High Security Station

I am pleased to announce that Centauri Spacework's latest, station, the High Security Station, is now operational.   This general purpose station offers enhanced security and reliable power.  It is the largest station constructed by Centauri Spaceworks to date.  It has a total of 118 modules.

To supply the power needed for the 4 oxygen gardens, medical bay, and other modules, the station relies on six nuclear reactors modules, two large solar panels. and a ring of smaller sensor module solar panels.  The decreased reliance on solar panel means the station no longer has to maintain a large array of panels, which are susceptible to dust and collisions.

ATV secured in a docking bay

The station is named for its three high security docking bays. These bays feature an airlock for atmosphere isolation.  The radiator doors to protect the docking bay port and any ship docked there from space debris, solar radiation, or prying eyes.  Due to the limited size, only smalls vehicles such as an Orion or an ATV can be docked. Larger vehicles will need to use a shuttle to move cargo and personnel between the HSS and the vehicle.

Next up in the schedule of Centauri Spaceworks line of enhanced security stations will be a prison station.

Proofreader Hired, Corrects Name

Today, Centauri Spaceworks hired their first proofreader, Jonathan Bean.  Jonathan promptly found that Centauri Spaceworks' name had been misspelled in many places. Numerous places had omitted the 'u', labeling the organization as Centari Spaceworks.

Given the wide spread nature of the misspelling, the board of directors considered simply changing the official name to Centari Spaceworks and leaving the misspelling.  However, this weakened the connection to the stars which the space agency was named after.  The board voted by 9-1 to begin the slow process of correcting the name to the correct spelling of Centauri.

In the next week the website will change from centarispaceworks.blogspot.com to centaurispaceworks.blogspot.com.  Blog posts will be updated with the correct spelling.  Rockets will be re-painted. Signs will be re-signed.

From this day forward Centari Spaceworks will be known by its correctly spelled name, Centauri Spaceworks.

Sci-Fi Ship Design Contest

I have done over forty posts about the ships  I have made.  I like sharing my ships, but I also like seeing the ships others make.  I like being inspired by their creativity and designs.  So I decided to try something a little different.  I want to issue a challenge to all the space agencies out there.  A chance to show off your creativity.

The Challenge: Design a ship or station in Space Agency that is inspired by a fictional ship or station.

And to sweeten the deal, the best ship gets a big trophy.  You can post it on your profile or social media. You can even frame it and hang it up.

To enter, email the following information to centaurispaceworks@gmail.com :

1. Screenshot(s) or sandbox of your ship
2. Sci-fi ship it is based on
3. Your name, your agency's name, or however you want to be credited
4. (Optional) A link to your social media, wiki profile, or website.

The entries due by January 19th, at midnight.  One entry per person.  I'll post all the entries to my blog and announce a winner after the contest closes.

Thanks to zombie8259 for giving me the idea for the theme of this contest.  I'm looking forward to seeing lots of great ships.

Update:  The contest has finished and you can see the results.

Construction Update

The new, yet un-named, station is getting closer to commissioning.  All three docking bays have been completed.  The majority of the interior modules have been placed.

The power section is the only major section of the station still under construction.  After several different designs incorporating the CSgt Nuclear Generator were explored, one has been identified that should be able to fully power the station.  The station is currently using two ATVs with batteries in the docking bays to keep it powered while under construction.

In the image below you can see a fresh shift of astronauts in a new Draco Crew Capsule passing through the docking bay doors of a recently completed docking bay.  Docking in the high security docking bay requires a steady hand due to the close clearances.

In the past week the stations become the largest object constructed by Centauri Spaceworks at 108 modules.  The total module count at completion is expected to be closer to 120.

1.8 Update Review

The 1.8 update just came out and it is a strong update.  It has new missions and a lot of new parts.

The update adds missions 33 and 34.  Mission 33 has you installing a new CSgt Nuclear Reactor on the MSS.  Mission 34 is sending an ISAAC module and an Orion capsule to the ADS.  It was nice to have Mission 34 work in the chance to use the LP1 from the last update.

