[WIP] North American Rockwell Mars Excursion Module

[TiktaalikDreaming]

Non denominational End of Year festive season message.

The last couple of months have been a bit of a mad house for me iRL.

I've been on Jury Duty with a long case that made me appreciate jury service more, but also would rather have skipped.  My 20 year old cat has passed away, but me and my wife and I have embarked on bringing up a puppy and kitten (and I'd like to sleep again now).  We had a long standing plan on replacing the carpets when the old cat passed, and so I then moved all our furniture off the carpet, had it replaced, and am slowly (cos I'm now broken from the initial carpet moving) moving stuff back to where it belongs.  My mother in law had a stroke and passed away.  Which was heaps of not-fun.

So, KSP things have been on hold for a bit.  Some time soon, I'm hoping for a return to normality, and a subsequent increase in time available for modding and maybe even playing KSP.  In particular, I have a few outstanding parts to complete* on the NAR MEM before I move to looking at better integration with other mods like BDB.  I need to go through some configs, esp for Space Opera and check heat issues for the converters, 'cos they all became different.  I have some test config that is currently crap, but working to get Rovers updated to optionally use KSP Wheels.  and so on.

But, for the next few days, I'm away from all this computer stuff me thinks.  Gonna search out air-conditioning or open air, breezy locations, drink some beverages, and eat some foods.  And sleep.  Perchance to dream, but I don't care, SLEEP!!!!  I recommend others do similar activities.  If you're north of the equator, maybe look for heating instead of cooling.  ;-)

Back in a few days.

* Complete being, nothing's horribly wrong with it, no parts are untextured, and it's "releasable".  Not equivalent to Finished.

[tater]

Hope the new year is an improvement. Enjoy your time off the grid!

[TiktaalikDreaming]

So, I'm looking at doing up the Mission Module, which will kill off the existing outer shell pieces and frame for putting the MEM in.  Mostly because until I read up on that, I had guessed really really wrong.  NASA's archive has this;

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19680009779

Already hitting snags with sanity though.  If you find the diagram on page 37, have a look at the RCS for section A (the Logistics vehicle tunnel and docking section).  I've modelled the RCS part as separate, so people can choose to put in sane RCS instead.  I'll do on up without the next to useless twin outward facing nozzles, but here's the quick mockup of how it looks so far;

I can forgive the large block, as a lot of the plumbing and valves may be hidden in there so as to keep the inside clear.  But the twin nozzles facing out is plain old daft.  Makes you think someone told the draftsman "put two RCS blocks there, no I don't care what they look like".  Which, when there's stuff like wiring diagrams in that doc, is a bit lame.

[TiktaalikDreaming]

I'm interested in opinions of planning for the bits to move the MEM out to Mars.  I'm working (at least for non-RO) on making the bits to match up with BDB Sarnus/Saturn parts.  

My current thinking out loud in Blender looks as follows;

Now, I intend to make some docking adapters for orbital combining of sections, and I'll make them all share a common node type/size, even though they'll all be for different diameters, and that will be able to be used for basically bolting craft together.

I decided I'd stick to my 64% scale for the mission module, as it really never matches any other parts.  The intended launch for that would have a return module (Apollo capsule) stuck on top, but apart from that, the final craft it's a 22 foot part just bracketed to a 33 foot part.  The top of it is also basically just a big bucket of general things, including the Earth Reentry Vehicle, so that top section is basically a fairing, so I'm thinking - procedural.  That way, it can match whatever you want, and can be discarded anyway.

Ditto for the section of the MEM covering.  Although the plan was to discard the fairing in two pieces, one to expose the probes etc (possibly during a Venus flyby, so quite some time before the other) and the other covering just the MEM.  Still, it'll need a framework of some sort to suspend the top sections above the launching vehicle.  So I can build a couple of frame pieces with minimalist diameters, and have them also include a procedural fairing of some sort.  

The idea behind all this is to maintain the one scale, so it makes it easier converting the parts for RO, while also making it compatible with stock craft as much as possible.  So, so long as the end parts that need to match have a hint of procedural in them, or just happen to match up, then it should be good I'm thinking.

[DiscoSlelge]

Match the MEM with BDB saturn is a perfect idea !

