Iron Hill Project Thread

[TMac3000]

I am planning an interplanetary excursion.

I need to ferry cargo and crew from the ground on Earth to an Arrow freighter in LEO. I have found two ways to do this:

1. Use an XR-5 as the cargo ferry and the XR-2 as a crew ferry. This requires the very delicate task of docking an XR-2 to an Arrow Freighter.

2. Use only the XR-5, and space-walk the crew from that to the Arrow. This strikes me as much more ballsy, since it exposes the crew to more risk, but requires only one ship (not counting the Arrow, of course) and one mission, and saves significant delta-v. Now, the target is Mercury, so saving delta-v is even more imperative than in an average interplanetary mission.

I have tried both options, and both seem feasible, although the space-walk has proved much more tedious. I do realize that as the mission commander it is ultimately my call, but I am curious as to the thoughts of my fellow Orbinauts. Dock or walk?

 

[MaverickSawyer]

I would dock, since the bay was designed to handle the XR2. no point in going for a walk in hard vaccuum, when you can walk through the docking tunnel.

 

[Spacethingy]

How about putting a ShuttlePB in the XR5's bay? Might not be much room for anything else mind....

 

[TMac3000]

A third ship? An interesting idea, but

1) I don't think its UMMU compatible
2) It would add even more cost to the mission:tiphat:

---------- Post added at 05:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:33 PM ----------

I would dock, since hte bay was designed to handle the XR2. no point in going for a walk in hard vaccuum, when you can walk through the docking tunnel.

It would be a zillion times easier if the XR5 could dock to the Arrow:lol:

 

[Columbia42]

There is a UMMU version of Shuttle PB (with a nice VC) here: [ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=3844"]Total Immersion - Shuttle PB[/ame]

 

[Mojave]

I say space walk. You could use a "bridge" between the Arrow and XR-5. You could use default modules to create a long tube that provides enough space inbetween the arrow, and xr-5.

 

[CrimsonDoc]

It took a bit of bodging but I used a Soyuz/Progress Docking Module from [ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=2857"]Various Space Station Modules[/ame] and two x SD_st_module_1 from [ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=5528"]SD stations modules[/ame] and got this result:



Hope this helps

 

[TMac3000]

Hmm, that looks very interesting:stirpot:

Wouldn't it require a few space walks to set that up?

 

[Felipi1205]

Hey, and for save Delta-v you could make a Venusian fly-by...

 

[Aeadar]

Presumably, you're going to end up docking your XR2 in there before you leave anyway, so I'd have to agree with MaverickSawyer. Though Scattycats idea is interesting.

 

[n122vu]

Another vote here for docking with the XR2. Much more effort and time required for either XR5 scenario, docking with adapter or EVAs.

 

[TMac3000]

Thanks everyone for your advice.
I have decided to go with option 1 and dock. It's a little trickier and more expensive, but after many, many simulated deaths during EVA mostly due to disorientation (I think two cracked their face-plates on the gravity wheel and one flew off into space:facepalm, the docking option seems safer. There's the danger of collision of course, but certainly lives are more important than equipment.

Again, I would like to thank everyone for their thoughts, and wish me a safe journey to the iron planet:tiphat:

 

[Felipi1205]

Good luck to your trip to Mercury!

 

[insanity]

Docking an xr2 to the arrow isn't too difficult. Go slow and when you reach the bay just translate up and over to the docking port. As long as you don't have to time your approach to go through a spinning gravity wheel (the mini-golf approach) you should be fine. It's also nice to be able to take a ship with you so that when you get back to earth you can get your UMMUs feet back on Earth without an extra launch.

 

[Felipi1205]

And going to Mercury with the XR-2 docked you can have an emergency rescue ship!

 

[Izack]

There is a UMMU version of Shuttle PB (with a nice VC) here: Total Immersion - Shuttle PB

Doesn't UMMU come with an UMMU'd ShuttlePB as an example?

 

[HAL9001]

I think docking is the safer solution, also leaving a ship in the docking-bay for landing, coming back - but space-walk... - this IS freaking cool...

 

[TMac3000]

The mission is unofficially known as the Iron Hill Project, and has the goal of placing a five-man scientific habitat at Chao-Meng-Fu Crater on Mercury's south pole. This is a safe location because 40% of it lies in permanent shadow. The crew will conduct solar research, geologic studies, and radio astronomy.

It's currently in the late simulation stage: I haven't even picked a launch window yet, though I am aiming for a late spring departure with arrival in late summer or early fall. I'll be doing it in real time, but in "update style" in which you use the scenario editor to set the date to "Now" to see the mission's progress, instead of tying up my computer for four months

I will be sending frequent updates, and possibly renaming this thread to "The Iron Hill Project."

Again, all input is appreciated

 

[Pipcard]

Iron Hill, that's a nice project name.

 

[TMac3000]

Thanks
I got the idea from hearing Mercury called the "Iron Planet":tiphat: