STS-7/E Space Shuttle (Stock NASA Replica) Still Flies in KSP 1.4.3 - Re-enters Like the Real Thing!

[Sampa]

Hey, I have some good news! My recording software finally works! apparently, I didn't even know how to use it! But I can now record videos. Now if I can have peace and quiet while I am recording so that I can do so without my mom or dad being picked up!

[Scathalh]

Very beautiful! can you mate this with the 7E solid booster stack and does it still lift 42 tons (the STS Fuel Pod)?

Hello inigma,

i did my best Just with a quick test.

See album:

Javascript is disabled. View full album

I've reached over 15k with the boosters. No more time to test, but i guess it works.

Edit: The delta/V is at last stage 3925 m/s (see KerbalEngineer mod for VAB statistic)

Edit 2: And thank you again for your epic spaceshuttle design...

Edit 3:It works for me. File: http://www.filedropper.com/-spaceshuttle3-

Notice: Hit "w" if the payload is not enough to hold heading. Otherwise change fuel level of the external pods.

Edit 4: Or put some fuel in the lower booster. Just for better handling in the lower athmosphere.

Edited July 29, 2015 by Scathalh

[JWOC]

Thx inigmia for the Info on the SAMPA package

-JWOC

[SaturnianBlue]

I'm working on a Centaur-G Prime subassembly for your shuttle, so far the actual stage is done, now I need to give more details to the deployment sections.

[inigma]

I'm working on a Centaur-G Prime subassembly for your shuttle, so far the actual stage is done, now I need to give more details to the deployment sections.

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

Wow! I love it!

[SaturnianBlue]

Here's my replica of the Centaur G Prime, the largest upper stage intended for use aboard a space shuttle, which would have a high efficiency Hydrogen-LqdOxygen powered RL 10 engines, which would have allowed Galileo, Ulysses, and other large spacecraft to reach their intended target on a single stage deployed from the space shuttle. Sadly, in the wake of the Challenger Disaster, the Centaur G was cancelled mere months before it's maiden flight date due to safety reasons. Hopefully, this subassembly will do just fine for your payloads across the Solar System.

A few Notes:

You can angle the Centaur apparatus with a Claw that when SAS torque is applied, it angles the shuttle. Also, the command module on the Centaur has a reputation for ending up backwards.

Stats:25 tons (Upper stage itself), 400 Kn max, 140 parts, all stock, ~3000 m/s of Dv

Download

I'll be gone for quite a bit after today, so I may not be able to be of help if something goes haywire with this upper stage.

Edited October 25, 2015 by SaturnianBlue
Sepatrons, not Seaports!

[Angelo Kerman]

Did you hear that 1.1 will be gething a ssme?

[inigma]

Did you hear that 1.1 will be gething a ssme?

oooh. no i didn't. looking forward to it!

[Columbia]

Hi inigma,

After looking at your feedback, I decided to yet again redo the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. Hopefully it will be easier to control.

Changelog:

-More (clipped surfaces) to help maneuverability

-The Shuttle's controls no longer screw up when detached

-Pratt & Whitney JT9Ds overhauled to look more realistic

-Nose gear brake torque set to 30

-Lights added (Last-minute addition)

-Overall part count was decreased to 334 (Who knew the engines increased the part count so much?)

Download link: http://www./download/x21h1zcd7azdf6u/Boeing_B747-100_SCA.craft

The last screenshots of this album show the lights of the 747 in the night.

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Feel free to test it and give me more feedback!

[SaturnianBlue]

Btw Inigma, I updated the link for my Centaur G Prime: It has a decoupler on the bottom, which when decoupled is made to be grasped by the claw, which allows pivoting to allow the Centaur G to tilt more reliably and effectively!

Edited August 31, 2015 by SaturnianBlue

[Sampa]

Inigma! Hi! sorry you haven't heard from me in a while! been hangin out with my new-found girlfriend on this forum and just started an advertisement making company on the forum!

[Columbia]

Err.. inigma, what's your input on the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft?

[inigma]

Inigma! Hi! sorry you haven't heard from me in a while! been hangin out with my new-found girlfriend on this forum and just started an advertisement making company on the forum!

