[1.12.X] Tantares - Stockalike Soyuz and MIR [16.1][28.05.2024][Mars Expedition WIP]

[Beale]

could always have someone else help out with the career mode compatibility and the balancing (not me of course) in exchanging for early access....

Possible idea .

Anyway, once the exterior is done, I'll put the TKS on the dev thread! People can play before the long wait for IVAs

[ste1701]

Beautiful, it's simply beautiful!

I don'think that there are better words to describe the TKS!

[biohazard15]

Beautiful TKS! But please, make it dark green - there is already too much shades of grey

Also, there is a problem with Spica CM fairing.

If I use LES (any - stock, NP, etc. This one is from FASA Gemini. BTW, how about your own LES?), it blows fairing away when I'm trying to activate it via staging (All LES known to me behave that way - they decouple and activate engines to blow away). I'm forced to just decouple it, which is clearly a danger to my ship:

That's my favourite lifeboat. Can go up to 100 km orbit with any inclination. NEAR and DRE certified.

I just LOVE Spica. Price could be a bit higher for engine block - other modules are good as it is, expect 2-way RCS block - it should be cheaper (like 50% cheaper than stock 4-way - i.e. 225 kerbucks)

[Beale]

Beautiful, it's simply beautiful!

I don'think that there are better words to describe the TKS!

Thanks!

Beautiful TKS! But please, make it dark green - there is already too much shades of grey

Also, there is a problem with Spica CM fairing.

-snip-

If I use LES (any - stock, NP, etc. This one is from FASA Gemini. BTW, how about your own LES?), it blows fairing away when I'm trying to activate it via staging (All LES known to me behave that way - they decouple and activate engines to blow away). I'm forced to just decouple it, which is clearly a danger to my ship:

-snip-

That's my favourite lifeboat. Can go up to 100 km orbit with any inclination. NEAR and DRE certified.

I just LOVE Spica. Price could be a bit higher for engine block - other modules are good as it is, expect 2-way RCS block - it should be cheaper (like 50% cheaper than stock 4-way - i.e. 225 kerbucks)

Hi!

Standard alt. textures will be available for Tantares and Alnair, that is grey, green and white. So hopefully you will like

I will look at the Spica a bit, all prices really need balance as they were irrelevant before 0.24 and I never looked at them.

Can I ask if the LES is attaching to the top of the crew module or to the orbital module?

About making my own LES, I don't know. I would stay away from anything to do with launchers so far as there are already so many mods available. Maybe a little LES or two wouldn't be so bad though.

Edited July 23, 2014 by Beale

[biohazard15]

Hi!

Standard alt. textures will be available for Tantares and Alnair, that is grey, green and white. So hopefully you will like

I will look at the Spica a bit, all prices really need balance as they were irrelevant before 0.24 and I never looked at them.

Can I ask if the LES is attaching to the top of the crew module or to the orbital module?

About making my own LES, I don't know. I would stay away from anything to do with launchers so far as there are already so many mods available. Maybe a little LES or two wouldn't be so bad though.

http://puu.sh/anzNL/422b245861.jpg

It's attached to the top of orbital module. In case of emergency, action group will activate LES, decouple CM, jettison fairings and fly OM and CM away. Another action group will then decouple OM and deploy its parachute.

BTW, it looks like fairings somehow doesn't like staging. Just got the same bug when I've activated OMS via staging (right after separation from 2nd stage, throttle was at 0). I guess I'll just stick to action groups for orbital operations

About prices: price of the rocket itself (it's KW parts, except reaction wheel for 2nd stage. Last version with balanced prices) is 12750 kerbucks. There is no docking port (its node is still locked).

[DGatsby]

So excited for the TKS! Almost more so than I was for .24.

[Beale]

So excited for the TKS! Almost more so than I was for .24.

Haha! That is amazing to hear, thankyou

Decoupler....

Which means...

[X] Decoupler

[ ] Solar Panels

[ ] Parachute

[ ] Beta Release!

[Darth Lazarus]

gimemgimmegimme !

this is going to be so freaking cool

[Beale]

gimemgimmegimme !

this is going to be so freaking cool

Soon...

Solar Panels

I'd really appreciate feedback on these.

• Too big?
  
• Too much energy flow?
  

Re-sizing or changing the energy flow is totally easy, so I can make any needed changes in a second.

They deploy quite slowly and are a bit crinkled, same as Tantares and stock.

Edited July 24, 2014 by Beale

[Darth Lazarus]

first impression is very good of teh solarpanels, but i would slightly reduce the width and the lenght of it

for comparision:

[Beale]

first impression is very good of teh solarpanels, but i would slightly reduce the width and the lenght of it

for comparision:

-snip-

Yeah I will reduce it a bit I think, but before. Here is current comparison to all panels.

Final Scale, Close Enuf!

