Project OrbWorld v2020 - an Orbiter Total Immersion Addon Pack and Environment

[Belisarius]

ORBWORLD v2020.01 - Orbiter World of 2020

Orbiter Evolving Environment
Maximum Scenario Realism based on realistic 2020s tech
High-End and Low-End Versions Available​

[[developer blogspXXXXXXXX (coming soon)]]
[wikiXXXXX (coming soon)]]

OrbWorld2020 Vimeo channel
https://vimeo.com/channels/177205
(OrbWorld2020 promovid soon!)

OrbWorldOverview

1. What is OrbWorld?
It's a scenario environment and Canon of 'Future Space History' or sci-fi story for Orbiter, based on a config file called Sol_OrbWorld that evolves over time, initially from 2020 to 2040 in a series of 12 Scenario Packs 'OrbiterWorld of 2020'.

Evolution. At the beginning – January 1, 2020 – there are no bases on the Moon or Mars.

At given dates, base sites appear on these 'planets' to represent phases of settlement. An example: the first moonbase, Brighton Beach_1, is set up by international agency ISC in 2023 and is no more than an inflatable module and a small solar array. Over the next few years it evolves with landing pads and more modules. Soon it begins to resemble our familiar Brighton – early pads and blocks evolve towards the eventual default base plan for Brighton towards 2039.

A Chinese base at Armstrong and an STN base at ___ appear in the late 20s and early 30s. They will become the default addon Armstrong and ____ bases in a later 2050s version, with Chinese and STN identities.
A second ISC base at Niven Crater is planned during the 30s but budgetary constraints and the outbreak of nanoflu force international agencies to postpone Niven-MoonII Project until the 2040s.

Addons.
[EDIT] Addon Status Clarification - All OrbWorld approved addons will be in the form of OHM or other third-party download links and the user will follow instructions made by OrbWorld install docs. In some cases the user will be instructed to take out some config and/or texture.dds files and then save them in a backup file in order to then mod them with the OrbWorld install and so include 'skins' and custom base placement. But the user will also have clear instructions in the same docs on how to restore the default addon if desired. At no time will original addon files and meshes be altered or redistributed without the addon author's express permission. All addon authors will be contacted if their work needs reskinning for OrbWorld .dds to check whether that's OK with them. I take it that a little light config editing for dock placement and so on doesn't need permission. Please tell me if I'm wrong. [ENDEDIT]

OrbWorld rigorously selects addons to use based on tested quality and usability – this concept is extended to choosing options for users of low-end and high-end PCs for such basic elements as the ISS. This means OrbWorld Scenario Packs will include, for example, ISS options for both the max realism/high-end donamy ISSR and the vanilla low-end Project_Alpha ISS.

Addon download instructions for OrbWorld users will reflect this Hi-End/Lo-End distinction always, and will be based around OrbWorld install recommendations for high-end and low-end textures, meshes and base surface tiles.

Realism-Usability Balance. It is based on the priorities of maximum realism compatible with playability. That means we will try to recreate near-future tech faithfully, but if no addon exists to show, for example, a 2025 model Indian SRA Manned Capsule, we will throw in a substitute or retexture a known element. The very first scenario, '2020 Last Flight of Soyuz' reflects this: the user can choose the highly-detailed but anachronistic Soyuz 7K or the authentic but more basic Well-NoMatter SoyuzTMA. As the Soyuz will be replaced after this scenario, it has no long-term effects whichever option the user chooses (or both).

Options for 'Non-Canonical Test Development'. All addons and proposed addons are first tested on Sol_OrbWorld_DEV, a simple universe with only the Earth, Moon and Mars present in the system. This config and scenario packs based on them represent 'in-universe simulations' run as tests and training, and will not be the Canon, which are events that happen 'historically' in the OrbWorld universe. Addons are tested there and then passed on to Canonical 'OrbWorld 2020' Scenarios if 'approved' by the 'agencies'. Many more speculative ideas will be present in these packs.

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2. What's the backstory?
[Skip if you're not interested in politics]

The scenarios are based on my future projections that existing space agencies – NASA, Roscosmos, CNSA (China), etc – evolve as three political blocs develop in the 2020 decade. This means three space power blocs emerge and shift during the 2020s:

I. The International Space Commission, or ISC (from 2020) combining NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA etc. This is essentially the group of agencies that runs the ISS presently. They form a federation called ISC over the issue of what to do with the successor to the ISS as it nears the end of its life. They make plans for a new series of projects to be made jointly – the Carl Sagan Space Center at Banaba as main ISC launch center and HQ (KSC, VAFB and Kourou are simultaneously downgraded); the IOS (successor to the ISS); a new heavy launcher.

