"Olympus" Space Shuttle (NASA Space Shuttle replica) - "Snowstorm" Space Shuttle (Buran replica)

[Araym]

I've been always, and always will be, a fan of Inigma's Space Shuttles.

BUT, in my game, I always look around to finde some cool looking mods to improve my pleasure to build more real life craft, and also to ease my poor laptop to run a lot of parts during flight scenes (specific good modded part could ease part counts A LOT).

Recently, to improve my engineering skills and to stole some "secrets" behind Inigma's Shuttles, I rebuilt a very similar craft, but using some of the newly added parts on my KSP game...

It leads to the:

 

 

STS-K10-C "Olympus" Space Shuttle

"Olympus" (in a pre-relaese version beauty shoot on a 300km orbit, showing its fully 42 tons payload capability, deploying Inigma's Fuel Pod

 

VAB pictures of the actual released "Version C"

 

http://imgur.com/a/MAcK0

Craft file:

The following craft needs MANDATORY these Mods:

-Tweakscale

-Adjustable Landing Gears

-Mk3 spaceplane Expansion Pack

-Mk3 Mini Expansion Pack

STS-K10-C Space Shuttle "Olympus" (Updated 23/09/2015)

Part Counts: 227 (empty cargo bay)

Cargo capacity: 0 to 42 tons

Maximum rated cargo: 42 tons to +300km circular orbit

Career Cost: 246945 credits (base craft, cargobay empty, ~2/3 main tank fueled, as downloaded: add cargo cost and additional fuel cost if needed)

Notes:

- Solid Fueled Boosters like the real NASA Space Shuttle.

- Electric production provided by Fuel Cells, like the real NASA Space Shuttle.

- MechJeb friendly.

- Stock aero compatibile (obviously ) - FAR NOT TESTED

- Boosters recovery compatible with StageRecovery (rated to ~56% returning cost)

- OMS engines are tuned down to improve orbital controls. They are capable to deliver a lot more power than actual setting, but at expense to pitch wildly the Orbiter... feel free to change setting to your liking, but you have been adviced of "bad behaviours" if tuned more toward max thrust power!!!

DOWNLOAD CRAFT: KerbalX

Payloads subassemblies:

FULLY COMPATIBLE with all the Inigma's Space Shuttle payload subassemblies (check them here)

*Action Groups*

1- Space Shuttle Main Engines (toggle)

2- Orbital Manouvering System engines (toggle)

3- Cargo Bay (open-close)

4- Forward Cargo Bay Lights (toggle)

5- Rear Cargo Bay Lights (toggle)

6- Cockpit's Ladders (toggle)

7- AirBrakes (toggle)

8- *none*

9- Fuel Cells start

0- Fuel Cells stop

B (Brakes)- AirBrakes toggle, Adjustable Landing Gear brakes

BackSpace (Abort)- SRBs ShutDown and Decoupling

Flight profiles:

As Inigma's ones, your mileage could vary depending of your flight profile/capabilities.

The flight profile is consistent to Inigma's Space Shuttle, so if you have already flew one of them, there is nothing very different to tell to you.

The craft itself is already fueled for empty to medium payloads (upper 3 tanks fully fueled, 4th one half fueled, bottom cap tank empty).

It needs to be FULL FUELED if your payload meet the max payload capability (42 tons)

If you are flying a cargo half way to 42 tons, you have to add accordingly some more fuel/oxidizer: FIRST to the 4th tank and only AT LAST in the bottom main tank cap.

0 to 15 Tons Cargo Ascent (Default Craft)

Fuel Load: Empty bottom external tank, 4th one half fueled (downloaded craft are already set to these values). (Maybe less/none fuel on the 4th tank, if you are flying empty and/or in career mode, to save money )

1. Turn on SAS.

2. Start SSMEs at FULL thrust.

3. Start SRBs/release Launch Clamps.

4. Somewhat immediately after liftoff, but before 3km begin your roll program, after launch. Throttle down a bit (~75% or even a bit less) by the time you start to see the atmosphere Mach effect.

5. Let the craft pitches by itself to 45 by about 20km, managing the throttle to adjust the inclination, so don't touch your controls too much after roll (else you will cancel out SAS and could dip) but adjust inclination with throttle management if possible.