The CSgt Nuclear Reactor is a great addition that brings new functionality of permanent power source that isn't a solar panel. No longer do you need to keep stacking up solar panels to power your station (or using to the ATV battery hack).  The reactor generates 200 power, and consumes 6 for a net production of 196.  That is almost double what you could get from a large solar panel and in less space.  It still isn't a small part. It requires an extra long fairing to launch because of the long truss that the reactor is attached to.    It would have been more flexible if it could be split into the tiny reactor and an extra long truss, but it is still a great new part for adding on to stations.

The ISAAC module is basically a round habitation module.  It has one docking port and holds 4 cargo.  The round shape is a nice variation compared to the other mostly rectangular parts.

Both the ISAAC module and CSgt Nuclear Reactor were named after active members of the Space Agency Wiki. It is really great to see them honored like this for their contributions to the community.

The update also includes a plethora of new add on parts with the Nooleus X add-on.  It costs $5.49 USD.  It gets all the Draco and Eagle 8 parts needed to rival SpaceX.

• Draco Crew Capsule
• Draco Cargo Capsule
• Draco Trunk Module
• Draco Fairing
• Eagle 8 Second Stage
• Eagle 8 Connector
• Eagle 8 Reusable First Stage

I love seeing the new parts.  This is a must get add-on for any SpaceX fans. 

The Eagle 8 is a more powerful version of the reusable LP1 rocket introduced in the last update.  It has the same mechanics.  If you successfully land the 1st stage after a launch you are awarded one quick launch.  Just like the LP1, the Eagle 8 feels a bit more like a balloon instead of rocket when landing.  If you keep the engine on for too long it starts gaining altitude.  You end up tapping the the thruster in short burst to bounce the rocket up and down and get it centered over the landing pad.

The Draco capsules are a nice alternative to the Orion capsule, but leave the Draco Trunk at home and use an Orion Service Module.  The Draco Trunk  has some bugs that limit is usefulness.  Even though it has main engine fuel, it doesn't let you fire main engines.  And if you do get to your destination on the thruster propellant, there is no way to get the cargo out of the trunk.  If those bugs get fixed it will be a great cargo hauler: eleven cargo in one launch!

This is a great update and I am hoping that Nooleus can continue putting out updates like this on a regular basis.

Draco Cargo Capsule + Draco Trunk.  The cargo is trapped in the trunk 

Update Dec 27, 2017 : Nooleus release the 1.8.1 update which included a fix to allow the Draco Crew Capsules' main engines to fire while it was attached to the Draco Trunk.  Unfortunately, it still is limited in its functionality without a way to get to the cargo stored in the trunk.

New Station Under Construction

Centauri Spaceworks has started construction on a new station.  At 78 modules, it currently rivals the 79 module Xerces station.  Once completed it will be the largest station constructed by Centauri Spaceworks.

This new station takes advantage of the newer cargo bay, corridor, and airlock modules.  It is on track to consume 800+ power.

One of the core features are the three high security docking bays.  They are protected by retractable docking bay doors.  Inside the high security docking bay, the ship to station connection is bridged by an airlock that can be used to isolate the docked ship from the station air supply.

Xerces Station Upgrade

The original Xerces Station

Xerces Station upgraded with corridors and an air lock.

The original Xerces Station gotten several upgrades in the past two months.

The biggest change is the replacement of the arms leading to the solar panel arrays.  Previously these arms were formed by two modules and a hub.  These three modules were replaced with a single corridor.  This helps conserve power, as the corridor only requires 5 power, in place of the 45 power used by three previous modules.

This upgrade reduced the clearance between the solar panels and the core of the station.  To compensate, modules were added to extend the core of the station past the solar panels and still allow spacecraft to utilize the docking ports at either end of the core.  Two Apollo CSMs are currently docked at one end of the core serving as life saving ships.  These will eventually be used to return crew members to HOM and replaced with newer Orion IIIs.

Other changes include an airlock module added on the HOM facing docking area to support EVAs and docking with ships that required atmospheric isolation.  A new med bay for medical emergencies was installed in place of one of the old control rooms.

Workshop Tour

It has been a while since my last post.  Space Agency and Centauri Spaceworks have taken a back seat to Hade's Star.  Since Centauri Spaceworks hasn't posted any new ships in a while, I thought I would give you a tour of the Centauri Spaceworks workshop.