Been busy here too!

- - - Updated - - -

Err.. inigma, what's your input on the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft?

I LOVE it!

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Two things:

- The shuttle is not centered on the SCA when looking down the fuselage

- Try hiding the struts using offset

Flies insanely better. High quality! I love the engine nacelles!

[Sampa]

Yeah, oh, also, now i have a,shuttle to nurture! The former CSS!

[inigma]

Very beautiful! Adding this to the OP listing for related crafts!

Hello inigma,

i did my best Just with a quick test.

See album:

http://imgur.com/a/j1Nd3

I've reached over 15k with the boosters. No more time to test, but i guess it works.

Edit: The delta/V is at last stage 3925 m/s (see KerbalEngineer mod for VAB statistic)

Edit 2: And thank you again for your epic spaceshuttle design...

Edit 3:It works for me. File: http://www.filedropper.com/-spaceshuttle3-

Notice: Hit "w" if the payload is not enough to hold heading. Otherwise change fuel level of the external pods.

Edit 4: Or put some fuel in the lower booster. Just for better handling in the lower athmosphere.

- - - Updated - - -

Thx inigmia for the Info on the SAMPA package

-JWOC

You bet!

- - - Updated - - -

http://i.imgur.com/EwwhYn6.pngHere's my replica of the Centaur G Prime, the largest upper stage intended for use aboard a space shuttle, which would have a high efficiency Hydrogen-LqdOxygen powered RL 10 engines, which would have allowed Galileo, Ulysses, and other large spacecraft to reach their intended target on a single stage deployed from the space shuttle. Sadly, in the wake of the Challenger Disaster, the Centaur G was cancelled mere months before it's maiden flight date due to safety reasons. Hopefully, this subassembly will do just fine for your payloads across the Solar System.

A few Notes:

Sepatrons can move the stage into position for ignition after decoupling, but i've found it somewhat unreliable, but with some adjustments and timing, it should work. Also, the command module on the Centaur has a reputation for ending up backwards.

Stats:25 tons (Upper stage itself), 400 Kn max, 140 parts, all stock, ~3000 m/s of Dv

Download

I'll be gone for quite a bit after today, so I may not be able to be of help if something goes haywire with this upper stage.

Amazing piece of engineering here. Added to the OP!

[Scathalh]

Hi inigma,

the filedropper link are broken:

Here are the new links:

http://kerbalx.com/Scathalh/STS-7--Spin-Off

http://kerbalx.com/Scathalh/STS-7E-Spin-Off

[ExplorerKlatt]

Hey inigma, I made a sketchfab render of your space shuttle.

STS-7 Space Shuttle by ExplorerKlatt on Sketchfab

If you want it for the first post I will PM the bbcode to you.

[Columbia]

Been busy here too!

- - - Updated - -

I LOVE it!

http://imgur.com/a/bUFFx

Two things:

- The shuttle is not centered on the SCA when looking down the fuselage

- Try hiding the struts using offset

Flies insanely better. High quality! I love the engine nacelles!

Thank you for the compliments, Inigma!

Will you be updating the OP to link to this one instead?

Thanks in advance!

[inigma]

Thank you for the compliments, Inigma!

Will you be updating the OP to link to this one instead?

Thanks in advance!

Already done! Please confirm!

- - - Updated - - -

Hey inigma, I made a sketchfab render of your space shuttle.

STS-7 Space Shuttle by ExplorerKlatt on Sketchfab

If you want it for the first post I will PM the bbcode to you.

Sure thing!

[Araym]

It's been a while to my last post here (even if I left behind me an ispiration for Scathalh's spin-off shuttle)...

... so I should show what, in my Modded KSP, I developed.

More iterations of the "K-series" were tried to adapt them to 1.0.4, but noones felt right, to me.

Then, in this days, I went for a total, different, approach: up to K-7, I limited my enginering skills to "modify" Inigma's shuttles, but I was lacking to adapt them in the new aero enviroment...

