[Min KSP: 1.12.2] Deep Space Exploration Vessels - Build NASA Inspired Ships In KSP

[eberkain]

There is a typo in the current version MM_CLS.cfg   there is a double ] near the end of the line. 

[Angelo Kerman]

10 hours ago, eberkain said:

There is a typo in the current version MM_CLS.cfg   there is a double ] near the end of the line. 

Already fixed in the upcoming release.

[smotheredrun]

Not urgent, but are you planning on revisiting the engines at some point? They seem a bit overpowered at the moment, especially the Supernova.

[Angelo Kerman]

2 hours ago, smotheredrun said:

Not urgent, but are you planning on revisiting the engines at some point? They seem a bit overpowered at the moment, especially the Supernova.

Funny you should ask. The engine was originally designed 2 years ago before KSP had things like part upgrades. Originally you had to spend science and RocketParts to upgrade the engine until KSP 1.2 came along. Now you simply use the stock part upgrade system. Anyway, last couple of days, I have been looking at the engine in terms of a balance pass. My goal is to have just enough delta-v to send the Kerbal Discovery II reference design to Jool. Just like in the NASA paper Realizing 2001: A Space Odyssey, you'd have to send the Discovery's fuel tanks down to a moon where a mining station refuels them. Once I have the remaining parts designed, I plan to re-tune the engine's hydrogen mode to provide the 8-10k delta-v needed to reach Jool and a few of its moons. The more advanced pulsed plasma mode will become somewhat of a prototype "Epstein Drive" that can push the reference design to about 16-20k delta-v. Given that there are other mods with even more powerful fusion engines, I'm comfortable with this approach.

To safeguard current craft, only new craft will be affected by the revised engine.

Additionally, I'm updating the Compact ISRU, bringing it up to date with KSP 1.2 and adjusting the production formula for making FusionPellets. You're going to need a lot more Ore and slightly less Water per second than the current configuration, and the output of FusionPellets per second will significantly drop as well. I considered going more realistic in terms of requiring LqdDeuterium and LqdHe3 to produce FusionPellets (the NASA design uses deuterium and helium-3), but ultimately I decided that 1) FusionPellets should remain abstracted like the stock LiquidFuel and Oxidizer are, and 2) I didn't want to introduce long fuel production chains in a mod that was centered around deep space exploration vessels, not the infrastructure needed to support them. With these changes, FusionPellets are going to cost a lot more as well.

Edited February 14, 2017 by Angel-125

[smotheredrun]

That's good. I was looking at using this mod as a platform for a Jool 5 challenge attempt, but currently DSEV is "not approved"...... since October I believe. I can edit this post and paste a link to the specific post in the Jool 5 thread when I get back to my computer later today.

[Angelo Kerman]

19 minutes ago, smotheredrun said:

That's good. I was looking at using this mod as a platform for a Jool 5 challenge attempt, but currently DSEV is "not approved"...... since October I believe. I can edit this post and paste a link to the specific post in the Jool 5 thread when I get back to my computer later today.

My guess is that even with the changes, DSEV's engines would remain not approved, but you could still use the structural and habitat components along with conventional stock engines like the Rhino.

[smotheredrun]

That's possible, but I may just end up sending 2 separate missions, one for stock science and one for KSPI-E science

[Angelo Kerman]

Finally slogged through the artwork for the cryopod. 12 of these go into the CryoShelter part I'm working on, a combined cyrogenic hibernation module and storm shelter.

Now the hard part: getting this thing hooked up so that DeepFreeze can use it. Thankfully @JPLRepo provided me with some great directions on how to do that.

[adsii1970]

6 minutes ago, Angel-125 said:

Finally slogged through the artwork for the cryopod. 12 of these go into the CryoShelter part I'm working on, a combined cyrogenic hibernation module and storm shelter.

Now the hard part: getting this thing hooked up so that DeepFreeze can use it. Thankfully @JPLRepo provided me with some great directions on how to do that.

[Edited by adsii1970 - removed images]

Wow, that's pretty awesome. I cannot wait to use this asset. This looks really, really great!

[Angelo Kerman]

17 minutes ago, adsii1970 said:

Wow, that's pretty awesome. I cannot wait to use this asset. This looks really, really great!

Thanks! Here is how it'll look when animated:

 

[JPLRepo]

5 minutes ago, Angel-125 said:

Thanks! Here is how it'll look when animated:

<snip>

Are you going to configure it to have JSI Advanced Transparent Pods (windows)?
Edit: Oh sorry never mind. These are inside a part. so yeah. You just need to hook up the DeepFreezer PartModule.

Instructions not included... (OR rather have been).. but Warranty not included.

[rasta013]

Angel those look beautiful man!  Can't wait to boil off my kerbals!  