First the main assembly area.  This is where ships get created.  There are pylons on either side of the area to keep the station builder tugs supplied with fuel and power.  Below the assembly area is storage for parts.  The assembly area is pretty messy right now; there is a half assembled station, along with the two LK Lander Cores that were going to be part of something.  There is also a transport of station modules that came from the renovation of Xerces Station.  That still needs to be properly parked in the spare parts section.  

To the right of the assembly area is the parking lot.  This is where ships are parked after they are assembled, or while not in use. You will probably recognize some of the ships from previous posts, like the poorly parked Dragonfly.  Others are parts of previous creations, and perhaps parts of future ships.

Dragonfly

The Dragonfly is named for its resemblance to the winged insect.  The Dragonfly is specialized for communications.  It has three antennas to receive transmissions and a dedicated control room to decode them.

1.7 Update Review

The 1.7 update of Space Agency adds two new parts.  A reusable first stage rocket, the LP1, and a large comms satellite.  It also adds two new missions which focus on the LP1.

While this update does add two new parts and a new game mechanic, there doesn't seem to be much opportunity to use them to expand on the existing game play.

LP1

The LP1 is a reusable rocket which you can land after stage separation.  A succesful launching allows you to launch it again at a reduced cost ($1,000,000 compared to the original $4,000,000).  This reduces your budget for subsequent launches of LP1 by $3,000,000.

LP1 about to land.

Unfortunately, the only time you can take advantage of the savings from the LP1 is in the  very last mission.  The LP1 doesn't provide any benefit in the sandbox mode (other than the fun of landing the rocket), since you have an unlimited budget in the sandbox.  I would have liked to be able to replay the previous missions, such as ADS Phase 2, using the LP1.  Perhaps adding a platinum status for those able to lower the mission cost even further using the LP1.  Allowing the LP1 to be used on previous missions would have increased the play-ability of this update.

Large Comms Satellite

Large Comms Satellite with 5 directions of thrust.

This is a new medium sized part.  It has non-retractable solar panels which generate 30 power.  The comms satellite consumes 6 power.   It doesn't have any cargo space.

Unlike the smaller comms satellite, it does have thrusters. However, the reverse thruster is missing.  It also has a docking port which allows it to be refueled and attached to other vehicles.

The large comms satellite has some interesting geometry with the docking port off center. and parallel to the large solar panels.  The large solar panel and the orbital laboratory both have the solar panels extend perpendicular to the docking axis.

I would have liked to see this have retractable solar panels, and a slot for a battery.  That would have been an interesting mechanic to allow for it to run on battery for deep space missions, but then also to deploy the solar panels to recharge when near the sun.

Rotator Hub

Alrick Fons, and his team of engineers at Centauri Spaceworks has designed a special hub.  Unlike normal hubs, it can rotate to change the angle between the two docking ports.  It has a full 180 degrees of rotation.   The two docking ports can form an angle as small as 90 degrees, or as large as 180.  Hopefully this part will be manufactured by Nooleus and added into the game.

Due to the rotation mechanism, this hub does not have any cargo storage.

The rotation is controlled on the power panel.  In addition to having an on and off switch, it has a left and a right button that will change the orientation of the docking ports by holding them down.

The hub with the smaller number of modules is the one that rotates. If there are two modules on one side, and four modules on the other side, the side with 3 modules is the one that rotates.  It needs at least one module attached to supply the power to rotate, since it doesn't have any internal storage space for a battery.  It can rotate a maximum of 6 modules before it becomes to heavy for the motor.

Changing the orientation takes power.  Normally the rotator hub uses 10 power.  However, when rotating the power consumption increases.  It uses 30 power if one docking port is open.  If both ports are docked, it uses an additional 50 power per module on the smaller side.  In the example with three modules on one side and four on another, it would use 200 power to rotate.  There are three modules on the smaller side, 3 × 50 = 150.  The module uses 30 power for itself so that brings the total to 30 + 150 = 180 power.  It maxes out at 330 power when the modules have too much mass for it to rotate without burning out the motor.

