Space Shuttle Ultra 1.25 Revision B development

[SiameseCat]

I think most of the lights in ticket 17 are already implemented, except for the RMS light and the Docking Floodlight. I don't think there's any way to convert the power specs given in the ticket into the values used by Orbiter, but it should be possible to implement the beam angles values.

 

[DaveS]

I don't think there's any way to convert the power specs given in the ticket into the values used by Orbiter,

That's no problem. We'll just have to tune them until they appear like the real ones.

 

[Urwumpe]

That's no problem. We'll just have to tune them until they appear like the real ones.

Hard to do, since you would then have to define the conditions in which we use them for comparison.

 

[SiameseCat]

I'm working on the SLC-6 pad lights. Are there any photos showing the shuttle on the SLC-6 pad at night? The only ones I've been able to find are

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Enterprise_at_VAFB_SLC_6_-_DF-ST-86-12047.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe..._at_Vandenberg_AFB_SCL-6_-_DF-ST-99-04913.jpg

Also, is anyone working on ticket 7? It's been marked as Pending for a while now.

 

[DaveS]

I'm working on the SLC-6 pad lights. Are there any photos showing the shuttle on the SLC-6 pad at night? The only ones I've been able to find are

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Enterprise_at_VAFB_SLC_6_-_DF-ST-86-12047.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe..._at_Vandenberg_AFB_SCL-6_-_DF-ST-99-04913.jpg

Here's three other photos showing Enterprise at night:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/24122088/VAN-051-19850300-02_DoD-photo.JPEG
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/24122088/VAN-054-19850300-05_DoD-photo.JPEG
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/24122088/VAN-055-19850300-06_DoD-photo.JPEG

 

[DaveS]

Besides the agreed bug tickets there's one more high-priority feature addition that needs to be implemented to make the next public release more interesting for the general end user and that is a working de-orbit calculator for MM301/MM302. With that in place a full mission can be executed from liftoff to wheel stop bringing SSU essentially up to the same level of completeness as Shuttle Fleet.

 

[Urwumpe]

Besides the agreed bug tickets there's one more high-priority feature addition that needs to be implemented to make the next public release more interesting for the general end user and that is a working de-orbit calculator for MM301/MM302. With that in place a full mission can be executed from liftoff to wheel stop bringing SSU essentially up to the same level of completeness as Shuttle Fleet.

Do you have the math for that?

We could do that as initial step into a mission control simulation. Like, you press ALT + 1 and get the next realistic opportunity for a landing at KSC calculated and displayed.

How do the DirectX-clients like dialogs? if these are no problem, maybe we can add a small dialog that shows the DEL PAD.

 

[DaveS]

Do you have the math for that?

Sorry, no math.

How do the DirectX-clients like dialogs? if these are no problem, maybe we can add a small dialog that shows the DEL PAD.

As far as I know, there's no problems with dialogs in any of the external clients.

 

[Urwumpe]

Sorry, no math.

Well, I would need some reference material how NASA calculates the deorbit, ideally with Fortran code.

I doubt that the "entry interface + x" solution would be realistic enough for QA.

As far as I know, there's no problems with dialogs in any of the external clients.

Good, then this solution idea would be feasible.

 

[STS]

Will the deorbit be auto-calculated or preloaded or can it be calculated "on the fly" and performed with manual DV inputs?

I understood the real shuttle accepted both ways.

 

[Urwumpe]

Will the deorbit be auto-calculated or preloaded or can it be calculated "on the fly" and performed with manual DV inputs?

I understood the real shuttle accepted both ways.

Usually, the deorbit is planned on the ground and the burn data and procedures uplinked to the orbiter.

But you can also do a manual deorbit burn using PEG4, should communication with the ground be impossible.

Here you have an executive package for the crew of a Shuttle mission, send to them for flight day 10:

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/523818main_fd10_ep.pdf

On page 20, you have the status of the landing sites and the next opportunities for the primary landing sites (Edwards and White Sands Northrop Strip)

The two PLS lines contain the information you need for landing the shuttle there, should the communication with mission control fail.

