ALDEBARAN MARS EXPLORER
* ALDEBARAN v3.0 *
Aldebaran Mars Explorer is a small vessel for Mars exploration for up to 9 astronauts. It has a Vertical AND a Horizontal operating mode.
For using the Automated Landing Program, deorbit manually first and activate AG3 in approx. 20km altitude @ 500m/s . Aldebaran will then first decelerate vertically, than switch into horizontal mode and land.
It is even possible to fly into Mars orbit with the Aldebaran, but this has to be done in a very steep flightpath since the atmosphere is very dangerous for this vessel.
Activation Groups
1 : Docking / Fuel Cells / Solar Cells
2 : Hovering Mode
3 : Automated Landing Program (Vizzy)
4 : VTOL Front Engines
5 : Main Engines
6 : VTOL Rear Engines
7 : Lights EVA
8 : Lights Landing
9 : Flip Engines
10 : RCS
Sliders
Pitch : Flip Engines control
Slider 1 : VTOL Engines angle (-1: forward horiz. 0: vertical 1: backw. horiz.)
Slider 2 : Ascend Rate (-4...4m/s) @Hovering mode / Capsule hatch / landing stages
Slider 3 : Hovering Forward (-4...4m/s)
Slider 4 : Hovering Starboard (-4...4m/s)
Acknoledgements
@CanadaDuck for the wonderful Capsule Mark V :
Mark V cockpit from @CanadaDuck MarkV Cockpit
@HyperPatch for SolarSystem
The original one
Changelog
What is new in Version 3.0
- Aldebaran switched to MethaLOX allowing it to work on Mars
- Extended habitat allowing 7 crew now (+2 back seats outside)
- Some more details
- Plumes further improved
- Vizzy VTOL v1.9
What is new in Version 2.6.1
- PLUME !
- Cockpit Cam & refacturing
- Faster reacting Landing Program
-- initial simultaneous Pitch&Roll
-- slower descent - Some nice additional lights blingbling
- Vizzy VTOL v1.6.1
What is new in Version 2.5
- 8 additional small Hovering Support Engines
- New Hovering Mode (AG9)
- Vizzy VTOL v1.5
Version 2.5 deliveres now the missing Hovering Mode (AG9). With Slider3 and Slider4 you can hover forward/backward (Slider3) and to starboard/port (Slider4). Depending on the slider position you can hover with -4 m/s to +4m/s in every direction.
Version 2.4 with many improvements
- Mass Distribution optimized for Vertical AND Horizontal mode
- Landing Stages, light chains and such stuff
- Vizzy VTOL v1.4
GENERAL INFO
- Created On: Windows
- Game Version: 1.2.109.0
- Price: $48,937k
- Number of Parts: 931
- Dimensions: 20 m x 13 m x 9 m
PERFORMANCE
- Total Delta V: 116.5km/s
- Total Thrust: 3.2MN
- Engines: 32
- Wet Mass: 1.46E+5kg
- Dry Mass: 37,693kg
STAGES
| Stage | Engines | Delta V | Thrust | Burn | Mass |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 41.5km/s | 955kN | 17.8m | 1.46E+5kg |
| 2 | 4 | 38.8km/s | 1.6MN | 10.0m | 1.46E+5kg |
| 3 | 18 | 36.3km/s | 700kN | 21.3m | 1.46E+5kg |
8 Comments
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4,665 sacr3dbac0n04 months ago
I think you should increase the g-rating on this vehicle and a cargo variant would be cool too. I'm also wondering where your dV is coming from because the main factor is not the reduced dry mass of the fuel tank. If you increase the mass of the fuel and fuel tanks, the dV increases instead of decreasing. Anyway, I think you could reduce the operational complexity and maybe get the opportunity to increase dV even further if you remove the main engines. Probably not though, their mass is not even 0.5 ton for some reason. Also, a mechanically complex vehicle can be made easier to operate with software, and that is the main factor, but the baseline control system should be as simple as possible. I'm sure you already know that, and you've got the software down, so it's all good there. Reducing pilot inputs (thus workload) is key here. As another side note, was going to import this code to a new tilt-jet I'm working on, but I don't think its applicable because I use engine tilt and bank angle to get translation control in vertical mode.
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1,682 TomKerbal+1 7 months ago
@CanadaDucK Thank you :-) I was inspired by your great glass capsules as you can see. The pilot can now even see where he is flying to.
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1,682 TomKerbal7 months ago
@AK5Z Thank you so much :-)
I don't know what's with the deltaV... yes, I used tinkering, mainly for the fuel tank dry masses, but with this vessel you can have only a one way ticket from/to Mars orbit :-)
But yes, it's a lot of tinkering now. But I hope, that 50% fuel tank dry mass is not soooooo unrealistic :-D Perhaps some baloon tanks.
I tried without tinkering, but hopeless for Mars from the Aldebarans point of view. -
9,222 Hyperant7 months ago
bro the deltaV 😂😭
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nice ship, this is truly one of the best colonizer ship, will be interplanetary (JNO scale), packed with a lot of fuel, supplies, and crew, what are other limits? lovely ship Tom!
@sacr3dbac0n0 Thank you very much for your input I really appreciate it !
Yes, it is a funny and fine little vehicle, isn't it ?
I'll take a look at your interesting suggestions, and maybe I'll get more involved with Juno again. As I don't use tinkering on this vehicle and there are a lot of balancing issues, it's quite challenging and I always do automatically landing with Vizzy. I must finally try manual landing, that's fun too.
Merry Christmas !