Dropship One

Centauri Spaceworks has recently begun to maintain two bases on different planets.  These bases remain very modest compared to the stations in orbit.  The limited size is due to the scourge of space gremlins that inhabit all planets with a solid surface.  These nefarious creatures cannot be seen.  The only evidence of their existence appears when trying to dock with a module while it is landed on the surface of a planet or when trying to land two modules that are docked together.  In either of these cases, the space gremlins immediately swarm the modules and cause them to explode on contact.

Until Nooleus exterminates the space gremlins, perhaps with some sort of bug spray, development of a self sustaining base is impossible.  In the mean time the outposts must be resupplied regularly from orbit.

Centauri Spaceworks uses a specially designed drop ship to deliver the cargo bays to the surface.  The drop ship has 3 engines: one for decelerating to below orbital speed, one for hovering above the surface while positioning the drop, and the third for returning to orbital speed once the cargo has been delivered.

PUR Base

Outpost on PUR with two lunar descent modules, a habitation module, and a cargo bay.

Using the knowledge gained from the outpost on BLU, Centauri Spaceworks has established its second planetary outpost.  

A big improvement is the use of lunar descent module to store O2 and CO2 scrubbers.  The base on BLU only had storage inside of modules with an atmosphere.  This caused the O2 and CO2 to degrade.  The lunar descent modules don't have an atmosphere and keep the O2 and CO2 tanks charged up.

The PUR base uses a habitation module for living space and a cargo bay for storage instead space station modules.  These modules are shorter than a standard station module and reduce the risk of collisions when landing or taking off from the base.

Palm Tree Hotel Upgrade

The Palm Tree Hotel was upgraded with an additional docking hub.  This made it possible to resupply the station with consumables even if both the guest and employee Orion modules are docked at the station.

The down side of the extra docking ports it that it partially blocks the view of the guests from the cupola.  Hotel management would like to minimize the amount of time a vehicle is docked at the new ports in order to avoid disruptions to the guest's view.

Update:  A new space pool has also been added.

Meteoroids

Recording from mission to rescue I.S.A.A.C. crew stranded near ADS after a meteoroid storm.  Commander Regina Simon and Pilot Sam Carvala on board an Orion III.  The launch delivered the Orion III and two explosive modules into orbit in the middle of a debris field.  Their mission was to clear the orbiting debris and then head to ADS to inspect the damage and rescue any survivors if possible.

BEGIN RECORDING T+32:09

"Damn", Sam exclaimed as a meteoroid flashed by outside the capsule window.  "That was close!"

"Let's get the explosives deployed and clear out that space debris from our orbit", replied Regina as she unbuckled from the couch and transferred over to orbital piloting station.   She began flipping switches.  Sam took a moment to pull out the photo of his wife and daughter from his suit pocket before taking his post next to Regina at the radar station.

It wasn't long before Regina and Sam heard a small pop and felt a slight push as the first explosive module detached for the Orion III.

"Explosive one free" reported Regina.

"Just in time.  There is one coming up fast behind us." Sam said.  "It should miss, but it will be close"

"Let's zap it before it has a chance to make close", replied Regina.  Outside the window small jets of gas began to emit from the explosive module as Regina nudge the joystick to push it into the path of the on coming debris.

"Two kilometers", Sam said as he began calling out the closing distance between the capsule and the chuck of asteroid.

A brief flash of light was visible outside the window.  "Got it", Sam remarked as the blip disappeared from the radar screen.  "But don't get too excited, there is another one coming up fast from the front".

Regina worked quickly to detach the second explosive module and activate it's remote control as  Sam began to call out the distance between the explosive module and the approaching meteoroid.  The work went smoothly and soon the explosive module was positioned in the orbit of the oncoming meteoroid.

At 500 meters, Regina pressed the button to undock the explosive module from the tug that it had been mounted on for launch.  The explosive module shot up to a slightly higher orbit.  The tug started to drift back toward the planet.   A second later before the tug could start to disintegrate in the atmosphere, the meteoroid slammed into it, destroying both.

Regina used the thrusters on the explosive module to push it to a higher orbit.  With Sam's help she aligned it with the last rouge meteoroid orbiting the planet.

