NASA Constellation SC
(NASA CxP SC)
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I. Objectives
----------------------------------------------------
To provide orbinauts with a 'standalone' and coherently integrated addon about NASA's canceled Constellation Program (CxP).
I'm aware that several addons already do exist about the topic. However, each addon has its own specificities that makes it different and special, depending of the simulation and implementation objectives of each author. From my perspective, extra toys are never enough!
----------------------------------------------------
II. Introduction:
----------------------------------------------------
With this addon I then wish to clean up the years old dust from a few toys of my 'simcosmos' archives and (finally!) share them with the community. These toys will be powered by Vinka's multistage2.dll and spacecraft dlls, which are more than enough for the current simulation goals (on Orbiter2010 P1).
In order to differentiate this implementation from other works, I will focus / extrapolate from less known design iterations of Constellation hardware. At first, the attention will be directed to the lunar return effort. Other uses of Constellation hardware may also be considered *after* the lunar variants are published although I do not plan to overly extend the development on such direction because that will be an objective for another set of simulation files (NASA VSE SC alternative reality, whenever I release those!).
Back to CxP elements: the Ares I / Orion elements are the ones for which more mature data is available. The AresV / Altair were still in a much more highly conceptual phase and, because of that, I will provide one of many possible paths that could have been chosen for their development.
The simulation will also try to follow a set of ground rules in what regards the implementation of performances and mission design: I find that this kind of procedure – even if the simulation is based on generic dlls - helps to improve the realism of the implementation although it may pose some challenges for less experienced orbinauts. In any case, if needing extra margin, a part of such rules may be 'bypassed' by the final user, for example, simulation of boil-off or some mission margins are optional (!) and then there is always the possibility for each one to tweak the simulation by playing with the configuration files (and I can also help by later implementing a more capable variant of the baseline files)...
As usual, this will be an 'what if' exercise: extra details (and previews) will hopefully be provided on this thread.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
III. A word on Addon Requirements / Integrations
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
As noted, the goal is to make it a download-unzip-play addon. Any other thing that may be needed will be an extra, a nice-to-have component which will not be required for the core addon to work.
Such extras could include:
- Dansteph's Orbiter Sound (if people wish to have sound)
- simcosmos FX Pack (not yet released, but the idea is to move sounds into a kind of external library, instead of including them within each of my addons... this makes the addons much smaller in file size and centralizes those resources).
- Integrations with addons from other authors (yes, francisdrake is at the top of the list): the scenarios and eventual other files will be inside the core SC addon but the user will need to download the external addon or else there will surely exist a CTD when playing such scenarios!
- A variety of other addons may also be suggested to improve aspects of the simulation but they will not be really required to enjoy the core package (example: specific MFDs, Dansteph's UUMU + Computerex's UUMUFA, etc).
----------------------------------------------------
IV. Extra Notes / Thread Updates
----------------------------------------------------
This section of the post is where I may call the attention for:
IV.a) Important topics within the thread:
Note: in order to provide a better context to some of the topics that I have been writing about (and that will still write) as well to allow for a better context of this addon's conceptual brainstorms, I highly recommend, to everyone interested, an attentive reading to the two following pdfs. These are just a couple of many available documents out there but they should give a good summary of Constellation Program and its requirements impact, for example, on HLV design assumptions (this will be good for when I share my custom AresV concept).
Executive Summary of AresV:
Lunar Capabilities Concept Review Through Phase A-Cycle 3
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20110008314.pdf
Ares V Utilization in Support of a Human Mission to Mars
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20100042324.pdf
IV.b) Or suggest the main topic of an upcoming development post
:hello: Next main development post may be about:
- Sharing preview (context + image) about Orion-Centaur (Lower Bookend Missions)
- Custom Launchpads
IV.c) Or will be the place where will link the addon, when uploaded at OHM.
(not yet released)
Thanks,
António Maia
End of original message:
For now, will just attach a first preview, showing a render of a number of different solid booster options required by some of 'simcosmos' toys (from right to left: the 2nd and 3rd ones are the baseline for the CxP SC addon)
(NASA CxP SC)
----------------------------------------------------
I. Objectives
----------------------------------------------------
To provide orbinauts with a 'standalone' and coherently integrated addon about NASA's canceled Constellation Program (CxP).
