[0.90] Orbital Material Science version 0.6

[N3h3mia]

Nehemiah Engineering - Orbital Material Science

Get more science from your space station

I can't maintain this mod at the moment because of my studies. @micha maintains a version that works with the current version of KSP.  Nehemia Engineering Orbital Science by micha

 

Update 0.6.1

• Performance improvements

New in version 0.5.7

• IVA for MEP-825
• Improved IVA for MSL-1000. KSP Space Agency Logo used with permission of Hayoo
• New model for KEES-experiments
• New texture for POSA-II
• Changing texture format to mbm. Because of a bug in the tga loader. This increases the file size but not the memory size
• Fix airlock and ladder positions for MSL-1000 and MEP-825
• Contract system now supports other KAS container
• Contract system now supports recovery by StageRecovery (untested) Contribution by whiteout1911
• New equipment carrier textures
• Fix for KEES experiment "Not Installed on a PEC" bug

New in version 0.5

• New science program: Kerbal Environmental Effects Study (KEES) inspired by the Mir Environmental Effects Payload
• KEES Experiments:
  • Polished Plate Micrometeoroid and Debris (PPMD)
  • Orbital Debris Collector (ODC)
  • Passive Optical Sample Assemblies I (POSA I)
  • Passive Optical Sample Assemblies II (POSA II)

  [*]Additional KEES Parts:

  • Passive Experiment Carrier (PEC) used to mount the experiment on the outside of the craft.
  • Payload Container (PC) can hold one PEC and one experiment

  [*]Contracts for KEES

  [*]Icons for Alternate Resource Panel

New features in version 0.4

Update video for version 0.4

• The MSL-1000 now only contains basic lab equipment. It weighs therefore much less and is easier to launch. Most experiments need additional equipment to run. This equipment is in transport containers and can be installed in the lab if the container is docked to the station.
• 3D Printing in Space: New lab equipment and 3 new experiments for 3D printing in space.
• Multi phase experiments: Some experiments are split in multiple phases, each phase has different requirements.

For additional information on using the part look in the parts and usage section of this post.

New in version 0.3.90

This is the update for KSP 0.90 Beta than ever.

• Works without the Station Science Mod. You no longer need the Station Science Mod for some Experiments. This should help to maintain this mod.
• The Cool Flames Experiment is now called Cool Flames Investigation (CFI) after it’s real life example.
• Configurations for Connected Living Space contribution by micha. Thanks!

New features in version 0.3

• IVA for the MSL-1000
• Folding platform
• Airlock and handrails for the MEP-825
• There is a small possibility for a failure during robotic arm procedures. The probability does rise by use. EVA to the plattform to fix the problem.
• Multiple code refatorings

OMS-Wiki with information on parts, contracts and tutorials how to use them.

Experiments

Combustion Experiments

• Flame Extinguishment Experiment (FLEX): It's a good thing to learn how to put out a flame in microgravity before starting combustion experiments. You need a Material Science Lab with a CIR installed to run this experiment. Real Life Experiment
• Cool Flames Investigation (CFI): Investigate the structure and dynamics of the cool flame mode of burning. You need a Material Science Lab with a CIR installed to run to run this experiment. It will be launched to the ISS in 2016. Real Life Experiment

Fluid Experiments

• Preliminary Advanced Colloids Experiment (PACE) Real Life Experiment
• Constrained Vapor Bubble (CVB) Real Life Experiment

Microgravity Science Glovebox Experiments

• Capillary Channel Flow Experiment (CCF): Increase the understanding of capillary flow in the absence of gravity. You need a MPL-600 with a MSGinstalled to run to run this experiment. Real Life Experiment
• Capillary Flow Experiment(CFE): The Capillary Flow Experiment is a suite of fluid physics experiments that investigate capillary flows and flows of fluids in containers with complex geometries. You need a MPL-600 with a MSG installed to run to run this experiment. Real Life Experiment

3D Printer Experiments

• Made in Space 1 (MIS-1): Print some test parts on space to demonstrate and test the capabilities of your printer. You need a Material Science Lab with a 3PR installed to run to run this experiment.
• Made in Space 2 (MIS-2): Print some lab tool and return them for inspection to KSC. You need a Material Science Lab with a 3PR installed to run to run this experiment.
• Made in Space 3 (MIS-3): Jebediah played with the object scanner in Wernher Von Kerman’s lab and send you some files to print on the 3D printer. You need a Material Science Lab with a 3PR installed to run to run this experiment.