... now I started it from scratches, to overcome some bugs (mostly due to porting parts from subassemblies, leading to random poking struts going impredictables, or to get rid of the "desctructive thermal behaviour" of SAS units inside the Main Tank - Hints to Inigma: forcing surface attack with EEX are the cause: I went with the KSP debug/cheat option from ALT-F12 menu to place small stacks of SAS - to avoid bending issues - in the inner nodes, after building the main tank, and I have no more problems...), to put in a better use my modded KSP.

Tha leads to my new STS-K10 Olympus shuttle!

Notable features:

- better wing profile, closer to the NASA's Shuttle, with the frontal Big Wing Strakes upscaled a bit (120%) with TweakScale

- newly engineered OMS pod mounts

- new rear RCS mounts

- same (old) 2x AIES Galaxy VR-2 engines, converted to monoprop, to take the OMS engines role

- new Upper and Bottom ends for the Main Tank (from SuicidalInsanity's Mk.3 Expansion pack)

- a couple of Airbrakes near the tail (I got rid to the 2x clipped tail, to use the doubled ailerons like brakes: it leads generally to flying imbalances: this is the only differences to the most closer looking Shuttle i build)

- stolen from Inigma's STS-7E, the external rocket boosters cases made from liquid fuel tanks... but inside I built my own stacks in "my way"

Javascript is disabled. View full album

http://imgur.com/a/DThlc

In the empty and 42t configurations, it flies like a charm...

I still have to check the reentry tonnage capabilities (and eventually, any imbalance to put masses locked to payload cargobay frontal or back node) but I'm positive on it...

(Some parts looks "not so good" 'cuz I'm running KSP in a very poor laptop, and generally I tweak graphics and - if possible - the bigger textures to lower my RAM usages. For example, here, the mk.3 parts have very smaller textures than the originals I downloaded)

--- Edit ---

Testing with the SpaceHab, as always my shuttles, it plunges on the ground pretty hard on final landing approach.

Reverting to use a couple of little wing/control surfaces moved inside the cockpit made it work: now it flies like a charm *_*

It gets now the "Approved" sign by my Space Agency.

Edited September 21, 2015 by Araym
... a bit of flights later...

[Araym]

Mk.3 Expansion pack has some new parts!!!

So I definitely changed (AGAIN!) the OMS mounts, to the newly added parts to fullfill the role:

now Olympus is truly looking like a NASA Space Shuttle!

I'm happy like a kid on Chrismast morning for the result!

Javascript is disabled. View full album

http://imgur.com/a/g8Tmo

Also, I did (again) a "Max Load Test", confirming the 42t payload capability: flown with Mechjeb to confirm data and be "consistent" with flights previous done by the v.1...

Javascript is disabled. View full album

http://imgur.com/a/JlKxv

... totally confirming its flying capabilities.

[-M-TheDoctor]

So I have the STS-7. It's a fantastic machine and I'm much obliged for you having designed it inigma. I'm having an issue that I'm hoping you can shed some light in it for me. I installed a mechjeb on the shuttle, but when I use the assent guidance the shuttle rolls belly towards the ocean, instead of tail to the ocean. What can I do to correct this issue? Or am I going to have to launch it manually and then use the mechjeb to work the rendezvous?

[Araym]

TheDoctor;2209736']So I have the STS-7. It's a fantastic machine and I'm much obliged for you having designed it inigma. I'm having an issue that I'm hoping you can shed some light in it for me. I installed a mechjeb on the shuttle' date=' but when I use the assent guidance the shuttle rolls belly towards the ocean, instead of tail to the ocean. What can I do to correct this issue? Or am I going to have to launch it manually and then use the mechjeb to work the rendezvous?[/quote']

Mechjeb could be a bit of "stupid" if not right set, flying a Shuttle, because the flight profile of a shuttle requires a lot of different actions.

