Spacecraft for Celestia: Thread 2

[DaveBowman2001]

Since I got my laptop fixed a few days ago, I was able to return to add-on creation once more, even rediscovering some unreleased projects of mine that I thought I've lost over the months. Here are the following planned for March 2025 release:

Jupiter Europa Orbiter
Part of the cancelled NASA/ESA Europa-Jupiter System Mission (EJSM)
Released: 2025-Mar-01, 06:48

NuSTAR
A NASA x-ray observatory launched in 2012, also known as Explorer 93
Released: 2025-Mar-11, 04:31

Polar
NASA magnetospheric mission from 1996 to 2008. Original add-on by toutatis
Released: 2025-Mar-07, 04:57

Polaris Dawn
First non-LEO private crewed spaceflight in history
Released: 2025-Mar-21, 07:33

Project Gemini (Part 3)
Featuring the current progress as of 2025-Feb-20. Replaces Part 1 and Part 2
Released: 2025-Mar-15, 07:30

NOTE: Gemini currently used is from default 1.7.0

Gemini-Agena Target Vehicle (GATV)

Augmented Target Docking Adapter (ATDA)

Suisei and Sakigake
The Japanese contribution to the Halley Armada. Original add-on by Jack Higgins and gironde
Released: 2025-Mar-24, 07:56 (Sakigake)
Released: 2025-Mar-25, 14:05 (Suisei)

Suisei

Sakigake

[gironde]

I offer you below the continuation of the Starlink launches
launch n°220 to 230
the list of deorbited satellites is completed by 291 satellites

Starlink 220 to 230.zip

(95.54 KiB) Downloaded 958 times

[DaveBowman2001]

Jupiter Europa Orbiter (JEO) was a former NASA proposal that was planned to make detailed studies of Europa and Io, as well as the Jovian magnetosphere. The mission was planned to launch on 2020, and was expected to enter orbit around Europa by 2026.

Originally a part of the international Europa-Jupiter System Mission (EJSM-Laplace) alongside ESA's Jupiter Ganymede Orbiter, it was cancelled and later replaced by the Europa Clipper mission, which successfully launched in October 2024 and is currently en route to Jupiter

Jupiter Europa Orbiter.zip

(1.29 MiB) Downloaded 947 times

[gironde]

the new Starlink launches
launch n°231 to 239, the list of deorbited satellites is completed by 56 satellites

Starlink 231 to 239.zip

(88.91 KiB) Downloaded 945 times

[Limax7]

Hi guys. I'm try to find trajectory for IM-2 "Athena" and FireFly BlueGhost moon landers and I can't find

[DaveBowman2001]

Hi guys. I'm try to find trajectory for IM-2 "Athena" and FireFly BlueGhost moon landers and I can't find

Usually the primary sources for any interplanetary/lunar spacecraft trajectories should be available at JPL HORIZONS or some SPICE data elsewhere. Normally if one wasn't found, it is likely that the trajectories for specific missions were simply not published to the public

[DaveBowman2001]

Polar was a NASA scientific satellite that studied the Earth's magnetosphere between 1996 and 2008. It is part of the Global Geospace Science (GGS) program alongside Wind.

Orbital data from CelesTrak, serves as an update/replacement to toutatis's 2018 add-on of the same name. CMOD model is derived from NASA's Eyes of the Solar System website

Polar.zip

(6.45 MiB) Downloaded 933 times

[DaveBowman2001]

IM-2 (Athena) had it made a successful (upright) landing

Update to EarthMoon's Nova-C add-on. New CMOD model with a repaint that should be looking closer to the actual hardware. Also added IM-2 (Athena), which landed rather on its side like Odysseus did on March 6, 2025 and died the next day. This add-on still makes both missions landed upright, maybe in a future update will make them on their sides.

Intuitive Machines Nova-C (March 2025).zip

Released as part of Project Artemis

(1.19 MiB) Downloaded 939 times

[DaveBowman2001]

The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR), also known as Explorer 93, is a NASA X-ray observatory designed to detect high-energy x-rays beyond the capabilities of Chandra and XMM-Newton. It was launched on 13 June 2012 and continues operations to this day.

Orbital data retrieved from CelesTrak. CMOD model were derived from NASA's Eyes of the Solar System website.

NuSTAR.zip

(6.86 MiB) Downloaded 935 times

[John Van Vliet]

looks like there is a issue with the nova-c's UV's
look at the "nova_c_solp.png" it is not rendering
then the black , metal , and gold are stripped

Added after 1 hour 53 minutes:

now this looks better - render in Blender

[gironde]

Qianfan are Chinese communications satellites constellation from Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology
competitors of SpaceX's Starlink. Prevision 12000 satellites
Given the lack of information on these satellites, I'm using the Starlink model (by DaveBowman2001),
which is very similar, according to the Gunter Space website.

qianfan-1__1.jpg (33.56 KiB) Viewed 15037 times

Qianfan lauches 1 to 4.zip

(160.38 KiB) Downloaded 897 times

[DaveBowman2001]

Hmm interesting. The satellites' main body looks a lot similar to Starlink albeit a more "horizontal" solar panel. Will try to make a model for it based on the starlink.cmod model

[gironde]

launches Starlink n°240 and 241

Starlink 240 - 241.zip

(68.94 KiB) Downloaded 906 times

[DaveBowman2001]

Project Gemini (1964–1966) was NASA's second human spaceflight program after Mercury. Its overall purpose was to test rendezvous and docking technologies, and gain experience in week-long duration spaceflights. Its success led NASA to eventually achieve the first six crewed Moon landings later done by its successor program, Apollo, by July 1969.