Their main contractors: in 2020 SpaceX, Boeing-LM, ArianeEspace.
Later Altea Aerospace, Themis WooSpace and KulchSpace (fictional agencies, real addon authors).

II. The Chinese National Space Agency, or CNSA. This is as it is today, based entirely on MajorTom and donamy's addons to create the JSLC launch site, the Long March launcher and the Shenzhou orbiter, as well as my mini-addon simulating the Tiangong 3 (new version soon).

In these scenarios China goes a long way towards achieving its present goals in the 20s: an Orbital base similar to early Mir, a first base on the moon at Armstrong Crater, a heavy launcher development of the Long March. Early spaceplane drop-tests based on a late-2020s mod of the stock DeltaGlider are planned.

III. The Southern Tier Nations Space Agency or STN, and known as "Stan" representing African, South American and South Asian nations. It is first set up in 2022 with Chinese assistance but soon 'rebels' against China and aligns more towards Russia, as Roscosmos withdraws gradually from the ISC and tries to take control of the STN.

Roscosmos deserves special mention. In line with the politics of the Russian Federation in the 2020s, Russia drifts further from the Western Bloc represented by the ISC and seeks to take control of the Southern Tier Nations in Africa, Latin America, South Asia and the Pacific.
This creates the 'Orbital Cold War' from 2025 to 2027, a series of military/aerospace crises between the ISC, the CNSA and the Roscosmos-STN groups set against the growing militarization of LEO. Later they resolve their differences and agree on a joint Global Mars Mission (based mostly on the MarsForLess addon.)

Also many Private Space Groups achieve great power and influence in this decade. Apart from the existing SpaceX, Bigelow Aerospace, VirginGalactic, and so on, Orbiter addon developers will feature as big-time private aerospace entrepreneurs in this OrbWorld total mod universe. Which brings us to...

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3. OrbiterCommunity. It is proposed that members of the Orbiter community, especially addon developers, take on roles within the OrbWorld universe. I would propose, for example, that JacquesMomo, papyref, jekka, well and nomatter, and others in the Francophone community become the in-universe ESA administrators. Or that 4throck be Brazilian Space Agency administrator, MajorTom head of the JSLC center, etc. Obviously this is just my proposal, anyone would be free to accept or decline suggestions with no questions asked, no offense meant.

Anyone could be proposed or accepted for any role, is my idea. Addon authors who are busy or uninterested could be considered 'honorary presidents'. So, again just as an example, DougB is busy making his wonderful things, so he's our OrbWorld Honorary as someone else runs Altea as in-universe CEO. I would like to consider documents and videos, or fan fiction and so on, generated within this total mod OrbWorld to be a legitimate and serious exercise in future history projection authored by us all. But fun and playable too.

Their proposal, acceptance or not, and so on should be seen as a fun aspect of the game, not something ultra serious. Just a way to give life an immersion to it. Introducing key addon developers to Noobs is a key aspect too.

The OrbWorld universe should be ruled by a committee or something. I'm not aiming to be a dictator of this total mod, but rather another user. Maybe a Dragon-Rider NASA astronaut on a DeltaIV in 2026, hooking up with my ESA lunar lander to go for my first lunar transfer.

--=--​

4. What is Sol_OrbWorld config file?
All Orbiter scenarios are defined by their lines ENVIRONMENT:System and Date, and System is in turn is defined by a config file called Sol.txt in the default orbiter install and Sol_OrbWorld.txt in this version. The user can easily define this system file and dependent ones for great effect.

One of the most interesting defining parameters is PERIOD in the BASE_SURFBASES list, which are in the config files for planets within the system config.

These very simply state which surface bases are present in any moment within that Sol_xxx config system file and its dependent planet configs. So you could have a surface base consisting of a crash site appear in-universe for a day or a week and then disappear – all without changing your basic Sol_xxx config files. You could also extend the concept to having events appear in-universe at particular times – an addon representing a volcano with volcanic eruption, for example, could be configured to appear as a surface base at a particular time for a scenario event like 'Rescue at Io base'.

See the quote at the bottom of this post from Martin Schweiger explaining how it works. \/ Easy but powerful.

Developer note: I don't know if AMSO uses it, but my inspiration is wehaveaproblem's Wideawake - surely a candidate for inclusion here in the 2040s boom times - which had a config that did this, changing Ascension RAF Base into Wideawake Space Center over time in one Sol_config. Brilliant.

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5. What is the thinking here?
Playability, Usability, Realism, Evolution, Seamless Integration of addons.