Edited July 24, 2014 by Beale

[Darth Lazarus]

that scale is perfect ! good job ! about the energy production: i would gues soemthing about half of the big one.

one a site note: preparing launch of Vega 01 station:

[biohazard15]

As you may have or may not) heard, Station Science had been updated to include contracts.

I'll use Tantares (and, in future, TKS\Alnair) to ferry crew, but how do I transport experiments\fuel\stuff to station and back?

With Progress, of course!

Here is the concept with experiment pod in reentry configuration (decoupler and heat shield are from DRE. I'll use dtobi's inflatable heat shield once it gets properly updated). Craft has no probe core yet (1,25m inline will be added once I'll open its node in tech tree). Of course, pod can be replaced with virtually any inline 1.25m part.

And I have a request: can you make probe core that looks like upper part of TST Crew module (with place for chute), but its lower end is exactly 1.25m? Something like highlighted adapter, which looks totally out of place here.

[Beale]

that scale is perfect ! good job ! about the energy production: i would gues soemthing about half of the big one.

one a site note: preparing launch of Vega 01 station:

-sneb-

Nice Proton!

As you may have or may not) heard, Station Science had been updated to include contracts.

I'll use Tantares (and, in future, TKS\Alnair) to ferry crew, but how do I transport experiments\fuel\stuff to station and back?

With Progress, of course!

-snipz-

Here is the concept with experiment pod in reentry configuration (decoupler and heat shield are from DRE. I'll use dtobi's inflatable heat shield once it gets properly updated). Craft has no probe core yet (1,25m inline will be added once I'll open its node in tech tree). Of course, pod can be replaced with virtually any inline 1.25m part.

And I have a request: can you make probe core that looks like upper part of TST Crew module (with place for chute), but its lower end is exactly 1.25m? Something like highlighted adapter, which looks totally out of place here.

Hmm, I do like your design.

I need to add science storage to all current orbital modules.

A "proper" Progress clone is on the cards after TKS is out. It will have a probe core.

Hope this helps

[Darth Lazarus]

Vega 01 now in Orbit ... time to rework teh launchclamps of my Soyuz to launch the first crew to it ... damn 0.24 update

so a progress is coming too? realy nice to hear

[DGatsby]

Final Scale, Close Enuf!

http://puu.sh/apc5j/d262e1d9e6.jpghttp://puu.sh/apc7d/383bcc74f8.jpg

Looks good!

[Beale]

TKS BETA

Go to the DEV thread to get it.

Parachute is now built in capsule.

All balances, prices, descriptions are awful.

I'd love any and all feedback!

[DGatsby]

Yay! I'll give some feedback after I work. Don't get off work till 11pm (my time) though. Boo!

[Beale]

Yay! I'll give some feedback after I work. Don't get off work till 11pm (my time) though. Boo!

Many thanks

One small thing, now Tantares will offer contracts.

Still deciding on what the company mindset should be (I'm not trying to re-create Roscosmos).

[Guest]

I have a few suggestions for the pack:

1. TKS Escape block. You can see it above the deorbit block: http://www.astronautix.com/graphics/z/ztksles1.jpg

2. Crewed TKS module to replace the cargobay.

3. MIR Station. TKS-based module parts to go in front of the TKS, an alternate, 6-way node front end for Salyut, a 3.75m propulsion/RCS module for Salyut (with a place for a docking ring).

4. Solar panels. Fixed, realistic ones for Soyuz and Salyut I, MIR-style ones, perhaps also Almaz panels (I love their shape):

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/images/almaz_ops1_2.jpg

5. Soyuz OM with Igla docking system instead of Kurs (different antenna).

[Beale]

I have a few suggestions for the pack:

1. TKS Escape block. You can see it above the deorbit block: http://www.astronautix.com/graphics/z/ztksles1.jpg

2. Crewed TKS module to replace the cargobay.

3. MIR Station. TKS-based module parts to go in front of the TKS, an alternate, 6-way node front end for Salyut, a 3.75m propulsion/RCS module for Salyut (with a place for a docking ring).

4. Solar panels. Fixed, realistic ones for Soyuz and Salyut I, MIR-style ones, perhaps also Almaz panels (I love their shape):

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/images/almaz_ops1_2.jpg

5. Soyuz OM with Igla docking system instead of Kurs (different antenna).

Hi!

1. Planned

2. You can use two of the crewed modules, or two cargo bays for a long one. It is designed to be customised.

3. Planned.

4. KSP has some difficulties with fixed solar panels, so for now, no. I'll experiment.

5. This is a maybe. A big folding IGLA antenna would be pretty cool.

Thanks for the feedback

Just finished a massive balancing job.

All prices are now reasonable.

And a lot of weights are tweaked.

Re-did the agency as the old one was horrible.