An Agena Target Vehicle as seen from Gemini 8

WHAT'S NEW?:
- Replaces Part 1 and Part 2, which were previously just mainly SSC files in 2018.
- Added the Gemini-Agena Target Vehicles (GATVs) used for Gemini 8 to 12
- Added the Augmented Target Docking Adapter (ATDA) used for Gemini 9A.
- Orbital data for all spacecraft involved were retrieved from CelesTrak archives.

The ATDA of Gemini 9A, a.k.a "The Angry Alligator"

NOTES:
Originally, I planned to add a new remastered model for the Gemini spacecraft itself, but since I'd also like to add EVAs (which requires a "moving" door and interior cockpit), this made a lot more complicated and as a result delayed the project indefinitely for over two years, so I guess I'll reserve those for Part 4 instead. For now, the add-on uses shrox's old Gemini models (also present in default 1.7.0) and simply updated their orbits instead

Project Gemini (Part 3).zip

(1.59 MiB) Downloaded 910 times

[DaveBowman2001]

Update and replacement to the 2022 add-on of the same name. Fixed visual bugs on the CMOD model (thanks SpaceExplorer for testing)

Prospero.zip

(559.48 KiB) Downloaded 926 times

[DaveBowman2001]

SpaceX Crew-9 and Crew-10, alongside cargo mission CRS-31, were added to the Commercial Crew Program addon. Get the download link on this thread's Page 9

SpaceX Crew-10

DOWNLOAD LINK

[DaveBowman2001]

Jared Isaacman doing a spacewalk, 2024-Sept-12

Polaris Dawn is the first of three private crewed orbital missions funded and flown by Jared Isaacman after the success of his Inspiration4 mission in 2021. Launched in 10 September 2024, the mission conducted the very first commercial non-LEO spaceflight and the first private spacewalk in history, which tested the capabilities of the SpaceX EVA suit in-flight. The mission ended five days later, on 15 September 2024

NOTE:
- The Beginning and Ending times for the EVAs of Jared Isaacman and Sarah Gillis were actual times they exited the hatch of Crew Dragon Resilience based on the official YouTube livestream.
- Orbital data were retrieved from CelesTrak, based on the first phase of the mission. Because of this, their orbits were only accurate for the first day of the mission, and this causes the EVAs to happen on wildly different positions relative to Earth compared to the real one

SpaceX Dragon 2 (Polaris).zip

(7.34 MiB) Downloaded 612 times

[DaveBowman2001]

Giotto's second Earth flyby, July 1999

Update to the Giotto add-on. Restored BrianJ's entire XYZV trajectory (1985-2016) which was cut significantly by the 2021 version, allowing the 1999 Earth flyby to be once again be simulated. Giotto's name vanishes from simulation starting July 1992 to signify its End of Mission while maintaining the spacecraft's existence up to the Present Day.

Restored XYZV trajectory of Giotto, 1985-2016

Released as part of Project Halley. The name is a homage to BrianJ's Giotto - 25th Anniversary Edition add-on, from which this add-on is adapted from.

Giotto - 40th Anniversary Edition.zip

(2.73 MiB) Downloaded 391 times

[DaveBowman2001]

Sakigake approaching Halley's Comet, 1986-Mar-11

Sakigake is Japan's first interplanetary spacecraft ever launched. It flew as part of an international fleet of space probes called the Halley Armada. It flew past Halley at a distance of 6.99 million km on March 11, 1986. Plans for a second comet flyby (Giacobini-Zinner) were abandoned due to low propellant. The mission officially ended in 1999.

NOTES:
- Original add-on by Jack Higgins.
- This add-on is released as part of Project Halley
- New remastered model, with a spin-stabilized main body and Earth-tracking HGA. Also added four magnetometer booms
- At one point I attempted to get Jack's original XYZ file and blend it with an SSC-defined orbit taking over at the end, but to no avail. The add-on simply uses an SSC-defined orbit that takes the spacecraft on a Halley flyby on March 11, 1986. Will be replaced by an XYZV reconstruction sometime in the future

Sakigake.zip

(1.81 MiB) Downloaded 385 times

[DaveBowman2001]

Suisei approached Halley at a distance of 151,000 km on 1986-Mar-8

Suisei, also known as PLANET-A, is the second of two Japanese space probes sent to flyby Halley's Comet on March 1986. Part of an international fleet called the Halley Armada, it is physically identical with Sakigake, albeit with different onboard instruments. After encountering Halley, it went on to visit two other comets, but was cancelled after exhausting its fuel supply in 1991.

NOTES:
- This add-on is released as part of Project Halley
- CMOD model is a highly modified version of Sakigake's model, which in turn was originally made by Jack Higgins
- The orbit used is a rough Keplerian conversion from the XYZ file included in gironde's 2018 add-on of the same name. Unfortunately, there is almost no surviving trajectory data available for the mission to reconstruct its actual entire orbits around the Sun.

Suisei.zip

(1.62 MiB) Downloaded 368 times