[debaker02]

Hi,

You can match it to BDB and possibly make a nuclear engine for that size?  Or we just use other nuclear engines. 

[TiktaalikDreaming]

4 hours ago, debaker02 said:

Hi,

You can match it to BDB and possibly make a nuclear engine for that size?  Or we just use other nuclear engines. 

Yeah, I've generally been looking for an excuse to model a NERVA.  So, likely there'll eventually be a nuke engine.

[Mecripp]

Is there any working craft files the 2 ships with it has missing parts ?

[Mecripp]

Playing around with TU 

[TiktaalikDreaming]

2 hours ago, Mecripp said:

Is there any working craft files the 2 ships with it has missing parts ?

Yeah, I noticed that.  It took me a while to think what might have caused that, but pretty sure it's the antenna piece that fits in the chute frame. I switched dashes for underscores in the part name while trying to diagnose why the RO mm configurationwant applying (was actually solved by splitting RO and RT configuration into two patches).

I'll update next chance I get. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

1 hour ago, Mecripp said:

Playing around with TU

 

Looks good. I think it needs one of them metallicness maps though. It looks like it's going to be entered into a street machine detailing competition.

[Mecripp]

9 minutes ago, TiktaalikDreaming said:

Yeah, I noticed that.  It took me a while to think what might have caused that, but pretty sure it's the antenna piece that fits in the chute frame. I switched dashes for underscores in the part name while trying to diagnose why the RO mm configurationwant applying (was actually solved by splitting RO and RT configuration into two patches).

I'll update next chance I get. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

Looks good. I think it needs one of them metallicness maps though. It looks like it's going to be entered into a street machine detailing competition.

That was 1 of 3 settings will play around with it more and post a patch if you want

[TiktaalikDreaming]

2 hours ago, Mecripp said:

That was 1 of 3 settings will play around with it more and post a patch if you want

https://github.com/TiktaalikDreaming/NAR_MEM/blob/master/ExampleCraft/NKR DEM.craft
 

I haven't packed it up yet.

 

Feel free to do pull requests against https://github.com/TiktaalikDreaming/NAR_MEM/blob/master/Config/texturesU.cfg or send me the patch and I can update.  There's just me mucking about with the crew ascent cabin in the patch so far, and I'm not happy with how I'm going with it. 

[DiscoSlelge]

As I flew with the MEM on Duna I have to warn you that the decoupler of the lab and the ascent engine are very bumpy, things explodes and the MEM get ejected aside!

[TiktaalikDreaming]

5 hours ago, DiscoSlelge said:

As I flew with the MEM on Duna I have to warn you that the decoupler of the lab and the ascent engine are very bumpy, things explodes and the MEM get ejected aside!

Yep.  I'm not too sure what exactly causes that, but it is very prone to explosions.  I've messed with colliders, used a tiny decouple force and a huge decouple force, adjusted staging, and probably a few things I forgot to list.  I just can't seem to get that separation to run smoothly, reliably.

[TiktaalikDreaming]

I've been messing with the weird Earth Entry Module.  I'll need to mess with where the CoM sits.  The shape seems remarkably unstable, which leads to overheating , and subsequent explosions.

The shape is described in Boeing's docs as "Biconic" but is an asymmetric truncated biconic, and a shape used by Northrop for "unmanned reentry vehicles" (aka ICBMs).  There's lots of implied testing, but there's zero data.  Apparently it's good for higher entry velocities than the Apollo capsule shape.  My testing is suggesting that either there's some trick of aerodynamics that isn't modeled by KSP (aero, esp at hypervelocity is not easy to model) or that I've placed the CoM wrong.  Or I suppose the third option being that Northrop were lying.  It is from a 1960's report after all, in the middle of the cold war.

[CobaltWolf]

Are you sure that's how it re-enter's? I always thought it went nose-first with the extended lip extended behind/below to provide lift.

[TiktaalikDreaming]

20 hours ago, CobaltWolf said:

Are you sure that's how it re-enter's? I always thought it went nose-first with the extended lip extended behind/below to provide lift.

