in the picture is 217 parts, but I still need to add a few items such as science experiments and power generation equipment like solar panels and/or fuel cells.

Of special note is an embedded fuel distribution system using fuel ducts.  I have 5 fuel tanks (3 in the back, 2 in the front) feeding six engines, with a slightly asymmetric center-of-mass.  The fuel system allows the forward and aft engine clusters to run at different limiter settings for CoT/CoM balance, but still flame-out at the same time.  Further, if a couple heavy KIS containers were added to the forward cargo platform, the forward engine cluster thrust would need to be increased to compensate for the center-of-mass shift.  No problem there, all engines still have access to all fuel. 

I myself wouldnt go to Mars in real life. But with a hangout cabin. Hell yeah! I like your hbitation lander ALOT!

Edited June 26, 2016 by NSEP

[NSEP]

Im working on my temporary Mun base modules now. Could take a while.

[Majorjim!]

7 hours ago, Speeding Mullet said:

The good thing about the mono kick away from the lander before the main ascent engine (aerospike) kicks in is that it prevents unwanted explosions occurring.

Yup, in my Altair I have gone for Monoprop option 2 in those pics you posted. Works a charm and no splosions!

 

5 hours ago, Raptor9 said:

Of special note is an embedded fuel distribution system using fuel ducts.  I have 5 fuel tanks (3 in the back, 2 in the front) feeding six engines, with a slightly asymmetric center-of-mass.  The fuel system allows the forward and aft engine clusters to run at different limiter settings for CoT/CoM balance, but still flame-out at the same time.

Looking good dude!

 I too have managed to get 6 motors to flame out at the same time even with unequal thrust. I love fuel routing challenges!

 Now the tricky part is a clean EDL! To remain flat, to not flip and to have all parts separate cleanly is hard in the extreme. I will post a video of my EDL When I release, I spent weeks on that part alone and am super proud of it!

 I cant wait to see you completed pack mate. Are you making the other craft or is it an analogue?

[Raptor9]

3 hours ago, Majorjim said:

 Now the tricky part is a clean EDL! To remain flat, to not flip and to have all parts separate cleanly is hard in the extreme. I will post a video of my EDL When I release, I spent weeks on that part alone and am super proud of it!

I agree.  As we discussed, a fairing-based aeroshell is too aerodynamic (even with drogues and airbrakes) and the lander just can't bleed enough speed before it hits the ground.  But I really don't want to deal with the additional part count of something like a radiator panel-based aeroshell.  What I've started doing is testing an EDL without any aeroshell.  The fairing/aeroshell on the HLV-6's are retained during transit for any aerobrake captures, but after the deorbit burn, the entire aeroshell assembly is jettisoned.  The lander is stabilized by a drogue chute in the back, and without an aeroshell, it has enough total drag to slow itself down enough that it won't start tumbling in the lower atmosphere, and the Duna atmo is thin enough not to encounter any heating.

3 hours ago, Majorjim said:

 I cant wait to see you completed pack mate. Are you making the other craft or is it an analogue?

Are you talking about the rest of the Constellation program?  I already have a series of craft analogous to most Constellation elements.

EV-2C 'Runabout' = Orion crew vehicle (although it's not launched on an Ares I, something more akin to an Atlas)
LV-3A 'Bullfrog' = Altair Moon lander and Earth Departure Stage (early version)
EV-4 'Longship' Block 1 = Mars Transfer Vehicle and associated NTR propulsion stages (needs a long-overdue update/refinement pass after Duna landers are finished)
'Titan 4C' = Closest thing to Ares V, but actually modeled like the SLS Block 2 Cargo
HLV-6A/B 'Warthog' = Mars Cargo/Habitat landers (testing/unreleased obviously)

The one element I'm not really interested in doing is the Ares I. 

Edited June 26, 2016 by Raptor9

[Majorjim!]

Just now, Raptor9 said:

Are you talking about the rest of the Constellation program?  I already have a series of craft analogous to most Constellation elements.

Ah yeah, ok cool so closer to an analogue. I like the approach and those other craft look great man!

 

Just now, Raptor9 said:

I agree.  As we discussed, a fairing-based aeroshell is too aerodynamic

Yeah I remember the discussion. I look forward to seeing how you idea will work. And yeah from a stable Duna orbit there is very little heating indeed thankfully!

[The_Shortline_Gamer]

On 6/25/2016 at 5:22 PM, NSEP said:

Looks legit to me! It doesnt exactly look like an Ares I. But nothing is perfect! Pretty cool! You could maybe make the first stage a little thicker by just clipping and stuff like that. But thats just a suggestion!

Well I tried doing that, however this was the result.

 

I know Ares I had some violent vibrations to it, however i didn't know they where that bad!   

I have put a lot of time into Ares I, compered to other launch vehicles I build. They normally take around 2 days to complete, however Ares I has already taken up 4 days, just to get it to the point it is now.

Ares I is not near completion, and I spend around 1-2 hours per day playing KSP. 4 Days X 1 Hour 30 Minutes  = 6 Hours. 

So what I have decided to do is scrap my Ares I and take one of the rejected lifters for Ares I. My favorite rocket the Delta IV Heavy! It only took around 3 hours to complete my Delta IV Heavy, So time has been saved! 

