The Nooleus-D is a tricky vehicle to launch. If you follow a normal launch procedure and keep the main engines at full throttle, the vehicle with not make it to orbit. However with good throttle control it is possible to get the entire launch stack to orbit. This leaves all the fuel in the Draco capsule for a trip to the station and return to HOM.
If you do need to separate the Draco crew capsule from the Nooleus first stage, pitch control is critical. The Draco crew capsule engines are not able able to correct the pitch angle. If the vehicle is pitched to the right following a normal launch path, it will start to slowly tip further to the right after separation and eventually go below horizontal. Prior to separation the Nooleus-D should be pitched to near vertical to prevent the Draco crew capsule from pitching back toward HOM before reaching orbit.
Even with a full tank of fuel, the Draco capsule will use it all up during the round trip with no fuel reserves. The pilot must be careful to leave enough fuel to decelerate on the return leg. This means that the return leg is at a slower sub-escape velocity speed that the outbound leg.
Due to the fuel concerns the Nooleus-D is best suited for in orbit tours of HOM and not for station resupply missions or crew changes.
If you do need to separate the Draco crew capsule from the Nooleus first stage, pitch control is critical. The Draco crew capsule engines are not able able to correct the pitch angle. If the vehicle is pitched to the right following a normal launch path, it will start to slowly tip further to the right after separation and eventually go below horizontal. Prior to separation the Nooleus-D should be pitched to near vertical to prevent the Draco crew capsule from pitching back toward HOM before reaching orbit.
Even with a full tank of fuel, the Draco capsule will use it all up during the round trip with no fuel reserves. The pilot must be careful to leave enough fuel to decelerate on the return leg. This means that the return leg is at a slower sub-escape velocity speed that the outbound leg.
Due to the fuel concerns the Nooleus-D is best suited for in orbit tours of HOM and not for station resupply missions or crew changes.
