force200
Megaspell Technician
- Location
- Stable <data corrupted>
Aren't those pretty much the same thing?
Let Me Play Among The Stars (A Space Program Plan Quest)
- Thread starter 4WheelSword
- Start date
- Original Alt. History
4WheelSword
The original N-body Problem
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Kind of. RFNA is less dilute Nitric Acid but it makes for an important distinction.
- Location
- United States
Hm...on one hand, would be a good ideal to work on a engine to actually use the new fuel but would further delay test. Otherwise we could do a booster to get that sooner.
Either way, working on safety would be a good ideal.
...The though of just something just exploding if you looked at it funny crossed my mind for some reason and I'm unsure in relation to what...
Either way, working on safety would be a good ideal.
...The though of just something just exploding if you looked at it funny crossed my mind for some reason and I'm unsure in relation to what...
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- He/They
[ ] Plan: Towards a launcher
-[ ] We should look into how to build better Boosters before we design another.
-[ ] Enhanced Engine designs will improve performance.
-[ ] If we're going to complete the experimental mission we need a Booster.
We've designed an engine already, and it's not the greatest but it should fulfill the mission - we may as well move towards launching it. We need proof that we're doing something and experience in actual operations as much as we need tech unlocks.
At the same time we don't have that much urgency and I'd rather be free to spend a second action on the booster if we need to before launching it. So, this plan spends the first month on something that'll be useful for our first launches and in the future, the second on what is currently blue-sky research but we'll want before scaling up as much as the manned suborbital launch will require, and the third on designing our first sounding rocket.
Next turn we can plan and fly a mission, or redesign the launch vehicle if it ends up too bad to fly.
-[ ] We should look into how to build better Boosters before we design another.
-[ ] Enhanced Engine designs will improve performance.
-[ ] If we're going to complete the experimental mission we need a Booster.
We've designed an engine already, and it's not the greatest but it should fulfill the mission - we may as well move towards launching it. We need proof that we're doing something and experience in actual operations as much as we need tech unlocks.
At the same time we don't have that much urgency and I'd rather be free to spend a second action on the booster if we need to before launching it. So, this plan spends the first month on something that'll be useful for our first launches and in the future, the second on what is currently blue-sky research but we'll want before scaling up as much as the manned suborbital launch will require, and the third on designing our first sounding rocket.
Next turn we can plan and fly a mission, or redesign the launch vehicle if it ends up too bad to fly.
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How do we work out whether it can actually fulfill the mission? If you're correct I do like that plan.
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I'm pretty sure it can. We don't have access to that part of the design rules yet, but we can work out the mass of the payload+engine (~0.7M) and how much the XRE-2 can lift (4 to 5 M), and assume the rest is tanks and fuel. Some crude math suggests it could get 2200-2500 m/s of delta-v and the mission (in update C0P4) only calls for 1200, and the payload we have meets the Basic Science requirement too. Though, I don't know just how bad -3 engine reliability is.
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4WheelSword
The original N-body Problem
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- It/She/They
Amusingly this is a really good set of assumptions. Well done for working out Booster design from first principles
Booster design is now in the test document here
It would be good! With hydrazine it showed a surface level ISP of about 294s, good fuel density. It's just also incredibly dangerous.
4WheelSword
The original N-body Problem
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- It/She/They
Just to be crystal, voting is open and will be for a couple of days.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask them.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask them.
- Pronouns
- He/They
This plan should prepare us to hopefully launch a sounding rocket next turn, but not commit to anything before we see the final booster design.
[X] Plan: Towards a launcher
-[X] We should look into how to build better Boosters before we design another.
-[X] Enhanced Engine designs will improve performance.
-[X] If we're going to complete the experimental mission we need a Booster.
[X] Plan: Towards a launcher
-[X] We should look into how to build better Boosters before we design another.
-[X] Enhanced Engine designs will improve performance.
-[X] If we're going to complete the experimental mission we need a Booster.
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- Location
- United States
[X] Plan: Towards a launcher
- Location
- Fort Worth, TX
I think we may need to set up a Hotline to the Emergency Services in the future or set up a very well equipped clinic.
4WheelSword
The original N-body Problem
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- It/She/They
I'm gonna close the vote in 12 hours and start working on the next update!
If you have any opinions now's the time to share them.
If you have any opinions now's the time to share them.
C1T4 - April-June 1950 - Rocket Research
4WheelSword
The original N-body Problem
- Pronouns
- It/She/They
Research: Rocket
"The French have been giving a lot of thought to missile guidance." Dan says, almost off-hand.The three of them - Arne Andersson, Dan O'Leary and Hedwig - are sitting around a lunch table in what passes for the PEAC canteen discussing recent reports of interest they've seen. It's been a slow few days around the complex but these semi-regular casual meetings have been helping Hedwig maintain her sanity.
"I'm sure they have. They nearly lost Paris to the German tanks in the last war, I cannot imagine they want to risk losing the technology advantage again." Arne responds, sipping at a mug of thick black coffee.
