parts [1.12.x] 'Project Orion' Nuclear Pulse Engine

[ThatGuyWithALongUsername]

Gah, stop making awesome mods!

You do realize you are now maintaining and developing 12 mods? That's not even counting the ones that you abandoned or made stock, like Regolith and ART!

Also, this is really cool. Can't wait to mess with this!

[Technical Ben]

Thank you so much. I now know my true calling in KSP... It is... to make the mother of all interstellar craft, powered by the one and only (almost) stock engine up to it!

(PS, well, I've done it with nukes in stock, but time for a little more fun... if you can call it "little".)

[goldenpsp]

Gah, stop making awesome mods!

You do realize you are now maintaining and developing 12 mods? That's not even counting the ones that you abandoned or made stock, like Regolith and ART!

Also, this is really cool. Can't wait to mess with this!

Nothing yet has been abandonded as far as I know. long overdue for an update maybe...

[RoverDude]

Yup, 'Abandoned' would be a wrong choice of words.

As folks who watch me stream know, I build all of this stuff for me first, so the order I work on things tends to reflect that (or tends to reflect the current state of my KSP save )

ART required the K+ update... for reasons. It's still very much on the list, but FTT takes precedence at the moment (along with any other bits I want to handle along the way).

[DancesWithSquirrels]

The below text is from a digital copy of the General Atomic study on Orion, with emphasis added. Note that the pulse module was partially self-correcting and stable for small errors, and that reaction control using even monopropellant estimated a mass of 0.5 to 1% that of the nuclear fuel for a normal mission.

Various methods of flight control during propulsion have been considered in previous nuclear-pulse-propulsion studies. One method of directional control was by fine adjustments of the position or attitude of the pulse units at detonation, which requires no auxiliary propellant. In this study, however, a chemical-rocket, lateral-thrust attitude control system is used. Its size is relatively small, since the basic propulsion system, for most over-all configurations at least, is stable and partially self-correcting for pulse misalignments that are within tolerances.

Although this system is located in the payload section of the systems considered in this study to attain a long moment-arm, its description is included with the propulsion-module description because its function is so closely related to the operation of the propulsion module.

Preliminary estimates have been made of the amount of attitude correction required for various sizes of propulsion modules and overall configurations. The four rocket motors used in the flight-control system are positioned near the nose of the over-all vehicle; they are 90 degrees apart and thrust slightly aft of normal to the longitudinal axis. Simple "bang-bang" motor control is assumed, with the input suitably damped to take advantage of the propulsion module's selfcorrecting tendency. The amount of propellant required, based on the use of relatively low specific impulses appropriate for easily storable liquids (or in one case, the monopropellant H202), varied from about 0.5 to 1 percent of the nuclear-pulse propellant consumed during the same propulsion period. For the performance calculations of this study, therefore, chemical control propellant (and its tankage) was provided, and it was presumed that the quantities consumed would be equal to 1 percent of the nuclear-pulse propellant.

[Aelixander]

FTT is awesome: I forget the size of it, but would it support the Orion and/or Medusa?

Does the Orion/Medusa/Mini have a way to refuel?

Do you plan on making more engines that run off these nuclear pellets?

And will you make a Honeybadger drill to gather or refine these nuclear pellets?

[percyPrune]

DancesWithSqirrels

So how do you bind 4 Mainsails to WAS & D?...

[smjjames]

FTT is awesome: I forget the size of it, but would it support the Orion and/or Medusa?

Does the Orion/Medusa/Mini have a way to refuel?

Do you plan on making more engines that run off these nuclear pellets?

And will you make a Honeybadger drill to gather or refine these nuclear pellets?

The Orion engine would work with the starlifter size stuff, but the pulsing might prove a problem due to the kraken.

[RedParadize]

Hi Roverdude.

First, try this:

Alexustas Alcor + Roverdude Orion = Alarm, Light and panel flashing. Very funny to watch, and a accurate description of +15 g push.

Second:

I can reach 10% of the speed of light if few second. It seem a bit too much. I would like to try fixing this myself, Can you provide us a description of USI_PulseDrive attribute ?

Third:

I think someone else mentioned this already, but a ship will spin out of control if trottled to 100%. I think is because of exessive trust, the ship oscillate under such force, so the center of push and the center of gravity are no more aligned. The thing is, its a chain reaction, if then next explosion happen when the ship is bent, then it will spin even more after each explosion... I guess it can be fixed by reducing the trust, or reducing the frequency of the explosion. ( And having the command post right next to the engine, not at the other extremity of the ship.)

Thanks for your awesome mod!

[DancesWithSquirrels]

So how do you bind 4 Mainsails to WAS & D?...

I've been wondering that myself...

[RoverDude]

Hi Roverdude.

First, try this:

Alexustas Alcor + Roverdude Orion = Alarm, Light and panel flashing. Very funny to watch, and a accurate description of +15 g push.

Second:

I can reach 10% of the speed of light if few second. It seem a bit too much. I would like to try fixing this myself, Can you provide us a description of USI_PulseDrive attribute ?

Third:

I think someone else mentioned this already, but a ship will spin out of control if trottled to 100%. I think is because of exessive trust, the ship oscillate under such force, so the center of push and the center of gravity are no more aligned. The thing is, its a chain reaction, if then next explosion happen when the ship is bent, then it will spin even more after each explosion... I guess it can be fixed by reducing the trust, or reducing the frequency of the explosion. ( And having the command post right next to the engine, not at the other extremity of the ship.)

Thanks for your awesome mod!

