OFMM General Discussions

[Alexw95]

A high Mars orbit would seem to be the best choice for a communications relay satellite. A higher altitude would seem to offer the best communications coverage and the shortest and least frequent communications blackout times between Mars and Earth.

are we using the DGIV sattelite for the coms?

 

[River Crab]

OMG, amazing! I actually remembered where I put the pamphlet for the Mars study, and it was actually there! I'm talking paper, people, PAPER! :woohoo:

It was by SICSA, Sasakawa International Centre for Space Architecture. Hold on, I'll scan some parts of it.
EDIT: nevermind i just missed 3 posts lol
EDIT EDIT: I think something besides the DGIV sat is in order, deploying it with UMMU seems like a hassle, plus it's not that tiny. I was thinking along the lines of a UCGO box shaped mini-sat.
As for the orbit, whatever you say.:thumbup:

 

[fireballs619]

WAIT! WAIT! I can salvage my rant! An Areostationary orbit is not the same as a Geostationary orbit, as it does not stay above a fixed point on the Martian surface!

EDIT:
I lied- Areosynchronous is different. Looks like my rant can't be salvaged.

 

[Bj]

What's the use of putting the satellite on the same line of sight to the base as the Earth?
A Molniya orbit or an areosyncronous one I agree with, but rather one that spends most of its orbit with a line of sight for both the base and Earth at the same time.
It's not like you can make radio transmissions any faster. The delay in communications is an insurmountable barrier.

Only limited to the speed of light :thumbup:

Generally, I think with the com sat ahead over the target site would be best because it will have 100% communications time with the ground and >90% time with Earth.

Alright last shot, included or not?

wow posts moving fast now...

 

[Bloodworth]

Would it be possible to do an EARTHstationary orbit around Mars? Having a pair of satellites set up so that at all times one of them is in communications between Earth and the base.

---------- Post added at 05:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:58 PM ----------

Only limited to the speed of light :thumbup:

Generally, I think with the com sat ahead over the target site would be best because it will have 100% communications time with the ground and >90% time with Earth.

Alright last shot, included or not?

Included.

 

[Izack]

I think it's worth including.

Quick people, only 23.45 hours left!

 

[River Crab]

OK, it's small so included i guess.
Gawd this thread is rolling, it feels familiar...not unlike an imageboard :shifty:

 

[Bj]

Included.

I think it's worth including.

are we using the DGIV sattelite for the coms?

Alright in the obvious support of the satellite, we will keep it. Question now becomes as Alex puts it, DGIV sattelite? or custom?

Keeping in mind the DGIV satellite doesn't have propulsion so it will need to be brought to orbit by skycrane or while on route...

Quick people, only 23.45 hours left!

hush you

:rofl:


Info:
I am going to move all com satellite related discussion to its own thread because we already filled what 2-3 pages already for it.

 

[Bloodworth]

If we can use the DGIV satellite then that is one less thing that our modelers need to create. It could conceivably be launched aboard a rocket into mars orbit beforehand.

 

[Izack]

The DG-IV sat isn't a communications satellite, it's a geological survey device.

@Bj: About moving to a new thread, once OFMM is up and flying, all of these development threads are going to be useless clutter. I think it's best to keep it to a minimum.

 

[River Crab]

If we can use the DGIV satellite then that is one less thing that our modelers need to create. It could conceivably be launched aboard a rocket into mars orbit beforehand.

I though we said no launches beforehand?

Bj please make that threEDIT Nevermind!

 

[Bj]

The DG-IV sat isn't a communications satellite, it's a geological survey device.

Is it? I thought it was com sat? It sure looks like it, and to be honest, isn't that good enough? :shrug:

 

[Izack]

Is it? I thought it was com sat? It sure looks like it, and to be honest, isn't that good enough? :shrug:

Well, yeah. Don't mind me.

Also, this thread is going FAST!! I can barely keep up!

 

[River Crab]

[ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=4240"]How's this?[/ame]
Less complicated, for one thing.

 

[Bloodworth]

Is it? I thought it was com sat? It sure looks like it, and to be honest, isn't that good enough? :shrug:

It is in my book. I've said since the beginning that we don't need to make everything from scratch

 

[Izack]

It is in my book. I've said since the beginning that we don't need to make everything from scratch

I withdraw my statement about the semantics of the DGIV sat. You're right, it's complicated enough. :tiphat:

Does anyone know how to integrate a DGIV payload into another vessel? If it's obscure, the Carina that Crab posted might be easier.

 

[Bj]

It is in my book. I've said since the beginning that we don't need to make everything from scratch

True there are plenty of available sats already up and going...

How's this?
Less complicated, for one thing.

Fine with me you guys pick which one you want.

Does anyone know how to integrate a DGIV payload into another vessel?

How about the small SVTU? Best way to transport units I think..

 

[River Crab]

I don't think there's an SDK for the female end of DGIV cargo. IDK.:idk:
That Carina acts the same as the default Carina with one attachment point, but adding a docking port isn't hard. Jus to put that out there.

---------- Post added at 23:31 ---------- Previous post was at 23:28 ----------

OH OH missed you there.
Well then, whaddaya say for a comms sat? TI Carina for me (if I count).

 

[Izack]

I'm in favour of Carina.

 

[fireballs619]

I'm leaning towards the Carina, because it seems the DGIV sat might have problems.