OFMM Development: Mars Ground Ops

Bj

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If we were to, I think fuel or electricity should be ideal, as both can be produced relatively easily. Perhaps it could run on the same fuel as the stack, or at least a fuel with similar components. If we will be mining fuel for that, we may as well divert a bit and use it for the rovers.

An internal combustion engine with LOX/LH2 as fuel? :lol: or wait, fuel cells?

Electricity will be in abundance because of the nuclear power plant. I guess its a matter of which is more reliable for its weight.
 

Izack

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Bj

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I don't know...I think the drawbacks are too numerous and crippling to counter the graphical benefit of OGLA.
Besiades, OGLA doesn't work for a lot of people. For me, I get awful frame rates, and almost all of the features will not work. In other words, it's way too unstable.


I have to agree, OGLA looks really nice with the terrain but no air inside bases seems to be a really bad drawback ;)

Besides we have to leave lower end computers in mind. :thumbup:

Maybe 'above ground level' mesh that creates craters. Still would be walk through...
 

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I have to agree, OGLA looks really nice with the terrain but no air inside bases seems to be a really bad drawback ;)

Besides we have to leave lower end computers in mind. :thumbup:

Maybe 'above ground level' mesh that creates craters. Still would be walk through...
I was thinking they would be below the surface level. Just...don't step on them, or you'll defy physics. ;)

This would be especially cool if someone went to the Valles Marineris. I just recently watched the BBC series Voyage to the Planets, and the Mars segment where they're all standing on the edge of a 7km drop was just too spectacular for me to skip mentioning here. :thumbup:
 

Bj

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I was thinking they would be below the surface level. Just...don't step on them, or you'll defy physics. ;)

This would be especially cool if someone went to the Valles Marineris. I just recently watched the BBC series Voyage to the Planets, and the Mars segment where they're all standing on the edge of a 7km drop was just too spectacular for me to skip mentioning here. :thumbup:

If you put a mesh below surface level, wouldn't it be invisible because the planet layer would cover it?
 

Izack

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If you put a mesh below surface level, wouldn't it be invisible because the planet layer would cover it?
Err... :shifty:

Well there goes that idea. Can't see any way around it, now that you've reminded me.
 

River Crab

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Well, a surface base with some inert terrain around it still isn't out of the question, right? Not as impressive, but it's something.
 

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I believe the idea was to put some amount of regolith on top of the base as a form of radiation shielding.
 

fireballs619

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Besides the artificial dunes, I don't think any topographical features really matter. Sure, it would look nice, but I feel like we're getting into really fine details here, and, subsequently, creating too much work for ourselves. Having a nice looking planet surface isn't imperative to the mission, so let's try to concentrate on vital things first, such as base layout, SMEV, and actual operations.
 

Bloodworth

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Exactly. It's already been established that barring some miracle (such as nasa coming onboard and unscrewing orulex, there will be no terrain. Actually, I may be slightly wrong on that. I believe Urwumph was thinking about making some dunes to act as shelter for the base, but beyond that, no, there will likely be no terrain during this mission sad as that may be.
 

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Well, I can live with that. I've done a few little Mars voyages of my own lately, and there was plenty of stuff to do just with UMMU/UCGO that kept me from thinking about the lack of, well, anything to look at.

Speaking of looking at things, how about bringing a telescope? Just an UCGO unpackable thing, no need to write anything. It could be used for observing Phobos and Deimos, provided dust isn't a problem (which on second thought probably isn't the case...)
 

Bloodworth

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Actually, the idea of a telescope was mentioned back at the beginning of the project. I think it is not only a good idea but a necessity. I simply cannnot believe that a mission to another planet would not include contingencies to advance astronomy. We would need to have someone model it though, but being small it shouldn't take too much. I was thinking about taking a ucgo glass dome to place it in.

---------- Post added at 12:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:30 PM ----------

Also, last night I uploaded an atlas of mars to the orbithangar for the use of OMM, hopefully it goes through.

---------- Post added 06-20-10 at 11:50 AM ---------- Previous post was 06-19-10 at 12:38 PM ----------

Sadly it looks like my mars atlas upload didn't get approved :( sigh...so much for that idea.
 

Urwumpe

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Sadly it looks like my mars atlas upload didn't get approved :( sigh...so much for that idea.

Did it contain anything that Google Mars doesn't have? :lol:
 

Izack

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Yeah, I've been using Google Mars to look around. How big is the atlas? Could you just attach it to a post here?
 

Bloodworth

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No the atlas was a series of 25 PDF maps, some 35mb is size total. I dont think the site would allow me to simply post them as images. I got them here however.

I've never looked at google mars, I'll have to check it out.
 

fireballs619

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If no one can solve the problem of all UCGO vehicles weighing the same, I suggest we go ahead and use the Azure. It's almost perfectly suited for our needs, and, if all vehicles are the same weight, why take a smaller one?
 

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If you put a mesh below surface level, wouldn't it be invisible because the planet layer would cover it?

Planetary surfaces are actually "transparent" to vessel and base meshes, so one could be positioned "under" the ground and still be visible.
 

Izack

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Planetary surfaces are actually "transparent" to vessel and base meshes, so one could be positioned "under" the ground and still be visible.
The only problem is that it's shadow would be on the surface level above it. It can get disorienting.
 
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