You're probably pushing a payload that is too small. This works with larger payloads, and in the next version I'll have some recommended payload sizes to go with the various cartridges (and also reduce the granularity of the controls).

[TiktaalikDreaming]

Please make it of realistic proportions, 10m diameter at least

KSP has troubles with larger craft, so a 5m starting point is fairly consistent with other rescalings. If you want realism, then remember that Kerbin is much smaller than the Earth, but yet has 1G at the surface.

I do intend to (eventually) do a realism overhaul version of my version of the Orion with corrected sizes, but for regular KSP, half scale is fine, IMHO.

[Shrike99]

Wow....

This mod is ridiculous, i just did a fly-by of the Jool system at ~0.03c, less than 8 hours after departing Kerbin.

This was using an Orion for launch, with a Medusa second stage, and i had to check a few times that i wasn't still time-warping, i passed by in a matter of minutes

Oh and i'm playing with kscale2, which doubles the sizes and distances of everything.

I love it, nice work Roverdude!

[TiktaalikDreaming]

Wow, this thing have allot of trust! MechJeb don't seem to understand it. I don't mind, its one thing that I will have to do manualy.

One thing I learned pretty fast with Nyrath's Orion, mechjeb doesn't have a clue about pulsed, discrete propulsion. Do it yerself, and do it carefully. :-)

- - - Updated - - -

I was hoping with this smaller version, I'd finally be able to build one of the Saturn V loft to hight, nuclear propulsion to orbit designs you sometimes see concepts for.

10m Orion on top of Saturn V

- - - Updated - - -

Or use the NEXUS that was recently developed...

I have been waiting for some time for one of these to be completed... Can't wait to get internet back so I can download this!

Finally, I leave you with these seven terrifying words: "What if Whackjob gets ahold of this?"

Food for thought...

Feels a bit wrong to post this here in someone else's thread.

But do you mean like ?

And Whackjob has noticed the other Orion working. See http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/131208-So-I-decided-to-make-an-engine-cluster-with-SpaceY-parts

- - - Updated - - -

So how do you bind 4 Mainsails to WAS & D?...

https://kerbalstuff.com/mod/1083/RCS%20mix%20and%20match%20set

Edited September 29, 2015 by TiktaalikDreaming
Images updated to be mod agnostic

[123nick]

I've been wondering that myself...

throttle controlled avionics continued mod, have the 4 engines set to manuever mode, and it will work fine. just need to keep throttle up, or else they wont work. i wish you could change that, but you cant.

edit: i guess you can just deactivate main engines, that could work.

[Shrike99]

Just found a potential bug, want to see if other can confirm.

The Medusa still produces thrust when it has used up its magazine capacity.

Possibly applies to the Orion too, haven't checked.

[Whirligig Girl]

[smjjames]

Just found a potential bug, want to see if other can confirm.

The Medusa still produces thrust when it has used up its magazine capacity.

Possibly applies to the Orion too, haven't checked.

I've observed that withe Orion as well.

[Whirligig Girl]

Nuclear Pulse Reaction Control System

The attitude control method of choice for planet moving suicidal pyromaniacs!

[DancesWithSquirrels]

IIRC the charges for a ground launched several thousand ton Orion were to be on the order of 0.15 it, while the space charges were more like 5 it, as the atmospheric shock wave would greatly amplify each charge.

An inverse pressure/ISP relationship, more Isp with more atmosphere... I think I need to build a single stage Orion Eve lander/return ship...

[VASMIR]

I'm currently using this in my "Open Stars" series. The medusa serves as the main drive for the ship. Of course, going over 1/3 throttle tears the ship apart.

Edited September 29, 2015 by VASMIR

[RedParadize]

You cannot use the context menu to start the engine I think. You need to stage it.

[RoverDude]

One thing I learned pretty fast with Nyrath's Orion, mechjeb doesn't have a clue about pulsed, discrete propulsion. Do it yerself, and do it carefully. :-)

- - - Updated - - -

5m Orion (based on the 10m NASA) on top of FASA's 7.5m Nova

http://imgur.com/a/LzI0v

- - - Updated - - -

Feels a bit wrong to post this here in someone else's thread.

But do you mean like http://imgur.com/a/WTFdq ?

And Whackjob has noticed the other Orion working. See http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/131208-So-I-decided-to-make-an-engine-cluster-with-SpaceY-parts

Mildly uncool. I get that there are two of these, but this thread is about this mod, not your reboot.

(edit) Thanks for the edit.

Just found a potential bug, want to see if other can confirm.

The Medusa still produces thrust when it has used up its magazine capacity.

Possibly applies to the Orion too, haven't checked.

Aware of this one, taking a look.

Edited September 29, 2015 by RoverDude

[TiktaalikDreaming]

Mildly uncool. I get that there are two of these, but this thread is about this mod, not your reboot.

Yeah, if I could have just put the bits about the first stage in I would. I'm very excited that you're doing this, I'm not trying to compete or anything. There are issues with the existing module I have no idea how to fix, so someone rewriting the same concept from scratch is awesome.

I'm especially excited to see the social and financial penalty bits. That seems awesome. Plus medusa.

But I'm at work and can't run up your mod for updated screenshots. (I'll edit my post when I get new pics)

But you should add a stack node on the bottom. The intention behind the 10m was to lift it up on top of Saturns.

Realised I can't take pics with your mod (yet), but I can switch in diagrams. :-)

Edited September 29, 2015 by TiktaalikDreaming

[DancesWithSquirrels]

If it's intended for deep space it's going to need to be launched - IMO that all but requires a bottom stack node and/or side attachments on the Orion module.