Model/Inspiration – Above all Sputnik's World of 2001, though with enhanced addon modelling standards in textures and meshes. With Wo2001 I'm thinking particularly of the immersive environment and the integration of existing addons as was done with the Discovery model. And also of course AMSO but that is thinking very big and ambitious, needing people with addon talents out of my league.

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6. What level of Orbiter user is it aimed at?
First OrbWorld Scenario Packs are for the experienced user who knows how to do tricky Orbiter tasks like forced re-entry and landing and run addons tidily.

Other OrbWorld Lite Scenario Packs will be focussed on Noobs and will be based on easier scenario tasks and training programmes within the base OrbWorld 2020 version. They will have few very simple addons compatible with the full OrbWorld universe. These OrbWorldLite packs for Noobs will represent test flights/simulations from KSC, Baikonur, Kourou and Vandenberg.

Vandenberg and the DeltaIV/SLC pack seems like a good start for rockets, and Project Jason seems a good start for spaceplanes. The Well-Nomatter Soyuz and Soyuz TMA pack seem appropriate also, especially if we want to introduce the Noob to multistage2 config and guidance modding. Cizurator's Gorizont for the Soyuz replacement, etc.

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7. How much downloading do I need to do?
Initially, lots and lots, about 15 at present to get started. Later just one or two addons per Scenario Pack.

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8. More Details

In early draft docs attached below. \/

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ALL
COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS WELCOME​

Here on this thread

To me personally: [email protected]
Cheers to all (Alan_M) 'Belisarius'

NOTE ON PROPOSED AND IDEAL CANDIDATE MOON (2023) AND MARS (2029) MISSION PROFILES:
ISC PROFILES - I have already constructed an April-March 2023 "60K Moon expedition" profile (EARTH RDZ MODE) with a Proteus Tug Train (MFL addon - 2 units) chugging a Francophone (Momo?) LTV-ESA Phoenix lunar lander for TLI.

In test runs, the two Proteus do it exactly, with a two Earth orbit-swing TLI burn and a LI burn done to the second. This leaves ESA-Phoenix with 100% tanks for descent and return. The Lander takes off and does a direct return to Earth for aerobrake and dock at ISS/successor, in the style of Andy44's 'Cislunar ferry'. It worked very well, even with a quick modded aerobrake on the roof dock of the Phoenix. So I'm a supporter of MFL to Mars in 2029 as an extension of that Brighton Beach Lunar Mission profile bin 2023.
More on that tomorrow or over the weekend...

But I'm just a voice among many. "Chuck it in the OrbWorld_DEV universe" and see how it works.

Candidate Mars Mission Profiles within OrbWorld 2020 will be very happily considered with realistic late 2020s tech, target date 2029, mission nationality profile - all.

QUOTE FROM THE MASTER SCHWEIGER
Orbiter Config Folder Manual, by Martin Schweiger, Page 13-14

Selective loading of bases
To provide more control over the loading of surface bases in for a given simulation scenario, two conditional flags can be set with a DIR entry in the base list: Specify a time interval with the PERIOD parameter. The corresponding directory will only be scanned if the scenario start date is inside this interval. This allows to replace surface bases only at specific time periods, for example to set up the Kennedy Space Center for the Apollo lunar missions.
Syntax: DIR <folder> PERIOD <mjd0> <mjd1>
where <mjd0> and <mjd1> are the start and end dates of the period over which the base folder will be scanned, in MJD (Modified Julian Date) format. Either can be set to „-„ to disable the limit at one end. Specify a scenario context with the CONTEXT parameters. The corresponding directory will only be scanned if the scenario specifies the same context string in its
environment context entry (see Section 3). This allows to add or replace surface bases only within a defined set of scenarios.
Syntax: DIR <folder> CONTEXT <string>
where <string> is the context string to be matched against the scenario context.

The PERIOD and CONTEXT parameters can be used simultaneously. In that case the directory will only be scanned if both conditions are satisfied.

Examples:
BEGIN_SURFBASE
DIR Earth\1969Base PERIOD 40222 42048
DIR Earth\TempBases CONTEXT RichScenery
DIR Earth\OtherBases PERIOD – 40000 CONTEXT EarlyBases
DIR Earth\Base
END_SURFBASE

Note that the list order is important to allow the custom base definitions to replace standard bases.​

Pending materials:
=*=Provisional timeline - the key document that requires realism about technologies in 2020-2030 and beyond. Would love a lot of informed input here.

===Draft Projects for Moonbases for Brighton and Armstrong/China (Xùxù Base). Provisional date in timeline - 2023
- Project 60K in April for ISC/Brighton
- Project China/Xùxù ('Prelude') in August.
Expansion phases in 2024 and 2026. By 2030 outlines of familiar Brighton seen. Chinese Xùxù graduated from Dan's Prelude mesh with my custom China Skin to something like basic SHADO/UFO base?

