FINALLY! MOdular Mission System (MOMS) - Go Anywhere, Bring Anything!

[Wayfare]

Banner by drummerguy103

Awesome rockets for awesome people!

Introduction

Wayfare AE&KA is proud to announce the release of the MOdular Mission System (MOMS)! With weeks of development and two full-scale proving missions to the Mun and Duna behind it, this is easily our most ambitious project yet. The result is a user-friendly platform that will let you do exactly what it says on the tin: go anywhere, bring anything. Just pick together the modules your mission needs and go!

I'd like to thank test pilot Gojira for proving that the system can be figured out by another user, as well as the various people who chimed in during the development reports. Cheers!

Download the craft here:

(Right-click and “Save Asâ€Â)

MOMS – All 21 modules in a single ZIP-file!

Installation

While all the modules are completely stock, MOMS requires Subassembly Manager to be used properly (at least until subassemblies are implemented in KSP proper). Inside the ZIP-file you will find two folders: one called VAB to be merged into the folder of the same name in your save folder, and one called MOMS that you can plonk into your Subassembly Manager folder. Boom – done!

User's Manual

MOMS craft are designed to be assembled in orbit. To plan your launches, first work out which modules your mission requires. Notice that each module comes with two numerical values: the first indicates mass, the second parts count. So (36/14) would be a 36-ton module consisting of 14 parts. Launchers are rated for payload mass with a roughly 10% error margin. The example module could not fit on the Munshine VI (22 tons) but a Munshine V could easily lift it (55 tons). Pro tip: use any spare tonnage to bring auxiliary fuel tanks, because it's a rare day when you'll ever have too much fuel.

To assemble a MOMS launch, first select one module from the VAB. You can start pretty much anywhere. Then pick the rest of the payload together from the Subassembly Manager. Notice that KSP does not allow docking ports to be root parts so you'll need to add a Senior docking port manually to each subsequent module.

Slap a launcher underneath, strut everything together, sort out the staging and launch!

If you like pictures, check out this post from the Dunproof proving mission.

All MOMS landing payloads are provided with enough thrust, fuel and parachutes to land anywhere but Tylo. Support craft have their own limitations listed in the description.

Universal Action Groups

MOMS uses a few universal action groups across all modules.

0: Launch Mode. Disables engine gimbal on our heavier launchers.

9: Payload Engine Shutdown. Support craft docked onto a MOMS craft can have their engines shut down at the push of a button to prevent wildly dangerous ignitions.

8: Extend Solar Panels.

7: Retract Solar Panels.

Individual module action groups are included in their descriptions.

What's in the Box?

The MOMS package contains an incredible twenty-one modules, including payloads, launchers and support craft of various types. A full list is included here.

Main Craft Modules:

MOMS Core 1x1

The heart of any MOMS craft is the control core. It includes an RCS tank, probe cores, solar panels, battery, SAS and utility docking ports. The bottom probe core is upside-down so no matter how you assemble your craft around it, you'll always be able to select one and control it from the correct orientation.

MOMS Prop X4 and X6

The propulsion modules include nuclear engines and a Jumbo main fuel tank and are designed to be delivered to orbit by a disposable OAM (also included in this pack). The X4 has four engines and the X6 has six, trading some delta-v for shorter burn times.

MOMS Hab

The habitat module provides living space for up to eight Kerbals (six recommended) during interplanetary travel. It also comes with two shielded standard-sized docking ports for interfacing with the CTV and LASSIE.

Payload Modules:

MOMS Base

The MOMS surface base is lightweight and easily deployable from orbit using the disposable lander package. With accommodation for twelve Kerbals the base can hold a double crew during shift changes.

AG1: Extend ladders, extend solar panels, extend antenna.

MOMS Munophant

Sturdy, fast and with room for up to five Kerbals, the Munophant is our long-range expedition vehicle of choice. It uses a slightly hairy but immensely fun deployment technique to ensure it always lands wheels-down (assuming any horizontal velocity is canceled out during descent). Not recommended on low-gravity bodies.

AG1: Rear-wheel brakes. AG2: Lock center wheel steering.

