Nuclear Rockets [WIP]

[Kommitz]

Also will be looking to put this stock-alike double NERVA up for download eventually.

As always, feedback is appreciated and I'll try to keep this thread up to date!

Edited June 22, 2013 by Kommitz

[hoojiwana]

habit of changing the stats wildly at the moment

Oh how I know that feeling.

[bigdad84]

Does the engine have automatic fairings?

[Kommitz]

Does the engine have automatic fairings?

The current one doesn't (yet) but the next release should have them. I've just been testing them out today in fact.

[hoojiwana]

When you get them working, I would be very appreciative if you could pass that knowledge along through a PM or something. Thanks!

[Wait- Was That Important?]

These are beautiful engines- they look great with both stock and KW!

I'm fiddling around with the balancing as well, but I think I'll get it down on my own.

[footman04]

Hey! Just to let you know, FTMN is the abbreviation for my rocket building thread, which was unfortunately lost in the unfortunate event. You may wish to change it a bit to avoid confusion.

Otherwise, I saw your work in progress on 4chan, and it looks even better now. I'll probably download it.

[Kommitz]

Ah I might prefix it with the company name then.

Also, working on a tiny family of nuclear rockets currently which are quite near completion now!

Will probably put a thread up in the mod releases section when I've packed them all.

[Kommitz]

When you get them working, I would be very appreciative if you could pass that knowledge along through a PM or something. Thanks!

Ah, I think I might just put a post somewhere if it'd be useful. I basically just reverse engineered another CFG though so I'm not entirely sure how everything works yet (notably the NERVA fairings).

Also, working on some more bits. Might update some current models to be a bit less spherical and switch out some of the parts entirely because I'm fickle and otherwise I'd just end up with an endless pile of similar rockets up for download.

[hoojiwana]

Ah, I think I might just put a post somewhere if it'd be useful. I basically just reverse engineered another CFG though so I'm not entirely sure how everything works yet (notably the NERVA fairings).

That's currently more information than exists, so having that available for people to use would be great. I'm guessing though that you set up a Unity object and give it the same name called in the Fairings module?

[nyrath]

I'll just continue this where I left off. Uploaded an engine to Spaceport, although I'm in the habit of changing the stats wildly at the moment as I try to decide what's balanced: FTmN 400 Nuclear Rocket

I've been quite busy the past week or so making new components and I'm working on a pair of engines to accompany my large one (once I'm satisfied it's not ridiculously OP).

Also will be looking to put this stock-alike double NERVA up for download eventually.

Oh, my. Is that what I think it is?

That's a open-cycle gas core nuclear thermal rocket. The good news is that it has the ultimate performance of nuclear thermal rockets. The bad news is that it sprays glowing radioactive death like a flying Chernobyl.

The little monster has an Isp of 3,570 seconds, 3,500 kiloNewtons of thrust, and a mass of about 30 tons.

The theoretical maximum is about Isp 10,000 seconds, 3,000 kiloNewtons, and a mass of about 15 tons.

[Kommitz]

It's actually just a miscellaneous nuclear thermal rocket in a spherical pressure vessel because I'm not that bothered about accuracy.

I've been looking around for stats to give to a gas core engine but I'm still trying to decide what would be in the realms of 'reasonable', and the parts in KSP aren't all that big so it'll be nowhere near any of those stats.

Currently I'm just balancing things off the stock nuke engine.

[nyrath]

I've been looking around for stats to give to a gas core engine but I'm still trying to decide what would be in the realms of 'reasonable', and the parts in KSP aren't all that big so it'll be nowhere near any of those stats.

I've got a few stats you can look over here

http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/enginelist.php

[xeon_1]

Would it be possible to use the spherical design for a large nuclear reactor part for our high power needs in space?

[EnterElysium]

Dude, they look pretty as hell. I just used your original pack in a video and they are lovely although a little underpowered imo atm (although with changing the stats wildly I guess this won't be a problem for long). Look forwards to seeing the next iteration.

