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[0.21+] Kosmos Spacecraft Design Bureau: Updated (9/27/13)

Normak

By Normak
in KSP1 Mod Releases

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HeadHunter67

HeadHunter67

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I had though about making it possible. But that is not how the Va works for real. plus it would look weird docking Lock downs to lock downs.

I understand. I suppose I was thinking more of berthing an undocked capsule back into the cradle - which I suppose would be possible in real life unless the lockdown is damaged in decoupling. But I can see how that might not work in-game since the docking system probably requires connectors on both vessels.

But I'm still going to keep working on a feasible way to make a VA into a good escape pod. Even without the RRV Escape Unit, the craft can land from 100 km+ onto Kerbin via the RRV Retro Unit and RRV Propulsion Unit. Not bad for a mere 6.2 tons - much better than the old Apollo-style escape vehicles I was using.

Had I thought of it when building the station, I could have installed the VA pods on lockdowns and they'd work just fine. After the fact, I have to engineer the best way of getting them up there and mating them to ports on my station, without making them too heavy. I thought I had enough dV to get one there from the ground on a Proton second stage alone - and I came damn close to a direct rendezvous before I ran out of fuel. But, on the bright side, I did get to evaluate whether the pod could land safely from that altitude, and it passed that test with flying colors.

Thanks for the advice and I'm looking forward to more cool stuff like this. My second build that started out as stock-only has turned into 1.5GB of the Russian space program - and basically that's just between BobCat's Soviet Pack, Kosmos, and the obligatory B9 Aerospace for the spaceplanes. But it's a nice change of pace and the visual variety is stunning.

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Tyren

Tyren

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Since ive installed this pack i am starting at night...i love that glowing engines (always try to get them Close to burnout, theyre glowing even more :D). And These epic solar Panels *.*

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Normak

Normak

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But I'm still going to keep working on a feasible way to make a VA into a good escape pod. Even without the RRV Escape Unit, the craft can land from 100 km+ onto Kerbin via the RRV Retro Unit and RRV Propulsion Unit. Not bad for a mere 6.2 tons - much better than the old Apollo-style escape vehicles I was using.

Thanks for the compliments, Headhunter. Your post has motivated me to speak about the pack in general for a bit. I have been working to create concept sketches for a replacement to the "Drotik" runabout package we released for the VA during the days of SSPPv2. Cardboard updated it at one point to match the rapidly improving quality of our parts, but I believe it has since disappeared because it arrived between generations of parts and doesn't match his current output. This is my current proposal:

Q2wP31w.png

The new design would be based partially on the Fregat engine used to propel Soviet lunar landers and such, but in this design is entirely monopropellant. It would contain a central crew tunnel (green in the concept), meaning that a docking ring could be attached to the underside as shown in the picture. Two rendezvous engines would be mounted at diagonals, nozzles facing toward the nose of the craft. This means the new Drotik would fly in the same fashion as the TKS- with the docking side prograde. Four surface panels (blue in concept) would be placed across the RCS tanks to allow for equipment to be mounted to the part, such as RCS blocks and solar panels.

At the moment, the Drotik is currently on low priority though, since other parts are closer toward completion. The state of development is such:

1. Improved Strut (release candidate ready)

2. RD-275K (formerly proposed as RD-210, currently being reworked and is nearing completion)

3. Improved Fuel Line (not ready yet)

4. N1 Block A (Flight testing and configuration complete, but model is far from completion)

5. Drotik (concept stage)

Beyond these five projects are literally tons of other ideas we'd love to implement but must wait while we ensure maximum polish on what we release. I would imagine that after our next update, which is slated to contain the first two items, and possibly the third, Cardboard will begin work on Block B and V of the N1, which might supplant Drotik development. We also have an interest in reviving LK station-landing capabilities, but our concepts are not currently feasible and are sitting on the backburner. Cardboard and I spent the last three hours debating what paint job to give to the N1, you can imagine how difficult it will be to reach a decision on the method of landing station parts.

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Voli

Voli

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The balka panel's animation are still broken for me. It just skips to the fully extended animation and then starts retracting.

The rotation part is being blocked by something called "kosmos.balk...." Is the panel not rotating fully for anyone else?

Fresh install

Edited by Voli
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CardBoardBoxProcessor

CardBoardBoxProcessor

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sorry to heard that. that issue was only mended never fixed. i guess the mending does not work for you. you could try switching the animations in the CFg.

RD-275K is coming long nicely :) not to be confused with the RD-33NK

Yellow: Fuel

Blue: Oxidizer

Red: Oxidizer rich gas

RD-275K%20flow.png

Edited by CardBoardBoxProcessor
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HeadHunter67

HeadHunter67

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Thanks for the compliments, Headhunter. I have been working to create concept sketches for a replacement to the "Drotik" runabout package we released for the VA during the days of SSPPv2.