"That is the last of them", Sam announced.  "Just the FLY station, FLY service module,  and the communications satellite left in orbit."

"I'd like it better if we had a clear orbit", replied Regina.  "But we need to get to ADS pronto.  That is our mission.  The next launch behind us is targeted for the FLY service module rescue."

"Alright, let's go" Sam replied as he moved back to his couch and started to buckle in to prepare for the ejection burn.

END RECORDING

CSgtarm

There are always parts that are tricky to re-arrange: Voyager-X antenna, MSS sensor module,  solar panels.  Basically, any part that only has a single docking port.  Previously, the only way to re-arrange these parts was to un-dock them and then chase them down before they flew off into deep space.  This consumed fuel and was difficult if the part had any rotation transferred to it from the un-docking procedure.  

The CSgtarm is robotic manipulator arm that makes it easier to move parts in space.  It is based on the famous Canadarm.   It allows the operator to move parts that don't have a free docking port to attach to.  

The CSgtarm has 4 sets of controls.  Three of these sets control the rotation of the arm and gripper tip sections.  The fourth controls if the gripper tip section is activated or not.

When the gripper tip is activated, it tries to attach to any module that it is touching.  Its combination of magnetic and suction grippers are able to firmly attach to any module.  Once the gripper is firmly attached, the arm can be used to move the module anywhere within reach.

Centauri Spaceworks is currently searching someone, perhaps Nooleus, to construct the CSgtarm from the blueprints above.  The CSgtarm is named after CSgt for his many contributions to the Space Agency wiki.

BLU Base

Centauri Spaceworks has re-established its base on BLU.

The BLU base was originally constructed as part of a trial to establish a multi module colony.  The original trial was a failure.  Despite building on what appeared to be two solid modules for a foundation the base was unsteady.  After several attempts to stop the base from sinking into the planetary surface, the project was abandoned.

New techniques discovered by the I.S.A.A.C. Organization helped bring new life the the abandon base.  The key discovery was the ability for astronauts to transfer supplies between modules that have been landed on the surface, but not docked together. This allows new supplies to be sent down in a cargo pod with LK Lander legs and transferred to the modules that are already on the surface.

Rotation Situation

Physics in the Space Agency universe can be a funny thing.  Sometimes you press the rotate button and the ship you are piloting spins faster than something of that mass should.  Other times after several rounds of tapping still leaves the ship spinning slower that a glacier.

One method that pilots at Centauri Spaceworks use for rotating stubborn ships is the double sideways method.  This method can be applied to any ship that has a forward and reverse facing engine unit.

To execute:

1. Tap the side (left for clockwise, right for counter-clockwise) on the forward facing engine. The ship should start to rotate and drift to the side.
2. Tap the same side button on the reverse facing engine. This should kill the sideways drift but keep the rotation.

You can repeat this process multiple times to spin the ship faster.

If you have only done the procedure once, stop you can probably use the rotation button to stop the ship without having to reverse the double sideways maneuver.

Express Route to GRN

In an effort to shorten transit times to the outer planets, Centauri Spaceworks launched an Orion-E to place a waypoint at the halfway point between GRN and HOM.  By using this waypoint ships departing HOM can travel directly to GRN and no longer need to visit LUN or RED.

Orion-E

After several test flights using the newly placed waypoint, it was confirmed that the Navicomp only points to the center of the planet at close range.  At longer range it points to the clockwise orbital entry point (the side of the planet where an arriving space ship enters  a clockwise orbit).  This was supported by the spatial inaccuracy between the waypoints.

Given the coordinates for HOM and GRN, the distance between them should be 1137.  However at the midpoint between GRN and HOM the distance to each was 564 And 562, a total of only 1126.  A distance of less than 1137 should not be possible if the Navicomp points to the center of the planets.

Flying directly at the express waypoint will put you in orbit around the other planet, despite not being aligned to the Navicomp indicator.   The Navicomp indicator points to the clockwise orbital entry point, where the path through the waypoint uses a counter-clockwise orbital entry.

However, flying directly through the waypoint without a course correction is not recommended.  A small error in the initial launch vector means that the spacecraft will miss entering orbit, or crash into the planet.  It is recommend to apply a mid-course correction to align to the Navicomp indicator once it becomes available.

