Silly question

[Chipstone306]

I know I shouild not ask this but due to my MANY errors in using the STS...and skipping off to nowhere..

Is there any current way that the STS could go to a lunar orbit?

 

[DaveS]

No.

 

[Chipstone306]

thanks....had to ask it must be my great piloting skills . I seem to do it about once a month:dry:

 

[Urwumpe]

You could get refueled 20 times or install a fuel tank into the payload bay and just need to refuel 18 times during the TLI maneuver. Short: No, it's practically impossible.

But the shuttle could launch a smaller manned capsule to lunar orbit. Could get a bit cramped when using a IUS stage, but with the never flown Centaur-G, you could get a larger capsule around the moon.

 

[DaveS]

But the shuttle could launch a smaller manned capsule to lunar orbit. Could get a bit cramped when using a IUS stage, but with the never flown Centaur-G, you could get a larger capsule around the moon.

Not that large! The Centaur G and it's bigger interplanetary brother G-Prime took up quite some space of the payload bay. Maybe you could fit an Apollo CM to end of the G-Prime, but that would been it.

 

[Urwumpe]

Not that large! The Centaur G and it's bigger interplanetary brother G-Prime took up quite some space of the payload bay. Maybe you could fit an Apollo CM to end of the G-Prime, but that would been it.

An apollo capsule is large!

A 4.5m scale Apollo capsule should fit into the payload bay with the centaur-G. Maybe there is even enough volume left for a tiny service module.

I am not sure you would need a G-Prime for a lunar orbit mission, a G would already come with a lot of impulse.

Didn't you once make a Centaur-G add-on? Just some tiny tweaks on the SSU to include the cradle, a quick and dirty conical mesh to simulate the capsule and we could test it.

 

[DaveS]

An apollo capsule is large!
Didn't you once make a Centaur-G add-on? Just some tiny tweaks on the SSU to include the cradle, a quick and dirty conical mesh to simulate the capsule and we could test it.

That was STS-107.

 

[Urwumpe]

That was STS-107.

Damn, I thought it was you.

Well, in that case, just quickly testing will take a few moments longer.

 

[cjp]

thanks....had to ask it must be my great piloting skills . I seem to do it about once a month:dry:

I am impressed . How do you do that? I know it can be done by setting the time acceleration too high, but that usually makes you end up somewhere between the planets (sometimes even worse).

For realistic flight, I think you shouldn't set time acceleration to more than 10x for atmospheric flight (launch, re-entry), or to more than 1000x for LEO.

 

[Chipstone306]

I am impressed . How do you do that? I know it can be done by setting the time acceleration too high, but that usually makes you end up somewhere between the planets (sometimes even worse).

For realistic flight, I think you shouldn't set time acceleration to more than 10x for atmospheric flight (launch, re-entry), or to more than 1000x for LEO.

I just do it to goof off some times...something funny about landing the sts on brighton beach:rofl:

 

[cjp]

I just do it to goof off some times...something funny about landing the sts on brighton beach:rofl:

That's impressive too, considering that you don't have any retro thrusters!

 

[Bj]

That's impressive too, considering that you don't have any retro thrusters!

I wonder how long it will take to stop from just friction with the Moon. It would take a REALLY LONG time to stop but you will... --possibly on the other side of the Moon :lol:

 

[Chipstone306]

That's impressive too, considering that you don't have any retro thrusters!

yeah landing is a little Rough shall we say usually i overshoot the target and land on the far side...

 

[Bj]

yeah landing is a little Rough shall we say usually i overshoot the target and land on the far side...

If you tryed for the normal landing of 10/m you will still have a hudge amount of dv built up. but that got me to thinking, has anyone tried to orbit the Moon at less than 10 m in altitude?

If not I challange you to do that.

 

[Imagineer]

... but that got me to thinking, has anyone tried to orbit the Moon at less than 10 m in altitude?

If not I challange you to do that.

Then I challenge you to try it with non-spherical gravity turned on.

 

[unussapiens]

If you tryed for the normal landing of 10/m you will still have a hudge amount of dv built up. but that got me to thinking, has anyone tried to orbit the Moon at less than 10 m in altitude?

If not I challange you to do that.

I managed to get one at around 15m altitude. I had to use very short taps on the numpad while at 0.1x speed to not crash.

You only realise how quickly you are going when you can almost touch the ground.

 

[cjp]

Then I challenge you to try it with non-spherical gravity turned on.

I always have non-spherical gravity turned on. I also have limited fuel on on almost all flights.

I once did a very interesting experiment with the Venture Star. I had to save and re-start several times because it's so difficult. Here is what I did:

• Launch into the moon's orbital plane as efficiently as possible
• Plan a rendez-vous with the moon using TransX (with the smallest possible amount of delta-V)
• The simulated Venture Star has just enough fuel left for the TLI burn.
• Now you are flying towards the moon, with just enough fuel for course corrections. Aim for a lunar PeA of zero ( = on the surface)
• When approaching the surface, course corrections can be done using linear RCS thrusters. Deploy the landing gear.
• Align correctly for a "landing", and be prepared for touch-down

With proper corrections, the touch-down itself is quite gentle, as your vertical velocity is almost zero. However, in reality, your tires would probably be destroyed because of your huge horizontal velocity. Also, in reality, there are hills, craters etc.

In the simulation, I also had a fatal problem: the touch-down did not slow me down enough, so I was still on an escape course towards interplanetary space. Also, the vertical thrusters were not strong enough to push me down and keep me on the ground. I managed to use the last bit of fuel to get into an elliptical orbit and do some more touch-downs, but no real landing.

 

[Lunar Pilot]

Low orbit

I might want to try that in Orbiter, but in reality I wouldn't try it, considering that there are objects on the moon that are higher than 20m tall. Besides, think of how fast you'd have to go. If you fire a bullet from the highest peak on the moon (I forget how high it is) you'd be going at 11,000 feet per second. That's only 30 minutes around the moon! (We wanted to see how long you had to get out of the way before the bullet went around and hit you in the back)