Request Artemis landers

[francisdrake]

Short answer: Yes.
Long answer: But only the lander itself, without the drop tanks.

Attached is a scenario to launch the Alpaca on a FalconHeavy. Orbital node lines are aligned with the Moon on the scenario date. Proceed with a partial TLI burn until the 2nd stage runs dry, then separate the Alpaca, reorient it and continue the burn with its engines until the transfer ellipse touches the Moon orbit.
At Moon periapsis do a capture burn. An Orion MPCV will be waiting in a highly elliptical Lunar orbit. Try to catch it and dock to it. (I did the final docking with the Orion active, as the Alpaca has the docking port at the +y axis, which makes the alignment tricky.)

If you want a hack to make the deep-space maneuvers easier, enter these lines into the Dynetictest.CFG file:
MaxMainThrust = 76000
ISP = 3600

This adds a virtual main engine, thrusting in +z direction, so you can use all the familiar autopilots (prograde, retrograde, etc.) without having to worry, where to point the nose to accelerate or slow down.
I would not consider it a cheat, as it uses the same specific amount of fuel as the hover engines.

 

[gattispilot]

We get this:

HUD:

With a crew guy:

May need to flip the glass so we can see the guy


To make sure I have the thrusters correct.
RCS

THR_8_ID = 8
THR_8_NAME = Translate_up_1
THR_8_POS = -4.91 0.8 1.145
THR_8_DIR = 0 1 0
THR_8_MAX0 = 490
THR_8_ISP0 = 3059.66
THR_8_ISPREF = 0
THR_8_PREF = 101400
THR_8_TANK = 0
THR_8_HASEXHAUST = TRUE
THR_8_EX_0_ID = 0
THR_8_EX_0_LSIZE = 2
THR_8_EX_0_WSIZE = 0.2
THR_8_EX_0_EXTEX = 0
THR_8_EX_0_CUSTOMPOSDIR = FALSE
THR_8_HASPARTICLES = FALSE

THR_0_ID = 0
THR_0_NAME = Main_0
THR_0_POS = 2.84 -2.2 0.684
THR_0_DIR = 0 1 0
THR_0_MAX0 = 12000
THR_0_ISP0 = 3600
THR_0_ISPREF = 0
THR_0_PREF = 101400
THR_0_TANK = 0
THR_0_HASEXHAUST = TRUE
THR_0_EX_0_ID = 0
THR_0_EX_0_LSIZE = 3
THR_0_EX_0_WSIZE = 0.25
THR_0_EX_0_EXTEX = -1
THR_0_EX_0_CUSTOMPOSDIR = FALSE
THR_0_HASPARTICLES = FALSE

 

[gattispilot]

One thing I can change. Is raise the guy up more so his head is more in the window?

I based the floor off the video. Where the edges of the sides slanted down. And there is a step down. I can raise the slants and thus the guys.

The easy solution would be to just make the guy taller. I need to add the yellow/black stripe also.


Since for now the aft section is sealed. I can move the guys and ladder back there out of site.

But I want to make sure the thrusters,.... are correct.

 

[barrygolden]

really like the up graded cockpit. need to keep in mid some back lighting and an inward opening door You know I'm a big fan of the ASES suit but I think the guys will land in their hard suits, if not you would have to use cabin space for 8 people. You could store the hard suits in the aft compartment but you giving up store storage cargo space.

 

[barrygolden]

I keep hearing that there is interest in recovering the drop tanks for later fuel storage. I wonder if this could land with those still attached but empty . I'm thinking of removing them on the surface and having them be linked together with a removable liner and then inflated to form a small hab.

 

[gattispilot]

Thanks. I can make the door opening inward.

So make the crew have on hard suits.?

 

[Gargantua2024]

I keep hearing that there is interest in recovering the drop tanks for later fuel storage. I wonder if this could land with those still attached but empty . I'm thinking of removing them on the surface and having them be linked together with a removable liner and then inflated to form a small hab.

It could land with the droptanks still attached with the currently configured engines (when I accidentally forgot to jettison them in one simulation run )

However, since every kg landed on the surface required more fuel to burn, that would probably be not an option for Dynetics in the initial run since no propellant depot would be setup in the first landings, so they had to ditch away the two tanks right before touchdown to save fuel for ascent, and rendezvous with Orion or Gateway. Fortunately they've been planning to make the droptanks reusable in the future

 

[barrygolden]

Gattis you did some advanced Apollo hard suits with the Molab for 2010 you might look at those with out the back packs and see what that might look like. Unlike the LER with the suits external I think only 2 suits could be carried and a lot more weight with that system.. NASA has tested hard suits with a clip on backpack for Lunar operations. Don't seem to hear much talk about lunar dust yet in the ALPACA . The look of this back back seems it could be just clipped on the back

 

[gattispilot]

Are we sure about the hatch opening inward? Easy to do. But if you look at the interior the controls are right at the edge. So to allow for the door the controls,... would need to be moved


So crew needs to be eva suits no backpacks?