=Justification for Brighton-Armstrong near-equatorial locations - He3 on lunar equatorial belt. Water and solar energy from poles can be cheaply gathered from expeditions for ice by solar robots and solar arrays at key Max-Sunlight polar locations and microwave surface relays. I just read a recent NASA discussion paper called "Toward a strategy for choosing permanent moon base sites" to that effect. [Reference from memory, reference pending tomorrow]

=== Project for early Olympus Marsbase Expedition - based around scenario changes and tweaks to MFL 1.5 addon as my prime candidate, though Mars94 and DRM are also strong candidates.
(Strong) provisional date 2029, launch for Hohman window that year.

ATTACHMENTS:
Fictional ISC Press release 2020
Provisional draft list of addon requirements

 

[Donamy]

I think it's a great concept, with growth potential.

 

[Belisarius]

Thanks donamy, in relation to that - what do you think would be a realistic date for the testing of Jason ALT, and the flight service of Jason LEO as an ISS crew craft?

I love your Jason LEO scenario and have adapted it to a later date of 2022, feeling your 2018 date is optimistic. For me the timeline is all important and I'd like to have a Jason Lunar version introduced for the Great 60K Moon Expedition of April-March 2023.

So it goes -

JASON ALT TESTS - 2018
JASON STS FLIGHT TEST - 2019
JASON STS SERVICE - late 2019
JASON LUNAR - adapted and tested in 2021-2022

Possible or much too optimistic?

Would also love to have your input on how Tiangong 2 and 3 modules will look and how they become the Chinese Big Station, timeline-wise.

TG2 - 2013
Improved Long March - 2014
TG3 - 2015
Improved Shenzhou - 2015
Assemble station from TG3 and new modules - 2018 onwards

PS - First doc package here \/ and in above link.

 

[Donamy]

I suppose the timeline would all depend on funding.

 

[Belisarius]

Best case funding? If the Jason Project were proposed by NASA and approved by US with priority funding in 2015?

The history of the Shuttle development in 1975-1980 gives us about 5 years development time as a precedent... Which suggests 2020 is about right for Jason ALT and a year later for the LEO flight article.

Tiangong has absolute top priority in funding in China - I think the Chinese published schedules are probably about right.

 

[N_Molson]

I think you have to make a choice between lunar bases and another shuttle-like program. Running both seems a bit too much. And sending a winged body like the Jason to the Moon still makes little sense to me.

Also, I'm not convinced by the idea of downgrading all spaceports for one little island (and if it was submerged by a tsunami, or made inoperable because of a catastrophic failure ?). Russia would in any case keep something in their territory. Leaving Baikonur is OK, as it is now in Khazakstan, but don't forget Plestesk which is excellent for launching (spy) satellites in polar orbits. Vostochny Cosmodrome is the most probable replacement for Baikonur. Same for the USA : I don't see them leaving KSC (there is a huge lot of infrastructure and economical background there) and even less Vandenberg (a military and strategic site). And Wallops Island has also potential - it depends what you want to launch there and where, it's a matter of inclination. And Europe needs Kourou, it's a premium launch site, almost equatorial. They could even build bigger launchpads there and lend them to nations that want to send payloads in equatorial orbit, while participating to international projects providing station/ships modules and satellites/exploration probes.

Now I don't want to discourage anyone, just my two cents, given the international situation we have nowadays :2cents:

 

[Belisarius]

Good afternoon, Mr Molson,

Your comments are not discouraging at all, that's precisely the kind of realism I want to see from other Orbusers.

These points are all extremely well made :thumbup: and I'll get to them in just a moment...


But first, a very nice EXTRA GOODIES PACK

This one will appeal to everyone who's interested in realism in the near future regardless of whether they like my mod proposal.

Attachments below post \/
1 COMPLETE NASA ASTRONAUT ROSTER 2013 - of astronauts under 40 today so they will be max 47 years old in 2020. With Ummu specifications of speciality.
Of course there will be at least one other Class of new astronauts before 2020. Expect 50/50 male-female and more scientists particularly exogeologists.

2 DRAFT CNSA CHINESE ASTRONAUT ROSTER 2013 - The same but incomplete. Because of incomplete sources in English (even Astronautix is incomplete here) and my ignorance of Chinese names, I can't determine age or even gender of the latest group of 2010.
Help wanted from those who know the Chinese program well. Who's a boy and who's a girl? How old are they? Have any dropped out or been replaced?

Also correction: The Chinese space agency is the CNSA not CSA which is Canada. DOH :facepalm:. Texts corrected.