I really like the idea - as would work basically like I imagined such a craft would be. I understand that there are other priorities so I will patiently await to see what you have in store. In the meantime it is nice to know that those beautiful struts aren't far off - the stock struts are so unsightly!

I will probably tinker with what we've got already and see if I can't build something that at least performs similarly - though I'm sure it won't be nearly as sleek and sharp as your finished product.

[EDIT: Light... bulb! I was wondering how I'd dock a lockdown onto an existing station and I just realized "what if I just put a docking port on the back of the lockdown and dock that to the station?" Next time I load up the game, I'll see if that could work!]

Edited by HeadHunter67
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CardBoardBoxProcessor

CardBoardBoxProcessor

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Even though we quarrel sometimes, mostly do to misunderstandings, I am glad he is in the team. while he also made this awesome description he is great to ping ideas off.

Though at first glance it might appear related to the RD-33Nk, the RD-275K is vastly different in form and role. This engine is designed for efficiency, rather than unrestricted power. Its chamber and preburner utilize a completely different profile to assure stable, high-pressure combustion for little change in ISp throughout all atmospheric conditions. A high pressure turbopump, complimented by a booster pump on all feed lines increases efficiency in exchange for lost thrust, making this engine a great choice for a sustainer engine.

a photo from the Kosmos Design Bureau Scrap Book. A picture of an old N-1 mock up (from its obvious lack thin sheet metal and truss construction) being tested for Pad integration :)

N-1_MockUp.png

Edited by CardBoardBoxProcessor
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CardBoardBoxProcessor

CardBoardBoxProcessor

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Agreed, masterful stuff there, CBBP. For a 2.5-diameter tank, will you still be releasing four engines mounted together in the future, or is the smaller size becoming standard?

well what with the engines decent thrust they are capable of both. These are in the middle of 1.25m and 2.5m engines. the Nk-33 being more 1.25m. You can easily use adapters though. Hopefully now that my game works right i can release some save files with some rockets in them.

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NoMrBond

NoMrBond

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I thought the bodies could already hold crew (4, 2 and 1 for the 3, 2 and 1.5m sections respectively) as well as some other parts?

The 3m body lists crew support things as well, but this isn't part of the stock game yet, so I guess the part will when the game does.

Actually it might be possible to get the TKS body to give the science part read-outs since it says it's a science station, but that's a decision for cBBp and Normak

[Edit] Strictly stock-alike option numbers for the RD-275K before I forget (just pick one line)

  • reduce maxThrust to 259 -or-
  • Increase mass to 3.7 -or-
  • change atmosphereCurve to key = 0 343 and key = 1 293

Other balance options by request

Edited by NoMrBond
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Synthesis

Synthesis

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well what with the engines decent thrust they are capable of both. These are in the middle of 1.25m and 2.5m engines. the Nk-33 being more 1.25m. You can easily use adapters though. Hopefully now that my game works right i can release some save files with some rockets in them.

I need to get myself so better four-engine adapters. Depending on what you're using, there might be structural issues with a two-engine or four-engine setup, but cosmetically, I don't think you can beat the look of the two and four engine adapters from the old Angara pack. Of course, you guys are redoing everything from scratch, so I can imagine that's very low on your list of priorities, if anywhere.

And, of course, gotta update!

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Synthesis

Synthesis

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Google to the rescue!

screenshot55.jpg

(Some of the two-engine combinations)

renderlow.png

(A less-poly version of it, but you get the idea.)

I miss the super-powerful two and four engine options, but I appreciate you've already got a very ambitious list of stuff to add.

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CardBoardBoxProcessor

CardBoardBoxProcessor

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Fair enough! I do think they'd be great for 2.5 meter units, but it's your mod and you guys know best. :)

no no i mean they way it is constructed. totally plan to make the engine again. just glad I don;t have to have the pipeing and the support structure like that. just making it sit on a ball joint and pistons and piping that can go anywhere will really free the model up :)

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Synthesis

Synthesis

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no no i mean they way it is constructed. totally plan to make the engine again. just glad I don;t have to have the pipeing and the support structure like that. just making it sit on a ball joint and pistons and piping that can go anywhere will really free the model up :)

Oh, awesome! Glad I misunderstood you--it's nice to have engines that can be multi-mounted, but when it comes to actual setups like the ones in KOSMOS, I prefer the actual multi-mounted units (which I believe existed, at least on paper), rather than relying on KSP's symmetry engine.

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