Project Energia 5V Heavy Launch Vehicle

[N_Molson]

Project status

Note :

Help more than welcome ! There's a lot to do, if you are willing to help look below and send me a PM. For modeling, use Blender 2.91 and Blake's Orbiter Mesh Tools.

Modeling :

• Stage 1 (Boosters) : in progress (66%)
• Stage 2 (Core) : in progress (66%)
• Stage 3 : in progress (66%)
• Stage 4 (KVRB) : in progress (66%)
• Stage 5 (MOB-DM) : in progress (66%)
• PTK spacecraft SM : in progress (66%)
• PTK spacecraft DM : in progress (33%)
• Interstages & MOB-DM adapter : in progress (66%)
• PTK Virtual Cockpit : 0%
• LES : draft
• Lander : 0%
• LEVA (suits + props) : 0%

Texturing :

- Still to be done

Coding :

• Stage 1 (Boosters) : in progress (60%)
• Stage 2 (Core) : in progress (60%)
• Stage 3 : in progress (30%)
• Stage 4 : stub (5%)
• Stage 5 : stub (5%)
• PTK spacecraft : stub (5%)
• Lander : 0%

Mission planning :

• Still to be done, 2 launches required for a whole lunar landing (LOR). The lander is sent in Lunar Orbit, and the PTK meets her there.
• Orbiter Scenarios (.scn) to plan and write.

Documentation :

• Still to be done, native English speaker/writer wanted.

Launch site :

- Need a "flat" Vostochny Cosmodrome with a launchpad, and some props around, hi-res tiles if available ?


ORIGINAL POST ---------------------------------------

I wanted to develop a lunar rocket, so here it is. Energia 5V is a Roskosmos/Energia project supposed to rival american SLS. It is quite unlikely it will ever fly in real life. But in Orbiter, everything is possible !

My main source of information will be Anatoly Zak's website, he made some good drawings :

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/energia5v.html

Another good cutaway I found on "The Space Review" :

Most of you know the so-called RD-171 "MV" engine, because its an updated version of the massive quad-chambers Kero/LOX RD-170 engine used for Energia/Buran boosters (Atlas V used RD-180, which is literally a RD-170 cut in half). Upper stages use LOX/LH2. Boosters and core stages share a common 4.1 meters diameter architecture.

The Energia 5 "VR" is supposed to be optimized for Earth Orbit operations. I guess I can implement that one too, should not be much more work.

Right now, I'm not sure about the PTK (spacecraft), it won't be my priority, I want to keep realistic objectives and finish the launcher first. If anyone is interested working on the PTK, you will be more than welcome ! If not, I'll see what I can do, as a full lunar mission is of course the ultimate goal.

 

[MaxBuzz]

allocated funding for the development of a super-heavy rocket but this information does not make sense since it is classified

 

[N_Molson]

First real challenge : setting up Visual Studio... I can see on the forums that this is far from trivial... I'll try my luck with VS2017. Wish me luck... Any help, hints welcome !

 

[Urwumpe]

First real challenge : setting up Visual Studio... I can see on the forums that this is far from trivial... I'll try my luck with VS2017. Wish me luck... Any help, hints welcome !

Hint: Don't make it more complex, than it really is. Actually, it is just about paths and libraries.

 

[N_Molson]

Found something interesting on DanSteph's forum :

http://orbiter.dansteph.com/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=62ccb5ad3933d0b2639d42fd51a0e0ab&topic=14528.0

It seems VS2017 is the best choice because it includes a WinXP compatibility mode (General->Platform toolset), a feature you don't have on VS2019. WinXP is still quite popular despite its age (wayyy lighter than say Win10).

 

[Urwumpe]

Found something interesting on DanSteph's forum :

http://orbiter.dansteph.com/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=62ccb5ad3933d0b2639d42fd51a0e0ab&topic=14528.0

It seems VS2017 is the best choice because it includes a WinXP compatibility mode (General->Platform toolset), a feature you don't have on VS2019.

No idea, why you should need it... Windows XP is historic and the basic toolset settings work fine for Orbiter. I use VS2019 here and have no issues, even when using Ninja and CMake for building the Orbiter modules.