____________________

Now, NM's very good points and my thoughts in Q and A style:

1 Q I think you have to make a choice between lunar bases and another shuttle-like program. Running both seems a bit too much.
A Very true. But OrbWorld 2020 presupposes quite an optimistic picture of space exploration investment and progress. Not crazy, like DGIVs in 2025, but realistic best-case. With all nations recovering economically (we hope!) and space seen as the last frontier militarily as well as technologically I see this as not unrealistic. I hope others would agree. So Jason or Dreamchaser AND DragonRider for NASA seem possible, as well as ISS-2 ("IOS" in OrbWorld) collaboratively with other ISS-nations and they could build Banaba International Spaceport too by 2022.

ISC - We're in space together. Together everything's possible. ​

2 Q Sending a winged body like the Jason to the Moon still makes little sense to me.
A It has the same rationale as the DG or DGIV to the Moon which are very common scenarios. Recent tests of Francophone ESA-Lunar Phoenix with aerobrake on top and andy-44's aerobrake lunar shuttle convince me that if aerobrake works economically, why not a winged shuttle?

It's a good objection but we all do it in Orbiter... I wouldn't like to lose the "Spaceplane to the Moon" feel of Orbiter. It's a "Wow" moment for new users, at least it was for me... Jason might be a Noob/Development option better than a realistic option in Canon Sol_OrbWorld. This is another excellent point for the imaginary ISC Central Committee.

3 Q I'm not convinced by the idea of downgrading all spaceports for one little island (and if it was submerged by a tsunami, or made inoperable because of a catastrophic failure ?).
A 3. Re Banaba-CSSC (ISC), the island spaceport. Very good points indeed. I hadn't considered that at all... One for the imaginary ISC architects and planners.

Q 4 Russia would in any case keep something in their territory. Leaving Baikonur is OK, as it is now in Khazakstan, but don't forget Plestesk which is excellent for launching (spy) satellites in polar orbits. Vostochny Cosmodrome is the most probable replacement for Baikonur.
Q 5 Same for the USA: I don't see them leaving KSC (there is a huge lot of infrastructure and economical background there) and even less Vandenberg (a military and strategic site). And Wallops Island has also potential - it depends what you want to launch there and where, it's a matter of inclination.
Q 6 And Europe needs Kourou, it's a premium launch site, almost equatorial. They could even build bigger launchpads there and lend them to nations that want to send payloads in equatorial orbit, while participating to international projects providing station/ships modules and satellites/exploration probes.

A 4., 5. and 6 - All very true. In haste I didn't explain the "downgrade" of KSC-VAFB and Kourou which in post-2022 Banaba-CSSC is not supposed to be as dramatic as I suggested in my text above;
and I forgot to mention Wallops, Plesetsk, Vostochny completely.​

Your points are really very well made and any other feedback you have will be incorporated into draft versions of this mod.

Thanks again for the input. Keep 'em coming, Orbiters!

 

[NukeET]

@ Belisarius:

The realism issue concerning the political history/construction evolution of Niven bothers me. I don't see STN or Roscosmos ever wanting to use the names I've already given to the addon.

What I've imagined (long before your project) is more along the lines of NASA/ISC starting Niven on Farside as a radio telescope facility, with Private Space Groups eventually taking over the base as it now stands it its finished form.

Just my $0.02 worth.

:tiphat:

 

[Belisarius]

Thanks a lot for that clarification. Your intended purpose for Niven base is now noted and will be reviewed in upcoming drafts in line with a ISC second lunar base profile for the 2030s or 40s.

Other candidates will be sought for my Developing Countries' STN base - most likely Dan's Prelude II base, as it's simple and cheap - I imagine it as a clever composite material foam thing. It is already the model for early Chinese Base Xùxù and since STN is a China offshoot or spinoff it's logical that they would use Chinese gear (Prelude).

My intended foundation date for Niven would be 2045 more or less (just a fragmentary build with crater and some early buildings at first), reaching your finished addon stage around 2060. What about that timeline?

 

[N_Molson]

Also, I think that "ISS" is rather a good, straight to the facts acronym for an International Space Station. A replacement could be named "ISS phase 2" or something like that ? There is also the possiblility that, rather than de-orbiting the whole ISS, the most recent modules could be retrieved by a space tug and used as parts for the new station. Ideally, the ISS should never cease to exist and would be replaced part by part, with always a crew inside. So you could use existing assets like robotic arms etc... Inclination could be changed over a long time using ionic or VASMIR thrusters.

 

[Belisarius]

Yes that's logical. But what if... Russia decided it was better to sell their modules to private investors and move them by upper stage tug to the buyer's destination. Say a new Orbital Hotel Complex based on some newer Russian units?

