[0.90] LazTek SpaceX Launch, Exploration, Colonial Transporter & Historic mods (1/25/14)

[Taki117]

A few questions:

1: Do you have KSPI?

2: Does the trunk have built-in solar panels?

Is there a fix for KSPI?

[Woodstar]

A few questions:

1: Do you have KSPI?

2: Does the trunk have built-in solar panels?

Whats the problem with KSPI i use both and don't seem to see a problem could you elaborate so I can see if i'm missing something?

[wasmic]

Is there a fix for KSPI?

Whats the problem with KSPI i use both and don't seem to see a problem could you elaborate so I can see if i'm missing something?

There's a problem with KSPI where parts that have both solar panels and decouplers in the same part bug out. If you don't have the problem, Woodstar, then it has probably been fixed in the newest version. So Taki, I'd suggest just updating KSPI. If that doesn't work, comment the decoupler module from the trunk out and add it to the bottom node of the pod.

[Snaps2012]

A few questions:

1: Do you have KSPI?

2: Does the trunk have built-in solar panels?

yes to both. I would try updating KSPI like you suggested in your later post but I am pretty sure I have the latest version. That is unless they have updated it in the last 2 weeks or so.

ive also noticed that the super Draco engines don't show the flame textures or play burn sounds most of the time. I noticed that a few other people had the same problem but that it went away when they restarted the game. I tried that but it didn't work. It works properly about 3/4 of the time in a pad abort type scenario but never in space.

incase there are any known problems with mods I will list the mods I am using.

KSPI, FAR, KAS, Kerbal Engineer Redux, crew manifest, deadly reentry, procedural fairings, docking port alignment indicator, environment visual enhancements, and kerbal alarm clock.

Edited June 10, 2014 by Snaps2012

[LazarusLuan]

I have completed my new SpaceX Launch Pack HD v3.0, SpaceX Exploration Expansion HD v2.0 and SpaceX Historic Archive HD v1.0 mods and they are available now on my server and will be available on Curse after the regular and low res versions have been tested and uploaded later today or tomorrow.

LazTek SpaceX Launch Pack HD v3.0

LazTek SpaceX Exploration Expansion HD v2.0

LazTek SpaceX Historic Archive HD v1.0

This first build of the SpaceX Historic Archive contains my original Dragon 2 spacecraft, now renamed DragonRider in the VAB but using the original names in the .cfg files. This should ensure continuity of existing builds and scenarios and is the primary reason for the creation of this version of the mod. Use of its .craft files requires installation of the Launch Pack and Exploration Expansion mods. Upcoming releases will also include versions of the original Falcon 9 Block 1 launch platform and Dragon Science and Cargo capsule.

>>>>CHANGES IN LAZTEK SPACEX LAUNCH PACK v3.0:

Replaced Dragon 2/DragonRider spacecraft with new Dragon V2 capsule, trunk, ladder, nosecone and parachutes with versions unveiled to the public by SpaceX

Parachute designed to fit new Dragon V2

Ladder simplified into new Dragon Ladder with rungs attached to front of Dragon V2 capsule

New Dragon V2 nosecone opens and closes without ejecting

Dragon V2 trunk no longer uses attachable solar panels with covers and has been redesigned to resemble Dragon V2 trunk seen in the animation that was unveiled with the introduction of the new Dragon V2.

Falcon Remote Control now has top decoupler to eject Dragon V2+trunk directly, eliminating need for adapter

SuperDraco Engines are now smaller and are designed to exactly fit the Dragon V2 nacelles when attached in pairs that are rotated +60 and -60 degrees from center. it is no longer necessary to rotate the capsule when attaching the SuperDraco engines

>>>>CHANGES TO SPACEX EXPLORATION EXPANSION KIT 2.0:

Added Falcon Tanker upper tank part and LT SpaceX Falcon Tanker .build file that uses it

Changed all ship builds to use new Dragon V2 capsule and trunk

Docking Trunk no longer needs separate decoupler/adapter

[Prowler_x1]

Simply Marvelous, muahahahahahha.....

[jazzman13]

What a wonderful thing to wake up to. Time to try it out!!!

[Alpha8624]

I have downloaded the latest version of LazTekSpaceXLaunchPackHD_3.0 . But every time I load the "LT SpaceX Dragon V2" from the ship folder the trunk seems to decouple as soon as the vehicle is loaded. And the decoupler effects show up approximately every second after that. I have redownloaded and reinstalled it serveral times, but nothing changes. Can anyone help me please?

[Prowler_x1]

I have downloaded the latest version of LazTekSpaceXLaunchPackHD_3.0 . But every time I load the "LT SpaceX Dragon V2" from the ship folder the trunk seems to decouple as soon as the vehicle is loaded. And the decoupler effects show up approximately every second after that. I have redownloaded and reinstalled it serveral times, but nothing changes. Can anyone help me please?

Read the last page or the page before... I saw something about that.