I'm aware that several addons already do exist about the topic. However, each addon has its own specificities that makes it different and special, depending of the simulation and implementation objectives of each author. From my perspective, extra toys are never enough!
----------------------------------------------------
II. Introduction:
----------------------------------------------------
With this addon I then wish to clean up the years old dust from a few toys of my 'simcosmos' archives and (finally!) share them with the community. These toys will be powered by Vinka's multistage2.dll and spacecraft dlls, which are more than enough for the current simulation goals (on Orbiter2010 P1).
In order to differentiate this implementation from other works, I will focus / extrapolate from less known design iterations of Constellation hardware. At first, the attention will be directed to the lunar return effort. Other uses of Constellation hardware may also be considered *after* the lunar variants are published although I do not plan to overly extend the development on such direction because that will be an objective for another set of simulation files (NASA VSE SC alternative reality, whenever I release those!).
Back to CxP elements: the Ares I / Orion elements are the ones for which more mature data is available. The AresV / Altair were still in a much more highly conceptual phase and, because of that, I will provide one of many possible paths that could have been chosen for their development.
The simulation will also try to follow a set of ground rules in what regards the implementation of performances and mission design: I find that this kind of procedure – even if the simulation is based on generic dlls - helps to improve the realism of the implementation although it may pose some challenges for less experienced orbinauts. In any case, if needing extra margin, a part of such rules may be 'bypassed' by the final user, for example, simulation of boil-off or some mission margins are optional (!) and then there is always the possibility for each one to tweak the simulation by playing with the configuration files (and I can also help by later implementing a more capable variant of the baseline files)...
As usual, this will be an 'what if' exercise: extra details (and previews) will hopefully be provided on this thread.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
III. A word on Addon Requirements / Integrations
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
As noted, the goal is to make it a download-unzip-play addon. Any other thing that may be needed will be an extra, a nice-to-have component which will not be required for the core addon to work.
Such extras could include:
- Dansteph's Orbiter Sound (if people wish to have sound)
- simcosmos FX Pack (not yet released, but the idea is to move sounds into a kind of external library, instead of including them within each of my addons... this makes the addons much smaller in file size and centralizes those resources).
- Integrations with addons from other authors (yes, francisdrake is at the top of the list): the scenarios and eventual other files will be inside the core SC addon but the user will need to download the external addon or else there will surely exist a CTD when playing such scenarios!
- A variety of other addons may also be suggested to improve aspects of the simulation but they will not be really required to enjoy the core package (example: specific MFDs, Dansteph's UUMU + Computerex's UUMUFA, etc).
----------------------------------------------------
IV. Extra Notes / Thread Updates
----------------------------------------------------
This section of the post is where I may call the attention for:
IV.a) Important topics within the thread:
Note: in order to provide a better context to some of the topics that I have been writing about (and that will still write) as well to allow for a better context of this addon's conceptual brainstorms, I highly recommend, to everyone interested, an attentive reading to the two following pdfs. These are just a couple of many available documents out there but they should give a good summary of Constellation Program and its requirements impact, for example, on HLV design assumptions (this will be good for when I share my custom AresV concept).
Executive Summary of AresV:
Lunar Capabilities Concept Review Through Phase A-Cycle 3
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20110008314.pdf
Ares V Utilization in Support of a Human Mission to Mars
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20100042324.pdf
IV.b) Or suggest the main topic of an upcoming development post
:hello: Next main development post may be about:
- Sharing preview (context + image) about Orion-Centaur (Lower Bookend Missions)
- Custom Launchpads
IV.c) Or will be the place where will link the addon, when uploaded at OHM.
(not yet released)
Thanks,
António Maia
End of original message:
For now, will just attach a first preview, showing a render of a number of different solid booster options required by some of 'simcosmos' toys (from right to left: the 2nd and 3rd ones are the baseline for the CxP SC addon)
Attachments
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