MOMS Buggy

Originally developed for our Munshine V Apollo-style Mun craft, the MOMS buggy is light in both mass and parts and can easily be attached to just about any landing payload by using a Junior docking port or decoupler on some cubic struts. A standalone two-buggy lander is included if you want to put them down separately.

MOMS Aux-8, -16, -32, -64, -RCS

MOMS auxiliary fuel tanks allow you to easily pad out your mission capabilities by bringing more fuel. A pair of Aux-32's on the MOMS utility docking ports effectively doubles your fuel supply! Aux-8 tanks are great for slinging underneath the Shuttle or LASSIE as a drop tank.

Launchers:

Munshine V – VI – VII

Our family of Munshine launchers is included in this pack. Rated for 55, 22 and 75 tons respectively they are lag-friendly solutions to your launchpad needs. A slightly modified Munshine VI edition is also included, using the second stage as an OAM.

MOMS OAM

The Orbital Assistance Module (OAM) is a small “upper stage†capable of maneuvering payloads in orbit without tapping into that payload's own fuel supply. Once in orbit it can be used to assemble various modules into their final configuration on your MOMS craft.

Support Ships:

MOMS CTV

The Crew Transfer Vehicle (CTV) can take six Kerbals and a pilot to orbit from Kerbin and land safely afterward. Some engine thrust is required to compensate for parachute shock, and a little more to cushion the final landing.

MOMS Suttle

Seats six and has the oomph to go from low orbit to the surface and back on any body except Tylo, Eve and Kerbin. The MOMS shuttle is our first choice for ferrying Kerbals between MOMS craft and surface bases. Chutes can be re-packed in orbit and re-used by action groups.

AG1: Landing Lights, AG2: Floodlights, AG3: Drogue Chutes, AG4: Main Chutes.

MOMS LASSIE

Our Lander And Support Ship for Interplanetary Exploration (LASSIE) is a lovely little one-seater that's great for plopping flags on moons and such. It can land and take off again from most solid bodies except Tylo, Eve, Laythe and Kerbin, though it will require an underslung Aux-8 tank for Duna and Moho.

AG1: Landing Lights, AG2: Floodlights.

Compatibilty and Building Your Own

MOMS modules follow a simple design profile: a Senior docking port on each end and a center of mass on the centerline between those ports. This makes MOMS effortlessly compatible with several other systems, such as YarTheBug's “Nomad†interplanetary drives or Temstar's “Zenith†launchers. Constructing your own MOMS modules is just as easy as long as you follow the design profile and mind the universal action groups.

A Note on MechJeb

MechJeb was used extensively during development and testing, but only for data and maneuver planning. Every MOMS module can be operated manually. That said, we did test MechJeb control and have the following pointers for you:

MechJeb does not like fully-assembled MOMS craft. They tend to be fairly long and require a gentle hand on the controls to prevent wobble. We recommend you do not let MechJeb perform your burns if your MOMS craft has more than one payload module attached. Steering towards the node marker yourself, allowing a greater error margin (10m/s+) and then finishing the burn manually can help.

MechJeb easily gets confused by docked ships with multiple engines. One way to trick it into calculating the correct delta-v, TWR and burn times is to include a decoupler between the MOMS craft and any active payload.

Edited September 1, 2013 by Wayfare

[M.Wolfy]

FINALLY, yeah thats the word for it, nice job wayfare, love all your crafts (currently the munshine series and this )

[LameLefty]

This is awesome. Thank you for the effort you put into your designs, and thank you for sharing your hard work!

[replica17]

Oh yeah! Been working on something similar which is nowhere near to this level of craftsmanship

[Wayfare]

Thanks folks! MOMS took a lot of elbow grease to develop and I'm glad it's appreciated If you use this craft - or even just some of its modules - do us a favor and post some pics. We love to see our stuff in action!

[HeadHunter67]

[Notice that KSP does not allow docking ports to be root parts so you'll need to add a Senior docking port manually to each subsequent module.

In that case, I would highly recommend the SelectRoot plugin, which allows that and unleashes the real power of Subassembly Manager.

