[1.12.5] Bluedog Design Bureau - Stockalike Saturn, Apollo, and more! (v1.14.0 "металл" 30/Sep/2024)

[Beccab]

To celebrate the anniversary, I've recreated the release pic of BDB 0.0.4 and the amazing rocket depicted with the BDB 0.0.3 parts launching the Sienno probe!




https://imgur.com/a/chEIV



Side note, while skimming through the ancient texts I found that the geiger counter hasn't been touched in almost 6 years, back from page 7 of the thread! The anniversary since it was first presented to the world was the 18th october, so maybe that part could be a good way to celebrate the anniversary

[Clamp-o-Tron]

The Geiger counter must stand.

Never change it.

[OrbitalManeuvers]

idk if the skylab atmospheric entry probe is real or proposed or alt but ... could someone point me to info? i guess what i'm really after is the intended operational regimes. I tried Venus for fun (KSRSS 2.5x) and we burned up on entry from low orbit.

[Entr8899]

1 hour ago, Beccab said:

To celebrate the anniversary, I've recreated the release pic of BDB 0.0.4 and the amazing rocket depicted with the BDB 0.0.3 parts launching the Sienno probe!




https://imgur.com/a/chEIV



Side note, while skimming through the ancient texts I found that the geiger counter hasn't been touched in almost 6 years, back from page 7 of the thread! The anniversary since it was first presented to the world was the 18th october, so maybe that part could be a good way to celebrate the anniversary

I think a few more science parts are of a similar age, the quadrupole mass spectrometer, ion trap, and micrometeroid impact detector.

20 minutes ago, OrbitalManeuvers said:

idk if the skylab atmospheric entry probe is real or proposed or alt but ... could someone point me to info? i guess what i'm really after is the intended operational regimes. I tried Venus for fun (KSRSS 2.5x) and we burned up on entry from low orbit.

I don't think that part is finished. It's unable to transmit the science it collects in the atmosphere because the antenna is configured to be unable to transmit science.

[Zorg]

1 hour ago, OrbitalManeuvers said:

idk if the skylab atmospheric entry probe is real or proposed or alt but ... could someone point me to info? i guess what i'm really after is the intended operational regimes. I tried Venus for fun (KSRSS 2.5x) and we burned up on entry from low orbit.

It’s a real thing. Very notional design though.  Will post a link tomorrow, can’t access it right where I am. 
 

that said the part in game has had no balancing done. I really need to actually do something about it soon. 

[AmateurAstronaut1969]

Thank you everyone for 6 Amazing years of BDB! You’ve completed hanged KSP mods forever and set the new standard for modding. Keep up the good work! 

Saturn SA-1

SA-1 was the first launch of a Saturn I, and the first launch of a vehicle from the Saturn family -  so certainly a historic launch!

Back in 1961, NASA didn’t use all up testing like was done for the Saturn V, and basically every rocket nowadays. Instead, only the S-I was active, with the S-IV being a dummy stage with a Jupiter nosecone topping it off. 

The Flight Objectives of SA-1 were simply to test the structure of the launch vehicle during a suborbital flight

 

 

I think this is one of the best replicas I’ve made - It’s come out so good! I also have a video of the launch that I’ll post soon, but I want to sync it up with the actual launch Audio, the one where all the engineers scream “GO!” 

Edited October 1, 2021 by AmateurAstronaut1969

[Adam-Kerman]

is anyone else's Saturn 1 tipping over during launch?

[AmateurAstronaut1969]

10 minutes ago, Adam-Kerman said:

is anyone else's Saturn 1 tipping over during launch?

Nope, I don’t know why it would

[pTrevTrevs]

TIL about the Lincoln Calibration Sphere; literally a large metal sphere launched into orbit on a Titan IIIA to serve as a target for ground-based radar calibration. It's still in orbit today and is still used for its intended purpose, making it technically the oldest active spacecraft, although it's nothing but a ball of metal.

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Also, Gemini docking with ATDA. This mission had an AMU carried in the trunk of the spacecraft, but every time I disconnected it from the Gemini the Kraken took over it and caused it to freeze in place and fly upward precisely on the the radial vector. Dunno why that happened, but I might fly it again on a future mission and see if I can fix the problem.

