!! Read Until the End !!

Real Life Craft Info:

On Oct. 21, 1961 at Point Arguello, MIDAS-4 was launched by an Atlas Agena B (Atlas 105D, Agena 1202) in a polar orbit, also launching the first of the West-Ford Dispensers, with the infamous needles. At T+186 seconds, the Atlas lost roll control due to the retrorocket package heat shields, exposing the gyro package to aero heating. This placed it into an incorrect trajectory. This caused the Agena to exhaust its attitude control gas to compensate. By the time it finished its first orbit, there's no gas left. It did detect a Titan I launch before a solar array failed on the 4th orbit, with all electrical equipment shutting down at the 56th orbit. The West Ford Experiment wasn't successful, as the needles didn't sufficiently disperse.

After the program gets temporarily suspended for 6 months, on April 9, 1962, in the same launch site, MIDAS-5 was launched by an Atlas Agena B (Atlas 110D, Agena 1203) to a polar orbit. The Atlas autopilot generated an insufficient pitch and roll program, resulting in excessive altitude and insufficient velocity, preventing the normal guidance system cutoff commands from being sent, so SECO was caused by propellant depletion while a backup command from the programmer performed VECO and Agena separation. It did reach orbit, but an improper one from what was planned. Everything was going great, until the 6th orbit, when a massive electrical failure occurred, and all control of the spacecraft was lost.

Activation Groups and Inputs:

Atlas-Agena:

AG1: Launch Support Bays

• Simply the clamshell bays on the skirt that close after liftoff for it to become more aerodynamic

AG2: Booster Engines

• Starts the booster engines and its exhaust duct (this action only works once and once you try to turn it on again it won't work even when on)

AG3: Launch Supports

• Executes a code to activate the stage that releases the rocket from the pad, and also lifts up the launch supports in the process

AG4: Sustainer Engine

• Starts the sustainer engine (this action only works once and once you try to turn it on again it won't work even when on)

AG5: Jettison Half Stage

• Executes a code to separate the half stage from the Atlas, and also create a tumbling effect for the stage

AG7: Launch Sequence

• Prompts you to either launch with the launch profile of MIDAS-4 (value of 4), MIDAS-5 (value of 5), or a normal launch profile with no error recreation (value of 1).
• Executes the program that would take it to an orbit that's, with its capabilities, the closest to the real mission orbit. Follows launch sequence as close as it can to the real mission

AG9: Solar Panels

• Extends the Solar Panels automatically. (Only works once, the panels will not retract)

AG10: RCS

• Enables Agena RCS

AG11: Bell 8081

• Enables the engine of the Agena, its gimbal, as well as its exhaust duct (this action only works twice and once you try to turn it on again after the 2nd ignition, it won't work even when on)

AG12: Ullage Motors Set 1

• Starts up the 1st pair of Ullage motors to give a bit of a push to the Agena to start the Bell 8081 engine for the first time
• Executes a code where after they ignite, the Bell 8081 will automatically ignite
(this action only works once and once you try to turn it on again it won't work even when on)

AG13: Ullage Motors Set 2

• Starts up the 2nd pair of Ullage motors to give a bit of a push to the Agena to restart the Bell 8081 engine
• Executes a code where it turns off AG11, then after they ignite, the Bell 8081 will automatically reignite, by turning on AG11 again, then after this, the engine will exhaust all starts it can do
(this action only works once and once you try to turn it on again it won't work even when on)

AG15: Dump Fuel

• Dumps the fuel instantly (when set to 100% throttle)
• Recommended after last Bell 8081 start, since all of the fuel isn't usable anymore

AG16: Dump Monopropellant

• Dumps monopropellant instantly
• Turned on by program to simulate Agena running out of attitude control gas

AG17: cryogenic ice

• Extends "cryogenic ice" (aesthetics only) out to surround the Atlas LOX tanks, and while the launch is happening, gradually retracts the "cryogenic ice" based on the fuel level of the Atlas until Agena separation

West Ford Dispenser:

AG8: Spin Canister

• Spins the Canister before deployment

AG14: Deploy West Ford

• Separates the Canister from the dispenser

Pad:

AG6: Launch Clearing Arms

• Operates the Ground Supports from the Pad

• Slider 1: Ground Atlas Supports
• Slider 2: Strongback Tower and Umbilicals

Notes:

• The difference for both MIDAS-4 and MIDAS-5 in this craft is only the Atlas Serial Number, afaik (the "105D", "110D"), so when you wanna replicate the launch of MIDAS-4 or MIDAS-5, just change one of these to match the opposite side's correct mission serial number.


(105D is for MIDAS-4, 110D is for MIDAS-5)
(For design realism purposes)

• To switch to the West Ford Dispenser to deploy the canister, tap this part. That's the command pod for the dispenser.

• Of Course I didn't make the canister have every needle on it! It'll cause monstrous amount of lag + Kessler Syndrome!

• If you wanna launch it your own way, you can launch it manually.

• The Sustainer Engine, and the Booster Engines only ignite once to better match the real thing. The Bell 8081 only ignites twice for the same reason.

• The small difference of radius between the bottom of the Agena interstage and the top of the Atlas's LOX tank is intentional.

• The "cryogenic ice" on the Atlas actually works and is based on its fuel level. Basically like actual rocket cryogenic ice

• Photos may not show the current version of this craft, which is the version in this post

• Sadly, this craft is Not Compatible with RSS...
(I may try in the future but this isn't a guarantee)

• Some things may not be right, like stats, even positions of structures, because these may be impossible to recreate without changing another factor, or altering things to be worse.

• There's sort of a small quirk/bug happening where due to possibly the cryogenic ice design thing (I have forgotten the confirmed reason, due to how long it has been (like months, sorry everyone!) since i last touched this craft) the whole sky flickers foggy at a certain altitude (like about 5 km AGL), then quickly disappears, guaranteed to disappear after like 6 km AGL. This may just be a small negligible issue for you but if you need to film the craft launching, you'll have to find that angle.

Enjoy the Craft!

Made by a Filipino