Request Near Earth Object Orion Mission

[NASA1994]

Are there any plans for the development of a Manned Near Earth Object (Asteriod) Orion Mission Addon!! I would really love to see that. If not then any advice on how to make one. Ive never created any addons so Im probably not your guy. But still any plans??? Heres some info I found online:

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2010/01/nasas-flexible-path-2025-human-mission-visit-asteroid/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constellation_program#Orion_asteroid_mission

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/analogs/desertrats/desert_rats_2011.html

http://ti.arc.nasa.gov/m/project/neo/pdf/IAC-07-slides.pdf

 

[T.Neo]

See here, complete with Micheal Bay inspired theme music:

Since Constellation doesn't exist anymore, the idea would presumably be to use Orion, SLS, and the exploration vehicle that looks like a Star Trek shuttlecraft.

We have an Orion addon, but I don't think we have a SEV or SLS addon... yet. I'm not sure if there are any released DIRECT addons, they could more or less approximate SLS (maybe- there are a lot of differences involved).

 

[PhantomCruiser]

I haven't tried it myself, but this [ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=3460"]MV Missions[/ame] could maybe be modified?

 

[T.Neo]

There seem to be two DIRECT addons:

[ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=2720"]NASA DIRECT SDLV v0.1[/ame] by simcosmos (seems to be a very early version however).

[ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=4476"]Jupiter Rockets (DIRECT)[/ame] - addon of DIRECT 3.0.

The major difference I see here is that DIRECT used an advanced upper stage with a very high mass ratio, where SLS supposedly uses the Ares V upper stage or something similar to it.

 

[dougkeenan]

There seem to be two DIRECT addons:

NASA DIRECT SDLV v0.1 by simcosmos (seems to be a very early version however).

Jupiter Rockets (DIRECT) - addon of DIRECT 3.0.

The major difference I see here is that DIRECT used an advanced upper stage with a very high mass ratio, where SLS supposedly uses the Ares V upper stage or something similar to it.

Not a lot advanced about 6xRL-10 on DIRECT's upper stage.

 

[T.Neo]

The engines aren't the advanced bit, the mass ratio is. The DIRECT upper stage had a very high mass ratio- I think it was supposed to use Centaur-inspired technologies.

Which led to this comment by Steve Cook:

"It’s just unrealistically light for what it has to do,”


“They’re apparently building it out of unobtainium. If you use realistic numbers, their lunar lander mass goes down by 50 percent.”

And then this comment by Bernard Kutter, manager of advanced programs at ULA;

“very reasonable. I’d even call it conservative.”

How embarassing. :facepalm:

 

[dougkeenan]

I haven't tried it myself, but this MV Missions could maybe be modified?

Regret to say I haven't tried that one either. Can anyone recommend this, or suggest other suitable target?

I threw a quick double J130-Orion mission together, launched together with quick rendezvous. This is in ISS plane but can be easily modified with commands to the AP. Now off to ... where?

 

[Wishbone]

What I'd do: search around OHM, there were a few belt asteroids, and use Arrowstar's TOpTool and d/l the kernel from NAIF to compute the plan. The new release of TOpTool rocks.