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Also, I finally unlocked MechJeb Ascent Guidance in my game, so I tried flying a Thorad with PVG. It worked absolutely fine, which makes me even more puzzled as to why I had so much trouble with manual flight...

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[AlphaMensae]

On 9/27/2021 at 5:00 PM, Jcking said:

The ring is from Modular Launch Pads. To remove it, go to ModularLaunchPads/Compatibility_Patches/BluedogDB_MLP_Patches.cfg and delete lines 9 through 15, such that @PART[bluedog_Saturn_S1_EngineMount]:NEEDS[Bluedog_DB] only has the node_stack_bottom line with an opening brace above and a closing brace below like such.

  Hide contents

@PART[bluedog_Saturn_S1_EngineMount]:NEEDS[Bluedog_DB]
{
    node_stack_bottom = 0.0, -2.75, 0.0, 0.0, -1.0, 0.0, 4
}

 

I added that ring because BDB back then didn't have a proper Saturn IB engine mount, which was fully circular without those cutouts that the Saturn I had. The Saturn IB hold-downs attached to the base of the fins, and there needed to be a solid surface all the way around the engine mount, so I did a little secret addition to it.  With a true Saturn IB now in BDB, I can remove that ring in the next MLP update.

[davidy12]

SA-5 Launch

Ahhhh... The memories of begging @CobaltWolfto make this after he made the Atlas SLV. Again, it's so hard to believe it's been that long. So psyched for @Invaderchaos's Pegasus, (maybe) a black fairing and the Block I CM to complete the set (well... really just the nose cone for the CM).

[CobaltWolf]

8 hours ago, Beccab said:

Side note, while skimming through the ancient texts I found that the geiger counter hasn't been touched in almost 6 years, back from page 7 of the thread! The anniversary since it was first presented to the world was the 18th october, so maybe that part could be a good way to celebrate the anniversary

Good idea, maybe an idea for tomorrow if/when I stream? I can already start to see it..

[KeaKaka]

Loving the new Saturn I!

Spoiler

 

Liftoff on the cape

 

Max-Q

 

Stage sep'

 

Stormy weather off the coast

 

On orbit

 

Deorbit burn about 1 orbit later, the S-IV was then completely destroyed on re-entry.

Also I wanted to ask, did the S-IV ever have (or proposed to have) an RCS system? Not that I'm asking for one, I actually prefer the S-IV without it.

Edited October 2, 2021 by KeaKaka

[pTrevTrevs]

Second screenshot dump in one day; I have to work tomorrow and really shouldn't be up doing this, but I saw the release and thought "To hell with it, I am flying a Saturn I tonight!"

The payload for tonight is a ridiculously oversized lunar orbiter to make high-resolution photographic maps of the surface, built around the ScanSat VS-3 and kitbashed with a variety of BDB parts from projects such as Mariner, Lunar Orbiter, and OGO. Its large size and weight gives me an excuse to use the beautiful Saturn-Centaur to loft it. Actually had this mission planned before the new Saturn I dropped, so I did have to refit it to fly on the new vehicle. Not that I'm complaining.

 

Quote

Unfortunately my launch window to the Moon happened at night. This is the best shot I was able to get of the longboi Saturn I during the S1 burn.

The S-IV puts the Centaur in orbit, which performs translunar injection. Also, because the Centaur is flying on this mission, the S-IV's IU was omitted and its duties performed by the Centaur avionics instead.

The spacecraft is inserted into lunar orbit by a Star 48 rocket motor. It's pretty anachronistic, I guess, but the Star 37 either didn't cut it or was hard to fit into the stack.

Another small burn is performed over (under?) the lunar south pole by the spacecraft's own propulsion system, which has been adapted from the Lunar Orbiter probes.

The final orbit allows for efficient high-resolution mapping of the lunar surface in preparation for Apollo flights. Here, Lunar Orbiter 3 observes the craters Aristarchus (top picture) and Tsiolkovsky (bottom picture)

A few more minor adjustments are made to the orbital inclination, since the flight path wasn't passing over the poles very well.

 

Saturn-Centaur basically does the same work that Titan III did in real life, only in a much cooler way.

[Invaderchaos]

The KLAW! is now on github.