 

[N_Molson]

Well reply #10 someone says "2019 ? I use that for my ISS addon" and DanSteph replies on reply #13 "toolset V142 won't run on XP". Anyways I had VS2017 installed so I'll stick with it, I'm on a shared DSL connection.

 

[Urwumpe]

Well reply #10 someone says "2019 ? I use that for my ISS addon" and DanSteph replies on reply #13 "toolset V142 won't run on XP". Anyways I had VS2017 installed so I'll stick with it, I'm on a shared DSL connection.

Well, as said before, don't overcomplicate things. You need x86 support enabled for building 32-bit applications and use the Orbiter libraries. That is all that is really important.

Windows XP support is neither for compiling something, nor for running the add-on really a mandatory requirement. We are about to enter 2021, how many people really still use Windows XP? Its out of support by Microsoft for 6 years now. In 2019, only about 2% reported to be still running Windows XP.

 

[Spaceuser]

Good luck

 

[N_Molson]

OK so if anyone gets the C2440 error, you have to add

/Zc:strictStrings-

in Properties->C++->Command line

as stated there https://www.orbiter-forum.com/threads/define-orbiter_module-c2440-error.35836/

 

[N_Molson]

And this is it ! it works ! Tomorrow I'll be able to start the real work ! ?

So my advice : don't try to modify the samples that come with the SDK because I think they are meant for O2010 and the links won't work. I lost 3 hours today trying to do that and banging my head on my desk. ?

Instead, start a new fresh project and follow that excellent tutorial from computerex, which is old but still works fine :

Be careful, when he enters the "ignore specific libraries" msvcirt.lib and msvcrt.lib he types a "," instead a ";". You have to enter a ";" else it doesn't work (might depend of your Windows regional setttings).

 

[N_Molson]

So the boosters model is well on the way along with a .dll, here I'm testing a single (untextured) booster over Vostotchny :



I'm happy enough with those RD-171 nozzles, I used a blueprint as a reference, the proportions should be right.

Oh and I really should change the date of that test scenario to 2025 or so !

 

[N_Molson]

First serious issue : I can't get docking ports to work properly on the ground, so I can't assemble my rocket... It can be done, stock Atlantis does it, but there is a trick and I don't get it. I'm trying to have 5 parallel stages (1 core, x4 boosters of same mass and dimensions).

I can do it in orbit...

 

[fort]

"We are about to enter 2021, how many people really still use Windows XP?"
"At least, one: me ( Founder, president, treasurer and member - sole member.... - of the XP Defense Committee ). But it's a SP3 !

 

[N_Molson]

OK I guess I'm going to try to reverse-engineer stock Atlantis code in my quest for The Holy (and well-kept) Secret of the Landed Docking. Probably going to take weeks.

 

[GLS]

OK I guess I'm going to try to reverse-engineer stock Atlantis code in my quest for The Holy (and well-kept) Secret of the Landed Docking. Probably going to take weeks.

I can start a scenario with 2 DGs on the ground and dock them, so I don't think there is a (big) secret to this.

 

[N_Molson]

'found a way, it was easier than expected.

I told the core booster to "create" the 4 boosters and dock immediately. For some reason, it works.

I can start a scenario with 2 DGs on the ground and dock them, so I don't think there is a (big) secret to this.

Well it is a bit confusing. Seems we can't define two vessels as docked in the Scenario parameters (it leads to instability), but we can do it inside the simulation (manually, or by asking a module to do so).

 

[GLS]

Well it is a bit confusing. Seems we can't define two vessels as docked in the Scenario parameters (it leads to instability), but we can do it inside the simulation (manually, or by asking a module to do so).

After docking I restarted the sim and the DGs were still docked...

 

[N_Molson]

Well, I have no idea what's going on. Also for some reason when using Scenario parameters I had 1 "docked" booster correctly in place, while the 3 others were laying on the ground (but still "registered" as docked). Maybe it works for 2 vessels, not for more.

 

[GLS]

Try not defining touchdown points for the boosters, only the core.