May this be my presentation as well as an introduction to what I got in mind.
I love exploring and learning from new addons, but I've got to the point where I've mastered Orbiter well enough to find it difficult to find new challenges and I'm ready to create the kind of things that I'd like to see in Orbiter.
My first project is going to be "Drone Pilot", an autopilot module for boosters meant to fly back to a safe land after its "staging" task is done.
In the "World of 2001" there are those boosters wich half way into LEO would separate and return back to earth, I never managed to redezvous in time to switch to the booster and land it.. And that bothered me!
More recently the great "Burchismo" addon for the SwiftSS has another booster right in the equator and a number of bases downrange to service the landing needs of those "drones" meant to be unmanned.
And that seemed to me like a challenge I wanted to meet so my autopilot module is planned in 4 phases with the goals to be able to do:
1) Take-off, turn to a selected launch heading, climb and cruise at the altitude and speed required for the second stage. After separation select the most convenient field downrange and find it, plan an optimum descent, align with the active runway, perform and ILS approach and land to a full stop.
2) On a second phase I plan to take care of the second stage from the time it separates to LEO insertion, rendezvous and station keeping with a selected ship or station in orbit
3) When all that is worked out make it smart enough to adapt to any ship, CVEL, SSTO, you name it.
4) Finally make it realistic by building an operational "Launch Control" for this autopilot is not meant to be used by astronauts.. My idea is to automate the remote control of the launchers and build a control center where the parameters can be set and the actual performance be monitored.
In my view there should be a number of giant screens (Live Maps, Instrument Monitoring, Tower and Inflight cameras etc..) and a number of consoles where the parameters of the launch (perhaps several of them at once) are selected.
As of now I'm working in the math required to make it all happen.. And believe me: It's a lot of math.
Once I'm sure I can backup every situation with enough formulas to ensure all the information required is available I'll begin putting code togheter. I have it pretty much advanced.. I'm now running scenarios in my head with pen, paper and calculator.
As the title suggest any thoughts and ideas are welcome.
BTW: Thanks Martin.. For this wonderful present you gave us.
I love exploring and learning from new addons, but I've got to the point where I've mastered Orbiter well enough to find it difficult to find new challenges and I'm ready to create the kind of things that I'd like to see in Orbiter.
My first project is going to be "Drone Pilot", an autopilot module for boosters meant to fly back to a safe land after its "staging" task is done.
In the "World of 2001" there are those boosters wich half way into LEO would separate and return back to earth, I never managed to redezvous in time to switch to the booster and land it.. And that bothered me!
More recently the great "Burchismo" addon for the SwiftSS has another booster right in the equator and a number of bases downrange to service the landing needs of those "drones" meant to be unmanned.
And that seemed to me like a challenge I wanted to meet so my autopilot module is planned in 4 phases with the goals to be able to do:
1) Take-off, turn to a selected launch heading, climb and cruise at the altitude and speed required for the second stage. After separation select the most convenient field downrange and find it, plan an optimum descent, align with the active runway, perform and ILS approach and land to a full stop.
2) On a second phase I plan to take care of the second stage from the time it separates to LEO insertion, rendezvous and station keeping with a selected ship or station in orbit
3) When all that is worked out make it smart enough to adapt to any ship, CVEL, SSTO, you name it.
4) Finally make it realistic by building an operational "Launch Control" for this autopilot is not meant to be used by astronauts.. My idea is to automate the remote control of the launchers and build a control center where the parameters can be set and the actual performance be monitored.
In my view there should be a number of giant screens (Live Maps, Instrument Monitoring, Tower and Inflight cameras etc..) and a number of consoles where the parameters of the launch (perhaps several of them at once) are selected.
As of now I'm working in the math required to make it all happen.. And believe me: It's a lot of math.
Once I'm sure I can backup every situation with enough formulas to ensure all the information required is available I'll begin putting code togheter. I have it pretty much advanced.. I'm now running scenarios in my head with pen, paper and calculator.
As the title suggest any thoughts and ideas are welcome.
BTW: Thanks Martin.. For this wonderful present you gave us.
, specially if he wants to develop an add-on :lol:.