What I'm using, lately, with my launches (both with Inigma's STS-7E and my own variations BUT CONSIDER I'mj using the the SOLID booster version, so mileage/trajectory could vary on Liquid Fueled Boosters):

First, open the Ascend Guidance module and edit your Ascent Path: I have mine set as

-"Turn Start Altitude = 1km"

-"Turn start Velocity = 100 m/s"

-"Turn End Altitude = 65 km"

-"Final Flight Path = from 0° (42t payload) to -10° (empty) (set to your preference, just to stay at the edge of Kerbin atmosphere during burn, under 70km altitude, and let the Main Tank deorbit itself after spent: "0°" are good for the max payload/fully fueled main tank; some negative numbers could be plotted on the run, if you are noticing a too vertical climb or are you going empty)

-"Turn Shape = 65%"

THEN you have to add some more parameter in the Ascent Guidance itself. I turn on the following parameters:

- Prevent Overheat set ON (... not really needed - it's a remnant of old engine heating process during launch -, but just selected for good safety procedure )

- Limit to Terminal Velocity set ON

- Limit Q pressure, set to 20000 pa

- Keep Limited Throttle set over 75% (if you are flying not at max payload capacity with fully fueled Main External Tank, you can experience to arrive both at max terminal velocity or max Q very early in the flight and you NEED the liquid fueled engine on the Orbiter to "push" the full stack straight in the ascent path: MOSTLY needed if flying a solid booster version, as the SRBs themselves are not throttable. With a Liquid fueled booster version could be set OFF, as both booster and main orbiter engine will throttle down together)

- Corrective Steering set ON

- Force Roll set ON, with (at launch) climb set at 180° and turn at 180° (to perform the "roll program" just after take-off and ascent with the Orbiter belly UP - tail to the ocean - like the real Shuttle launch)

- DO NOT let the "Autowarp" option "ON"

THEN you have to "help/nurse" Mechjeb at some stages of the launch:

1- Just after launch, when it start to roll, help with some roll input from keyboard (Mechjeb is a bit slow on rolling, sometime setting half way to a proper roll to 180°)

2- At Booster fuel depleting, wait a second before eject them: without the push from them, the Orbiter will pull for a moment more vertical, in the climb. This straightening of the flying path will help at the ejection moment, to avoid any collision of the Boosters with the Orbiter wings

3- When the remaining Orbiter+Main Fuel Tank stack arrives at +50km altitude (clearing the thicker part of Kerbin Atmosphere), it is the moment for the "belly down roll" program: on the Force Roll line on the Ascent Guidance, set the "turn" parameter (the second box) from 180° to 0°. The Orbiter will start to roll: AGAIN, like in the first phase of the launch (point 1- here in this guide), help the slow Mechjeb with some keyboard input (left alone, sometime it take ages to complete the manouver, sometime it set itself halfway, not completing it)

4- Let the Shuttle arrive at the desidered orbital altitude apopsis: if the flight is gone smoothly, you should have an apoapsis set to your desidered altitude, with a periapsis still UNDER 70km (This is achieved around 60/65km altitude, with the Orbiter still slowly ascending... WORRY only if your Orbiter is loosing altitude: look at the "Special Advice" further in this guide). This is INTENDED, to deorbit the spent Main Tank.

It will allow to decouple the now empty main tank with the Orbiter keeping a good horizontal attitude, still in the very last layer of the atmosphere, to avoid collision with the Main Tank.

Just after separation, cleared the Main Tank, ignite the OMS engines (I set the main tank separation and OMS engine ignition on separate stages, prior to launch, on the VAB: it helps to avoid them to eventually fire when the orbiter is still too much closer to the Main Tank, maybe crashing on it, if Mechjeb eventually tries to adjust the final ascending apoapsis - remember that you are still in the atmosphere, so a little bit of drag could lower it, and Mechjeb is always trying to compensate immediately as you have any engine active)

5- and finally: let the Orbiter settle to the node for circularasing the orbit. ONLY at this point, I usually turn "Autowarp" on: the Orbiter should be at this point in space, and it is plenty safe to let it warp at your heart content

6- Apoapsis kick with OMS, Orbit achieved... Profit!!!

With this ascent program, I'm usually able to achieve +300km circular orbit with the 42 tons payload/fully fueled main tank, having enough monoprop fuel to deorbit...

Obviously, lower tonnage payload will need less fuel on the Main Tank, and will achieve easier high orbits with more monopropellent fuel margin for the OMS: that are up to you to experiment, but, generally, does not involve to change a lot the ascent parameter I'm using...

