Project H-10-K Enterprises Gateway Station

[Capt_hensley]

Yes, It's what we can do today.

Trans Hab once proven, will most likely be the first civilian/commercial station for tourism, it will most likely be built like a tree in space. For now, space stations like Gateway have a specific purpose for multinational efforts to get to Mars and beyond.

Tourists and vactioners have no/little business aboard a research station, that serves as a construction depot for interplanitary travel. Sorry but for the next decade or so that's just how it is. Nasa, Russia, Italy, Japan, and India have expressed only minor interest in a flexible skined module, it would seem that rigid is the best solution for now.

Besides, on a personal note. I can only draw simple objects in 3DS Max for now, but I plan on changing that in the very near future. I'll be taking a class in Independance Mo that will teach me more than just how to draw cubes, and spheres.

Thanks for asking, and keep those questions comming.

 

[Capt_hensley]

Gateway Module update

This is one of the simplest modules on Gateway, It's one of 8 of the GNC Modules
14.7' Diameter
11' Long(including CBMs) or 8' tube when using 4' panels
I took a slight liberty with the hand rails, the cross section is streight from NASA, but I simplified the mounting brackets, and added a Tether Point ring made from a torus. No Fasteners, I'm trying to keep the poly counts down, but I am using 36 segment tubes, and caps, 12 segment tubes look like 12 segment tubes, but 36 segment tubes look like smooth tubes.
The CBM in this render is a place holder, made by Thorton in ISS 3.0.7, I'll be removing the CBMs from the modules that are birthed, and making a new CBM from this model, probably simplified just slightly, for the exposed CBMs on the Fuel, TCS, and Docking Nodes

Comments welcome and please.

 

[Capt_hensley]

Gateway Station Update

PDGF
Reproduced the PDGF today, I'm getting better but still a long way off. This turned out about 85% accurate, took the specs from a NASA Tech drawing and the attached source image, courtesy of NASA

Comments are always welcome.

 

[Capt_hensley]

As I move along with mesh and texture development, a thought occurred to me, Is it best to develop this add-on as a pre-orbiting station, and work backwards to launching and assembling the individual pieces?

If so only 8 ports on the station need be dock-able in the beta release right? The for compass points" Fwd, Aft, Left and Right, and the zenith node: Left, Right, Zenith and Nadir.

Part 2.
I think of the capabilities of this station and wonder just how complicated the programming of the features are going to be:

Each antenna complex would be able to acquire an azimuth for a given comm site or satellite.

4 Trusses will use animated objects
1 multi-segment arm, on each (the 100' arm has 8 segments)
1-2 Robonaut 2's on each MBS(yet to be developed in any fashion)
1 MBS on each
1 Telescoping light pole with camera on each
1 Dexter on each

2 maintenance bays will have
Doors to open and close
Arms to grapple and pull in/push out items

I imagine that this operation will be similar to the space shuttle bays.
Any thoughts on this?

At some point I will need to know how to address the storage points, on the ESPs, so we can park and retrieve external spares.(UCGO)

and we will want EVA capability with the Airlocks, so hatches will need animation and be UMMU capable right? I've redesigned the airlocks to have more internal volume, so getting 3-4 suited astronauts inside should not be a problem.

How does the EMU packs work? Is there a add-on for that?

The HST adapter is articulated and has a rotatable base that can point the HST to a given space-ward azimuth.

Comments please!

 

[Wishbone]

Structurally, I would not want my telescope to be parked at a vibrating space station. Just my 2 kopecks, of course.

 

[Capt_hensley]

Isolation units keep the vibration from transmitting into the HST, but when you recycle something, you will get a lower grade product.

You're right some vibration will inevitably get through. Any suggestions, tech wise, to minimize further the effect of the vibration, would be welcome.
I've looked into more passive means to cooling the station, after all space is -250 degrees, why not use the natural cooling provided by the vacuum.

The gas compressors, even though they don't run all day, would create a significant vibration, no matter how well you balance them. All I can think of is a new and improved inertial dampener.

More comments please! and Thank you.

 

[Wishbone]

Flying the telescope in formation and refuelling it, perhaps? Same for other sensitive instruments, instead of lots of docks and vibration isolation systems for each, only one or two refuelling ports can be provided.

 

[Capt_hensley]

Well I had the inevitable fate in mind, In the real world HST would be abandon to a de-orbit maneuver, never to take another photo again.

The problem is simple, NASA says, we can't risk the missions to fuel, and service the HST, it just costs too much for the ROI.

My solution was simple in nature, go get it and mount it to station. You get two major ROI points from this, You never have to refuel it again, it never needs to go "Unmaintained" ever again.

Bonus points come from the station giving it power, so the drag from the solar arrays goes away when you remove them. It would have an umbilical to the station, data loss from antenna alignment, and communication interruption is never a problem, The umbilical supplies power to the HST, you never have to replace the battery. The HST adapter does all the alignment, you never have to refuel the control thrusters again. You have a GEO orbit that will never loose contact with the ground com station.

There may be more I had not thought of yet, but I wanted to address the NASA official "No we can't" arguments. So do you tether the HST with a telescoping tent pole, and service it form orbit, but let it keep doing all as designed? I don't know, but you bring great points to the table.

Keep working those angles, this is great stuff.

 

[Wishbone]

If you tie the HST with a few umbilicals and a tether, vibration issues are resolved, and there is no question to "go fish it out" in the sky. The real problem as far as I have read is you don't need optical space telescopes any more, Chile can house better resolution scope complexes. For this hypothetical station though, a tethered solution is VERY VERY attractive.

