Realistic Solar System Crafts - MEGATHREAD

[Kainne]

I tried my hand at recreating the NASA shuttle in RSS. http://http://imgur.com/a/6zDdk Edited March 10, 2014 by Kainne

[Hodo]

And another SSTO space plane... this one is capable of a bit higher, but still rough around the edges.

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I call it the X-6. I am still working on the LOx to LH2 mix for those engines, but I am getting REAL close. I estimate this craft will be able to take up to 5 tons in to a LKO of 140km when completed. Currently I am having issues with uneven thrust out of the engines in either jet mode or rocket mode. They are perfect till a certain temp then they get uneven.. one drops to almost 20% of the other ones power. Both have the same fuel flow and air flow from the intakes. It is odd.

Edited March 10, 2014 by Hodo

[Redrobin]

That actually gets to orbit? Awesome!

It gets like a .2 ton satellite into orbit.

[Fenisse]

I don't know if somebody has already written it, but i'll post it anyways. To reduce (or remove completely) wobbling when launching with MJ, when in flight, open the MechJeb menu, then go to Attitude Adjustment and select Stock SAS. I hope I've helped you. Happy launching!

[Hodo]

I don't know if somebody has already written it, but i'll post it anyways. To reduce (or remove completely) wobbling when launching with MJ, when in flight, open the MechJeb menu, then go to Attitude Adjustment and select Stock SAS. I hope I've helped you. Happy launching!

Thanks, that is useful.

[Woopert]

Question time! I would like to know how real life spacecraft still reach orbit even with such weak engines. In this case, the S-II and S-IVB stages of the Saturn V (with J-2 engines) have low TWR that can't keep its time to apoapsis increasing. The Atlas V for the CST-100 (with Dual RL10A-4-2 engines) is also having similar problems.

I did somehow manage to make orbit earlier with my SLS Block I design, which had 1 RL10B-2. What's the "secret"?

Pictures here:

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[Hodo]

Woopert I had the same question the other day. I have no clue how they do it, but my guess is they aren't as heavy as they are in KSP.

[Woopert]

Woopert I had the same question the other day. I have no clue how they do it, but my guess is they aren't as heavy as they are in KSP.

Probably so. But, RSS does do quite a magnificent job of balancing down the mass of parts (I've heard that stock KSP parts are much too heavy). I also tried using balloon tanks and emptied some of the fuel. Emptying the fuel gave a high enough TWR for liftoff but stage 2 creates problems.

[vidboi]

If you have a look at the ascent profiles of rockets such as the saturn v (e.g. below) it sheds some light on how they work.

The first stage mainly propels the rocket upwards and gives it a large time to apoapse. The later, lower powered stages just follow and extend an approximately ballistic trajectory. During the orbital insertion the rocket is actually falling back to Earth, but as it gets closer and closer to orbital velocity the effect of gravity gets less and less.

[maccollo]

I realized that the reason my larger rockets failed even with joint reinforcement mod was because of struts. When I exluded struts from my design I mananaged to create some pretty massive launchers without any problem. I then made the Christmas tree rocket:

I weighs 14500 tons and can launch 300 tons to LEO.

[Woopert]

I realized that the reason my larger rockets failed even with joint reinforcement mod was because of struts. When I exluded struts from my design I mananaged to create some pretty massive launchers without any problem. I then made the Christmas tree rocket:

I weighs 14500 tons and can launch 300 tons to LEO.

http://youtu.be/p71PTRgGtZc

At 1:09 in the video, on the third stage or something, you basically brought a fully fueled Soyuz into space haha

[maccollo]

At 1:09 in the video, on the third stage or something, you basically brought a fully fueled Soyuz into space haha

300 tons... Yup, that's about right =P.

On a slightly related note, since it's a very russian looking rocket, like an steroid pumped N1 with SRBs, the USSR anthem goes with it like magic xD

Edited March 14, 2014 by maccollo

[Blipser]

Question time! I would like to know how real life spacecraft still reach orbit even with such weak engines.

Use your first stage & boosters to get your desired apogee two minutes ahead of you then burn at the horizon until MECO. With your second stage burn at the horizon until you reach your apogee then pitch up to try and control your rate of decent, using some vertical speed reading. Your aiming to have as low vertical speed as possible when you circularize. Bear in mind pointing upwards after apogee will decrease it and before will increase it. It takes a while to get used to but with this you should be able to get to orbit with a TWR of under 0.3

[Woopert]

Use your first stage & boosters to get your desired apogee two minutes ahead of you then burn at the horizon until MECO. With your second stage burn at the horizon until you reach your apogee then pitch up to try and control your rate of decent, using some vertical speed reading. Your aiming to have as low vertical speed as possible when you circularize. Bear in mind pointing upwards after apogee will decrease it and before will increase it. It takes a while to get used to but with this you should be able to get to orbit with a TWR of under 0.3

Thanks for the help, I appreciate it!

