M-III is a medium/heavy launch vehicle featuring first-stage reuse capability through propulsive vertical landing on a pad near the launch site or a downrange landing platform (barge). All stages of the M-III launch vehicle have a 5.39-m diameter and use liquid methane/liquid oxygen rocket engines. The single-core M-III has a payload capacity of 14 to 21 tonnes to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and 4 to 8 tonnes to Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) depending on whether it is reused or not, while the three-core M-III Heavy (available in a future release) will be capable of launching approximately 60 tonnes to LEO when expended. The primary contractor of the M-III launch vehicle is Mikubishi Heavy Industries. Commercial launch services are marketed by Hatsunespace.
This launcher uses a modified version of BrianJ's Falcon9R source code: http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=6593
v0.1.1 - I forgot to put in the M-III pad mesh in v0.1, so I added it.
[Installation]
- (optional, but highly recommended) Install Negishima Space Center (http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=6424), or its treeless version: (http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=6741)
- (optional, but highly recommended) Install Vinkaâs spacecraft4(http://francophone.dansteph.com/?page=addon&id=202) and the ReusableCrew Vehicle: http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=6737
- (required) Install OrbiterSound by DanSteph:http://orbiter.dansteph.com/index.php?disp=d
- (required) Install Payload Manager by Kulch:http://kulch.spb.ru/Eng/PM_dwn.html
- Extract this .zip file to your Orbiter folder.
- Make sure to back up */Config/Earth/Base/Negishima.cfg and replace it with one of the files located in */Negishima_M-III.
- Scenarios are located in âM-III launch vehicle.â A generic blank version of therocket is included in âM-III launch vehicle/If you donât have Negishima.â
- More information is located in */Doc/M-III Launch Vehicle.
[Disclaimer]
Hatsunia is an alternate-universe version of Japan inspired by the virtual singingcharacter âHatsune Miku.â There has been a successful fan petition to place images of her on JAXAâs Venus Climate Orbiter âAkatsuki,â as well as amateur space hardware and rocketry projects associated with Miku. For more information, please see this thread: http://orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?t=35300
The M-III launch vehicle is mostly inspired by SpaceXâs Falcon 9.
Special thanks to Martin Schweiger for creating Orbiter, BrianJ for letting others use the Falcon9R source code, and many others in the Orbiter community for their support.