[WindupHero7]

I need a little help understanding the OSCAR subsatellite. I'm trying to do things by the historical book in this save, and I understand the OSCAR went up with a Discoverer launch- a KH-3 aboard a Thor-Agena- and according to the part description rode somewhere near the Agena's engine. What I'm not grasping is exactly where it was attached and how it was deployed. The description implies it went on the engine fairing, but to my knowledge the fairing remains attached to the Thor which never quite makes orbit.

[Adam-Kerman]

7 minutes ago, WindupHero7 said:

I need a little help understanding the OSCAR subsatellite. I'm trying to do things by the historical book in this save, and I understand the OSCAR went up with a Discoverer launch- a KH-3 aboard a Thor-Agena- and according to the part description rode somewhere near the Agena's engine. What I'm not grasping is exactly where it was attached and how it was deployed. The description implies it went on the engine fairing, but to my knowledge the fairing remains attached to the Thor which never quite makes orbit.

how about this picture from Zorg?

[WindupHero7]

3 minutes ago, Adam-Kerman said:

how about this picture from Zorg?

That's what I had kind of guessed but how does it decouple? Or does it remain attached to the Agena bus? I guess I don't really understand what qualifies as a 'subsatellite'

[TaintedLion]

20 minutes ago, WindupHero7 said:

That's what I had kind of guessed but how does it decouple?

I'm pretty sure it has its own built-in decoupler.

[Zorg]

2 hours ago, WindupHero7 said:

That's what I had kind of guessed but how does it decouple? Or does it remain attached to the Agena bus? I guess I don't really understand what qualifies as a 'subsatellite'

@Invaderchaos can probably confirm since they made it but my understanding is that though its a secondary payload, it was not an independent satellite. It remains attached to the Agena. 

The part description should probably update to reflect this and avoid confusion. In game its ultimately a glorified antenna (albeit with nice stripey box  )

[Zorg]

18 hours ago, OrbitalManeuvers said:

idk if the skylab atmospheric entry probe is real or proposed or alt but ... could someone point me to info? i guess what i'm really after is the intended operational regimes. I tried Venus for fun (KSRSS 2.5x) and we burned up on entry from low orbit.

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19790072165

Should be in here.

[Pappystein]

15 hours ago, pTrevTrevs said:

Also, Gemini docking with ATDA. This mission had an AMU carried in the trunk of the spacecraft, but every time I disconnected it from the Gemini the Kraken took over it and caused it to freeze in place and fly upward precisely on the the radial vector. Dunno why that happened, but I might fly it again on a future mission and see if I can fix the problem.

I had this problem when I made a "AMU" equivalent back when the Gemini updates were first released. (first round updates from 3 years ago, not the more recent rebuilds)   I discovered that you have to click on the Kerbal and choose CONTROL FROM HERE... IDK if that is still a thing in the more modern versions of KSP but you described exactly what happened with me... I separated the parts and everything went spinning in 90 degree directions to what they should have.

 

15 hours ago, pTrevTrevs said:

Also, I finally unlocked MechJeb Ascent Guidance in my game, so I tried flying a Thorad with PVG. It worked absolutely fine, which makes me even more puzzled as to why I had so much trouble with manual flight...

I disagree pretty strongly where the Ascent Guidance comes in the stock tree.  Same with RDV Guidance and Dock Guidance...   Here is a patch I have been using since like before the 1.x KSP release...

It gives EngineerRedux controls as well as updates the modules for basic rocket control much earlier.  

I understand why the MechJeb team chose the points they did.  However it isn't historical and our rockets in BDB are historical... so I bring Historical to Mechjeb with these patches.