I do, however, know the tricks of pointing upwards to decrease apogee (and it also will increase the perigee, right?). I also know that if the apogee is dropping quickly it's a good idea to point vertically to prevent the rocket from falling down again.

[von Ziegendorf]

Launchers and Mun landing

I'm playing stock parts career mode with RSS, FAR and DR

After unlocking Mainsails it's time for exploration of the Solar System

Here is my first heavy launcher ~1700t and payload of 32t (used as a Mun launcher)

And the bigger one ~3000t, payload ~55t (only test flights were flown)

[Woopert]

Launchers and Mun landing

I'm playing stock parts career mode with RSS, FAR and DR

After unlocking Mainsails it's time for exploration of the Solar System

Here is my first heavy launcher ~1700t and payload of 32t (used as a Mun launcher)

http://i.imgur.com/aW9TwtZ.png

And the bigger one ~3000t, payload ~55t (only test flights were flown)

http://i.imgur.com/jU3GcCS.png

Most impressive! Nice work!

[Woopert]

Just an update...

I'm getting really close to getting my Saturn V to work. The dimensions are going to be as close as possible to the real one (based off of using measurements listed on Wikipedia), and I'm accounting for a lot of advanced thing with measuring this (such as finding the precise size of certain fuel tanks). I was inspired by SFJackBauer to do this, plus the Saturn V is just plain cool! It will feature the LEM from the FASA pack, rescaled (I'll post a link to the person who made the re-scale).

To sum it up so far, by stage...

S-IC: Performs smoothly, need to empty some fuel to give >1 TWR at engine ignition.

S-II: Performs smoothly, based off of the input above I've learned to get a high time to apogee then wait out a bit until the fuel drains, therefore giving it a >1 twr. Might add some more fuel (tanks have been emptied a bit). It cuts off a bit too early, hence the reason for more fuel.

S-IVB: This is creating issues! If 5 J-2 engines weren't enough to power it, then 1 J-2 is going to be really hard (but possible to fly, it's just my piloting isn't adequate).

I will post a download soon, here are some screenies.

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[Fenisse]

I don't know if I should post the craft of this Soyuz-like spacecraft (without lifter though!)...

It weights 10 tons, 1120 Delta-v, 1000 units of Hydrazine. It is capable of taking 2 men to orbit, with more-than-enough Delta-v for rendevous.

Here is the Sachel, in all its beauty (kinda)

[Captain_Party]

Nothing super-duper, just a little Soyuz-esque capsule I'm working on. AIES and Stock... I don't know what to use for the orbital module, maybe a rescaled Porkworks thingie. I've also changed the cabin so it holds three little dudes... #half-cheat I've also upped the mass like a good boy though

[Mr.Rocket]

Anyone else out there? *crickets* no? Well, i guess i'll show more of my own things

My space station: Aldrin Space Station. Looking to expand with more modules, but need a crew transfer vehicle, which i have a peek at in this post

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All modules were launched with this launcher, still need a name for this:

And my current Work in Progress:

Any guesses?

[Hodo]

My test aircraft, and primary fighter of my airforce.

F-2 (why F-2 because it took 2 tries to get a working fighter)

[Redrobin]

Anyone else out there? *crickets* no? Well, i guess i'll show more of my own things

My space station: Aldrin Space Station. Looking to expand with more modules, but need a crew transfer vehicle, which i have a peek at in this post

~snip~

Your station looks like this proposed Mars transfer vehicle:

[Mr.Rocket]

Your station looks like this proposed Mars transfer vehicle:

Oh yeah, i guess it does, although i'm not sending it to Mars anytime soon. I've never seen that vehicle before

And nice fighter plane Hodo, i'm personally not too great at planes, especially with FAR

[Fenisse]

Nothing super-duper, just a little Soyuz-esque capsule I'm working on. AIES and Stock... I don't know what to use for the orbital module, maybe a rescaled Porkworks thingie. I've also changed the cabin so it holds three little dudes... #half-cheat I've also upped the mass like a good boy though

http://i.imgur.com/baN8Gjg.png

http://i.imgur.com/lfzsQQn.png

So many Soyuz spacecrafts! Which Soyuz is it?

[ANWRocketMan]

This my as-of-yet unnamed launcher. It has a payload of 47.8-tonnes to 200km x 200km LEO. I'm launching a test-article of my Lunar Crew Transfer Vehicle.

Beauty shot on the pad.

Booster, fairing and LES(more on that later) separation.

It uses a J-2X as a second stage engine.

This image just shows off the Distant Object Enhancement mod. You can see Mercury, Venus and Jupiter in this image. If you look very closely, just above Mercury and Jupiter(close to the Sun) is a single pixel of light which is the Launch Escape System we ejected earlier. It's quite amazing to watch a small object that used to be part of your launch vehicle flying by 50km above your head. I love this mod!

Payload separation.

Spacecraft position at MECO.