SPECIAL ADVICE:

I fly generally with the Ascent Path window open (to see the actual flying path - a white line - projected on the programmed one - the red line). After the "belly down roll" at +50km altitude, you will notice a lower, horizontal white line, in the atmosphere, rather the programmed red one: it is intended with the shuttle, to keep the Main Tank debris in it, after separation. It's a good habit I got, to manage it with some "course correction", adding a couple of degrees more or less plotted on the "Final Flight Path" line: if your launch is going too much higher angle of ascent, you will need MORE monopropellant to circularize... and this could lead to not having enough to deorbit safely (mostly notable with the 42 tons MAX payload)...

If the "Final Flight Path" is too much negative, instead, you could not clear the atmosphere during/after Main Engine burn and Main Tank separation (on the Ascent path you will notice the line going "down", back to Kerbin ground). Like the previous case, if you are loosing altitude, you will need more OMS burn to correct it/bring the Orbiter to space. It will again leads to NOT having enough to deorbit and/or not achieving orbit at all...

(Remember: monopropellent fuel is not so much, if you not ascended properly. A bad ascent profile could lead to not achieve the desidered orbit, OR - worse - to a stranded Shuttle in orbit without enough fuel to deorbit itself)

--- edit ---

You can also look at my previous post here or directly here to the Imgur album itself, for a flight of one of my modded Shuttle variant flight, that flew with MechJeb active (I was gathering data to refine the craft itself, so I needed a consistent and standard flight path): it show the ascent and the command I set on Mechjeb phase by phase

Edited October 13, 2015 by Araym

[Araym]

Side note: I can finally share my own modded SpaceShuttle, as it finally does not need any "cfg edited" part (my previously edited AIES engines), but got newly, shining, parts from some nice Mk.3 extension packs:

check it here!

Preview:

Javascript is disabled. View full album

http://imgur.com/a/MAcK0

[-M-TheDoctor]

Mechjeb could be a bit of "stupid" if not right set, flying a Shuttle, because the flight profile of a shuttle requires a lot of different actions.

What I'm using, lately, with my launches (both with Inigma's STS-7E and my own variations BUT CONSIDER I'mj using the the SOLID booster version, so mileage/trajectory could vary on Liquid Fueled Boosters):

First, open the Ascend Guidance module and edit your Ascent Path: I have mine set as

-"Turn Start Altitude = 1km"

-"Turn start Velocity = 100 m/s"

-"Turn End Altitude = 70 km"

-"Final Flight Path = 0 or -1°" (set to your preference, just to stay at the edge of Kerbin atmosphere during burn, under 70km altitude, and let the Main Tank deorbit itself after spent: "0°" are good for the max payload/fully fueled main tank; some negative numbers could be plotted on the run, if you are noticing a too vertical climb)

-"Turn Shape = 65%"

THEN you have to add some more parameter in the Ascent Guidance itself. I turn on the following parameters:

- Prevent Overheat set ON (... not really needed - it's a remnant of old engine heating process during launch -, but just selected for good safety procedure )

- Limit to Terminal Velocity set ON

- Limit Q pressure, set to 20000 pa

- Keep Limited Throttle set over 75% (if you are flying not at max payload capacity with fully fueled Main External Tank, you can experience to arrive both at max terminal velocity or max Q very early in the flight and you NEED the liquid fueled engine on the Orbiter to "push" the full stack straight in the ascent path: MOSTLY needed if flying a solid booster version, as the SRBs themselves are not throttable. With a Liquid fueled booster version could be set OFF, as both booster and main orbiter engine will throttle down together)

- Corrective Steering set ON

- Force Roll set ON, with (at launch) climb set at 180° and turn at 180° (to perform the "roll program" just after take-off and ascent with the Orbiter belly UP - tail to the ocean - like the real Shuttle launch)

- DO NOT let the "Autowarp" option "ON"

THEN you have to "help/nurse" Mechjeb at some stages of the launch:

