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[1.12.5] Bluedog Design Bureau - Stockalike Saturn, Apollo, and more! (v1.13.0 "Забытый" 13/Aug/2023)


CobaltWolf

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58 minutes ago, GoldForest said:

It was, though Big Apollo is kind of the fan given name. It's reall name was BALLOS. BALlistic LOgistics Spacecraft, or Ballistic Reentry Type Logistics Spacecraft.

Lockheed BALLOS – Aerospace Projects Review Blog

Lockheed-BALLOS.jpg

Damn, I actually really want that, or an alt-history Apollo with a stripped down SM, like Mercury or the Fuji spacecraft...

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18 hours ago, Entr8899 said:

Actually, the old Gemini RCS parts are still in the game (and the old uncrewed Gemini cargo capsule).

4 hours ago, Entr8899 said:

I know, but the old cargo pod is still in the mod, too.

4 hours ago, GoldForest said:

It is? Huh

 They shouldn't still be in game... their textures aren't (shouldn't) even be in the mod anymore.

 

12 hours ago, NuclearAlchemist said:

By the way, is the Martian Excursion Module coming anytime soon?

12 hours ago, kspbutitscursed said:

no current plans per cobalt wolf

9 hours ago, Taco Salad said:

Maybe some day we will get a stockalike MEM (though it is fun to kitbash them togther, IF dificult)

3 hours ago, septemberWaves said:

Big Apollo isn't a real proposal, right?

Gonna have to summon @Pappystein on this one, but I'm pretty sure that's actually the "advanced" Big G, the one that would share little to no hardware with the Gemini or the "min mod" Big G. But I'm sure he can expand on that.

 

In other news, I'm out fishin. See you all in June.

zLyqUzf.jpeg

 

 

 

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Posted (edited)

Congressional hearing on the cancellation

On 5/23/2024 at 5:45 AM, septemberWaves said:

Big Apollo isn't a real proposal, right?

CobaltWolf is precisely correct... what everyone calls "Big Apollo"  Is McDonald Douglas's ultimate Gemini (still called Big Gemini.)    Lockheed usurped the concept for a brief period and called it BALLOS...  In the artwork, you can Division, which was primarily responsible for the KH family of spy sites,see the Gemini-style windows still!!!  Lockheed Space and Missile Division, which was primarily responsible for the KH family of spy sats contributed the Service Module to the Ultimate Gemini in the BALLOS proposal.    The Capsule artwork is 100% the same as the McD artwork!  The addition of the SM is the only difference.  

The SM looks like what I envision Agena E looking like, right before it lost it's Bell engine, shrank a little, and became the KH-8 Propulsive section.

 

Followup for clarity's sake:     Did North American Aviation embark on a "Bigger" Apollo program?   The Answer is BOTH.    North American, was asked during the congressional hearings on Big Gemini if they could make an enlarged Apollo capsule.   Their answer was YES of course.   HOWEVER, no funding, and no contract was ever let for such an entity, and North American focused on how they could convert EXISTING Apollo capsule to carry more people.     That is the extent to which Big Apollo is REAL.  The Blk3/Blk4 Apollo is all you get for Big Apollo.

NOW, fast forward to the mid 1990s and the start of the Inter-webs.   You get people who see the "advanced" phase Big Gemini artwork, which is a standard single-angle conic capsule, lacking all of the regular Gemini nose-docking-port/parachute shroud and cylindrical RCS features.   They only have the picture, and with no Context to it they start calling it "Big Apollo."       In short, any document talking about Big Apollo, outside of the Congressional hearing on the Cancellation of funding for Big Gemini, is an internet falsehood and not real.  IT CAN'T HURT YOU! :D

Having read the actual transcript it is easy to see why Advanced Big Gemini is often called Big Apollo.    The picture is cited RIGHT at the start of the congressional questioning of the North American representative.

Want to read my full document on the Big Gemini?   https://github.com/Pappystein/Space_History/wiki/Capsule-Command

 

On 5/23/2024 at 10:51 AM, Beccab said:

Some posters I made - a few old...




...and a few not-so old....


MDXtE5L.jpeg
Ww31cSn.jpeg
LVmNkr7.jpeg

 

Love all the GE  Apollo D3 love!

Edited by Pappystein
Fixed major formating copy/paste error
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Posted (edited)
3 hours ago, CobaltWolf said:

 

Gonna have to summon @Pappystein on this one, but I'm pretty sure that's actually the "advanced" Big G, the one that would share little to no hardware with the Gemini or the "min mod" Big G. But I'm sure he can expand on that.

 

In other news, I'm out fishin. See you all in June.

zLyqUzf.jpeg

 

 

 

You you you rat "stand-up guy"... Summon me and then peace out on a Fishin trip!  How DARE YOU! :P

Ok! Joking aside, questions answered, and oh, enjoy your holiday and vacation fishin!   

Edited by Pappystein
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3 hours ago, Beccab said:

Some posters I made - a few old...
...and a few not-so old....

j2agdsO.jpegSiVgrSM.jpeg
 

What's the pointy spacecraft? It's something I don't recognise. What mod is it from, as I don't think the aerospike at least is from BDB. I saw the old Alternate Apollo mod but as far as I'm aware it never had anything like that. Very nice images, by the way!

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14 minutes ago, Legolas5533 said:

Little question about the Atlas revamp, are the Unflown Atlas variants getting a revamp too?  (the SLV 3K is my favorite Centaur yeeter)

Yes. Working on them right now. Starting with 2.5m parts (SLV-3X and the original 5 engine design before Atlas A)

Nhei3Qo.png

LUsjMot.png

3A5xS1W.png

The 3.125m parts will get at least a partial revamp. I think the skirt and aft tank are really good and would like to keep them as is, but the tanks themselves need to be updated to the new style.

