[WIP] NASA SLS - Released: Orion MPCV Core Module 1.0 [4/18/2015]

[wasmic]

I don't want to discourage you, but there's ChakaMonkey. Maybe you should join with Yanfret instead of developing yet another SLS all by yourself.

There's some difference, though. YANFRET makes his own versions of RL stuff. This project is a replica, if I got it right.

[montyben101]

I do like the idea of the SLS but unless NASA's budget is increased some more i cant see many of these projects getting completed. Also why would NASA want to send a Orion to the ISS?? seems like a waste of money to me, there's nothing wrong with soyuz

[Initar]

nothing wrong with soyuz

Nothing really, exept the fact that russian authorities don't want it to be the US' space taxi anymore.

[Kaput]

Orion being able to go to the ISS is simply a backup in case of emergency really. Launching an SLS just for a mission to the ISS would be insane overkill.

[noonespecial]

Wow... that is huge... looks great though

Yeah, the scaling is matched to real life scale, not KSP scale. I will adjust it to be more in line with KSP once I fully finish it. The Mk2-3 Pod is 2.5m, the Orion is 5m. So bigger, but not as big as the picture suggests (at least, after I scale it properly).

Wait... you are just doing the SLS, right? Because somehow, an Ares I also made its way into that album.

Yes, I'm going to do most of the SLS, not just the MPCV. If one of your pictures made it into that album, it wasn't intentional. Those are just pictures I found on google that have at least some details I like, some I just thought were cool.

I don't want to discourage you, but there's ChakaMonkey. Maybe you should join with Yanfret instead of developing yet another SLS all by yourself.

ChakaMonkey's aim is a little different than mine. It's goal is to combine many current mods into a cohesive launch system and only creating additional parts as needed. Either way, it doesn't approach the scale of the SLS. The rational is this: Other "SLS" projects include sumgai's SDHI, blackheart612's Aerospace Kerbodyne Taurus SDHI, and ChakaMonkey's. SDHI is a 2.5m stockalike system. Taurus is a larger SDHI. ChakaMonkey actually has an Orion, but the rest of the launch system is still in the 5m range. The NASA SLS is a 8m system. The idea is this: With a realistic launch system (not overbuilt or asparagus, etc.) the SDHI is really an orbital vessel. The Taurus is fit for use within the Kerbin system (mun/mimnus). The SLS is a deep space and planetary exploration system.

Also, as far as joining Yanfret and ChakaMonkey? Let's look at the names of people working on ChakaMonkey. Yanfret, Bobcat, Sumgai, etc and containing mods from KW, Nova, Fuztek, KOSMOS, ALCOR, etc. In other words, ChakaMonkey reads like the "Who's Who" and "Must have mods" for KSP. I've barely learned how to use blender and my textures need a great deal of work. I'm not of the caliber of modeler or modder that these guys are. First and fore most, doing this is a learning experience for me. I'm the kind of guy who needs a project to motivate me to learn something. I can't learn something just for the sake of learning. So that's my primary goal.

So, in essence: Do we already have SLS-like systems? Yup, but I need the experience and I think it'd be cool to have a GIANT rocket in the game. Why don't I join Yanfret on ChakaMonkey? I'm not good enough.

[4nxs]

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2013/11/new-sls-options-new-large-upper-stage/

I found this with some extra info about the payloads. Don't know if you found it already but is interesting.

Also that capsule looks very nice!

[noonespecial]

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2013/11/new-sls-options-new-large-upper-stage/

I found this with some extra info about the payloads. Don't know if you found it already but is interesting.

Also that capsule looks very nice!

Thanks a lot! Very useful information there and I hadn't found this page yet.

[noonespecial]

I've started on the service module.

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[4nxs]

I've started on the service module.

Looks good, what kind of solar panels are you going to use? The old round ones or the straight ones like on the ATV.

[noonespecial]

Looks good, what kind of solar panels are you going to use? The old round ones or the straight ones like on the ATV.

I haven't really decided yet. I will most likely go with the more recent straight ones, although I think I actually prefer the round ones. I'll cross the bridge when I sit down to model them.

[noonespecial]

Update 7/27/04

Sorry for the week with no update. I've been tinkering with normals baking and trying to figure out how to do it effectively. I'm still figuring it out.