[Wayfare]

In that case, I would highly recommend the SelectRoot plugin, which allows that and unleashes the real power of Subassembly Manager.

I did consider that - in fact it's entirely possible to save a subassembly into SM with a docking port as the root. The difficulty being that SM tends to bork struts and fuel lines unless the subassemblies are exact copies of proper .craft files (something which was figured out by Temstar, who is a very clever fellow). That could be helped by using SelectRoot but I didn't actually try it. I'm guessing there's a good reason KSP won't allow this by default and I'm also guessing it has something to do with docking. Given that MOMS requires a lot of docking I decided to spare myself the agony of finding out Judging by the KSP Weekly, subassembly support may well be part of the next game update so I'm holding out for that.

[Captain Sierra]

SelectRoot is great for making modules and other subassembly parts. I'll +1 the advice for you to get it. IMHO, everyone who releases anything modular should have it.

[Wayfare]

SelectRoot is great for making modules and other subassembly parts. I'll +1 the advice for you to get it. IMHO, everyone who releases anything modular should have it.

Well subassemblies have just been confirmed for the next KSP update so I'll hold out for that. I do appreciate the advise though, and I've checked out SelectRoot more thoroughly. It's a very powerful tool! The great part is that it allows you to build fully-stock craft in ways that would not normally be possible.

[HeadHunter67]

I've taken a closer look at MOMS and I love what you've accomplished! I was working on a similar concept for modular space station design (called MOSS, ironically close nomenclature), but I don't think my design philosophy was as lean or well-balanced. Perhaps I will revisit the concept and see if I can make it work like you have done. Thanks!

[M5000]

WOW! Well done sir! You have successfully done what I have been trying to do since I first got this game! A robust, adaptable, refined, standard, and modular system for missions to almost anywhere! Very well done indeed, you should be very proud!

-M5K

[Wayfare]

Headhunter, M5000 - thanks! This has been my "white whale" for quite some time too. It's really cool to be able to just sit back and go "OK, where do I want to go today?" without having to build an entire craft for the purpose. It's even cooler to have a few MOMS craft out there building up mission histories as they deliver payloads and crews to various bodies. Refueling and refitting them in LKO makes the logistics so much easier.

I've just worked out a Grand Tour schedule that could see a triplet of MOMS craft (one conducting the actual Grand Tour and two others cycling back to Kerbin as tankers) visit every planet and moon and plant flags on them. That might make for a pretty neat publicity stunt

[Gojira]

Glad I was able to test this

[DisarmingBaton5]

Headhunter, M5000 - thanks! This has been my "white whale" for quite some time too. It's really cool to be able to just sit back and go "OK, where do I want to go today?" without having to build an entire craft for the purpose. It's even cooler to have a few MOMS craft out there building up mission histories as they deliver payloads and crews to various bodies. Refueling and refitting them in LKO makes the logistics so much easier.

I've just worked out a Grand Tour schedule that could see a triplet of MOMS craft (one conducting the actual Grand Tour and two others cycling back to Kerbin as tankers) visit every planet and moon and plant flags on them. That might make for a pretty neat publicity stunt

You should make a YT video of it (Perhaps use kerbcam/cockpit cam as the only cameras?)

[HeadHunter67]

I think my favorite part of this is the OAM - it's allowed me to do away with a cumbersome tug. It's a very elegant solution to station assembly and can even be used by itself to adjust a station's orbit.

I tried the Munshine VII to loft a new one-piece station yesterday but it didn't look like it was going to get anywhere close to breaking atmo, let alone making orbit. Can it really take 75 tons to 75km? If so, what did I do wrong?

[Wayfare]

I think my favorite part of this is the OAM - it's allowed me to do away with a cumbersome tug. It's a very elegant solution to station assembly and can even be used by itself to adjust a station's orbit.

I tried the Munshine VII to loft a new one-piece station yesterday but it didn't look like it was going to get anywhere close to breaking atmo, let alone making orbit. Can it really take 75 tons to 75km? If so, what did I do wrong?

