Umbra Space Industries - (Roadmap and WIPs)

[RoverDude]

Oooo I like the shape! Looking forward to seeing it textured. Are those cupola type things on the sides?

3.75 -> 2.5 adapter plates. I'll either leave them there to look pretty, or drop some docking ports and lights on them. they are also handy for engines. btw - the bit in the back with the fins is a 4x adapter plate so you can comfortably drop four 1.25m engines. The config I play with has Karbonite engines in the 1.25 slots for circularization burns or when I need extra thrust, and poodles with those same adapters for slower maneuvering.

[rabidninjawombat]

That is shaping up real nice!

[Nertea]

That's looking pretty sweet! Love the equipment bay notches.

[RoverDude]

Crosspost from Karbonite thread...

The Honeybadger in action (only have a few of the textured done, but yes... it's big and yellow). Also my VTOL skills are HORRIBLE.

(edit)

was watching the video and realized that despite the crash, all I lost were a pair of poodle engines and some cargo pods... could still take off and fly away if I was so inclined.

And my save is littered with VTOL wreckage...

[Angelo Kerman]

So I have a few mods. And I have a plan. The purpose of this thread is to serve as the master thread for all things USI, especially since a lot of these bits interact, and also a place to discuss the WIP bits as I bring all of the pieces of what will be, upon completion, the USI Exploration Pack.

This is a series of mods (most of them done, some of them WIP) that will include:

Karbonite for ISRU harvesting

Community Resource Pack for resource consolidation and extensibility

Asteroidal Resources (or whatever the voted name is) for asteroid mining, harvesting, and general exploitation

OKS for orbital outposts and colonization as well as Ark ships

MKS for planetside colonization

And, introducing two new pieces of the puzzle.

FTT - Freight Transport Technologies

This will be a series of large-scale parts (2.5m and 5m) geared to cover intra-system mining, supply, and transportation. Examples include 5m cargo modules, a 2.5m command pod, 5m nuclear and mass driver engines, etc. - all with a very distinct look and feel.

Outpost Science Pack

Starting with the PackRat rover, this will be a stand-alone or complimentary piece for MKS that is a science outpost. Featuring new science experiments designed with the Rover in mind, and including repeatable data-gathering experiments that can fuel ongoing science generation at a new Science Lab MKS module.

USI Part Pack

Umbrella for all of the other little bits/mods - the DERP escape pod, deployable airbags, etc. in one convenient package.

New Plugins:

Universal Converter - Basically our own converter/generator plugin that works both on and off rails. Similar mechanic to the TAC GenericConverter, and the fun bit will be in ensuring compatibility since that ties right into Life Support.

Life Support plugins for MKS/OKS, etc. - I'll be breaking out the Life Support parts of MKS/OKS and re-bundling these as a plugin model, so folks can use TAC or any other Life Support mod (or none at all, but still have working generators). This piece is 100% reliant on having a Universal Converter that is compatible with the TAC generator.

Are these packs going to be like karbonite, where the community contributes? If so, what is the art direction you're going with? Reason I ask is that I'm creating a mobile exploration lab that's inspired by the Mars Excursion Module from the late 1960s as well as the ROMBUS SSTO. It is an extension for the MK1-2 command pod that will have space for a compact mobile processing laboratory, enough KAS space for that Pack Rat Rover of yours (love it BTW), a small living area and some fuel tankage for the lander engine. The lander engine is a plug nozzle with integrated landing gear. I started it over the weekend after downloading KSO and realizing that it would be perfect for making my KSP analogue to the Mars One spaceship from the Mars One Crew Manual.

Here's concept art of the Mk1-2 Exploration Module (MEM, named in honor of the 1960s Mars Excursion Module):

For the science lab, I was thinking along the lines of the landed modules generating contracts that don't offer anything but small science rewards in exchange for some experimental part that lets you do surveys and samples. Things that the Mars rovers are doing, basically. The contract would pick a direction and distance from the lander (ideally, set a waypoint), tell the player to run some experiment, and upon completion, reward the player with some science. Nice and simple that way.

Reference pictures if you're curious:

Mars Excursion Module:

ROMBUS:

Definitely one of my favorite books growing up:

Mars One Crew Manual by Kerry Mark Joels

Edited August 19, 2014 by Angel-125

[RoverDude]

I'd say the freighter mod is pretty much set RE look and feel as I'm partway through the parts (Doing texturing on the smallest/first ship now), the science mod I have some very clear ideas, but no artwork yet (but probably similar to the MKS style - very scrappy, retro).

I have some pretty specific plans for the science mod but want to work through the mechanics - but it will be exclusively 0.625m parts (and lots of them) with a combination of inline and top-node parts/

[RoverDude]

I made stuff. Still need to finish engine and command pod textures, but rest is done enough for a first release. Also have one more part to add.

