Interplanetary Crew Vehicle [UPDATE: Now with Centrifuge]

[Satellife]

Gentlemen, seeing as there is now a high possibility for Interplanetary exploration, I suggest we start thinking about the engineering challenge this presents. In order to travel the vast distances involved with Interplanetary missions, the vehicle will need a low-thrust, high specific-impulse engine, in addition to facilities that will allow the crew necessary room to carry out their actions, while also maintaining enough storage to house the food and water and fuel.

I've put together somewhat of a conceptual model here. I call her Discovery-1.

From the top down, she starts with a command module, with a small engine stage for when the vehicle returns to Kearth (orbital descent).

Below that is a support module that houses the computers and logistics needed for astronavigation and communications.

Further down, on either ends of a truss, are the two Crew Habitation Modules. For such long-duration missions, the truss is actually designed to rotate like a centrifuge to simulate artificial gravity, like so:

The rest of the ship's mass is taken up by the engine assembly (SAS modules, Heat Radiators, Fuel tanks and a modified NERVA engine assembly.)

While it is a fairly 'bare-bones-basics' vessel in terms of design, there are other features implemented. The entire engine sub-assembly can be jettisoned in the event of a meltdown, and there is room beneath the command module for a landing module, ideal for landing on and exploring rocky planetary bodies.

My thanks go to partmakers NovaSilisko, Sunday Punch and AstroBug for the mod parts.

[venku122]

are those solar panels?? :hailprobe:

[Damonjay]

yes it appears so

[millsw]

Me want. Me want bad.

[Satellife]

Updated the first post with a new design.

[Tim_Barrett]

You launched it like that? :/

Cool anyway. Do the radial decuplers and struts act as a suspension system from launch? Or just for looks?

[Satellife]

Well, right now, there isn't any other way to get it into orbit. :/

They actually aren't radial decouplers. They are a modified part. Instead of decoupling, they have a tiny amount of 'give' to them.

[millsw]

Download link? and the custom parts of course?