Have a great weekend. I'm going to let off fireworks and eat some snacks.

 

[Spacethingy]

Also, I think that "ISS" is rather a good, straight to the facts acronym for an International Space Station. A replacement could be named "ISS phase 2" or something like that ? There is also the possiblility that, rather than de-orbiting the whole ISS, the most recent modules could be retrieved by a space tug and used as parts for the new station. Ideally, the ISS should never cease to exist and would be replaced part by part, with always a crew inside. So you could use existing assets like robotic arms etc... Inclination could be changed over a long time using ionic or VASMIR thrusters.

I always imagined that the ISS would be integrated into a much larger new ISS, kind of almost like a history/gallery section - like a modern factory may have a small museum for visitors.

 

[Belisarius]

The End of the ISS and What Happens Next

Existing studies on the ultimate fate of the ISS show that the owners - principally US and Russia - don't really want to reach a decision. They'll keep postponing until it's almost too late - another 5 years at least. Then they'll make some very urgent choices. So everything depends on what the funding situation looks like in 2018.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Space_Station#End_of_mission

There are some tricky choices here -
* What comes next? -
The US proposal called Exploration Gateway is a poor substitute for ISS:

They call the core block Zvezda2 but don't specify a new unit so the implication is that they will be using the 1998 existing Zvezda98as core for the 2020 prospective station!
No museum here, the old stuff is made to work way beyond its design life.

The Russian proposal called OPSEK is much more ambitious

* Save the reusable parts or not?
No agreement here. Russia wants to recover their modules while the US apparently wants to deorbit the whole lot - showing that the US Exploration Gateway is a bluff by NASA to cover the fact that the present US administration wants to back out of manned space exploration completely.

In OrbWorld2020 this whole negative situation changes around 2018. With a sustained global economic recovery from 2016 onwards - (probably the wildest speculation made so far) - the participant nations in the ISS are ready to get serious. They decide that an integrated approach where launch site, launcher and orbital station serve as foundation for later programs is the best way, so they approve 3 programs

1) A new international launch site CSSC-Banaba.
2) A new heavy launcher program - ISC-GEN2020
3) A new Station called the International Orbiting Station - *not* ISS-2 because of the embarrassment to these nations of the chaotic last years of the ISS; they want a new start, a new program, a new name.

[Discuss: THEORY OF IOS PROJECT]
This will be a low-INC station, to serve as a base for lunar development. Hence the equatorial base.
Proposed EqINC of IOS - 5 or 6º, alt 450km. Later programs include an ISC spaceplane design and a lunar lander in which ESA-LTV Phoenix by JacquesMomo seems to be the best candidate.
General strategy here is
EQUATORIAL LAUNCH BASE => LOW-INC MOON FERRY STATION
=> MOON BASE PROGRAM => MARS PROGRAM

See the logic? Anyone agree?

==================

DELTA IV (Harrington) + JasonLEO spaceplane TESTS

Donamy's JasonLEO is a great design and despite originating in a stupid movie called "Star Fury", it is actually a very realistic STS Shuttle replacement candidate for NASA. But NASA would never pay for the custom launcher that Donamy created. If it's going to be funded, it will have to work with existing launch systems.

As part of OrbWorld2020 NASA's attempt to prove that Jason is a viable spaceplane design for 2020, they have set up a series of trials with the Delta IV launcher.
[EDIT: 23 June. NOTE: These scenarios superceded by OrbWorld_DEVPACK test scenarios. See OHM Release.]
These scenarios will work if you have JasonLEO by donamy and DeltaIV by TomHarrington.
No interstage yet. Payload weight set at 60 tons, a bit lighter than a fully tanked JasonLEO in spacecraft config.
ISS target at 34.7 INC Eq (the DeltaIV autopilot uses EQ frame) DESCENDING NODE
Or just use the "select element" at the bottom and select ISS - the autopilot will choose launch heading automatically. Launch window about 2-3 minutes - I haven't checked with Launch MFD exactly, the test here is about raising Jason to LEO. Fine tuning later
TEST 1 - DeltaIV vanilla (TomH version). Result - Didn't get to LEO which is to be expected as Jason at 60t is 3 times heavier than DeltaIV vanilla's LEO payload. But the launch mechanics are good. Z offset should be 6. The interstage will be tricky to put in. Oh, and of course a CTD as I jettisoned. This is the usual VELCRO-SC3 nightmare. Will have to create vessel config for JasonLEO.