[ModZero]

It's really pretty, but I wonder if you're planning on DR/FAR compatibility, or going the same route as KSO? Or actually "do a fully powered landing" way, because it's big and scary?

though honestly I wouldn't even complain about FAR compatibility if stock made fairings useful. DR, though, I love DR

[Sutima]

It's really pretty, but I wonder if you're planning on DR/FAR compatibility, or going the same route as KSO? Or actually "do a fully powered landing" way, because it's big and scary?

though honestly I wouldn't even complain about FAR compatibility if stock made fairings useful. DR, though, I love DR

I think that making a mod or parts without FAR and DRE in mind these days are odd and i hope FAR and DRE support gets included.

Maybe even make it so you can create spare parts with MKS to repair Heatshield and what not =D

Also, Awesome job Rover.

[RoverDude]

Oh, I use both of those mods. In the case of FAR, it's fairly easy.. this simply has no aerodynamics. It's pretty much power up and power through to avoid crashing (especially given it's sheer size and weight). I'll see how it behaves with DRE

[Slightlylyons]

Judging by the look of the thing FAR/DRE compatibility can be established by making sure it flies like a pig and explodes on re-entry.

[marce]

Oh, I use both of those mods. In the case of FAR, it's fairly easy.. this simply has no aerodynamics. It's pretty much power up and power through to avoid crashing (especially given it's sheer size and weight). I'll see how it behaves with DRE

Just an idea: maybe you can add heatshielding on the bottom like spaceplane parts do, that way it would be theoretically possible to somehow get it through. The only other way I see is a giant procedural parts heatshield on one end and praying for reentry stability/balance

However, since you pointed out that this is "the small one" last time I freaked out, maybe you'll need a whole new class of heat shielding technology

[ModZero]

Well, obviously, active cooling dumping the heat into accumulators using $MAGICAL_FLUID, and then once you're down/up you deploy ridiculously oversized radiators to dump the heat out from the accumulators. You need radiators anyway, because I've heard something about nuclear reactors or something?

I'd be kinda worried about these side tanks tearing off, though.

EDIT: actually, the cargo bay and the fins at the back look kinda radiator-ey. In fact, space shuttle used cargo bay doors for radiating heat.

Edited August 20, 2014 by ModZero

[RoverDude]

Oh I plan on having some very entertaining videos soon enough...

[RoverDude]

Almost done with engine texturing...

[I.O.M.]

Love the new parts!

[sp1989]

I made stuff. Still need to finish engine and command pod textures, but rest is done enough for a first release. Also have one more part to add.

http://i.imgur.com/JfzYyv9.png

http://i.imgur.com/7VyUJt8.png

Its kinda the like the ships from Elysium. Obviously not exactly the same but pretty close. Is it an SSTO? That would be epic!

[RoverDude]

Its kinda the like the ships from Elysium. Obviously not exactly the same but pretty close. Is it an SSTO? That would be epic!

http://www.igorstshirts.com/blog/conceptships/2013/christian_pearce/christian_pearce_02.jpg

Yes, it is SSTO.

Atmospheric prop engines, VTOL chemical engines, and attachment points for switching from VTOL to horizontal flight. The design goal is to have it capable of getting a mining harvest off of Eve's surface under it's own power.

[rabidninjawombat]

Yes, it is SSTO.

Atmospheric prop engines, VTOL chemical engines, and attachment points for switching from VTOL to horizontal flight. The design goal is to have it capable of getting a mining harvest off of Eve's surface under it's own power.

Wow.. off eve! tall order =P ive never gotten a manned return mission from eve off myself.

[RoverDude]

Wow.. off eve! tall order =P ive never gotten a manned return mission from eve off myself.

It will be a combination of reactor-powered electric propfans, then a boost with Karbonite thrusters.

Granted, when I say payload I mean a RareMetals or ExoticMinerals payload, or possibly a yet to be disclosed new resource, but we'll see

[Wren]

Reminds me of this:

It's the Eagle moonbase transport...

[RoverDude]

Reminds me of this:

http://catacombs.space1999.net/main/merc/blueprint/ivmblueagle1.jpg

It's the Eagle moonbase transport...

That's precisely one of the inspirations.

[rabidninjawombat]

It will be a combination of reactor-powered electric propfans, then a boost with Karbonite thrusters.

Granted, when I say payload I mean a RareMetals or ExoticMinerals payload, or possibly a yet to be disclosed new resource, but we'll see

Random question. Are the engines modular? For example if one is only planning on non-atmospheric work you can switch out the propfans?

[RoverDude]

Random question. Are the engines modular? For example if one is only planning on non-atmospheric work you can switch out the propfans?

The entire ship is modular. you can configure it any way you would like. Most modules are 2m-4m long (VTOL thrusters are 2m, the propellers are a 4m part, cargo bay is 5m, cargo pods are also 2m)

[rabidninjawombat]

The entire ship is modular. you can configure it any way you would like. Most modules are 2m-4m long (VTOL thrusters are 2m, the propellers are a 4m part, cargo bay is 5m, cargo pods are also 2m)

Nice! Thanks Looking foward to seeing this in game!