Categories: Orbiter (sim) | Fictional spacecraft

Shuttle-A

Shuttle-A

Description
Role	Cargo vessel
Crew	1 or 2
First Flight	date unknown
Entered Service	date unknown
Manufacturer	unknown
Dimensions
Length	35.00 m
Width	15.40 m
Height	6.98 m
Weights
Empty	12,000 kg
Main fuel load	11,400 kg
RCS fuel load	600 kg
Take off-mass	24,000 kg
Propolusion
Main engines	2 x 193.52 kN
Auxiliary engines	2 x 60 kN
Hover engines	3 x 135.45 kN
@ Isp of	30,000 m/s
Performance
Max delta-v	26,800 m/s
Max accel	18 m/s^2	(main axis)
Max accel	18 m/s^2	(up axis)
Max accel	18 m/s^2	(combination)
RCS
translation	6 x 5000N	(x,y,z axis)
pitch	75 kNm
bank	30kNm
yaw	75 kNm
@ Isp of	30,000 m/s
Other
Inertia (PMI )	15.5 / 22.1 / 7.7 m²
Docking ports
First	regular docking collar	front
Origional Shuttle-A (lifting off)

Shuttle-A is a futuristic cargo vessel featured in Orbiter space flight simulator (a closed source, freeware simulator by Martin Schweiger). Thanks to the technologies beyond the reach of the modern aerospace industry its propulsion system has a very low fuel consumption (or high specific impulse, if you like) that allows it to get to LEO or even make short jaunts to the Moon.

The Shuttle was designed primarily for low gravity/low atmoshperic density environments. Lacking good aerodynamic qualities it is demanding for the novice Orbiteer who would probably prefer a Delta-glider on their first flight.

Shuttle-A is included in the standard distribution of Orbiter

Contents

1 Features and Capabilities

1.1 Cockpit
1.2 Engines and fuel systems
1.3 Other systems
1.4 Docking, EVA and cargo

2 Latest release

3 History and evolution

4 Variations and third-party add-ons

4.1 See also

Features and Capabilities

The Shuttle-A is only capable of VTOL. It cannot take of horizontally because it uses fixed landing struts to support itself when grounded. The auxilary engine pods are needed to assist the two hover engines in medium gravity enviroments.

Cockpit

Three cockpit panels:

Overhead panel - with propellant status indicator, readouts for current tank fill status, mass flow rates for the main fuel pumps, switches and indicators to operate the docking hatch and airlocks.
Main panel - access to the manual engine controls (main, hover, auxiliary), two multifunctional displays (MFD) and HUD .

Engines and fuel systems

The exact nature of the propulsion system used by the Shuttle remains a mystery. What can be implied from the very high specific impulse is that this technology is well beyond state-of-the art for the beginning of 20th century, somewhere in the MPD - VASMIR range (compare Table ).

The engine layout consists of:

two main engines - in the main axis of the vessel,
two hover engines - underneath the superstructure,
two engines in central side pods which can be rotated 90 degrees for hover or retro duty.

There are two different propellant systems for main and RCS engines.

Other systems

As of now the Shuttle does not have operable electrical or hydraulical systems

Docking, EVA and cargo

The Shuttle-A contains a docking port and airlock below the cockpit module which is protected by a hatch during atmospheric flight.

Cargo pods and auxilary fuel tanks are attached to either side of the main skeleton of the ship, which starts behind the cockpit and extends to the main engines. This skeleton also contains the fuel lines and electrical wiring for the ship and auxilary fuel tanks.

Latest release

The current version (031217) features:

model design by Roger "Frying Tiger" Long
instrument panels and module code by Martin Schweiger
Shuttle-A Technical Manual by Martin Schweiger

It is part of the standard distribution of Orbiter

History and evolution

The history and evolution of the Shuttle-A reflects that of the general history of the Orbiter simulator. The protoplast of the Shuttle - simply called the Shuttle apperared in Orbiter release 001127. It was relatively simple and straightforward in its appearance, yet it gained a popularity among Orbiteers. Its nickname was the "Space Truck", due to its similarity in appearance and function to a semi-trailer.

Variations and third-party add-ons

The popularity, udeniable charm and agility of the original has spurred other Orbiter add-on makers in the Orbiter community to further develop the Shuttle-A concept. The most notable of those attempts was Shuttle-A2 by Alexander "Mindblast" Blass and Jógvan "C3PO" Trondesen .