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Posted (edited)
6 minutes ago, Zorg said:

Yes. Working on them right now. Starting with 2.5m parts (SLV-3X and the original 5 engine design before Atlas A)

The 3.125m parts will get at least a partial revamp. I think the skirt and aft tank are really good and would like to keep them as is, but the tanks themselves need to be updated to the new style.

 

What about Atlas V? Will that one getting a revamp as well? 

And if it does, are you going to be including Atlas V Heavy parts? Primarily just the Nose cone and decouplers. 

Edited by GoldForest
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6 minutes ago, GoldForest said:

What about Atlas V? Will that one getting a revamp as well? 

And if it does, are you going to be including Atlas V Heavy parts? Primarily just the Nose cone and decouplers. 

Yes and yes. Originally invader was gonna do it but it seems like he might not have time. And we dont want to release the new RD180 with an Atlas V that doesnt fit it. So either way one of us will redo those parts for this release.

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44 minutes ago, The Dressian Exploder said:

What's the pointy spacecraft? It's something I don't recognise. What mod is it from, as I don't think the aerospike at least is from BDB. I saw the old Alternate Apollo mod but as far as I'm aware it never had anything like that. Very nice images, by the way!

That's a kitbash of an uncrewed version of the DARPA Space Cruiser!
117631-39c56fd1e9bcbce2554fde566c6fe6c9.Space Cruiser

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43 minutes ago, GoldForest said:

So, Big Apollo is just Bigger G?... still going to call it Big A. 

Actually  "Big Apollo" is ALL NEW Big-G.   It has the same overall size of the Big-G we know... it just does not have the narrow nose of Gemini/Big-G.   The only parts really in common with our Big-G in mod is the cockpit interface area and the Inconel skin.   Hence pointing out the Gemini windows in the "Lockheed" BALLO art

 

21 minutes ago, Zorg said:


The 3.125m parts will get at least a partial revamp. I think the skirt and aft tank are really good and would like to keep them as is, but the tanks themselves need to be updated to the new style.

NICE NICE!   5 Engine atlas can't hurt you... it isn't real :D   Yet you are making it Real  NICE!

Parts look GREAT Zorg!

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18 minutes ago, Pappystein said:

Actually  "Big Apollo" is ALL NEW Big-G.   It has the same overall size of the Big-G we know... it just does not have the narrow nose of Gemini/Big-G.   The only parts really in common with our Big-G in mod is the cockpit interface area and the Inconel skin.   Hence pointing out the Gemini windows in the "Lockheed" BALLO art

Ah, gotcha. 

I bet it wouldn't have been called Big G. I feel it would have been the Mercury Mk 2 thing all over. "Let's call it mark 2." "But it has nothing to do with the original, so it needs a new name." 

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8 minutes ago, GoldForest said:

Ah, gotcha. 

I bet it wouldn't have been called Big G. I feel it would have been the Mercury Mk 2 thing all over. "Let's call it mark 2." "But it has nothing to do with the original, so it needs a new name." 

Honestly even the "Patched together Big Gemini" would have gotten a new name.    NASA names the capsules after the funding program that they were funded/designed under.    NASA never actually funded the detailed design of what we all know as Big Gemini.  So until NASA did fund a design program, a placeholder name is all we got!

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Posted (edited)
36 minutes ago, Pappystein said:

Honestly even the "Patched together Big Gemini" would have gotten a new name.    NASA names the capsules after the funding program that they were funded/designed under.    NASA never actually funded the detailed design of what we all know as Big Gemini.  So until NASA did fund a design program, a placeholder name is all we got!

Hmmm. Well, from what i understand, BALLOS was designed for the "numerous" space stations that America was going to have. Of course that didn't happen, but Freedom came about in the late 80s, so would it be safe to say that the spacecraft, if repurposed for Freedom, would have gotten a similar name to go along with Project Freedom? Such as Liberty? 

And for arguments sake, let's say it would have flown together with Shuttle.

Edited by GoldForest
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31 minutes ago, GoldForest said:

Hmmm. Well, from what i understand, BALLOS was designed for the "numerous" space stations that America was going to have. Of course that didn't happen, but Freedom came about in the late 80s, so would it be safe to say that the spacecraft, if repurposed for Freedom, would have gotten a similar name to go along with Project Freedom? Such as Liberty? 

And for arguments sake, let's say it would have flown together with Shuttle.

I think Liberty is likely NOT a name that would have been chosen.   Esp given Freedom was supposed to have the HL-20.

Mostly because I do not see Ronny RAY-GUN naming things Liberty

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14 hours ago, Beccab said:

Some posters I made - a few old...

cba5jeO.jpeg
KvZhfNB.jpeg6B5cZKz.pngLbRCwkn.jpeg

...and a few not-so old....

e7Neguu.jpeg
MDXtE5L.jpeg
Ww31cSn.jpeg
cq5mgD0.jpegzHpkkcX.jpegLVmNkr7.jpegTReYMsN.jpegj2agdsO.jpegSiVgrSM.jpeg
lUCzyG4.jpeg
aZWa91z.jpeg

WOW, gotta say you make the best looking kitbash builds I've ever seen. 
Got a few things to ask. 
1: What was the name of the mod used for the early apollo capsule design? I remember finding it once, and then loosing it.
2: how do you get those red decorative stripes, are they just a ton of MORL red stripe decals?
3: Do you have any notable inspirations for these, or were they all just off the cuff designs, cause damn, you really nailed the look and feel of everything, even the Soviet probe.

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