Edited July 24, 2014 by Beale

[Guest]

4. KSP has some difficulties with fixed solar panels, so for now, no. I'll experiment.

This isn't really true. It has problems with double-sided panels, but deployable, but not rotating panels are fine. You can already use panels from some other mods (like HGR, they also provide a neat LV option for Soyuz, or BobCat's) that work like they're supposed to. It's just that you have to forgo placing panels using symmetry, but I believe people can deal with that. Ideally, there would be two versions of the panels: bent with an antenna (you'd have to make left and right one as separate parts) and straight. The former were in use on 7K versions of Soyuz, the latter is the current standard.

Also, I have another idea. Progress robotic spacecraft. Basically, umanned Soyuz OM and DM without provisions for reentry or decoupling and fitter for attaching directly to them. Could be useful for refueling space stations and the like.

EDIT: And perhaps some hatch-less modules, for Ship Manifest users that don't want hatches everywhere. It'd look neater, too.

[Beale]

This isn't really true. It has problems with double-sided panels, but deployable, but not rotating panels are fine. You can already use panels from some other mods (like HGR, they also provide a neat LV option for Soyuz, or BobCat's) that work like they're supposed to. It's just that you have to forgo placing panels using symmetry, but I believe people can deal with that. Ideally, there would be two versions of the panels: bent with an antenna (you'd have to make left and right one as separate parts) and straight. The former were in use on 7K versions of Soyuz, the latter is the current standard.

Also, I have another idea. Progress robotic spacecraft. Basically, umanned Soyuz OM and DM without provisions for reentry or decoupling and fitter for attaching directly to them. Could be useful for refueling space stations and the like.

EDIT: And perhaps some hatch-less modules, for Ship Manifest users that don't want hatches everywhere. It'd look neater, too.

The symmetry issues are what is stopping me from the fixed panels, I'd like to keep things reasonably simple and having to manually place each side takes away from that. It's tricky really, the rotating panels do affect the "look and feel" of the spacecraft away from the real Soyuz, but it's not major ( at least for me ).

Maybe two types of panels would be good, a fixed "7K" style available earlier on in the tech tree.

The progress is planned. Probably OM and DM will be combined into a single part (with a kind of fabric overlay like the real one).

Unrelated:

Flag support on TKS!

In a strange twist of fate, I stumbled on a picture of the first ever Tantares (probably from around KSP version 0.20 maybe), does look a bit like the oldest Soyuz concepts. A bit...

Edited July 24, 2014 by Beale

[JeffersonFlight]

Downloading TKS Beta now, really looking forward to this!

[Darth Lazarus]

hrm baele ... just tested your Alnair. the parts look really really good, but i had trouble with the mass. okay it's beta and we are here to help so i noticed the following:

-CoM of the returncapsule is ... right at the center ... on reentry, SAS was turnd off, a soft spin was aplied to teh capsule and the capsule kept spinning around, no selforiantation, with deadly reentry, the capsule would be toast ... even on parachute was no real selforiantion. (capsulebottem not pointing the ground proberly)

-mass of the cat-5 docking interface. it's has the size like the standard 3 man Pod but weights less then the returncapsule? only one ton? i think thats to low could be around 2 or 3

-mass of a fully assembled Alanir is maybe too low. original TKS was between 17,5 and 20 tons. so fully build Alnair with empty cargobay could have a mass of around 10 to 12 (following the 60% scalerule of KSP), current mass is 8,6 tons (messured with KerbalEngineer)

-CoM of Alnair: a problem is the Center of Mass of the full Alanir spacecraft. it's more in the upper half of the space craft, so docking without SAS is a impossible because of the torgue. (the RCS aid helper plugin is very helpfull to see this in the VAB)

-Mass of the RCS tanks seems okay. they are big and heavy and have radiators

-mass of retrunengines seems okay too

-small parts are more lightweight, okay too

-conclusions: making the Cat-5 docking interface a bit more heavier will change the CoM more to the middle. at the same time, the mass of the Alnair will more fit the 60% mass of the real TKS and you will need a big rocket (like a proton) to lift it. it was a heavy ferry for the soviet spaceprogramm and nothing less and nothing more. in teh current form, i could take my Soyuz 2-3 which can lift a maxium of 8 tons to orbit (with good piloting, using the monoprop engines of alanir orbit would be no problem). change the CoM of teh returncpasule a bit more to teh bottom of it.

the cargobay is awesome ...

-small thing about the look. taking your beta craftfile, the RCS tanks are in 4x symetry. with this, you have good acces to the cargobay and the habitatmodule. problem: solarpannels clip into the RCS tanks by rotating. moving the RCS tanks to a more TKS like position to "free" the panels will result in a more blocked cargobay. placing the solarpanles above the cargodays can result in blocked baydoor depending of the rotationangle. overall i dont want to miss the cargobay, but moveable solarpanels can be a pain in the ass for a good looking spacecraft in terms of asthetics.

i hope this helps a bit Baele, good night and thank you very much for the fast development.

Edited July 24, 2014 by Darth Lazarus