6. Separate boosters when empty, full SSMEs throttle (if you are still at partial throttle), and (optional) cycle to SRBs to deploy their parachutes and then cycle back to the orbiter. (If using a mod like "Stage Recovery", let the mod recover them for you: sometime the speed of falling booster could rip-off the parachutes, if they are above 250m/s)

7. Pitch to 0 degrees by 50km.

8. Drop tank when empty or at desired apoapsis.

9. Monopropellant OMS to circularize orbit and (later) deorbit.

10. ... Profit!

42 Tons Cargo Ascent: (Carrying the Inigma's STS Fuel Pod subassembly or similary payload)

Fuel Load: Fill all tanks

1. Turn on SAS.

2. Start SSMEs at FULL thrust.

3. Start SRBs/release Launch Clamps.

4. Somewhat immediately after liftoff but before 3km begin your roll program, tail facing ocean.

5. Go at full throttle up for the whole flight, no major control on your part is needed as long as you have SAS enabled and leave your controls alone for the most part. The solid boosters should naturally curve your trajectory to 45 degrees by about 18km (help eventually them with a ~95/90% throttle, if you feel to fly too straight up), at which point you can ditch them in a beautiful separation.

6. (Optional) Cycle to falling boosters and deploy chutes separately then cycle back to shuttle (should maintain heading fine). (Like previous said, if running a mod for stage recovery, forgot them )

7. Pitch to 30 degrees by 40km.

8. Pitch to 10 degrees by 50km and roll belly down then pitch up immediately to 15 degrees.

9. Unlike an empty cargo flight, you will actually raise your periapsis to orbital target altitude while keeping your initial apoapsis marker in the atmosphere (65km or less). Control your pitch (eventually even pitching a bit "down") to accomplish this by focusing on building speed after reaching 50km, not height. Your OMS engine could complete the circularization later.

10. Drop tank when empty or desired apoapsis.

11. Monopropellant OMS to circularize orbit and deorbit.

12. ... Profit!

0 to 42 tons Cargo, Mechjeb users: (no need to worry to change it, as it auto-tune for any payload/fuel loading characteristics )

Fuel Loads: accordingly to cargo, see above.

From a guide I wrote on Inigma's Shuttle thread

Araym said:

Quote

TheDoctor;2209736']So I have the STS-7. It's a fantastic machine and I'm much obliged for you having designed it inigma. I'm having an issue that I'm hoping you can shed some light in it for me. I installed a mechjeb on the shuttle' date=' but when I use the assent guidance the shuttle rolls belly towards the ocean, instead of tail to the ocean. What can I do to correct this issue? Or am I going to have to launch it manually and then use the mechjeb to work the rendezvous?[/quote']

Mechjeb could be a bit of "stupid" if not right set, flying a Shuttle, because the flight profile of a shuttle requires a lot of different actions.

What I'm using, lately, with my launches (both with Inigma's STS-7E and my own variations BUT CONSIDER I'mj using the the SOLID booster version, so mileage/trajectory could vary on Liquid Fueled Boosters):

First, open the Ascend Guidance module and edit your Ascent Path: I have mine set as

-"Turn Start Altitude = 1km"

-"Turn start Velocity = 100 m/s"

-"Turn End Altitude = 65 km"

-"Final Flight Path = from 0° (42t payload) to -10° (empty) (set to your preference, just to stay at the edge of Kerbin atmosphere during burn, under 70km altitude, and let the Main Tank deorbit itself after spent: "0°" are good for the max payload/fully fueled main tank; some negative numbers could be plotted on the run, if you are noticing a too vertical climb or are you going empty)

-"Turn Shape = 65%"

THEN you have to add some more parameter in the Ascent Guidance itself. I turn on the following parameters:

- Prevent Overheat set ON (... not really needed - it's a remnant of old engine heating process during launch -, but just selected for good safety procedure )

- Limit to Terminal Velocity set ON

- Limit Q pressure, set to 20000 pa

- Keep Limited Throttle set over 75% (if you are flying not at max payload capacity with fully fueled Main External Tank, you can experience to arrive both at max terminal velocity or max Q very early in the flight and you NEED the liquid fueled engine on the Orbiter to "push" the full stack straight in the ascent path: MOSTLY needed if flying a solid booster version, as the SRBs themselves are not throttable. With a Liquid fueled booster version could be set OFF, as both booster and main orbiter engine will throttle down together)

- Corrective Steering set ON

- Force Roll set ON, with (at launch) climb set at 180° and turn at 180° (to perform the "roll program" just after take-off and ascent with the Orbiter belly UP - tail to the ocean - like the real Shuttle launch)