[DeeZee]

Really enjoying these Kommitz. Engines are much better balanced than the stock ones, and much prettier. It makes the longer interplanetary missions much more fun. Plus it reminds me of Fallout 3 and that has got to be a good thing!

[Kommitz]

Ah god I'm going to be slowing down a bit on making things as I've currently found myself about 100% more employed than I have been recently.

I've got a few stats you can look over here

http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/enginelist.php

I'm already well familiar with your site, it's a great source for inspiration. Speaking of which...redesigning some things:

Made them non-spherical, but they're still squat and fat. Gonna include these variations in a set including fuel tanks that I'm hoping eventually to make a plugin for, allowing multi-fuel engines with varying Isp.

The engine on the end is based on what I can make out of the MITEE design, although it's only a rough out at the moment.

Also here's a lander pod and fuel tank idea I'm roughing out at the moment.

[nyrath]

Dang, those are sweet Kommitz!

[Der Kosmos]

Awesome. You should make a PPM mod http://www.astronautix.com/craft/ppm.htm so people can build the IMIS http://www.astronautix.com/craft/imis1968.htm

[Kommitz]

I'm currently working on a set of fueltanks and redesigned engines.

I'm not surte what a PPM mod would entail though, looks like you could get close enough with docking ports anyway. Maybe some seperate fairing pieces/engine shields would be an idea.

[MOARdV]

I'm currently working on a set of fueltanks and redesigned engines.

Those look terrific. The clustered spherical fuel tanks are something I've wanted for a while now, purely for aesthetic reasons. Can't wait!

[Gaiabladegold]

Loving the look of things so far, it'll be worth the wait, undoubtedly!

Just a couple of quick questions for you, though, 1)are you making primarily Nuclear engines, or will we see regular gas-guzzling thrust spewing LF engines along in this pack? And 2) are you happening to be considering the 3.75m size range at all at any point in time by any chance..?

All in all, I can't wait to put these babies into action, and look foreward to what's to come!

Happen to need a beta tester, to take some of the trial and error workload off, btw?

[Kommitz]

1)are you making primarily Nuclear engines, or will we see regular gas-guzzling thrust spewing LF engines along in this pack? And 2) are you happening to be considering the 3.75m size range at all at any point in time by any chance..?

1: I'm only doing nuclear engines at the moment, although I have a pln for a higher thrust variant included in them.

2: Not at the moment. I'm just doing things to fit with stock.

Happen to need a beta tester, to take some of the trial and error workload off, btw?

Nope. I make parts one at a time and the most time consuming process isthe making/texturing rather than doing the configs.

Also here's my first Mun mission of 2.0 showing things off. Looking good even if I say so myself:

[Gaiabladegold]

True, I suppose beta testing is something not overly time consuming, and possible bugs will be fleshed out by the community upon release moreso than anything... (Not saying you'll likely have many, though. And curses, my attempts at getting dev pre-releases foiled, lol XD)

But the fact you are focusing on stock comparability is actually something I consider a major plus, actually. All in all, I look forward to the nuclear engines the most right now, that is an engine class in which more variety is much needed... And I especially can't wait to slap on some of those beautiful components on some of my heavy transfer vehicles that have been needing a bit of a pick me up in one way or another. Nothing gets an interplanetary station-sized ship going smoothly like the soft thrust of efficient nuclear engine... Among other things... ^^

Edit: That is a particularly splendiferous looking setup of tanks and engine you've got on your lovely vessel, good sir... You make the waiting part more and more difficult at ever turn.

Edited May 27, 2013 by Gaiabladegold

[Greys]

I'm really liking all the spheres themed things that have become in vogue over the last couple weeks, those ones look particularly delicious.

Since you're adding/going to add your own tanks, have you considered switching from LFO to a realistic fuel concept, namely LF/solid, where solid represents nuclear material internal to the engine, or using custom resources (btw, you can now include resource definitions in your part cfg files)