After Two Weeks of Construction: Crew Transfer Vehicle...in shuttle style

[CSX_Ind]

Unless you want your Kerbals to live forever in the space, scheduled rotation of space station crews are important.

The first Crew Transfer Vehicle, the CTV-0XX missions, used Mk. 1-2 Command Pod, which used regular launch vehicle.

After up to CTV-003 mission, new vehicle was made, which had lengthy before lift-off procedures and after circularize procedures.

Named CTV-1XX, this one flied up to CTV-105 mission.

Although CTV-1XX had landing gears, it landed via parachute. Landing gear was there to prevent destruction of any shuttle parts.

To shorten the lift-off procedures and circularize procedure, new CTV was made, CTV-2XX; the finalized version.

Two mods were used to make this vehicle; KW Rocketry and MechJeb2.

3 liquid fuel engines are used with 3 shuttle main engine. Booster stage is similar to Delta IV Heavy configuration.

2 Radial engines are to be used as Orbital Maneuvering System Engine.

The shuttle itself can generate Delta-V of ~5600m/s, to balance the shuttle itself during ascent.

Just like real-world aircraft and spaceships, CTV-2XX has checklist before lift-off, during ascent, and after circularize.

Shuttle main engines are slightly angled, which means once you reach your desired orbit, you must declare MECO and shut them down.

For re-entry, shuttle uses two OMS Engines. Fuel tanks on top of the shuttle are used for OMS Engines.

For descent and landing, it's manual; or you can use auto-land I guess?!

I admit. I'm not a good pilot.

[CSX_Ind]

Oh I forgot to upload this one ~_~

[inigma]

wicked sweet. it's not easy making shuttle rockets in KSP I've heard.

[rodion_herrera]

wicked sweet. it's not easy making shuttle rockets in KSP I've heard.

Well it's not easy if you're building it exactly set up like the STS, with only two SRBs, and the three main engines. As you can see from his pics, he has an engine underneath the ET, which essentially is a "cheat" (and I only use the word cheat her in the context of building a true shuttle style setup). So, like most "space shuttle" systems that you may have seen around, this type of build is the EASY build--what's much harder is a build that really flies like the real Shuttle.

So far, I only know of one KSP build/setup that is really close (about 90ish) to a real shuttle launch, and made using only STOCK parts, and the video is here:

Don't be mistaken, that engine under the ET only serves as fuel burner, for preflight balancing considerations, and DOES NOT fly with the rocket.

Edited June 12, 2013 by rodion_herrera

[CSX_Ind]

I never said this was STS style.

Plain old shuttle style. Bring back reusable parts(Including kerbals) back to the Kerbin. No wonder I named it CTV instead of STS right

Though that is some pretty sweet near-STS.

Edited June 12, 2013 by CSX_Ind