1- Just after launch, when it start to roll, help with some roll input from keyboard (Mechjeb is a bit slow on rolling, sometime setting half way to a proper roll to 180°)

2- At Booster fuel depleting, wait a second before eject them: without the push from them, the Orbiter will pull for a moment more vertical, in the climb. This straightening of the flying path will help at the ejection moment, to avoid any collision of the Boosters with the Orbiter wings

3- When the remaining Orbiter+Main Fuel Tank stack arrives at +50km altitude (clearing the thicker part of Kerbin Atmosphere), it is the moment for the "belly down roll" program: on the Force Roll line on the Ascent Guidance, set the "turn" parameter (the second box) from 180° to 0°. The Orbiter will start to roll: AGAIN, like in the first phase of the launch (point 1- here in this guide), help the slow Mechjeb with some keyboard input (left alone, sometime it take ages to complete the manouver, sometime it set itself halfway, not completing it)

4- Let the Shuttle arrive at the desidered Orbital altitude: if the flight is gone smoothly, you should have an apoapsis set to your desidered altitude, with a periapsis still UNDER 70km (This is achieved around 60/65km altitude, with the Orbiter still slowly ascending... WORRY only if your Orbiter is loosing altitude: look at the "Special Advice" further in this guide). This is INTENDED, to deorbit the spent Main Tank.

It will allow to decouple the now empty main tank with the Orbiter keeping a good horizontal attitude, to avoid collision with the Main Tank.

Just after separation, cleared the Main Tank, ignite the OMS engines (I set the main tank separation and OMS engine ignition on separate stages, prior to launch, on the VAB: it helps to avoid them to eventually fire when the orbiter is still too much closer to the Main Tank, maybe crashing on it, if Mechjeb eventually tries to adjust the final ascending apoapsis - remember that you are still in the atmosphere, so a little bit of drag could lower it, and Mechjeb is always trying to compensate immediately as you have any engine active)

5- and finally: let the Orbiter settle to the node for circularasing the orbit. ONLY at this point, I usually turn "Autowarp" on: the Orbiter should be at this point in space, and it is plenty safe to let it warp at your heart content

6- Apoapsis kick with OMS, Orbit achieved... Profit!!!

With this ascent program, I'm usually able to achieve +300km circular orbit with the 42 tons payload/fully fueled main tank, having enough monoprop fuel to deorbit...

Obviously, lower tonnage payload will need less fuel on the Main Tank, and will achieve easier high orbits with more monopropellent fuel margin for the OMS: that are up to you to experiment, but, generally, does not involve to change a lot the ascent parameter I'm using...

SPECIAL ADVICE:

I fly generally with the Ascent Path window open (to see the actual flying path - a white line - projected on the programmed one - the red line). After the "belly down roll" at +50km altitude, you will notice a lower, horizontal white line, in the atmosphere, rather the programmed red one: it is intended with the shuttle, to keep the Main Tank debris in it, after separation. It's a good habit I got, to manage it with some "course correction", adding a couple of degrees more or less plotted on the "Final Flight Path" line: if your launch is going too much higher angle of ascent, you will need MORE monopropellant to circularize... and this could lead to not having enough to deorbit safely (mostly notable with the 42 tons MAX payload)...

If the "Final Flight Path" is too much negative, instead, you could not clear the atmosphere during/after Main Engine burn and Main Tank separation (on the Ascent path you will notice the line going "down", back to Kerbin ground). Like the previous case, if you are loosing altitude, you will need more OMS burn to correct it/bring the Orbiter to space. It will again leads to NOT having enough to deorbit and/or not achieving orbit at all...

(Remember: monopropellent fuel is not so much, if you not ascended properly. A bad ascent profile could lead to not achieve the desidered orbit, OR - worse - to a stranded Shuttle in orbit without enough fuel to deorbit itself)

--- edit ---

You can also look at my previous post here or directly here to the Imgur album itself, for a flight of one of my modded Shuttle variant flight, that flew with MechJeb active (I was gathering data to refine the craft itself, so I needed a consistent and standard flight path): it show the ascent and the command I set on Mechjeb phase by phase

Thank you so much! This is a great guide!