Here is the progress on the Orion Pod, Service Module, and RCS Block. Basic textures done, but still need some fine tuning. I'm finding that I'm not very good at textures, haha. But with some practice, I'm sure I'll improve.

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[CaptainKipard]

Yeah, the scaling is matched to real life scale, not KSP scale.

Why don't you do it two-thirds scale like every other replica? (rounding to the nearest standard widths)

I will adjust it to be more in line with KSP once I fully finish it.

Ack!! You should decide on your dimensions first. You'll waste time rescaling things otherwise. It's not fun trust me.

Anyway it looks like you have some talent so I'll be watching this.

[Kerbal01]

what are those fins on the SM?

[noonespecial]

Why don't you do it two-thirds scale like every other replica? (rounding to the nearest standard widths)

Ack!! You should decide on your dimensions first. You'll waste time rescaling things otherwise. It's not fun trust me.

Anyway it looks like you have some talent so I'll be watching this.

I have decided on dimensions. I'm doing it to real-life scale (the pod is 5m, I'm doing it as 5m in Blender). When I export from Unity, I will scale it down to 5m in KSP.

what are those fins on the SM?

They appear to be Auxiliary Thrusters. Unfortunately, there are several versions of the proposed design. There seem to be two major versions, one with the Auxiliary Thrusters on the underside, and one with the thrusters on fins.

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[Razgriz1]

I believe that NASA has decided that the Service Module will be built by the ESA using their ATV as a starting point. The ATV has its thrusters on the underside, just like the second design you posted.

This also means that the solar panels will most likely be the straight ones found on the ATV and not the circular ones from the Project Constellation concepts. That being said, the finished spacecraft could just as easily look completely different from either proposed design.

I am so glad that you are working on this! If I had any idea whatsoever about modeling, or even just a creative disposition in general, this is exactly what I would work on myself. However, I don't, so I must rely on amazing people such as yourself. Good luck with this project!

[CaptainKipard]

I'm doing it to real-life scale (the pod is 5m, I'm doing it as 5m in Blender). When I export from Unity, I will scale it down to 5m in KSP.

In other words "not scaling it down".

Anyway it's a shame you're doing it that big.

[noonespecial]

In other words "not scaling it down".

Anyway it's a shame you're doing it that big.

I'm rather new to modeling, and modeling for KSP particularly. Forgive me for not understanding your meaning. But why is it a shame that I'm doing it full sized instead of 3/4 size? Is there some drawback that I'm unaware of to doing it at full scale?

[DasBananenbrot]

I'm rather new to modeling, and modeling for KSP particularly. Forgive me for not understanding your meaning. But why is it a shame that I'm doing it full sized instead of 3/4 size? Is there some drawback that I'm unaware of to doing it at full scale?

Yes because he probably plays in stock KSP(or at least stock solar system) and Full-Scale SLS parts are way to big for the stock sizes. It only is good for RSS and RO users actually...

[noonespecial]

Yes because he probably plays in stock KSP(or at least stock solar system) and Full-Scale SLS parts are way to big for the stock sizes. It only is good for RSS and RO users actually...

I'm not sure I agree with that assessment. As the NASA ARM parts in the stock game are 5m. Some of the more popular mods also include 5m parts. For example, KW Rocketry, B9, NovaPunch, a few others, all include 5m parts. Thus, I'm not sure I understand why you believe 5m is too big for stock, when stock includes 5m.

Edited July 27, 2014 by noonespecial

[blackheart612]

I'm not sure I agree with that assessment. As the NASA ARM parts in the stock game are 5m. Some of the more popular mods also include 5m parts. For example, KW Rocketry, B9, NovaPunch, a few others, all include 5m parts. Thus, I'm not sure I understand why you believe 5m is too big for stock, when stock includes 5m.

Sir, KSP's SLS is 3.75

[noonespecial]

Sir, KSP's SLS is 3.75

You are 100% correct.

Although, if you are looking for stock scaled SLS, I would recommend one of the following:

ChakaMonkey by YANFRET

Sum Dum Heavy Industries - Service Module System by Sumghai

Both much more mature than my offerings and both are more skilled than me. Definitely worth a look.