"Quite right. The Arsenal de l'Aeronautique has been prototyping a command system involving a control stick and a length of wire for direct flight control. They haven't worked out the kinks, but it's a fascinating idea."
"Mm, it's for a missile, you said?" Hedwig asks, dunking a piece of bread in rapidly congealing soup, "Do you think it's applicable?"
"Specifically? No, they're looking at ranges up to two or three kilometres. We'd need several tons of wire for each launch and honestly I'm not sure how useful it would be. But the idea is sound. If we want anything more than vertical flight - and even there if we're being honest with ourselves - then we're going to need to develop an idea of how to control these rockets." Dan shrugs indecisively.
"You know, speaking of the Germans," Arne adds, scratching his chin, "I know a German man who was working on radio-controlled bombs at one point. Perhaps we could consider that angle."
Roll 2d10+Fortune
Research: Engine
"Engines, engines, why does everyone always want to talk to me about engines!" Appoline half shouts, heels clicking on the hard concrete path fast enough that Hedwig has to break into an indelicate trot to keep up."If the technology doesn't improve, we will not achieve our goals." Hedwig calls in response, a frown creasing her face.
"Arne has his perfectly suitable engine already, it is capable of far more than we need for the time being, what is even the point?" Appoline pulls up suddenly, standing in front of the complex's main building, and jabs a finger at Hedwig, "this is a waste of my resources and a waste of my time. I have real scientific research to be doing, not playing with a… mechanic's cast-offs."
"Appoline, we are trying to create the stuff of dreams here."
"I am not dreaming of having my hands in the guts of an engineering monstrosity,"
"That engineering monstrosity is going to be sending our scientists to the edge of space. We're going to need to increase our capabilities by a factor of ten at least if we're going to make that possible."
The French woman seems to consider this for a few moments then finally gives a shrug, lip curling.
"I was never not going to work on these damn engines. I am perfectly content doing what must be done for the good of the program. I am simply frustrated that I cannot focus on the pure sciences."
Hedwig reaches out to touch the other woman's arm, to offer small comfort for the disappointment. For a moment their eyes meet, then Appoline steps close. She places her lips on Hedwig's cheek, a gentle kiss of parting.
"Merci, ma chérie" she says, walking into the building.
Roll 2d10+Fortune
Design: Booster
"So, initially I thought, what is the biggest booster we could build with our current hardware?" Arne leads Hedwig around a brighter lit room above the draughtsman's studio, an ad-hoc display room for a series of sketches pinned to the walls."A reasonable response."
"Thank you. It comes out to somewhere in the region of one and a half tons, though it will need some sort of assistance to remain stable in the first few seconds of flight." He gestures to a drawing of a large rocket lifting itself off the pad, a pair of what could easily be anti-tank rockets strapped to the sides.
"I see that the Petit Jacque made a comeback." Hedwig says with a nod to the drawing. Arne laughs politely.
"One of the artists asked what she should draw so I handed her the reference report." he smiles a little awkwardly, "Anyway, the acceleration at ignition was barely two metres per second, and we'd lose so much to gravity that it was functionally pointless. A long term plan. The next is a better idea, I think."
He leads her to the next drawing, an engineering plan view of a much smaller vehicle with nothing strapped to the outside.
"We would expect this to be less than half a ton with all components fitted, capable of almost ten metres per second at ignition and just barely able to touch fifty or sixty kilometres of vertical climb. It's… good enough." his smile falters, "Of course these are just two of about eight different ideas we had."
Select a design to proceed with:
[ ] XBD-2 - Maximum Size
[ ] XBD-1 - As light as possible
[ ] Another Design - Write in
Roll 2d10+Engineer
Author note: Please only roll once each, to allow multiple people a chance to roll.
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The lightest option seems good, or maybe a write in Thar's somewhere in between, because it'll still get the job done while being simpler, and we can probably add more fuel fairly easily in the future if needed.
Rolling for rocket research (did d6 with the first set by accident):
Rolling for rocket research (did d6 with the first set by accident):
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Well, that pretty much confirms that Apolline is interested in us, if there was any doubt!
4WheelSword
The original N-body Problem
- Pronouns
- It/She/They
Partial Success!
| Type | Effects | Mass | Cost | Tech |
| Radio Direction and Control | +1 Control | +1% | +5% | Electrics 1 |
Partial Success!
| Cycle | Mass-Flow (per M) | Isp modifier | Cost (per M) | Details | Tech |
| Multi-feed | 0.28 | 0.75 | 3 | -1 Control, -2 Reliability | Engine 1 |
Partial Failure!
The element is not as capable as expected or it has several minor issues likely to affect its capabilities. Add -1 Reliability to the part.
The new design systems have been added to the design document.
Don't forget to vote on the booster design!
- Location
- Fort Worth, TX
[X] XBD-1 - As light as possible
[X] XBD-1 - As light as possible
- Pronouns
- He/She/They
[X] XBD-1 - As light as possible