Exposure Experiments

• Material Exposure Experiment 1 + 2 (MEE-1 + MEE-2): expose sample to get science. You need a MEP-825 and a MSL-1000 or a MPL-600 to run those multi phase experiments.

Labs

• Material Science Lab (MSL-1000): contains basic lab equipment and can house 3 experiment equipment racks. Crew capacity: 2. Minimal crew to run the lab: 1.
• Multi Purpose Lab "Kolumbus" (MPL-600): contains basic lab equipment and can house lab equipment racks. Crew capacity: 2. Minimal crew to run the lab: 1.
• Material Exposure Platform(MEP-825): has a plattform for material studies in space and a robotic arm for sample manipulation. The robotic arm can fail to fix it a Kerbal must go on a EVA to fix the arm. Crew capacity: 1. Minimal crew to run the lab: 0.

Lab-Equipment

Lab equipment for MSL-1000:

• Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR): for combustion experiments FLEX and CFI. Real Life CIR
• Fluid Flow Rack (FFR): for fluid experiments PACE and CVB.
• 3D Printer Rack (3PR): for 3d printing experiments MIS-1, MIS-2 and MIS-3.

Lab equipment for MPL-600:

• Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG): for experiments CCF and CFE.

These experiment rack are transported in containers. Installing a rack in a lab will increase the mass of the lab and decrease the mass of the container.

Lab Equipment Container

Lab Equipment Container are used to transport lab equipment to a lab in space. Add the container in the VAB/SPH and choose the equipment you want to transport with the container. As soon the craft with the container is docked to the station with a corresponding you can install the lab equipment in the lab.

Experiment Storage Containers

You need experiment containers to bring the experiments to your lab and return them to Kerbin. Add a experiment container to the craft in the VAB/SPH and choose from the experiments that are available. Once the craft is docked to the station in orbit install the experiment in the lab and run it. As soon as the experiment is done move it to an empty experiment container and finalize it to get a science report. Then return the container to Kerbin to get the science points. You can move experiments from one experiment container to an other on the same craft. There are several experiment containers:

• ESC-1 holds 1 experiment (1m part)
• ESC-2 holds 2 experiments (2m part)
• ESC-4 holds 4 experiments (2m part)
• ESC US WEDGE wedge for Universal Storage, holds 1 experiments
• ESC-3C Command capsule with SAS ans mono propellant for unmanned resupply ships, holds 3 experiments

Pictures

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If you enjoy this mod please consider a donation. As a student I'm very thankful for everything that gets me through some late night coding.

Other science mods from Nehemiah Engineering

Nehemiah Engineering offers science for all tech levels.

• Kemini Research Program (KRP)
• Kerbal Environmental Effects Study (KEES)
• Kerbal Life Science (KLS)
• All-In-One Download: Nehemiah Engineering Research Program

Contributors

• micha: CLS configurations and bug fixes.
• Hayoo: KSP Space Agency Logo
• whiteout1911: StageRecovery support for contracts
• The Yellow Dart: Nehemiah Engineering and Kerbal Life Science flag
• chucksterock: pictures of the real CFE flight hardware
• Sound effects from http://www.freesfx.co.uk/

Testing-Team

• micha
• Sangrias
• volkkeslate

License: GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE Version 3

Source code and bug tracker at GitHub

Edited November 29, 2016 by N3h3mia

[comicbstudeo]

Seems interesting

[biohazard15]

Station Science expansion pack is always a good news!

[kiwiak]

Nice models. I will check it out.