 

[Capt_hensley]

Now that class is finished I should have more time to work on the meshes, Unfortunatly work is ramping up, so I'll have less time during the day to work on the meshes. Looks like progress will be slower than I like, but I will manage to squeez it in somehow. I always do. Stand by for more

 

[Capt_hensley]

Posted this in another thread, but it should go here as well to keep the history up to date.

I've had a setback in available time, my boss thinks after 4 years of goofing off at work, doing colledge home work, and building my space station, that maybe I need to actually earn my paycheck. I'm still working on textures and meshes, I got a response back from the instructor at MCD. They want $3500.00 USD for a 2 day custom class. NO WAY!, I don't have that kind of money. I need to learn how to use the 3DS Max program via tutorials, so it will take some time to figure out the complex shapes. Meanwhile I'll be working on the easy ones untill I get better.

 

[Capt_hensley]

I passed my class with an A-, and I've been working on my plastic models, Nearly finished is the Ariane 5 1/96th scale, and mostly assembled is the 1/144 Saturn 5. I had forgotten how relaxing building a model can be.

---------- Post added 05-18-11 at 01:07 PM ---------- Previous post was 05-17-11 at 01:27 PM ----------

Well, and unexpected opertunity popped up, I'm going TDY for a month, I might get some work done, maybe even get caught up, I should be back online next week about this time. I'm looking forward to it, and the extra cash from the trip.

 

[Capt_hensley]

I'm now at Ft Bragg, but I only brought a less than ready Laptop, still struggling with OS installation, Server 2003 needs drives, but Toshiba stopped support for Svr 2003, and the vista/win7 driver packs don't recognize the svr 2003 OS. Got a line on XP-SP3, should be up and running within a couple days.

 

[Capt_hensley]

Well my personal laptop is showing its age. It's low ram, and 128 mgb video card wont even open 3DS max properly. Gotta work on CS4 to see if it will function. the good news is my work laptop is a great I7 Dell. It works fine. Any real work is accomplished on it, so although it may be slow, I can still work. More to come...

 

[Capt_hensley]

Well this trip has proven to be completely unproductive, I don't think I'll get anything done. I return home on the 21st, maybe at some point after that things will come together.

 

[Capt_hensley]

Gateway Station Update

Well I've been able to commit some more work on the textures.
1. Cygnus from Orbital Sciences
2. Cygnus (My version)
3. Guidance Navigation & Control Module (GNC)

I'm not too pleased with the way the rivet patterns don't line up properly with the hand rails, but the rest of the module came out great. The CBM was a royal pain to replicate from scratch. It took a long time to recreate each of the greebles like the locking shafts and such.

I updated my Cygnus with just three solar panels (detail needed, next iteration of the texture will be much closer) and re-coated the gold area with a gold foil texture. I need to shrink the main engine to better match the source image. But it turned out nice in the end. I know the bodies don't match but this is where the real deal will look different from the concept. Even the mock-up didn't match the concept.

Cygnus source image from the Orbital website.
http://www.orbital.com/CargoResupplyServices/ImagesMultimedia/PrinterFriendly.shtml

 

[Capt_hensley]

Gateway Update CRV

I bought the Turbosquid X-38. It was a bare bones ship only mesh. It has a fair skin, but I needed a CRV skin, not the Nasa livery for the 80% version. So after some surfing I found what I was looking for. But I also noticed I needed the Prop stage. More surfing, and I found some decent images, and a PDF with some decent views.

I also noticed it was all made for shuttle deployment, Gateway will only see 4 shuttle missions, I need 8 CRVs on station. I scrapped the whole idea of making a precise copy. I replicated alot of the same design but subtracted the shuttle pallet mourings.

I worked on the skin texture. The original was all one piece. I found I had to hack some wings together to get the tiles right on the interior and exterior. But this hack is very rank, and very amature, it's all I know how to do. The end result is a very not bad apperance, but a very not useable mesh for the game.

The mesh has been sized up for proper scale, and is no longer an X-38. I've been needing this for a very long time. The sketchup version couldn't hold a candel to it. Too bad I had to hack up the turbo squid version just to get this far.

Have a look, and venture a few comments.

 

[Capt_hensley]

Found this awsome LIDS/SCS graphic in a NASA PDF here, http://dockingstandard.nasa.gov/Meetings/TIM_(Nov-17-2010)/NDS_TIM_presentation.pdf

I'll be making a new texture from it for my stretched CDAs, 36-40" instead of 24" as NASA planned. I call mine a CBM-LIDS adapter but it's the same thing with an added PDGF and they are a little longer. The PDGFs are permanent and do not require removal. They will have an unlimited berthing cycle count, but will need periodic seal inspections, simalar to the tile inspections of the shuttle, and with the OBSS I'm placing on station.

I have 2 planned for Gateway, with a spare in storage on an ESP.

I still need a good head on shot of the CBM Active and Passive rings. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Capt_hensley]

GWS Update, CBM-LIDS

I've applied my texture to the plate of the LIDS, Still have to update the CBM side, and the Grapple Fixture, to my new style PDGF. I lengthend the cone to make the overall length about 40" Now I can accomodate a Pair of removable plate hatches, one for each end. Yes it would theorehticaly hold pressure on it's own, but without a environmental system it's just a fancy tunnel, not an independant module per-say.

Image 1, the CBM-LIDS adapter module WIP
Image 2, my AI version of the ring plate

see above image for the NASA original I based my ring on.

 

[Capt_hensley]

GWS Update, CBM-LIDS Adapter, PDGF

I'm satisfied this will be the finished product

CBM-LIDS (CDA) Adapter fwd and aft views
PDGF Orthographic views

(Warning extreme high poly count for such little items)

Enjoy, comments welcome