- DO NOT let the "Autowarp" option "ON"

THEN you have to "help/nurse" Mechjeb at some stages of the launch:

1- Just after launch, when it start to roll, help with some roll input from keyboard (Mechjeb is a bit slow on rolling, sometime setting half way to a proper roll to 180°)

2- At Booster fuel depleting, wait a second before eject them: without the push from them, the Orbiter will pull for a moment more vertical, in the climb. This straightening of the flying path will help at the ejection moment, to avoid any collision of the Boosters with the Orbiter wings

3- When the remaining Orbiter+Main Fuel Tank stack arrives at +50km altitude (clearing the thicker part of Kerbin Atmosphere), it is the moment for the "belly down roll" program: on the Force Roll line on the Ascent Guidance, set the "turn" parameter (the second box) from 180° to 0°. The Orbiter will start to roll: AGAIN, like in the first phase of the launch (point 1- here in this guide), help the slow Mechjeb with some keyboard input (left alone, sometime it take ages to complete the manouver, sometime it set itself halfway, not completing it)

4- Let the Shuttle arrive at the desidered orbital altitude apopsis: if the flight is gone smoothly, you should have an apoapsis set to your desidered altitude, with a periapsis still UNDER 70km (This is achieved around 60/65km altitude, with the Orbiter still slowly ascending... WORRY only if your Orbiter is loosing altitude: look at the "Special Advice" further in this guide). This is INTENDED, to deorbit the spent Main Tank.

It will allow to decouple the now empty main tank with the Orbiter keeping a good horizontal attitude, still in the very last layer of the atmosphere, to avoid collision with the Main Tank.

Just after separation, cleared the Main Tank, ignite the OMS engines (I set the main tank separation and OMS engine ignition on separate stages, prior to launch, on the VAB: it helps to avoid them to eventually fire when the orbiter is still too much closer to the Main Tank, maybe crashing on it, if Mechjeb eventually tries to adjust the final ascending apoapsis - remember that you are still in the atmosphere, so a little bit of drag could lower it, and Mechjeb is always trying to compensate immediately as you have any engine active)

5- and finally: let the Orbiter settle to the node for circularasing the orbit. ONLY at this point, I usually turn "Autowarp" on: the Orbiter should be at this point in space, and it is plenty safe to let it warp at your heart content

6- Apoapsis kick with OMS, Orbit achieved... Profit!!!

With this ascent program, I'm usually able to achieve +300km circular orbit with the 42 tons payload/fully fueled main tank, having enough monoprop fuel to deorbit...

Obviously, lower tonnage payload will need less fuel on the Main Tank, and will achieve easier high orbits with more monopropellent fuel margin for the OMS: that are up to you to experiment, but, generally, does not involve to change a lot the ascent parameter I'm using...

SPECIAL ADVICE:

I fly generally with the Ascent Path window open (to see the actual flying path - a white line - projected on the programmed one - the red line). After the "belly down roll" at +50km altitude, you will notice a lower, horizontal white line, in the atmosphere, rather the programmed red one: it is intended with the shuttle, to keep the Main Tank debris in it, after separation. It's a good habit I got, to manage it with some "course correction", adding a couple of degrees more or less plotted on the "Final Flight Path" line: if your launch is going too much higher angle of ascent, you will need MORE monopropellant to circularize... and this could lead to not having enough to deorbit safely (mostly notable with the 42 tons MAX payload)...

If the "Final Flight Path" is too much negative, instead, you could not clear the atmosphere during/after Main Engine burn and Main Tank separation (on the Ascent path you will notice the line going "down", back to Kerbin ground). Like the previous case, if you are loosing altitude, you will need more OMS burn to correct it/bring the Orbiter to space. It will again leads to NOT having enough to deorbit and/or not achieving orbit at all...

(Remember: monopropellent fuel is not so much, if you not ascended properly. A bad ascent profile could lead to not achieve the desidered orbit, OR - worse - to a stranded Shuttle in orbit without enough fuel to deorbit itself)

--- edit ---

You can also look at my previous post here or directly here to the Imgur album itself, for a flight of one of my modded Shuttle variant flight, that flew with MechJeb active (I was gathering data to refine the craft itself, so I needed a consistent and standard flight path): it show the ascent and the command I set on Mechjeb phase by phase

Descent and Landing:

This could be tricky, as from KSP 1.*.* we have to counts to lift, drag and such...