TEST 2 -This time we go to the other end of the DeltaIV power spectrum, a DeltaIV Heavy Plus with 4 extra boosters. I've created a vessels config for JasonLEO pointing to Spacecraft3 JasonLEO. If that doesn't work we'll try to imitate donamy's original velcro-dummy workaround for his Jason launcher. RESULT - Mixed success and failure. The jettison was OK, Jason came off with full tanks and controllable. But by this time we were crashing into the Southern Atlantic. LEO was a failure, Jason was overweight.

According to a 2004 NASA study(link below), this configuration of DIVHeavy + 6 GEMs has an LEO payload capacity of 45 tons. That's 15t short of Jason's 60t weight. But the new RS68A engine to be installed on new DeltaIVs gives a 13% increase in performance. Getting us to around 50 tons. So it's possible that an upgraded DeltaIV-RS68A with 6 Gems could nearly launch Jason to LEO. If Jason were trimmed, it might fly...

That's all from the ProjectJason-DeltaIV program for today. We haven't given up!
LINK: 2004 NASA study about upgrading DeltaIV to allow Orion and/or other manned vehicles of 50+ tons. [LINK]
http://www.ulalaunch.com/site/docs/publications/DeltaIVLaunchVehicle%20GrowthOptionstoSupportNASA'sSpaceExplorationVision.pdf

 

[N_Molson]

Also remember that an equatorial inclination is not absolutely necessary for lunar missions : the off-plane transfer is always an option. After all, the Soviets planned their lunar program from Baikonur, and the N1 was even a bit less powerful than the Saturn-V. Their hardware was much lighter, of course, but...

If the world economy is in such a good shape that costly programs can be run at the same time, it should not matter to add a few boosters to rockets (let's assume that Russia have their Angara "EELV" ready for 2018)

Also, don't neglect the US EELVs like the Delta IV (there is an excellent addon). And if Europe goes for an heavy Ariane 6 (IRL, this is going to be a light-medium launcher), USA can go for SLS and Russia for an Energia resurrection (those can be useful to haul lunar base/station modules and are valuable assets for deep-space exploration).

 

[Belisarius]

NM, you're reading my mind, my friend!

Let's leave aside the equatorial inclination base - that's a very interesting argument which is mostly about economics (cost of constructing a base at Banaba + transport of materials there vs cost of launching heavier launchers from high-inc).

The very interesting thing you said is about Angara and Delta IV.

In OrbWorld we will assume that Angara 5 is ready for 2018, with launches at Pletesk, Kourou-ELS and maybe Vostochny.

Re Heavy Launchers - in 2020 the Ariane 6, Falcon X and XX, Prometheus-LV as well as Ares5-Legacy will be candidates for the ISC-HLV (GEN 2020) program.

Any other suggested launchers out there for 2020?

Meanwhile (2016-2020) we are really going for the Jason + Delta IV launcher combination as chosen STS replacement program. The Delta IV addon by Tom Harrington is just superb. I think it's an upgraded VELCRO launcher or derived from VELCRO, but it works beautifully. Easy to attach payloads with a native payload manager and you can change config of the launcher really easily. The autopilot is a dream for noobs. So I'm testing the combo right now. See what you think...

 

[NukeET]

My intended foundation date for Niven would be 2045 more or less (just a fragmentary build with crater and some early buildings at first), reaching your finished addon stage around 2060. What about that timeline?

I think the timeline is about right.

 

[Donamy]

I believe alot of the funding, is being used by a secret program (Black Dart) which is a stealth spaceplane.

 

[Belisarius]

Yeah, the military aspect of stealth spaceplanes and other X-20 type scenarios is something we want to cover 2025-2027. We'll look into Black Dart and other black programs in a few weeks...

OK, the first ORBWORLD DEVPACK is nearly ready with extensive flight testing of Jason vs Dreamchaser at KSC in December 2019.

Jason will be tested in a slightly modded form (renamed config as 'JasonLEO_OW', leaving default donamy JasonLEO untouched), without antenna/solar array and with weight cut down to 48tons. A DLL version of the sameJasonLEO_OW will be provided to test Ummu capabilities.

Is it OK to post-mod the configs this way Donamy?

This will be posted shortly at OHM, pending further tests on fresh install and donamy's OK.

Watch this space...

 

[Donamy]

No problem.

 

[Belisarius]

RELEASE: OrbWorld_DEV PACK 1

Available at

[ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=6176"]orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=6176[/ame]

The official release name of this pack is
1. OrbWorld_DEV Scenario Pack v2020_0.1 NASA(i)

Upcoming Releases to build OrbWorld_DEV in 6 more packs until we get to a full OrbWorld_2020 install in a couple of weeks...