Orion III

Orion III

"Abandon Ship" are two words you never want to hear on a space craft.  But if are unfortunate enough to hear them, there will probably be an Orion III capsule nearby to transport you to safety.

The Orion III is one of Centauri  Spaceworks core vehicles for transporting humans.  It is used as both a lifeboat and routine transport vessel for activities near HOM.  It is an Orion Capsule paired with a Heavy Tug, instead of the stock Orion Service Module.

The compact spacecraft size of the Orion III allows it to dock in locations where the traditional Orion service module's solar panels would get in the way.  It also requires a smaller rocket for launch, saving on costs.  Near HOM crew change missions can be done using a Mercury + Delta launch vehicle.  For installation, upgrading to a Titan + Delta II allows the Orion III to arrive at its destination with all or most of its fuel reserves.

Orion III sending a crew change to Xerces station

A test Orion III capsule was able to make a HOM to LUN to GRN to RED to LUN to HOM circuit and successfully splashdown on HOM.  Based on the usage during this test, the battery charge should last for approximately 25 minutes of game play time.  This allow enough time to travel  to HOM or the nearest station in the event of an emergency.

The Joycelyn E

With the militarization of space by those who blatantly disregard the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, a big space fireworks show may be happening soon.  Unlike Earth fireworks, which lead to missing fingers, space fireworks can lead to missing limbs or the destruction of entire planets.

A medical ship was commissioned to provide aid for space fireworks related injuries.  The Joycelyn E is equipped with four state of the art medical bays and a medical staff adept at re-attaching limbs.

Advances on the Joycelyn E include a new engine, the ALK-638. The ALK-638 is the combination of an ATV and a LK Lander Core. Although a single ALK-638 provides enough power for the Jocelyn E, there are two to insure continuous power in case of emergency. The twin ALK-638s eliminates the need for extensive solar panels to meet the power requirements of the medical bays and control room.

The Joycelyn E is named for Joycelyn Elders, the 15th Surgeon General of the United States.

Launch Contract Announced

Operator boredom.  Launch fatigue.  Falling asleep at the wheel.  Even the most experienced launch technicians can suffer from it.  During a routine launch, something distracts the operator.  Before anyone realizes, it a multi-million dollar rocket and payload is heading for the ground instead of the stars.

To avoid rocket loss due to launch fatigue, Centauri Spaceworks has contracted with Nooleus to provide 1000 quick launches.  This will supply Centauri with the fuel and modules it needs to continue building ships and stations without the time, effort, and risk of doing every launch.  Centauri will still continue to do crew and consumable supply launches as needed.

Palm Tree Space Hotel

Welcome to the Palm Tree Space Hotel.   When your daily shuttle from HOM first arrives it will dock at the base of the palm tree where the guest rooms are.  

You will be greeted by our receptionist in the lobby.  We have four rooms available.  Each with a king sided bed and palm tree themed sheets.  There are two observation lounges for you to enjoy the spectacular views.  There is even a garden for you to relax in as well.

Please don't stray beyond the garden however, that area is for staff only.  A corridor connects the guest portion of the hotel with the mechanical and staff areas at the top of the tree.  An Orion III craft is docked at the top of the tree to use as an escape pod in emergencies.

Update: The Palm Tree Hotel has been upgraded with an extra docking port and a pool!

Double Docking Bay Doors

Orion III entering the open docking bay.

With the growth in the size of ships, Centauri Spaceworks needed a larger docking bay.  This required a larger docking bay door.  Instead of just enlarging the existing door, engineers divided the door to create a double door.

In the previous single door design, the force of undocking and docking the door at its hinges would knock the structure out of position.  The structure was always required to supply a bit of station keeping thrust to maintain its position after the door opened or closed. It was theorized that the motion of two symmetric doors would cancel out, leaving the station at rest after the doors had completed their motion.  However this was not the case and a bit of thrust is still required to maintain position.

The double doors do have the advantage of opening and closing faster than a single door.   Each door only has to traverse half the distance.

