New model for Celestia in construction (DOWNLOAD link)

fsgregs · Post #41by **fsgregs** » 27.10.2006, 20:56

Cham:

Awesome model. Your skills are ... well ... awesome as well.

If I were asked to live in this ship for a trip to Mars or Jupiter and back, I would want its living quarters to be rotating to simulate gravity, and to be BIG. The diameter of your front module is about the same as the framework and seems cramped. In the "Discovery" model in 2001, their living quarters bulged out and provided a larger sphere to live in. Although I understand your reluctance to copy that idea, it does seem more comfortable for a team who might have to live in the ship for years (round trip).

As such, I respectfully suggest you expand the diameter of the front spherical quarters.

Just my thoughts

Frank

Cham · Post #42by **Cham** » 27.10.2006, 21:00

fsgregs,

the spherical front module has a radius of about 25 to 30 meters. It's about the same as for the Discovery. The rotating part should be of the same size, approximately.

fsgregs · Post #43by **fsgregs** » 28.10.2006, 13:55

Ah ... I had no idea the strut structure was that wide. I get it now. Thanks for correcting me.

Question ... is there an airlock and a door out? I don't see one on the model.

Frank

Cham · Post #44by **Cham** » 28.10.2006, 16:17

For the moment, the door is on the front (unfinished). I'm having some difficulties with it. I also tried to make a door on each side, but it was terrible.

Cham · Post #45by **Cham** » 28.10.2006, 21:43

The head has some caracter, now ! Some details to be added on other parts (not shown here), and to add the flags, logos and some tint variations on the spherical hull. The main door needs more work too.

Post #46by **ElChristou** » 28.10.2006, 22:29

fsgregs · Post #47by **fsgregs** » 29.10.2006, 03:28

Cham:

What a labor of love your ship is. It is beautiful. Congratulations!!!!
I can't wait to cruise Celestia space in it!

Frank

Fightspit · Post #48by **Fightspit** » 29.10.2006, 15:44

Imagine this nice spaceship with (I hope) some beautiful textures

I can't wait to try it :!:

Cham · Post #49by **Cham** » 30.10.2006, 04:48

The model is almost finished. I have to work on some textures (flags and logos only). It's really fun to see the shadows in the modeler. Some quick examples :

Also, click on this one for a large view :

bh · Post #50by bh » 30.10.2006, 08:36

Great job Cham!

Post #51by **ElChristou** » 30.10.2006, 11:26

Really fantastic model!!

Spaceman Spiff · Post #52by **Spaceman Spiff** » 31.10.2006, 15:53

Cham,

I'm curious: what is the 'modeller' you write of, and is it doing 'just' point-source illumination from infinity?

The length of the ship shouldn't be a problem for slow interplanetary travel. The main thrust surely acts along the long axis of the ship, so it only has to take the strain like a skyscraper. As for turning it, sets of tiny thrusters at either end acting in pairs can do the job even if it takes hours to rotate the ship: too fast and the centrifuge area would be upset, and what's a few hours to the mission timescale?

There's also something called magneto-torquers for turning satellites or dumping reaction wheel momentum. A longer dipole helps.

The only threat I can think of is tides from massive planets.

Spiff.

Beowulf01 · Post #53by **Beowulf01** » 03.11.2006, 04:13

kick ass!!!, you need to post that over at sci-fi meshes.com....

Very nice..... 2 points
1. If you are transporting gas for use at a far flung Base then your tanks need not to be "rigid" metal tanks , inflatable tanks would do quite well.

2.

Naming it the John Carter would be Sweet,
well just waiting for textures on it... LOL
GREAT work

Cham · Post #54by **Cham** » 03.11.2006, 21:29

Here's another rendering test, with shadows. Almost the same as the previous one shown. Large picture linked below :

I think the ship will be named "SS Marineris".

Cham · Post #55by **Cham** » 05.11.2006, 09:20

I think the Kepler is finished (SS Kepler is most probably the final name). I tried some textures on it, but it was ugly. Strangely, the flags and logos are giving a wrong aspect to the model. So, no textures. I think the model is pretty enough without textures, anyway. Here's a postcard ffrom Mars :

The mesh is huge : more than one million triangles ! Despite this, the frame rate is very smooth. No lags at all, even around Mars with its 4k textures, normalmap and cloudMap, and one of its moon showing (see the picture).

fsgregs · Post #56by **fsgregs** » 05.11.2006, 12:33

Cham:

Looks stupendous. I would love to incorporate it into my Solar System educational activity, if that would be OK. I could explain the science behind the ship and use it as an example of a possible manned mission to Mars.

I had a few technical questions.

1. In looking through your screenshots, the one showing the engine//rocket section was hard to see clearly. What will be the propulsion of this huge ship?

2. I assume the rear tanks are fuel vs the spherical tanks up front which are supplies. Did you have any plan in your mind for which tank would store which material?

3. What time frame in the future did you envision for the construction in Earth orbit and subsequent launch of this ship?

4. Since this will be a round-trip ship, it obviously can be reused. Do you think it could reach Jupiter or Saturn, or is it a Mars vehicle only?

Frank

bh · Post #57by bh » 05.11.2006, 13:39

Looks great Cham! An 'under construction' scenario would be interesting.

Cham · Post #58by **Cham** » 05.11.2006, 17:56

Well, the scenario is "optimistic" and happens in about 80 years from now. It's a joint effort between US (Nasa), europeans (ESA) and China (I don't know the name of their space agency). China will be a strong superpower at that time (it is already). It's "optimistic", since I don't think any man will really go to Mars before a century, since the global warming and pollution on Earth implies HUGE economy costs and the global economy will fall (did you saw that report, from the British economist ?). No real manned missions to the Moon and Mars in the future :-(

Anyway, the ship was built in orbit around the Moon. It has a lenght of about 400 meters (radius 200 m). The main sphere (command module on the front) has a radius of about 25 meters. There's a rotating cylinder inside (about 20-24 meters radius), which rotates with a period of about 10-12 seconds. This creates a gravity inside of about 75% that of Earth. The grapes behind the main module are holding water, oxygen and nitrogen for the crew (about 8 persons) and also to the colonists on Mars. The big tanks behind are holding beer ;-)

. The ship's mission is to explore Mars, Jupiter ... and beyond. Could go to Saturn and study Titan.

In the ~2090, we should have quantum supercomputers and master superconductivity and nanomaterials. So the spheres in the middle are strong magnetic shield generators used to deviate the lethal cosmic rays. I can't tell if this is "realistic" or not. Probably all BS !

Here's another view of the model. I'll publish it in about a week :

fsgregs · Post #59by **fsgregs** » 05.11.2006, 23:56

Fascinating!!!

What propulsion is the ship outfitted with (ion drive, chemical rockets?). I don't see any push plates so I'm assuming there is no nuclear drive.

Frank

Cham · Post #60by **Cham** » 06.11.2006, 00:01

fsgregs wrote:I don't see any push plates so I'm assuming there is no nuclear drive.

Frank

Push plates ?

At start, I was thinking about putting some classic, saturn V like rockets. But I changed my mind while creating the model.

Really, I can't tell what is the propulsion system. ion ? Maybe. I just don't know. It can be whatever you prefer.