Hi all SSU team.
I'm going to PM you all soon with an update on ISSU, but I have had a few ideas for SSU, and I just wanted to post them here to see if they are possible, and whether you like them or not.
1.
(See picture 1) In this picture, you see the payload retention latches the shuttle uses on all flights. Note that on top of the payload retention latches, there is a "ring"
(See picture 2) In this picture, you see the shuttle payload bay is divided up into 13 bays, with 1 latch being able to occupy 1 bay. You can see the bays - they are separated by the lines that curve round the payload bay. You see the payload retention latches are the same width as 1 bay. You also see that there are 3 black "dots" on each bay. These are what the payload retention latches screw into.
(See picture 3) In this picture, you see the payload retention bars on the payloads themselves. These lock into the ring on top of the latches, and that is what holds the payload in the bay. There is one of these bars underneath the payload also.
(See picture 4) In this pic, you see there are different types of latches. This sort can be opened, so as payloads can be removed from the bay in flight . Others are fixed, and do not open (like in picture 1).
I'm sure you know all that, but for those that didn't, there it is.
Now, here's the part that relates to SSU:
Donamy has already designed these payload retention latches (called 124 bridgerail, in his STS-124 payloads pack). At the moment, they are separate vessels, but I think it would be cool if they could become part of SSU.
Here's an idea I had of how it could work.
In the scenario, you could add something like this:
PLDRTNLTCH1: 7S
PLDRTNLTCH = Payload Retention Latch
1 = which type, could be many (ones the are fixed or that open)
7 = which bay number (1-13)
S = Starboard or Port side of payload bay.
If you added locations correctly (so the centre screw-hole of each bay, and the the centre screw-hole of each latch line up), then when you type "10" the latch should line up with bay 10, etc. You could have as many latches as you needed in a scenario.
If you put 13 attachment points in the bay (attachment points being in the middle-centre of each bay, where the underneath payload retention bar on the payloads attaches to) then, providing you designed all the payloads to fit SSU correctly (like ISSU
), with the attachment point on the underneath retention bar itself, then you should just be able to attach the payloads to the shuttle using attachment points 1-13, and as long as the retention bars are designed to line up, they should line up perfectly with the latches.:speakcool:
Maybe you could even add something to the payload bay control panel to be able to release the latches & unlock the payload??
So just as an example, the scenario code for STS-126 could be:
(1= standard latch, 2= openable latch)
PLDRTNLTCH1: 13P
PLDRTNLTCH1: 13S
PLDRTNLTCH2: 12P
PLDRTNLTCH2: 12S
PLDRTNLTCH2: 8S
PLDRTNLTCH2: 8P
Then, the attachment point for the MPLM would be 0:10,Shuttle
Just an idea
This would help decrease the amount of vessels in a scenario, which is what I'm looking to do in ISSU. Also, these could then be used by any payload.
2.
It would be really cool if you guys could do an interior for the ODS, + animations to open top hatch. Now ISSU is back online, one of the first tasks I think, should be a PMA + interior, so that you guys can start working on the ODS docking ring stuff you need to do.
I really want SSU + ISSU now to be like "brother" projects.
As I say, I will PM you all when I have got some more setting-up work done to let you know what's going on.
Cheers,
-Pete