Fuel Cell

Centauri Spaceworks has an excess of main engine fuel at its shipyard.  Every week a new fuel silo is sent up from HOM to replenish the supplies.  All of the thruster propellant goes to refueling the station builder tugs that have been busy constructing new ships and stations.  Without having to travel long distances, the tug's fuel tanks remain almost full of main engine fuel and only need a small topping off each week.  The nearly full main fuel tanks have started stacking up.


Lead Engineer, Alrick Fons, has proposed a use for all this extra main engine fuel:  turn it into power.  Centauri Spaceworks has a need for a compact power source for its spaceships designs.  Alrick designed a fuel cell that will convert the fuel and oxidizer into power.  Water is also produced as a by product of the reaction.

Fuel Cell module concept

The fuel cell is estimated to produce up to 120 units of power.  It has storage equivalent to an ATV.  At full capacity it contains enough fuel to power the module for 30 minutes.  This also results in two full containers of water. Fuel consumption can be reduced if the power load is reduced.

In order to avoid power outages, the fuel tank has an auto refill feature.  When enabled, it automatically turns on the fuel pump when the tank falls below 1/4.  It shuts off when the tank is full, or when there is no remaining fuel to pump.

Alrick has also suggested that this process could be reversed as well.  He has top engineers at Centauri Spaceworks are working on developing a module to convert water and power into thruster propellant.  This will reduce the amount of fuel silos that need to be launched each month to support to work constructing spaceships.  Look for more information about the fuel manufacturing module in a future update.

Upgrades to the Hermit

Harold Hawkes broke his radio silence with a short but panicked message that his ship, the Hermit, had encountered a meteorite shower around JOR. More radio silence followed, leaving the media pundits speculating if he had survived or not.

Harold survived, and his second transmission revealed that his craft had indeed been struck by several small meteorites. He was forced to undock, and live in the Orion capsule  while making repairs. Without a module usable as an airlock he was forced to vent and re-pressurize the Orion capsule several times. During his initial EVA, he forgot to secure all the compartments and accidentally vented some of his belongings, including his favorite book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, into space.

The end of his second transmission caused even more caused even more gossip: Harold Hawkes was coming back to HOM!  Harold wanted to have more thorough repairs made to the Hermit, as well as a few upgrades including:  an airlock for future EVAs, and a pod for exploring

After the upgrades were completed Harold left HOM to travel to YEL to observe its yellow rings.

Trident

Exterior view of the Trident

The Trident is the latest cargo ship constructed by Centauri Spaceworks.  It offers plenty of cargo capacity with 48 units of cargo.

It utilizes the latest technology including the new cargo hold module.   It is powered by dual ATV reactor modules.  These are ATV modules packed with batteries.

Without the need for bulky solar panels to power it the Trident can squeeze into small docking areas.  It can fit into an area that is just two standard station module and one hub wide.

Interior view of the Trident

The Trident has just completed its commissioning tests and is now awaiting its first assignment.

Ghostship Desdemona

The Desdemona was a surface exploration vessel sent out at the start of the last decade. It's crew vanished in orbit around ENC.

The Desdemona's mission went as planned through arrival at ENC. While in orbit around ENC, a large solar flare disrupted communications. .  The ship's last communication was:

Copy information about upcoming solar event. The crew on board the Desdemona will take shelter inside the radiation shelter of the ships engine room.

Ingo and his assistant Natalia will remain on the surface. The plant's magnetosphere combined with the shielding on the lander should be sufficient protection. Ingo has discovered a network of caves. This is an exciting discovery and he wants to have as much time on the surface as possible. He also thinks that the caves are deep enough to provide shelter from the storm if needed.  

Expect to re-establish contact in 24 to 32 hours.  Desdemona out.

The crew of the Desdemona failed to re-establish contact after the solar flare subsided.  After several days of radio silence, a robot probe originally planned to study the rings of YEL was re-directed to ENC to investigate.

Desdemona drifting in orbit around ENC

Using the robot probe, operators on the home planet found the ship without power and drifting in orbit. The camera images showed that the first lander had returned to the ship. A second lander had been launched and landed on the surface of ENC.  They were unable to establish radio or visual contact with any of the crew.