Pinpoint the KSC could need a bit of practice: I become someway confident to land almost always on the landing strip from a 120km equatorial circular orbit (generally, my "standard" orbit).

To accomplice this, I set a ~100m/s retrograde burn someway between 1/3 and half orbit from KSC, to have a 5km altitude periapsis above the "Kamchatka-like" peninsula past the KSC's landmass. Like in this picture and to have my atmosphere entry halfway over the desert before the "Africa-like" continent where the KSC settles (I'm also use MechJeb to give me some data, mostly to tune the atmosphere entry point, as the landing prediction is totally messed as you can see here )

When set the descending orbit, I'll keep an 20°-pitch up attitude for the whole atmospheric flight (manually or, if I found myself lazy, with the MechJeb SmartASS set on "Surf", and pitch up at 20°, with an heading accordingly to my orbital path - generally 90° if equatorial, at least halfway to atmosphere entry and KSC): the Orbiter will slowly descent in the atmsphere with barelly any heating issues. At some point, aroun 40-35km altitude, if staying at 20° pitch up, it start also to gain altitude again, to give you the needed distance to reach the KSC. (Good rule of thumb: the orbital path should meet the ocean slightly less than halfway from KSC and the above mentioned "Kamchatka-like" peninsula).

When above the last ocean part, and in sight of the mountain before the KSC, you should be still at +30km altitude: once you see (in the distance) the "tiny dot" that KSC give you, I start to deploy the AIRBRAKES to tune the velocity, to have a pass over the mountain between 25 and 30km altitude still but with a surface velocity at around 800/900 m/s. This is also the point when I aid the loss of velocity starting the "S-turns" to bleed more of it, if still over 1000m/s.

If you pass the mountain at over 700m/s and at least at 25km altitude, you almost nailed it: tune your descent velocity pitching down or up, remembering a couple of data:

- Orbiter stalls at around 65m/s

- Better a slight overshooting approach: from 15km altitude the Orbiter bleed velocity very fast. At 50km distance from KSC, 15-10km altitude, you can also nosedive, with (almost) no concern, to point straight the landing strip: The Orbiter have plenty of autority to flare and bleed velocity (even without Airbrkaes extended) for the final approach: I found myself to nosedive at 250-300 m/s almost above the KSC, then landing safely at 90 m/s with just a bit of nose-up altitude.

- In the staging list, there is a "drogue chute" mostly for "cosmetic effect" after landing (like the real Space Shuttle) but ALSO there is a "safety parachute" right after it: if you find yourself in danger, USE the last parachute to land like any "not gliding" capsule. The Orbiter could sustain a ground hit on the SSMEs (maybe you will lost them and the tail) but if you have also deployed the landing gear and set the brakes on, you mostly save the whole rest of the craft, if you can settle it on the wheels. Even if an hard hit could happen (in the sea or with a very higher velocity) the Cockpit is rated to save any Kerbonauts in it (NO guarantee for passengers sitting on module on the cargobay)

You can also look in this album, showing a "standard approach" with a lot of Mechejeb infos and hint of the right descending/landing procedure, from a previous "Olympus" version (STS-K10-A) but almost identical from what I'm doing with the -C version. It's a bit different as I was aiming the Island Airfield, rather the KSC, but you can see how it can land safely and from what altitude:

 

http://imgur.com/a/JlKxv

Edited November 30, 2015 by Araym

[Araym]

As I engineered a functional NASA Space Shuttle, it was inevitable to take a detour on the other side of the Iron Curtain...

So, I'm proud to present to you:

 

 

11F35 OK-1K-1-A "Snowstorm" Space Shuttle

"Snowstorm" taking a ride to the stars

 

http://imgur.com/a/vbl6R

Craft file:

The following craft needs MANDATORY these Mods:

-Tweakscale

-Adjustable Landing Gears

-Mk3 spaceplane Expansion Pack

-Mk3 Mini Expansion Pack

-Tantares

-AB Launchers 1.0 - 5m Energia parts (for the obvious "Energia" boosters parts )

11F35 K1 OK-1K1-A Orbiter 1 Space Shuttle "Snowstorm" (Updated 26/09/2015)

Part Counts: 176 (empty cargo bay)

Cargo capacity: 0 to 42 tons

Maximum rated cargo: 42 tons to +400km circular orbit

Career Cost: 403000 credits (base craft, cargobay empty, full main tank fueled for 42tons payload, as downloaded: add cargo cost and, eventually, for lighter payloads, remove some fuel to lower cost)

Notes:

- Liquid Fueled Boosters like the real Buran Space Shuttle.