For example:

EDW22 ORB157 – 9/21:28 SCT150 BKN250 7 240/18P27

As much as I understand, this data is punched into one of the laptops ("Deorbit Manager", PGSC) and this calculates the actual deorbit burn data from this.

TEST:

http://www.cantrip.org/leap/pocsmp.pdf.gz

 

[DaveS]

U
The two PLS lines contain the information you need for landing the shuttle there, should the communication with mission control fail.

For example:

EDW22 ORB157 – 9/21:28 SCT150 BKN250 7 240/18P27

As much as I understand, this data is punched into one of the laptops ("Deorbit Manager", PGSC) and this calculates the actual deorbit burn data from this.

TEST:

Actually that is the METAR data: [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/METAR"]METAR - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

 

[Urwumpe]

Actually that is the METAR data: METAR - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ah ok. Didn't recognize it as METAR string, but now that you say it, the SCT and BKN data makes sense. But then, only the SCT and BKN - and these are standard terms in aviations for cloud cover. The rest is non-standard.

 

[Kyle]

I'd hate to disrupt the train of thought going on here, but I'd like to say this for everyone: It appears that SSU 1.25 is almost ready for release, and I'd like to say you guys have done one hell of a job the last few years with coding, developing, and implementing the features of the space shuttle. I look forward to fly the fully completed SSU addon sometime soon.

 

[Interceptor]

I also agree with Kyle,thanks for all the hard work,and I am looking foward to the new version of SSU.

 

[DaveS]

A pair of previews of the new orbiter mesh. Still lacks a pair of correct OMS pods and the elevons/seal panels. Also on the development list is a new nose landing gear, the MLG is already done.

---------- Post added 08-04-13 at 03:11 PM ---------- Previous post was 08-03-13 at 04:17 PM ----------

I was just wondering if anyone actually wants the new orbiter mesh I have been working on. It seems the interest is pretty low, but maybe that's just me misgauging the interest.

Here's the list of changes/improvements as I remember them:

• Completely symmetrical around the real orbiter Y(side) axis
• Correct dimensions of all components
• Accurate locations of all components
• Aft engine compartment now supports removal of the OMS pods
• SSMEs oriented in the correct install NULL angles
• Various texture improvements

 

[Urwumpe]

I was just wondering if anyone actually wants the new orbiter mesh I have been working on. It seems the interest is pretty low, but maybe that's just me misgauging the interest.

I like the improvements, even if they are just small details. It would be shiny, if we could also remove the SSMEs... that is an operation that you see more often in the media than removing the OMS pods.

Also, another question from my side: Which other vehicle do we want to include in SSU in the next step? We now have the crawler, what about one of the aircrafts? Like the SCA, STA or a T-38? I think a T-38 would be the most versatile support vehicle there, the SCA the one with the biggest step towards turn-around operations.

 

[DaveS]

I like the improvements, even if they are just small details. It would be shiny, if we could also remove the SSMEs... that is an operation that you see more often in the media than removing the OMS pods.

That's easily done. They're already separate for the engine gimbal animations.

Also, another question from my side: Which other vehicle do we want to include in SSU in the next step? We now have the crawler, what about one of the aircrafts? Like the SCA, STA or a T-38? I think a T-38 would be the most versatile support vehicle there, the SCA the one with the biggest step towards turn-around operations.

I would vote, STA and SCA. The T-38 is really just used for crew transportation and flight proficiency training.

The STA is more used to shoot approaches at White Sands and KSC and Edwards as required.

 

[Cras]

]I was just wondering if anyone actually wants the new orbiter mesh I have been working on. It seems the interest is pretty low, but maybe that's just me misgauging the interest.

My 2 cents are that more realistic the better, and a realistic model is pretty important. Having flown Shuttle Fleet a great deal it is always a bit of a let down when looking at its horrible model, with things animating through hand rails, the payload bay doors clipping into the side of the orbiter or detaching, the gaps in the VC, the double visual thing that happens....

So I think it is awesome you are taking the effort to make the model for SSU to be as accurate as possible.

 

[Donamy]

Are the SSMEs going to finally stow on orbit ?