 

I am realizing this entire thread is basically spaceflight alternate history in KSP, because Project Constellation was cancelled back in 2010. 

I have always been a fan of Alternate History. I did read though all of Eyes Turned Skyward in a single weekend. I am also reading through Sputniks right now. Both are awesome Spaceflight Alternate Histories! 

     http://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/sputniks-an-alternate-space-race.211734/ http://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/eyes-turned-skywards.208954/

12 hours ago, Raptor9 said:

EV-2C 'Runabout' = Orion crew vehicle (although it's not launched on an Ares I, something more akin to an Atlas)

 Atlas 5 was one of the rejected lifters for the Orion CEV, As shown in this picture I posted earlier.  

Maybe We can rework our Orion CEV'S, to make them launch on some of the rejected lifters instead of Ares I if your up to the task!  

Edited June 27, 2016 by The_Shortline_Gamer
Messed Up 3 Words

[Raptor9]

15 minutes ago, The_Shortline_Gamer said:

 Atlas 5 was one of the rejected lifters for the Orion CEV, As shown in this picture I posted earlier.

I'm aware of that.  What I was pointing out to Majorjim is that I have an "Orion" capsule analogue, but only the crew vehicle itself is analogous to an element of the Constellation program.  The launcher I have it mounted to for LKO launches is closest in appearance to an Atlas (or maybe even a medium Delta).  It's not intended to be a replica, but something that works well and is relatively economical in career mode for LKO altitude orbits.

I should clarify that any Constellation-inspired craft I build are not intended to be 100% accurate in appearance or function.  I do imitate and replicate general concepts and mission architectures, which leads to a lot of similarities. 

Edited June 27, 2016 by Raptor9

[Majorjim!]

2 hours ago, The_Shortline_Gamer said:

Well I tried doing that, however this was the result.

 

Flipping is common when trying to replicate the Ares 1. You don't even need the fins at the base. Try using some vernor engines around the top. it will help and real rockets use them too!

[Mad Rocket Scientist]

What is everyone doing about the DTV's curved struts?  I think I'm going to ignore them.

[Majorjim!]

Just now, Mad Rocket Scientist said:

What is everyone doing about the DTV's curved struts?  I think I'm going to ignore them.

Curves are not really practical. Possible yes but requires massive part count. I have made something that looks curved but uses half the parts.

[PixelatedPig]

On 6/25/2016 at 3:35 PM, NSEP said:

My Brabantium and Floris Crew Modules from the Benelux Space Agency are ready for future missions!

 

 

What do you think?

Whooow! An Apollo spaceship! Thats amazing!

thanks man!

your crafts looks good, great job!

 

 

On 6/25/2016 at 10:10 PM, The_Shortline_Gamer said:

For some reason I am thinking Nova Rocket? The safe guess is a Saturn 5, or maybe Saturn I?

I'm working on a Saturn V and a saturn I. i thought about building a Nova rocket but I'm not sure yet. 

 

Edited June 28, 2016 by PixelatedPig

[NSEP]

On 28-6-2016 at 4:03 PM, PixelatedPig said:

thanks man!

your crafts looks good, great job!

 

 

I'm working on a Saturn V and a saturn I. i thought about building a Nova rocket but I'm not sure yet. 

 

Thank you too man!  And a Nova rocket could look interesting but i think it is a little big and unstable. Just saying.

Floris is finnaly in a Lunar (or in this case Munar) Orbit! Yay!

 

And this is my launcher i used for the Brabantium SM: (Sorry if it is a little too big) 

Edited June 29, 2016 by NSEP

[Majorjim!]

On 06/27/2016 at 9:08 PM, Mad Rocket Scientist said:

What is everyone doing about the DTV's curved struts?

Whoops, I forgot I have curved parts. 350 parts total for the DTV. Some parts are not curved though.

[pTrevTrevs]

3 hours ago, NSEP said:

Thank you too man!  And a Nova rocket could look interesting but i think it is a little big and unstable. Just saying.

Floris is finnaly in a Lunar (or in this case Munar) Orbit! Yay!

 

And this is my launcher i used for the Brabantium SM: (Sorry if it is a little too big) 

No escape tower? Is there an abort mechanism or are you doing it Voskhod style with nothing at all?

Edited June 29, 2016 by pTrevTrevs

[NSEP]

11 hours ago, pTrevTrevs said:

No escape tower? Is there an abort mechanism or are you doing it Voskhod style with nothing at all?

Abort systems have barely been used in real space travel. But maybe i could add an escape tower.

[Majorjim!]

How's everyone getting on with the Constellation stuff?

 I have finished the two aeroshells, each one is tailored for each lander, that took some time.. I improved my Ares 1 and is now the best example I have seen of one. Very happy about that!

 I realised I have been working on this pack for over a year now.. Mostly due to the number of times I rebuilt things. I prefer to perfect something behind the scenes rather than releasing something and then improving it like some builders do. At least you get the absolute best straight off the bat!

 The part counts have gone up a bit but with good reason. Nothing is superfluous and you need the detail in a replica of this scale! Performance for me is still perfect and the timer stays fully 'in the green'. I have some more testing on the landers to fully certify them 'majorjim quality' then all I have to do is make the Ares V. Having said that there always seems like there are things to do or test or improve but I am inching towards completion!