[Angelo Kerman]

12 hours ago, rasta013 said:

Angel those look beautiful man!  Can't wait to boil off my kerbals!  

Thanks! I can't wait to have the latest release done. Speaking of which, I finished the D2 Cryo Shelter exterior tonight. You can see that it's a bit more armored than the other modules.

And a simple re-scale let me make the new D2 Truss Segments. The Hex Truss system remains 2.5m, but I added 3 new truss segments at 3.75m diameter. The DR-375 will also get a hex option to complement the new trusses.

Finally, my Discovery II reference design is coming along nicely:

The window textures are placeholders. The lander on the nose can reach all four moons as long as it refuels at Laythe and Tylo. For engine balancing purposes I don't have the flyable fuel tanks attached- In the NASA paper, the fuel tanks detach from the ship and fly down to a refinery to get refueled. For KSP, you'll have flying tanks as part of the sample craft files, but you'll still need to send a tanker to the Discovery to refuel the central truss tank.

[Angelo Kerman]

First test of the Cryo Shelter's IVA:

I'm happy to say that I'm getting much better at aligning the transforms needed to properly seat kerbals. Seat transform alignment is one of the most time consuming activities in IVA development for me, short of creating the IVA artwork itself. Fortunately, my latest iteration of that process has made the process a snap.

[Angelo Kerman]

@JPLRepo@adsii1970 First successful freeze and thaw test of the Cryo Shelter!

Here you can see the test chamber's animation worked successfully:

About to thaw out the test subject:

DeepFreeze is performing as expected:

Successful thaw!

This tells me that all the animations are set up properly, as well as the seat transforms. Now it's just a matter of adding the remaining freeze/thaw cameras, adding some props, setting up the overlay mesh, and removing polygons that you can't see! Thanks again for the help, JPLRepo!

About the only thing I think isn't working right is the window transparency: Is there a particular shader I need to use?

Edited February 17, 2017 by Angel-125

[Sudragon]

One is experiencing a certain amount of anticipation regarding this modification installation.

Adjusts monocle. 

[Angelo Kerman]

18 minutes ago, Sudragon said:

One is experiencing a certain amount of anticipation regarding this modification installation.

Adjusts monocle. 

A mod author is attempting to have the latest version done by the end of the month but makes no guarantees...

[Angelo Kerman]

And that pretty much does it for the cryo shelter:

Just need a little help to get the windows to work correctly.

[Angelo Kerman]

Retextured the DR-375 docking ring, and added new hex option (for the large hex truss):

New D2 Adapter with 1.25, 2.5m, and Mk3 options:

[Angelo Kerman]

New D2 Instrument Unit, with 3.75m and Mk3 options:

It's a probe core equal to the stock 2.5m probe core, and it has variable torque reaction wheels.

Edited February 19, 2017 by Angel-125

[rasta013]

I just want to go on record right freaking now in saying THANK YOU for the MK3 form factor included in these pieces!  I have so many ways of addressing 2.5,/3.75 but I have practically nothing unless I want to run the MK3 expansion mod to add on that form factor cleanly to DSVs.  These little bits and bobs your including to mate with that will make building even more fun... 

[Freshmeat]

So, 3.75m reaction wheels? I think I will delay constructing my deep space tug a bit. The large hex trusses look really nice as well, and I would like to include them just for the look of it.

[Angelo Kerman]

17 hours ago, rasta013 said:

I just want to go on record right freaking now in saying THANK YOU for the MK3 form factor included in these pieces!  I have so many ways of addressing 2.5,/3.75 but I have practically nothing unless I want to run the MK3 expansion mod to add on that form factor cleanly to DSVs.  These little bits and bobs your including to mate with that will make building even more fun... 

No problem.  I've wanted a clean interface between 3.75m and Mk3 for a long time, and since I didn't find any, I made one. Ditto for the probe core.

9 hours ago, Freshmeat said:

So, 3.75m reaction wheels? I think I will delay constructing my deep space tug a bit. The large hex trusses look really nice as well, and I would like to include them just for the look of it.

Reaction wheels and probe core.  60 units of torque on the reaction wheels, though I might bump that up a bit and throttle back the control limiter default so you don't overpower your rockets. Plus you get the MK3 body style option.

Speaking of Mk3, I wonder if you can make this with MK3 parts...

Spoiler

That might make a nice launcher for DSEV...

Edited February 19, 2017 by Angel-125

[rasta013]

I know I could make that with B9 but I don't think any of the stock Mk3 parts are large/wide enough to provide the thick lifting bady.  You could maybe get close to the top down shape though...especially if you were to throw on B9 Procedural Wings...

[smotheredrun]

Excitement increasing.... increasing.....