2. OrbWorld_DEV v2020_0.2 ROSCOSMOS
– SurfBase: Baikonur (addons); Pletesk (addon)
– Craft: Angara LV; Gorizont

3. OrbWorld_DEV v2020_0.3 ESA-KOUROU
– SurfBase: Kourou-SLC and -ELS (addons);
– Craft: Ariane 5; Ariane 6; B52-Catamaran; ATV-2; CTV; Mizar-Alcor; LTV Phoenix

4. OrbWorld_DEV v2020_0.4 NASA(ii)
– SurfBase: EAFB, VAFB, Wallops, Mojave [Optional:
– Spacecraft: Jason-ALT, WhiteKnight2/SpaceShip2, Prometheus

5. OrbWorld_DEV v2020_0.5 CHINA/JAPAN
– SurfBase: JSLC, BrianJ JAXA missions Kagoshima
– Spacecraft: Shenzou, Tiangong 1, Tiangong 2, Tiangong 3 (*OrbWorld addon), Tsien Chinese Station (*OrbWorld addon or MIR substitute)

6. OrbWorld_DEV v2020_0.6 RestOfWorld
– SurfBase: Alcantara, Shriharikota, Woomera,...(Wideawake, Wake, Howard, Baker...?)
– Spacecraft: Themis Launchers, UCGO,

7. OrbWorld_DEV v2020_0.7 Moon
– SurfBase: Niven; Brighton Beach tileset; Brighton Beach scenery; Armstrong
(for scenery tilesets and crater meshes, navbeacons and dummy landing pads)
– Craft: PreludeII Chinese Base (*OrbWorld addon); X-Prize Landers

7. OrbWorld_DEV v2020_Mars and Phobos
– SurfBase: Olympus Mons, Olympus tileset, Vallis Dao, Isisdis Highlands,...
– Craft: MFL1.6, Mars94, DRM (to assess Mars project options later)

=====

So we can see a fairly ambitious project ahead...

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
To donamy for encouragement and help; to N_Molson for bringing great realism to the project vision; to NukeET for adding Niven to the mix on his own terms - which is what we want addon developers to do. Thanks also to spacethingy for the "museum" idea... worth considering as space tourism grows in the 2020s.

Thanks also to Mireia, Patrick and Kira for tolerating the disappearance of Hubby\Dad into an Orbiter trance...

FLIGHT TESTERS
Please load up with whatever MFDs you need. Launch MFD, Aerobrake, your choice of IMFD or TransX, Rendezvous, Attitude or whatever.

1) Primary goal is to prove to the President that NASA can launch a spaceplane sytem cheaply in the 2020s using existing and prospective launchers.
2) Secondly to recommend either DreamChaser or JasonLEO as that NASA SpaceBird2020 candidate for development.
3) Thirdly to recommend base sites needed in typical emergencies, in the same way as STS had emergency landing sites. (But not so many! This is a leaner more cost-conscious NASA). I like Woomera as a start.

UAP - One additional goal is to generate UAP scripts to introduce noob users to the tremendous power of UAP autopilot programing.
If you are familiar with UAP, please submit scripts or include them in submitted scenarios.

Submit scenarios as Code Pastes within your posts here on this thread, or as doc attachments. That way we can all have a look at them and learn from other tests.

Looking forward to many years in OrbWorld!!!!

Cheers

I'm off to do this /\ for real now. Happy St John's Night!


Here's to more later.
[EDIT - Here's the more later, 24 June. RELEASE UPDATE: The first OHM release had some minor bugs in the configs. Plus the organisation of scenarios was confusing. The Velcro Atlas 5555 model just didn't work at all and was cut. The Extra Jason package as generated by sc3 to dll converter isn't necessary and was cut. The OHM description draft had got into the docs and was cut. I think that's all.
New OHM package works OK on a clean install for me... SCREENSHOT with notes -

URGENT: Around 45 users downloaded this release on Sunday 23 June. Please update by downloading the new release. *As a precaution for a clean update, you might want to delete the scenario folder 0rbWorld and appropriate config files before reinstall: Sol_OrbWorld_DEV, Earth_OW_DEV, Moon_OW_DEV. And config folders: Moon/Base_01_Sites , Moon/Base_2020_1 and Earth/Base_01_Start and Base_02_2023]

To those users - thanks for your interest in OrbWorld. Sorry for the buggy bits, but it's maybe ineviable in a beta-build.
Anyone who's used it care to comment?

FINAL UPDATE 24 June
ATTACHMENT \/ - My 1-page summary of NASA manned vehicle development today 2013. My bet is that DragonRider makes it, with DreamChaser as runner-up. Boeing-CST100 is a bust... in my opinion.

Cheers