[Prowler_x1]

Laz,

Are you working on blender? Is it some other 3d design tool?

[MDBenson]

Excellent Work, Laz!

Would anyone be interested a TAC Life Support + ModuleManager config with Food/Waste, Water/Waste Water and Oxygen/CO2 and zero'd crew capacity for the original DragonRider capsule? It's a neat one-shot that turns the DragonRider into the real Dragon Resupply capsule. It works super well with the FusTek station parts expansion (which has it's own TAC configs) or real ISS modules with TAC.

Edited June 11, 2014 by MDBenson

[augurseer]

a. ma. zing.

simply super cool Laz

[Snaps2012]

I got the latest version and the problem with the Draco engine textures and sounds being missing is fixed. However the trunk still decouples automatically and still can't fit a docking port under the nose cone. Anyone know how to fix either of these problems?

[Ser Brynden]

Here are my photos of the SpaceX Dragon 2 capsule on display today at the Newseum in Washington DC.

Full album here: http://imgur.com/a/41uA2

Edited June 12, 2014 by Ser Brynden

[sp1989]

Excellent!! I loved every second flying this thing. However it runs a little too hot with Deadly Reentry, and I came in a little hot landing and the capsule flipped over. I think there is something wrong when the ship does this.

[LazarusLuan]

Here are my photos of the SpaceX Dragon 2 capsule on display today at the Newseum in Washington DC. Notice that the seam of the nosecone is angled when viewed from the side.

Full album here: http://imgur.com/a/41uA2

http://i.imgur.com/AH2XQkBl.jpg

Yes, it does... exactly like the new Dragon V2 mod I've released.

[LazarusLuan]

I got the latest version and the problem with the Draco engine textures and sounds being missing is fixed. However the trunk still decouples automatically and still can't fit a docking port under the nose cone. Anyone know how to fix either of these problems?

Zoom in underneath to place the docking port while the camera is in the capsule looking up, or use the LT SpaceX Dragon V2 .craft file and it's pre-made for you. I haven't been able to reproduce the sound or decoupling issues. Are other people having this same problem? Perhaps I need to combine another plugin with my mod to reproduce it?

[LazarusLuan]

I'm almost ready with the regular and low-res versions of the new mods but would like to make certain I've squashed any bugs with the HD version first. Has anyone run into any other issues beyond the ones already discussed here?

[Ser Brynden]

Yes, it does... exactly like the new Dragon V2 mod I've released.

I apologize. I made that observation before I even downloaded your the new version.

Now, a few suggestions/comments:

Ladder: I asked the SpaceX guys about the capsule and if there was any kind of ladder that comes out from the door, and they said no. A ladder is brought over by a welcoming party when it lands (obviously). Anyway... I'm not against having the rungs on the side of the capsule for our Kerbals, but is there anyway to design a ladder that pops out from the hatch? That would be pretty slick!

Parachutes: I should have also asked them where the parachutes are, but I assume they're under the nosecone. In my photos, there are at least three small panels around the top of the capsule, but I saw in other photos of the unloading that these cover attachment points for a crane, so no parachutes there. There may be parachutes under a large panel above the door, but I can't tell if that's even a removable panel at all.

Air Intakes/Vents: The two ports at the top of the capsule are not actually RCS ports, they have grills and appear to be some sort of air intakes or vents.

Trunk Fit: Your new capsule model doesn't fit either of the two trunks as snug as the previous model. There is a small gap between the heat shield and top of the trunks.

All in all, very well done and you are a master designer!

[augurseer]

i havent had a flame texture or launch issue since fully removing the old laztek folder in GameData and fully redownloading everything as the new HD packs......so all the laztek stuff i have is brand new and HD and it all works AMAZINGLY

[LazarusLuan]

I apologize. I made that observation before I even downloaded your the new version.

Now, a few suggestions/comments:

Ladder: I asked the SpaceX guys about the capsule and if there was any kind of ladder that comes out from the door, and they said no. A ladder is brought over by a welcoming party when it lands (obviously). Anyway... I'm not against having the rungs on the side of the capsule for our Kerbals, but is there anyway to design a ladder that pops out from the hatch? That would be pretty slick!

Parachutes: I should have also asked them where the parachutes are, but I assume they're under the nosecone. In my photos, there are at least three small panels around the top of the capsule, but I saw in other photos of the unloading that these cover attachment points for a crane, so no parachutes there. There may be parachutes under a large panel above the door, but I can't tell if that's even a removable panel at all.

Air Intakes/Vents: The two ports at the top of the capsule are not actually RCS ports, they have grills and appear to be some sort of air intakes or vents.

Trunk Fit: Your new capsule model doesn't fit either of the two trunks as snug as the previous model. There is a small gap between the heat shield and top of the trunks.

All in all, very well done and you are a master designer!