Thanks, I love that little machine too

As for the lifters - they've all been tested thoroughly to 100km so 75km should not be an issue. It's probably in the ascent profile. Munshine rockets are designed for aggressive but smooth gravity turns. Flipping over to 45 degrees at 10km is not going to cut it

Nudge yourself about 5 degrees to the East at around 5000 meters. Go halfway to the 45 degree line when you've accelerated to 250m/s. Go to the 45 degree line around 500-600m/s, halfway from there to horizontal around 800m/s and horizontal around 1200m/s. Your altitude will probably only be around 30-40km when you go flat but don't worry: you're developing a beastly TWR as your fuel drains and you'll make orbit easy. It's generally best to just keep your hands on the controls as the current SAS won't really lock a heading (though it still dampens your controls so it's definitely useful to keep on during ascent).

[HeadHunter67]

Thanks, I will give that a try! I'm certainly glad for a high-capacity lifter with such a low part count - much more streamlined than the monstrosities most people recommend for that kind of payload.

[Wayfare]

Thanks, I will give that a try! I'm certainly glad for a high-capacity lifter with such a low part count - much more streamlined than the monstrosities most people recommend for that kind of payload.

Good luck! Also note that we've just expanded the Munshine family with three new lifters - two light ones and a massive 100-ton monster at a mere 144 parts

[HeadHunter67]

Since Subassembly Manager is not going to be updated for 0.22 (under the mistaken popular notion that the in-game subassembly system will do everything that could), is it possible to get the MOMS assemblies into the game somehow? Or can this be updated please?

[Dakitess]

This is a pretty good job ! Modules are well designed and coherent each other

I should show my modular system one day but hey, so long to make a decent translation :s

Anyway, GG Wayfare

[Wayfare]

Since Subassembly Manager is not going to be updated for 0.22 (under the mistaken popular notion that the in-game subassembly system will do everything that could), is it possible to get the MOMS assemblies into the game somehow? Or can this be updated please?

We're on a bit of hiatus right now as "tweakables" may well break some of the company's designs. In the interim, I believe dropping the subassembly craft files into the ingame subassambly folder should work just fine!

Edited November 10, 2013 by Wayfare

[HeadHunter67]

Thanks, Wayfare! I'll give that a try. Hopefully it will work.

[idoneous]

Wayfare - Brilliant work! I've recreated your craft for my own missions. I've tested them all out on Mun, and I'm waiting for the right angle ( and nerve ) to send my three ships on to Duna. Your modular system has made interplanetary missions much more accessible to a newbie like myself. Thanks again!

[LameLefty]

If you use this craft - or even just some of its modules - do us a favor and post some pics. We love to see our stuff in action!

266 metric tonnes, boosting for Laythe ...

From front to rear: the buggy lander module; the modular base; the core with two 32-sized drop tanks; the heavy lander; and two 6-engine propulsion modules with a 64-sized tank module in between. I put the tank in between for fear of that two consecutive propulsion stages one right after the other would result in damage to the second set of engines. In retrospect I should have mounted them one behind the other but rotated to offset the engine plumes, with the last tank mounted aft to be dropped.

Anyway, the thing took about 9 launches to lift, assemble and prepare. If I have time tonight after work, I plan on flying the entry into the Jool system and (hopefully!) park it safely above Laythe to begin disassembling and landing the components of Jebtown. You see, Jeb and Bill have been hanging out there for about a year since they arrived; their lander has fuel to get back to orbit but no fuel to get home. They figured they'd hang out on the beach and work on their tans.

[Wayfare]

Wayfare - Brilliant work! I've recreated your craft for my own missions. I've tested them all out on Mun, and I'm waiting for the right angle ( and nerve ) to send my three ships on to Duna. Your modular system has made interplanetary missions much more accessible to a newbie like myself. Thanks again!

You're welcome! Glad you enjoy this product, it's been quite a labor of love putting it together

266 metric tonnes, boosting for Laythe ...

Bloody hell I actually prototyped some 2x2 and 3x3 core modules but figured the MOMS ships were getting big enough already. I may need to revisit those...