- Electric production provided by Fuel Cells.

- MechJeb friendly.

- Stock aero compatibile (obviously ) - FAR NOT TESTED

- OMS engines are tuned down to improve orbital controls

- Boosters are NOT recoverable (no parachute on board), NEITHER Main Tank (... it is a bit more costy than the above "Olympus" Space Shuttle Is that probably the reason behind Russian decision to cancel it?? )

DOWNLOAD CRAFT: KerbalX -update to remove old Tantares LV dependencies - requires only Tantares -

Payloads subassemblies:

FULLY COMPATIBLE with all the Inigma's Space Shuttle payload subassemblies (check them here)

*Action Groups*

1- Central Tank Main Engines (toggle)

2- Orbital Manouvering System engines (toggle)

3- Cargo Bay (open-close)

4- Forward Cargo Bay Lights (toggle)

5- Rear Cargo Bay Lights (toggle)

6- Cockpit's Ladders (toggle)

7- AirBrakes (toggle)

8- *none*

9- Fuel Cells start

0- Fuel Cells stop

B (Brakes)- AirBrakes toggle, Adjustable Landing Gear brakes

BackSpace (Abort)- Liquid Fueled boosters ShutDown and Decoupling

Flight profiles:

"Snowstorm" is good enough to fly the standard flight profiles already explained above for the NASA-like "Olympus" Space Shuttle.

MAIN DIFFERENCES:

1- WAY MORE POWER: the Energia main stack+boosters could circularize up to +400km circular orbit without even using the OMS engine of the "Snowstorm" Orbiter itself, in the max load, 42tons, cargo. Reduce your throttle (even to 75-65%) in the late booster phase, before eject them and going only on the central tank main engines, to not overstress the stack.

2- WAY TOO MUCH FUEL: if you re not willing to circularize your orbit with the fuel still in the main central tank but use the OMS instead for that task, reduce it starting from the BOTTOM, longer, TANK. Also reduce it if you are carring a lighter payload/none, to save credits if in Career Mode.

3- Apply very gently pitch! Late in the flight, before booster ejection, it could tumble if input were too strong: it flies (almost) automatically a gravity turn, if put "tail to the ocean-east" direction. Nurse "her" with soft handle, like it was a girl.

0 to 42 tons Cargo, Mechjeb users: (no need to worry to change it, as it auto-tune for any payload/fuel loading characteristics )

Fuel Loads: accordingly to cargo, reduce fuel on the BOTTOM Tank on the Main Central one, see above

Open the Ascend Guidance module and edit your Ascent Path:

-"Turn Start Altitude = 1km"

-"Turn start Velocity = 100 m/s"

-"Turn End Altitude = 65 km"

-"Final Flight Path = -8° to -10°" (set to your preference, just to stay at the edge of Kerbin atmosphere during burn, under 70km altitude, and let the Main Tank deorbit itself after spent: adjust accordingly to cargo weight and willing to circularize with Main Tank Engines or with Orbiter OMS)

-"Turn Shape = 65%"

THEN you have to add some more parameter in the Ascent Guidance itself. I turn on the following parameters:

- Prevent Overheat set ON (... not really needed - it's a remnant of old engine heating process during launch -, but just selected for good safety procedure )

- Limit to Terminal Velocity set ON

- Limit Q pressure, set to 20000 pa

- Corrective Steering set ON

- Force Roll set ON, with (at launch) "climb" set at 180° and "turn" at 180° (to perform the "roll program" just after take-off and ascent with the Orbiter belly UP - tail to the ocean - like the real Shuttle launch). Past 50km altitude, change "turn" to 0° (to roll belly-down in the late ascend phase)

- DO NOT let the "Autowarp" option "ON"

... then follow previously quoted istructions for "Olympus" Space Shuttle.

If following the flight path on the Ascent Path window, "Snowstorm" will show, caused by a more higher TWR ratio, a path more direct to space, rather the more horizontal one done by the "Olympus": add more negative "Final Flight Path" angle (There is so much fuel on board that is more forgiving than the NASA-like shuttle, even without changing this last parameter )

Descent and Landing:

Above tips and tricks from the "Olympus" Space Shuttle...

Edited November 30, 2015 by Araym