Thank you for your comments - I wish I could have been as close to the capsule as you have been. I actually first built a retractable ladder but decided, with the chrome accents on the hatch, to complement them with chrome-ish rungs instead. I might still put the retractable in as an option, though. Elon specifically said that this capsule would still use the exact same parachutes as the cargo Dragon, which I take to mean they work the same way on the actual, launchable capsule that we'll see later this year or next. These parachutes use a drogue that rips a line up the back of the Dragon from a narrow, shallow channel that is covered with polystyrene foam and then spools out from the top. I hope I'm right, but as always will modify in the future as these parts become reality. Interestingly, I almost assumed that the top ports were for something else and only added rcs to those just before I released the first version of the Dragon V2. I'd also like to know how the winglets on the trunk are really going to work. I would assume they are control surfaces, but the Dragon V2 separates from the trunk long before the atmosphere plays any part in reentry. I think the animation that accompanied Elon's presentation influenced the little gap I left between the capsule and the trunk, since the gap is also in the video, but I believe I will get rid of that in future releases.

[Ser Brynden]

Thank you for your comments - I wish I could have been as close to the capsule as you have been. I actually first built a retractable ladder but decided, with the chrome accents on the hatch, to complement them with chrome-ish rungs instead. I might still put the retractable in as an option, though. Elon specifically said that this capsule would still use the exact same parachutes as the cargo Dragon, which I take to mean they work the same way on the actual, launchable capsule that we'll see later this year or next. These parachutes use a drogue that rips a line up the back of the Dragon from a narrow, shallow channel that is covered with polystyrene foam and then spools out from the top. I hope I'm right, but as always will modify in the future as these parts become reality. Interestingly, I almost assumed that the top ports were for something else and only added rcs to those just before I released the first version of the Dragon V2. I'd also like to know how the winglets on the trunk are really going to work. I would assume they are control surfaces, but the Dragon V2 separates from the trunk long before the atmosphere plays any part in reentry. I think the animation that accompanied Elon's presentation influenced the little gap I left between the capsule and the trunk, since the gap is also in the video, but I believe I will get rid of that in future releases.

Good point on the parachutes. It makes sense to me.

P.S. - The SpaceX team at the exhibit today said that the capsule on display was in fact a launchable capsule and not just a floor-model shell.

Here are some photos of the unloading: http://dcist.com/2014/06/see_spacexs_dragon_v2_for_free_toda.php

Here are some photos of the inside: http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/space/rockets/step-inside-the-spacex-dragon-v2

[Nibb31]

Elon specifically said that this capsule would still use the exact same parachutes as the cargo Dragon, which I take to mean they work the same way on the actual, launchable capsule that we'll see later this year or next. These parachutes use a drogue that rips a line up the back of the Dragon from a narrow, shallow channel that is covered with polystyrene foam and then spools out from the top.

The parachutes work in the same way, but the arrangement is slightly different between V1 and V2. You can see the V2 parachute deployment sequence in this video at 1:11. The drogues are fired from two mortars above the chutes. The main chute is stored below the hatch with the rip lines running up each side of the hatch.

http://www.space.com/24337-spacex-wet-drop-tests-human-rated-crew-capsule-at-sea-video.html

This explains why the nose cap is slanted.

I'd also like to know how the winglets on the trunk are really going to work. I would assume they are control surfaces, but the Dragon V2 separates from the trunk long before the atmosphere plays any part in reentry. I think the animation that accompanied Elon's presentation influenced the little gap I left between the capsule and the trunk, since the gap is also in the video, but I believe I will get rid of that in future releases.

The winglets are just passive stabilizers with no control surfaces. Their purpose is to simply to stabilize the capsule during an abort, like the grid fins on Soyuz. They also provide extra surface for the solar panels as a secondary purpose.

[LazarusLuan]

The parachutes work in the same way, but the arrangement is slightly different between V1 and V2. You can see the V2 parachute deployment sequence in this video at 1:11. The drogues are fired from two mortars above the chutes. The main chute is stored below the hatch with the rip lines running up each side of the hatch.

http://www.space.com/24337-spacex-wet-drop-tests-human-rated-crew-capsule-at-sea-video.html

This explains why the nose cap is slanted.

The winglets are just passive stabilizers with no control surfaces. Their purpose is to simply to stabilize the capsule during an abort, like the grid fins on Soyuz. They also provide extra surface for the solar panels as a secondary purpose.

I already created the tri-parachute system demonstrated with the DragonRider concept test capsule in the video, but just saved it for the Dragon Science/Cargo capsule I'm including in future editions of the SpaceX Historic Archive mods. While perfectly suited for the Dragon cargo capsule which has no engine nacelles, the imbedded channels for the two diagonally-situated side parachute lines go right through two of the SuperDraco engines, so I assumed that the final version would simply combine all three chutes into one channel up the back.

[Nibb31]

What I was saying was that the actual parachute mounting point was on the hatch side, with the rip lines routed around the hatch, not the aft side as on your model. This is why the two aft legs are closer together, to absorb the impact together as they hit the ground first.