Edited July 27, 2014 by noonespecial

[CaptainKipard]

I'm rather new to modeling, and modeling for KSP particularly. Forgive me for not understanding your meaning. But why is it a shame that I'm doing it full sized instead of 3/4 size? Is there some drawback that I'm unaware of to doing it at full scale?

It's 2/3 size. I'm making my Skylon slightly larger because a standard 5m diameter is closest to a 64% scaling of the real Skylon design, but at the end of the day it's still scaled down, because:

a) Kerbin doesn't require nearly as much ÃŽâ€v as Earth

Kerbals are only 1m tall.

As far as I know everyone who makes replicas of real craft in the KSP modding community keeps it scaled down in the way I described, for the reasons I described.

I'm not sure I agree with that assessment. As the NASA ARM parts in the stock game are 5m. Some of the more popular mods also include 5m parts. For example, KW Rocketry, B9, NovaPunch, a few others, all include 5m parts. Thus, I'm not sure I understand why you believe 5m is too big for stock, when stock includes 5m.

I think you're confusing diameters. There are no 5m pods that I've seen. the largest I've seen is 3.75, and that would actually be a very reasonable step up from the 2.5m Mk1-2 pod.

5m would then be the diameter of your core tanks. That's already much too big if you consider the amount of fuel you need to get to Kerbin orbit, but at least it would be consistent with other mods.

So again I strongly recommend that unless you're making this just for RSS (which would disappoint many non-RSS players including me) then make the pod 3.75m and the fuel tanks 5m to keep it consistent. After all you did say you wanted to fill the gaps where other mods haven't.

edit

Also SDHI-SMS is designed for a 2.5m cockpit. It's useless for your SLS.

Edited July 27, 2014 by Cpt. Kipard

[NathanKell]

Far from "everyone" does that. Many modders do--some even hack up the proportions so endpieces fit stock stack sizes. But some don't.

Also, it is much, much easier to model and make the stuff at real size and then use the cfg to scale it down; you can use real measurements in your modeling program, etc.

Besides, isn't the Kerbal motto MOAR Boosters!? Why would you want to scale stuff down?

[noonespecial]

I mentioned the SDHI as a stock-a-like alternative, not as something to be used with this mod.

My rational for the size is this:

Using a realistic launch system:

The SDHI is, as you said, an orbital system.

The SLS is a deep space/other planetary body system. So would you want use the SLS for orbital missions? No, not at all. Want to send a manned mission to Jool without having to do an orbital refuel, unrealistic overbuilt rocket or asparagus configuration, then yes, you would use SLS.

My rational for the size is this:

RSS and Stock.

There are three general options.

1.) I could make two models for each part, one scaled for RSS, one scaled for stock.

2.) I could make stock scaled models and scale them up in Unity for RSS.

3.) I could make RSS scaled models and scale them down in Unity for Stock.

As I believe there would be a noticeable quality different from scaling up, I'm choosing the scaling down option.

Additionally, I'm not aiming to do a stock-a-like SLS. There are already at least two SLS mods that fit within the realm of stock-a-like, I linked them above. In RSS, this mod will be massive. In stock KSP, it is still going to be huge. Simply, there isn't a need for three stock-a-like SLS mods. Even my scaled down stock KSP version of this mod will be larger than norm. For the express purpose of being a deep space/planetary system, not an orbital/kerbin system.

[CaptainKipard]

Also, it is much, much easier to model and make the stuff at real size and then use the cfg to scale it down; you can use real measurements in your modeling program, etc.

Jokes aside, I don't agree with that at all, and I don't see how you could possibly justify that without playing around with word definitions. It's not true even on the face of it. Modelling is equally easy as long as you stay consistent with your dimensions and clearly not doing maths is easier than doing maths. Then there's issues with scaling bugs. Clearly it's best to model 1:1 with KSP. The scaling thing in part configs is the result of bad foresight on SQUAD's part anyway, isn't it. They simply scaled things as a hack, instead of remodelling everything to the correct scale. Sure it's useful, but I think people rely on it too much when they really don't need to.

Anyway, didn't you say something about modularity and compatibility in another thread? If they make it with real proportions it will be impossible to scale it consistently. Say they wanted to make the adapter with real dimensions. if they scale the bottom of it to a standard width, the top will not be standard any more. Then the pod will have to be non-standard and wont fit anyway else.