Over the course of the next month operators on the home planet used the robot probe's manipulator arm to activate the airlock on the empty docking port of the Desdemona and explore the ship.  Inside they found no signs of an emergency, but no signs of the crew either.

The Fall of the Solar Outposts

Solar Outpost 1 (SU1)

Solar Outpost 2 (SU2) with docked ATV shuttle

Solar Outpost 1 & 2 were two ill-fated stations located near the Sun.   They were designed to operate as a pair.

Solar Outpost 1 (SU1) was located very close to the sun to study the solar radiation.  Due to the close proximity to the sun, it would be difficult to cool a  large self supporting station.  Instead a smaller station was designed that required regular replenishment of 02 and C02 scrubbers.  A sister station, Solar Outpost 2,  was constructed to resupply SU1.  Solar Outpost 2 (SU2) was located further from the sun where cooling was not a problem.

The transfer of supplies between SU1 and SU2 was originally intended to be done through a precise alignment of the two stations.  The ATV transfer vehicle would use the momentum from undocking from one station to carry it across the 100 unit distance to the other station.  Because the two stations were precisely aligned, no fuel would be required to re-orient the ATV or to accelerate or break it.

Unfortunately, maintaining this precise alignment proved difficult.  Several times the ATV missed the docking connection and knocked the station even further out of alignment.  Procedures were then changed to manually pilot the ATV shuttle between the stations instead of relying on an unattended transfer.  This caused concern as the fuel supplies began to run down faster than planned.

However it was not the lack of fuel, but a gravity fluctation, that struck the fatal blow to this pair of stations.  Solar Outpost 1 was positioned very close to the sun, its science module inside the circle of influence, while the living quarters and radiators kept the station anchored just outside of the sun's orbit.  A a gravity fluctuation caused SU1 to be tugged slightly closer to the sun and out of its stable location.  Being a minimal station, SU1 did not have any propulsion modules.

The ATV shuttle was immediately launched from SU2 to try to bring SU1 back to a stable location. It was not able to  reach SU1 before it was pulled into the sun's orbit.  The ATV shuttle was already low on fuel because of the change in docking procedures.  The shuttle did not have enough fuel to exit the sun's orbit.  The crew was forced to abort their mission and watch helplessly as SU1 and the two scientist on board fell into the sun.

The destruction of SU1 led the the eventual abandonment of SU2 since the two stations were designed to work as a pair.

Rescue One

Rescue One is an unmanned ship designed to provide fuel, oxygen and power to other ships in an emergency.  It is automatically locks onto a distress beacon and travels to its location.

When Rescue One arrives at the location of the emergency, it can automatically dock with the vessel in distress to provide power and atmosphere.  The two station refuel silos can also be used to refuel stranded ships with enough fuel to return home.

The solar panels on the stand-alone laboratory combined with the batteries inside, provide enough power to recharge other ship's batteries.  The oxygen garden keeps the atmosphere fresh inside Rescue One and also can replenish other ship's CO2 scrubber and oxygen.

Rescue One is currently stationed in orbit around EMA, ready to provide support to any long range missions.

Station One

Station One was the original space station constructed by Centauri Spaceworks.  It was located at the site of the original STA station and was constructed using parts from it.

The communication arm with the Voyager X antenna, and the two main docking ports point toward the home planet.  This enables easy docking with resupply ships and a constant communication link.

The back side of the station contains the solar arrays and the fuel storage tank.  It is also the docking point for the station's tug.

Resupply modules serve as station keeping engines.  They are balanced along the station's center line to enable for easy adjustments.  Keeping a station in balance was one of the lessons learned during the construction of this station.

Proton V

Proton V on the launch pad with a station module as a payload.

Proton V in flight.  Payload is a station hub and an Oxygen Garden.

After Nooleus nerfed the SLS  Core in the 1.6 update, Centauri Spaceworks was forced to find another launch vehicle for heavy payloads.  Enter the Proton V.  It is a two stage rocket that combines the first stage of a Saturn V with the second stage of a Proton rocket.

It has enough power to launch a hub and a station module at once.  It can easily handle any single payload.  The roar of the Saturn V makes it a blast to launch.