It's pretty hard to be sure of anything regarding it.
In the cut away diagrams I have for it the rear of the craft has ablative heat shielding drawn in though, which suggests that end points forward during reentry. And the pointy bit at the back has "crushable structure". 

Considering the rear of the craft doesn't shadow the remainder very well, they seemed very optimistic on directional stability. I'm thinking I'll be adding a small amount of ablator to the main capsule as well.  I did find a point to put the CoM where it seems to at least point the right way. I wouldn't call it super stable though.

Edited January 17, 2018 by TiktaalikDreaming

[TiktaalikDreaming]

I shifted the CoM towards the longer side and down a bit, both of which make sense, and there's now directional stability.

Not a lot though. If you do any maneuvering, things get spinny very fast and takes a while to settle down again.  I have to say I'm impressed with how fast it slows down for a shape that looks like it should have less drag than the big rounded bases of the Apollo types.

Now to work on some attachment thingy for it.

[TiktaalikDreaming]

Some progress.  I'm mostly just getting short patches of time between things to mod at the moment.

Anyway, the EEM is slowly becoming useable.  I'm trying to get a gif of reentry, to show it *works* and has some active directional stability, but not a lot of stability, and your kerbals should probably take some paper bags or bucks with them.  

So, the (texturing is at an early stage, what's there in several places will change, and it's missing several passes) bits currently look like the following (in blender, not in game, I'll do the in game later when the textures are done).

 

[TiktaalikDreaming]

So, a few of the parts are more complete now.  

I clearly still need to texture the parachute units and the adapter/service module.  The service module (I know it looks fancy n all, but the 3d modelling is ~%2 of the work) will get pretty much redone for a few reasons.  None of it is unwrapped.  And nothing connects to the load bearing points on the heat shield. 

 

And, no, it's not used to visit the depths of the ocean on the end of a long cable. 

Edited February 6, 2018 by TiktaalikDreaming

[Abpilot]

hey does anyone know what the launcher is for this thing and could they send me a craftfile, plz

[TiktaalikDreaming]

24 minutes ago, Abpilot said:

hey does anyone know what the launcher is for this thing and could they send me a craftfile, plz

The plan was to assemble the interplanetary craft in orbit, lofted up by Saturn V's.  The main sections would have been 4 or 5 tanks, Saturn V sized, but containing only liquid Hydrogen, and a set of NERVA engines.  Each burn had it's own engine or engines.  Plus there were small course correction engines that used storable bi-propellants (not specified, so probably UDMH+N2O4).

To get all this into orbit would have required several launches.  Plus the MEM, and a mission module, basically labs and living space for the trip out and back.  And about half of the mission plans involved a collection of probes to fling at Venus during a flyby.

But, in short, no.  There's no single launcher.

[Abpilot]

1 minute ago, TiktaalikDreaming said:

The plan was to assemble the interplanetary craft in orbit, lofted up by Saturn V's.  The main sections would have been 4 or 5 tanks, Saturn V sized, but containing only liquid Hydrogen, and a set of NERVA engines.  Each burn had it's own engine or engines.  Plus there were small course correction engines that used storable bi-propellants (not specified, so probably UDMH+N2O4).

To get all this into orbit would have required several launches.  Plus the MEM, and a mission module, basically labs and living space for the trip out and back.  And about half of the mission plans involved a collection of probes to fling at Venus during a flyby.

But, in short, no.  There's no single launcher.

k thx

 

[TiktaalikDreaming]

20 minutes ago, Abpilot said:

k thx

 

I recommend building bits from 

I'm working on some of the missing bits specific to the Mars missions, but they're not available just yet (most aren't even parts, just sketched out ideas in blender).  If you want a single launch to interplanetary, I'd recommend my Nexus mod, but my skill at modding was pretty crap when I did that, and it's on my list of "stuff to re-do from scratch".  But if you're OK with some ugliness, a 2 stage Nexus will get you what you're asking for.

[RedParadize]

that's a pretty weird return capsule. And I like weird stuff. 

It's the first time I see that thing. It does, in some way, make sense. To perform a direct return from mars, a capsule would need quite allot of lift to prevent astronaut from being crushed under too much G, I guess that shape would do exactly that. And more angle to the heat shield mean less ablation.  

Cant wait to play with it.