Mode: Normal/Sandbox (Part clipping and Infinite build area enabled, all other cheats disabled)
Infinite build area was only used for the ground equipment
Blueprint editing was used (via the 'Part Text' mod)
Since part clipping and blueprint editing (more exactly use of the "Part Text" mode) are involved I've attached the blueprint file for the rocket also. Let me know if you need the blueprint file for any ground equipment.
There are rather a lot of screenshots needed to cover 2 launches and all the re-assembly steps so it has been spread over 5 posts.
Summary (some of this is a repeat of my post in the questions thread)
The configuration is:
* payload on top of stage two.
* Payload + stage two inside a cargo bay of stage one.
* Stage one is not SSTO capable (fuel too low),
* stage two is not SSTO capable (thrust too low - fuel may be too low also)
The flight plan is:
* Launch vertically until stage one fuel exhusted and outside atmosphere. Rotate stage one to horizonal orientation.
* Separate stage two, thrust stage two horizontally until sub-orbital path 'looks good', when close enough to apoapsis circularise orbit, release payload, then lower periapsis to 60km.
* Stage one should be still outside atmosphere at this point and dropping vertically close to launchpad. Renter in horizontal orientation to maximize aerobreaking. Rotate to vertical orientation at 5000m in preparation for landing. Open parachutes (at top of stage 1 in vertical orientation) at 2500m and land in vertical orientation.
* stage 2, circularise orbit at 60km, deorbit aiming to be as close to the launchpad as possible
The assembly plan is
* replace parachutes (2- sides) and payload on stage 2
* replace parachutes (top only) on stage 1
* install stage 2+payload into stage 1
* refuel everything
The 2nd flight plan is the same as the first, except thr less care was taken to get stage 2 as close as possible to the launchpad.
In order to take off and land on a vertical trajectory, I needed to maximize the aerodynamic profile on re-entry. So the heat shield (46m long) was mounted on the side and re-entry is in the horizontal orientation. This gave some design constraints. To balance the weight of the engines I needed to place as much weight as possible at the opposite end of the rocket so the parachutes are near the top and stage two is mounted in a payload bay (empty on re-entry) at the bottom. Parachutes at the top requires landing in the vertical orientation - it also makes it possible to open the payload bay door when under gravity (with the assistance of an RCS at the top of the door). A low payload bay also makes re-installing stage 2 eaisier.
The fuel tank and parachutes were not enough to balance the engines so a number of probes were part-cliped into the top of the fuel tank. In order to counter-balance the heat shield when launching these probes were also placed on the opposite side to the rocket to the heatshield. All those probes also enabled the fairly rapid rotation needed when rotating from horizontal to vertical just before opening the parachutes.
In order to balance the parachutes between left and right at the top of the rocket, half of them have to be between the main rocket and the heatshield - so they can only be removed from the top (not the side). The easiest way to do this was to attache vthe parachutes to the nose-code and replace the entire parachute, struts and nose-cone assembly.
In case you are wondering what the probe on the ground to the right of the rocket is for. It is part of the ground equipment and acts as a 'beacon' to mark where the launchpad is and provide a target for stage 2 reentry. It was also used to measure how far the landed stages were from the launchpad.
Design screen and launchpad
Launch to orbit
Stage 1 landing
Stage2 landing
Both down positioning
blueprint:
Infinite build area was only used for the ground equipment
Blueprint editing was used (via the 'Part Text' mod)
Since part clipping and blueprint editing (more exactly use of the "Part Text" mode) are involved I've attached the blueprint file for the rocket also. Let me know if you need the blueprint file for any ground equipment.
There are rather a lot of screenshots needed to cover 2 launches and all the re-assembly steps so it has been spread over 5 posts.
Summary (some of this is a repeat of my post in the questions thread)
The configuration is:
* payload on top of stage two.
* Payload + stage two inside a cargo bay of stage one.
* Stage one is not SSTO capable (fuel too low),
* stage two is not SSTO capable (thrust too low - fuel may be too low also)
The flight plan is:
* Launch vertically until stage one fuel exhusted and outside atmosphere. Rotate stage one to horizonal orientation.
* Separate stage two, thrust stage two horizontally until sub-orbital path 'looks good', when close enough to apoapsis circularise orbit, release payload, then lower periapsis to 60km.
* Stage one should be still outside atmosphere at this point and dropping vertically close to launchpad. Renter in horizontal orientation to maximize aerobreaking. Rotate to vertical orientation at 5000m in preparation for landing. Open parachutes (at top of stage 1 in vertical orientation) at 2500m and land in vertical orientation.
* stage 2, circularise orbit at 60km, deorbit aiming to be as close to the launchpad as possible
The assembly plan is
* replace parachutes (2- sides) and payload on stage 2
* replace parachutes (top only) on stage 1
* install stage 2+payload into stage 1
* refuel everything
The 2nd flight plan is the same as the first, except thr less care was taken to get stage 2 as close as possible to the launchpad.
In order to take off and land on a vertical trajectory, I needed to maximize the aerodynamic profile on re-entry. So the heat shield (46m long) was mounted on the side and re-entry is in the horizontal orientation. This gave some design constraints. To balance the weight of the engines I needed to place as much weight as possible at the opposite end of the rocket so the parachutes are near the top and stage two is mounted in a payload bay (empty on re-entry) at the bottom. Parachutes at the top requires landing in the vertical orientation - it also makes it possible to open the payload bay door when under gravity (with the assistance of an RCS at the top of the door). A low payload bay also makes re-installing stage 2 eaisier.
The fuel tank and parachutes were not enough to balance the engines so a number of probes were part-cliped into the top of the fuel tank. In order to counter-balance the heat shield when launching these probes were also placed on the opposite side to the rocket to the heatshield. All those probes also enabled the fairly rapid rotation needed when rotating from horizontal to vertical just before opening the parachutes.
In order to balance the parachutes between left and right at the top of the rocket, half of them have to be between the main rocket and the heatshield - so they can only be removed from the top (not the side). The easiest way to do this was to attache vthe parachutes to the nose-code and replace the entire parachute, struts and nose-cone assembly.
In case you are wondering what the probe on the ground to the right of the rocket is for. It is part of the ground equipment and acts as a 'beacon' to mark where the launchpad is and provide a target for stage 2 reentry. It was also used to measure how far the landed stages were from the launchpad.
Design screen and launchpad
Launch to orbit
Stage 1 landing
Stage2 landing
Both down positioning
blueprint:
from my shuttle entry - still awaiting review for the v4 iteration.