[N3h3mia]

If there would be an small change of an experiment to create an failure (e.g. en problem during the robotic arm operation) that would require a manual intervention (e.g. EVA to the exposure platform to fix the robotic arm), would you like this?

[biohazard15]

If there would be an small change of an experiment to create an failure (e.g. en problem during the robotic arm operation) that would require a manual intervention (e.g. EVA to the exposure platform to fix the robotic arm), would you like this?

Yes, yes, and hell yes!

And two suggestions for MEP 825:

- Remove space for Kerbal, or make a crew hatch. Right now you can place a Kerbal here in the VAB, and there's no obvious means to get him back (all you can do is somehow deorbit and recover the module)

- Make "table" folding (you may ask DMagic for his animation module - he uses it on his experiments, which must be unfold before use)

[N3h3mia]

- Remove space for Kerbal, or make a crew hatch. Right now you can place a Kerbal here in the VAB, and there's no obvious means to get him back (all you can do is somehow deorbit and recover the module)

Good point I always use Crew Manifest to move Kerbals around. But without a mod to do this there is no way to get him out.

- Make "table" folding (you may ask DMagic for his animation module - he uses it on his experiments, which must be unfold before use)

I'm not quite sure if I understand you correctly. You mean the platform in front of the lab? ship it retracted and then deploy it in space?

[Ratzap]

I applaud your work but wonder if it suffers from the same problem as the station science pack, being so far down the tech tree that the science isn't reallly needed for the sake of the science.

[biohazard15]

You mean the platform in front of the lab? ship it retracted and then deploy it in space?

Exactly that.

Also, if you're making failures, you might also consider an EVA to actually place soon-to-be-exposed materials onto platform (pick them up from container, place it, start experiment, place it back into container after experiment is finished, ship back to Kerbin)

Edited June 1, 2014 by biohazard15

[N3h3mia]

I applaud your work but wonder if it suffers from the same problem as the station science pack, being so far down the tech tree that the science isn't reallly needed for the sake of the science.

Thanks for your feedback. This is actually a problem, I'm not sure that the parts will stay in the places in the tech tree were there are now. I added a image of the tech tree to mod description and added notes were the parts are. I haven't thought about it in detail but i think there are 2 things to consider:

1. place the parts early as possible or reasonable to get most of the profit from it.

2. place them as far down that you have the parts to build a space station and lift the part into orbit.

I'm following some agile software development principles, release soon and release regularly and get user feedback to create a good product. So the tech tree integration needs probably some rebalancing but it is not on the top of my list. If you or somebody else has a suggestion here or on GitHub is the place to bring them up.

One idea I have to address this issue is to create a low tech exposure platform that is small, light and surface attachable. This part with it's experiments could be placed low in the tech tree.

[N3h3mia]

Also, if you're making failures, you might also consider an EVA to actually place soon-to-be-exposed materials onto platform (pick them up from container, place it, start experiment, place it back into container after experiment is finished, ship back to Kerbin)

I considered that, but for the MEP-825 I like the idea of a high-tech lab that doesn't need costly and potentially dangerous EVAs. But maybe I'll add a low-tech surface attachable platform to the mod, were you would need to EVA the experiments to the platform. That may would justify a additional dependency to KAS.

[Infinity00]

I applaud your work but wonder if it suffers from the same problem as the station science pack, being so far down the tech tree that the science isn't reallly needed for the sake of the science.

I didn't think Station Science stuff was so far down the tech three that it was impractical to use, because it's in the same nodes as the ones you'd have to get to unlock better science experiments anyway; it's that it relies heavily on clamp-o-trons to assemble a usable station, and clamp-o-trons are bizarrely far down the tech tree compared to where you start unlocking Station Science stuff. To top it all off, you really need the larger sized docking ports, and that's pretty much at the end of the tech tree.

If docking ports were more obtainable in the mid game, there would be more point to assembling giant orbiting stations for conducting science. If you play with KSP-Interstellar, Station Science is totally worth it.

[Prime flux]

Could it be possible to add KAS support to this mod? It would be nice to be able to attach and change experiments containers during a EVA.

[N3h3mia]

I'll not add this feature to the existing MEP because it is designed to do science without EVA. I have a smaller low-tech part in mind that would need an EVA to place the samples and start the experiment. But I need to check how I can integrated KAS into all this.

[biohazard15]

There seems to be a problem with exposure experiments.

From left to right:

- Unmanned cargo vessel with all six of your experiment cans

- Crew transfer vessel

- Station (TH-NKR, MSL-1000, MEP-825)

The problem is: exposure experiments aren't working. The menu tells me that lab is available, I click on "start" and nothing happens - lab is still idle.

All other experiments are working.

Mods used: as you can see, too many to list them all

[KeyserSoze]

I tried integrating some experiments into a ship with the Mobile Processing Platform on it - noticed that "cleaning" the experiments didn't do anything - thoughts on integrating this? On that note - thanks for the work on this - code looks very clean and I've definitely enjoyed using the mod!

[N3h3mia]

I tried integrating some experiments into a ship with the Mobile Processing Platform on it - noticed that "cleaning" the experiments didn't do anything - thoughts on integrating this? On that note - thanks for the work on this - code looks very clean and I've definitely enjoyed using the mod!

The Action should be "Finalize" not "Cleaning". Are you in a Biome were you can run the experiment? e.g. not on the surface of Kerbin? Thanks, I taught software engineering for a few years, so I'm glad that I have still some of the skill. ;-) Happy you enjoy the mod.

[N3h3mia]

The problem is: exposure experiments aren't working. The menu tells me that lab is available, I click on "start" and nothing happens - lab is still idle.

All other experiments are working.

Mods used: as you can see, too many to list them all

That one could be a tricky one to debug. Can you send me a pm so that I can get your craft file or save game? Thanks. Sorry for the delay real life need some time too. ;-)

[OTmikhail]

What is the TH-NKR Lab? I guess I need that to run a few experiments, but i cant find it in the parts list...

[KyleofKerbin]

Well, this mod looks and sounds great, and I want to install it, but there is one problem:

I CAN NOT DOCK ANYTHING! I try my hardest, and it goes about 5 meters away, or when I do touch the targeted object, it's always on the wrong side. I really need to start making YouTube videos of my troubles in KSP.

[N3h3mia]

The TH-NKR Lab is a part fom the Station Science Mod.

[Bags77]

Hi there, I wanted to try this mod today with ksp 0.24 (32bit). But as soon as i attach NE MSL-1000 to a ship and try to launch I don't see my stages on the left side (and they also don't react in any way) and i can't revert the flight. I also tried to activate my engine manually which works, but it doesn't react to the throttle :-(

Any idea what could be the problem or anyway how i can help finding the issue?

[N3h3mia]

Hi there, I wanted to try this mod today with ksp 0.24 (32bit). But as soon as i attach NE MSL-1000 to a ship and try to launch I don't see my stages on the left side (and they also don't react in any way) and i can't revert the flight. I also tried to activate my engine manually which works, but it doesn't react to the throttle :-(

Any idea what could be the problem or anyway how i can help finding the issue?

The bug is caused by missing files in my last update. I uploaded a new version with the IVA files on curse. Sorry for the bug and thanks for bringing this to my attention. I haven't got the time to play with the 0.24 update yet.

[Bags77]

Many thanks for the fast fix! Now i can finish my station

[Geschosskopf]

The bug is caused by missing files in my last update. I uploaded a new version with the IVA files on curse. Sorry for the bug and thanks for bringing this to my attention. I haven't got the time to play with the 0.24 update yet.

I'll give this a try right now. I was having similar problems although in my case the display went totally black except for the GUI around the edges, like with a Hell Kraken attack. Win32. Also had Station Science installed, and in that thread it's been noticed they haven't been playing nice together.

Anyway, here's a crash log from the previous version in case it sheds any light on other problems:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/atjt7lsiqwi87e0/Station-Orbital%20Material%20Science%20Crash%202014-07-22_081226.zip