Spoiler

@PART[*]:HAS[@MODULE[ModuleCommand]]:NEEDS[MechJeb2]:Final
{
	%MODULE[MechJebCore]
	{
		%MechJebLocalSettings
		{
            %MechJebModuleCustomWindowEditor { unlockTechs = flightControl }
            %MechJebModuleSmartASS { unlockTechs = flightControl }
            %MechJebModuleManeuverPlanner { unlockTechs = stability }
            %MechJebModuleNodeEditor { unlockTechs = stability }
            %MechJebModuleTranslatron { unlockTechs = stability }
            %MechJebModuleWarpHelper { unlockTechs = stability }
            %MechJebModuleAttitudeAdjustment { unlockTechs = stability }
            %MechJebModuleThrustWindow { unlockTechs = stability }
            %MechJebModuleRCSBalancerWindow { unlockTechs = stability }
            %MechJebModuleRoverWindow { unlockTechs = fieldScience }
            %MechJebModuleAscentGuidance { unlockTechs = basicRocketry }
            %MechJebModuleLandingGuidance { unlockTechs = basicRocketry }
            %MechJebModuleSpaceplaneGuidance { unlockTechs = stability }
            %MechJebModuleDockingGuidance { unlockTechs = advRocketry }
            %MechJebModuleRendezvousAutopilotWindow { unlockTechs = advRocketry }
            %MechJebModuleRendezvousGuidance { unlockTechs = advRocketry }
        }
	}
}



@PART[*]:HAS[MODULE[ModuleCommand]]:Final
{
    MODULE
    {
        name = FlightEngineerModule
    }
}

 

7 hours ago, Invaderchaos said:

The KLAW! is now on github.

DAYUM!   Been waiting for this.  Surprised it is so small...  Was kind of thinking we would get a 0.9375m diameter base.  

It looks amazing and if a SOT equipped Agena can use it to alter the orbit of an all up Skylab then I am impressed with the CFG as well.

Not to nitpick (ok I am nitpicking!) your awesome tug but shouldn't the Agena extension antenna be on a 90 degree plane from the drogue docking port?      As setup it is designed to poke an astronauts eye out during docking

Looks like I can start my career up where I leave no boosters or expired satelites in space.     there is a Claw that fits Agena!

9 hours ago, pTrevTrevs said:

Second screenshot dump in one day; I have to work tomorrow and really shouldn't be up doing this, but I saw the release and thought "To hell with it, I am flying a Saturn I tonight!"

The payload for tonight is a ridiculously oversized lunar orbiter to make high-resolution photographic maps of the surface, built around the ScanSat VS-3 and kitbashed with a variety of BDB parts from projects such as Mariner, Lunar Orbiter, and OGO. Its large size and weight gives me an excuse to use the beautiful Saturn-Centaur to loft it. Actually had this mission planned before the new Saturn I dropped, so I did have to refit it to fly on the new vehicle. Not that I'm complaining.

 

 

Saturn-Centaur basically does the same work that Titan III did in real life, only in a much cooler way.

Did you by chance compare the costs in the editor for this launch vs a Titan IIIC?    Cool setup and display BTW!

Edited October 2, 2021 by Pappystein

[OrbitalManeuvers]

50 minutes ago, Zorg said:

Should be in here.

Thank you! OK so  until you guys get to its numbers, it makes a very nice lunar impactor. I loaded 3 of them into the sim bay, then landed the LM and put out all the deplorable deployable seismic/science goodies. Once back at the CSM, we deorbited the ascent stage right next to the study site, and then the 3 probes , each on successive orbits.  Of course the MH/BGwhatever science stuff was just zzzzzz the whole time and couldn't be bothered, but it was still a fun idea.

Spoiler

 

[CobaltWolf]

3 minutes ago, OrbitalManeuvers said:

Thank you! OK so  until you guys get to its numbers, it makes a very nice lunar impactor. I loaded 3 of them into the sim bay, then landed the LM and put out all the deplorable deployable seismic/science goodies. Once back at the CSM, we deorbited the ascent stage right next to the study site, and then the 3 probes , each on successive orbits.  Of course the MH/BGwhatever science stuff was just zzzzzz the whole time and couldn't be bothered, but it was still a fun idea.

  Hide contents

 

Does Impact! Science or w/e not work anymore?

[OrbitalManeuvers]

8 minutes ago, CobaltWolf said:

Does Impact! Science or w/e not work anymore?

The LM landed 2.5km away, and the science controller says stuff on the screen that it detected it, but it wasn't "enough" to generate any science points. The 3 impactors landed much closer, but are much lighter, so literally same thing on each - detected but no science yield.  It's also possible I have no idea how to use them. Just getting that on the table.

edit: in my own defense, yes 2.5km is a big miss BUT, I just did the deorbit burn, then switched to the science stuff so I could watch the LM come in hot and go boom. Totally worth the miss for the view. i gotta learn to do both.

Edited October 2, 2021 by OrbitalManeuvers