 

[barrygolden]

Just gave a try of the Falcon heavy /ALPACA launch but don't see the ALPACA on it. Am I missing something ?

 

[barrygolden]

As for the door I was thinking of the LM and the ISS where the door opens inward. Most door open in ward as with the Dragon 2 for the air pressure seal. We won't know much until at least Fed 2021 when the contract is known. Nov 3rd could kill all of this for the new green deal funding.

 

[gattispilot]

As for the door I was thinking of the LM and the ISS where the door opens inward. Most door open in ward as with the Dragon 2 for the air pressure seal. We won't know much until at least Fed 2021 when the contract is known. Nov 3rd could kill all of this for the new green deal funding.

Thanks. I will see what I can do.

 

[barrygolden]

I just looked at these suits. I think they would work with little fine tuning and the back packs removed. Looking at pick 2 the back pack seems much smaller

 

[gattispilot]

The picture from the video it looks like LER Back packs and not the advanced Apollo

The crew is just meshes added and then moved away. Until Ummu or Ommu gets working that is all we can do.

 

[francisdrake]

< I keep hearing that there is interest in recovering the drop tanks for later fuel storage. I wonder if this could land with those still attached but empty >

Re-using tanks was mentioned in the interview the AngryAstronaut held with a spokesperson of Dynetics. Two good tanks on the Lunar surface are an asset, while tanks dropped from height are just scrap.

It might help if only two astronauts are on board, as planned for the early missions. I assume an astronaut weighing 150 kg each, consisting of body weight, suits, provisions, water (once-through, as a light-weight lander may not have a water recycling facility), 5 kg Oxygen per day, etc.

Also I would avoid - if possible - a separation event in a critical flight phase, shortly before touchdown. A fuel valve may not close properly, or one tank may fail to detach, leading to an unbalanced load a few hundred meters above ground.

 

[gattispilot]

With the ler crew guy we get this. I believe the backpack is part of the structure on the LER. Sure I can remove the antenna. and they have no backpack just the area for it.

Fits better in the window?

I also move the hatch back so it can open inward.

What engine arrangement should I use

 

[Gargantua2024]

With the ler crew guy we get this. I believe the backpack is part of the structure on the LER. Sure I can remove the antenna. and they have no backpack just the area for it.

Fits better in the window?

I also move the hatch back so it can open inward.

I could now imagine how to get the LER to the Moon , but that could wait until the crewed version of the addon is finished

What engine arrangement should I use

What do you mean by engine arrangement?

 

[gattispilot]

I mean the thruster set up.

I think on the LER suit. The backpack was part of the wall. They open it up and get into the suit and close it. But for this I can take the backpack off.

 

[Gargantua2024]

The LER suit also served as an EVA airlock for the crew... nevertheless it still looks similar to the new xEMU suit design

 

[gattispilot]

We get this:

and now no ladder.

I have it to show 1 or 2 crew guys.

On the main thrusters. Are they set to Main or Hover? And are the specs correct?

EMPTY_MASS = 5261.67
VSIZE = 12
PMI = 3 9 9
CSECTIONS = 20 20 20
GRAVITYGDAMP = 0
ROTDRAG = 0.01 0.01 0.01

PRP_0_ID = 0
PRP_0_MAXMASS = 34100
PRP_0_EFFICIENCY = 1
PRP_0_PRIMARY = TRUE
PRP_0_NAME = Drop

THR_0_ID = 0
THR_0_NAME = Main_0
THR_0_POS = 2.84 -2.2 0.684
THR_0_DIR = 0 1 0
THR_0_MAX0 = 12000
THR_0_ISP0 = 3600
THR_0_ISPREF = 0
THR_0_PREF = 101400
THR_0_TANK = 0
THR_0_HASEXHAUST = TRUE
THR_0_EX_0_ID = 0
THR_0_EX_0_LSIZE = 3
THR_0_EX_0_WSIZE = 0.25
THR_0_EX_0_EXTEX = -1
THR_0_EX_0_CUSTOMPOSDIR = FALSE
THR_0_HASPARTICLES = FALSE

THR_8_ID = 8
THR_8_NAME = Translate_up_1
THR_8_POS = -4.91 0.8 1.145
THR_8_DIR = 0 1 0
THR_8_MAX0 = 490
THR_8_ISP0 = 3059.66
THR_8_ISPREF = 0
THR_8_PREF = 101400
THR_8_TANK = 0
THR_8_HASEXHAUST = TRUE
THR_8_EX_0_ID = 0
THR_8_EX_0_LSIZE = 2
THR_8_EX_0_WSIZE = 0.2
THR_8_EX_0_EXTEX = 0
THR_8_EX_0_CUSTOMPOSDIR = FALSE
THR_8_HASPARTICLES = FALSE