FSX Spaceflight dynamics module for FSX

[Misho]

What do you mean by "It will be able to pick up the launch platform, launch tower and the rocket stack, and transport it to the launch pad"?

does it means we will be eble to watcg the rocked going to the launch area? our drive it ourselve? or anything else? I'm a bit confused here (because yes, I would love to drive it )

It means exactly what it says Our physics setup has the ability to have vehicles with hydraulic platforms that can lift other things and carry them. The workflow will be: You build the rocket in VAB, command Crawler Transporter to come in and pick it up, and carry it to the launch pad. The driving will be automatic - on a predetermined path. And reeeeallllyyyyy slow, just like the real thing. We could implement the driving model, but since in real life this is done automatically, we don't quite see the point. And yes, we plan to have crew in hard hats walking around, and a water truck spraying the water on the crawlerway to prevent the dust.

 

[Marc L]

Our physics setup has the ability to have vehicles with hydraulic platforms that can lift other things and carry them

You definitely making a great jod there!!!

The workflow will be: You build the rocket in VAB, command Crawler Transporter to come in and pick it up, and carry it to the launch pad

I don't know why, this is what I wished for after I saw the crawler model but will we still be able to have the Launcher ready for lift off on the pad? (some people might not want to wait for that long haha)

I guess that it would also allow the possibility if having the Shuttle Carrier? (empty plane, watching the crane putting the Space Shuttle on the plane at Edwards, fly it to Cape Canaveral and watch it being removed? (or am I just dreaming? but I this that if this is planned, it xould be also done for MSFS, no altitude restrictions for that )

Talking about the Shuttle Carrier, it would be amazing to be able to attach Satellite payload to plane too (Here if French Guiana, they come with 747F and/or AN124, PMDG bight to the 747 so its amazing!) watching them loading/unloading

on a predetermined path. And reeeeallllyyyyy slow, just like the real thing

well, will it at least be able to run while flying something else? (making random flight anywhere else, or flying a Jet, GA or Helis around and watch the rocket moving

We could implement the driving model, but since in real life this is done automatically

Watched the video yesterday, the Crawler is driven by human (same here in French Guiana ). At least, can I have the Crawler in MSFS already? no need of high altitude for it hahaha

And yes, we plan to have crew in hard hats walking around, and a water truck spraying the water on the crawlerway to prevent the dust

Better than Orbiter or any Space Sim !!!!, damn too bad I don't have P3D.


I have a few other question if you don't mind

-Will it Allow Multiplayer?
Capsule, but also on the ground, one driving the crawler, another driving the water truck, another is helicoper to tell if everything is good etc

-Will the Object be persistant?
Will the object stay where I left them if I closed the sim? (After I moved the rocked from VAB to Pad, will it stay there?, or will it even be able to move when user is offline? and Most Important is about Orbiting Object, I don't know how it'll work, will the objects orbit the Earth "by default" or will have to insert them? and so, how to plan a launch window/rendez-vous to the Space Station? and after that, next day, to deorbit the capsule, will it be when it is supposed to be after 24h of orbit?
If you understand what I mean?

 

[Misho]

I don't know why, this is what I wished for after I saw the crawler model but will we still be able to have the Launcher ready for lift off on the pad? (some people might not want to wait for that long haha)

No - since it is a REALISTIC simulator, we will make user wait for 5 hours as the crawler transports the rocket to the launch pad Kidding! Of course -User will have an option to skip the transfer - OR - there is a speed up function in the simulator that goes up to 128x time compression, so the trip will last about 2 minutes and 20 seconds.

I guess that it would also allow the possibility if having the Shuttle Carrier? (empty plane, watching the crane putting the Space Shuttle on the plane at Edwards, fly it to Cape Canaveral and watch it being removed? (or am I just dreaming? but I this that if this is planned, it xould be also done for MSFS, no altitude restrictions for that )
Talking about the Shuttle Carrier, it would be amazing to be able to attach Satellite payload to plane too (Here if French Guiana, they come with 747F and/or AN124, PMDG bight to the 747 so its amazing!) watching them loading/unloading

Well - no. Since this is a spaceflight simulator, we are concentrating on space flight. Attaching objects to FSX-controlled aircraft is possible but it would be on a very very very low priority.

well, will it at least be able to run while flying something else? (making random flight anywhere else, or flying a Jet, GA or Helis around and watch the rocket moving

Yes, that will be possible.

Watched the video yesterday, the Crawler is driven by human (same here in French Guiana ). At least, can I have the Crawler in MSFS already? no need of high altitude for it hahaha

No, the crawler is automatically driven, but monitored by a human. Actually, a lot of humans - a whole team, overseeing everything.

Better than Orbiter or any Space Sim !!!!, damn too bad I don't have P3D.

Get one!!!

-Will it Allow Multiplayer?
Capsule, but also on the ground, one driving the crawler, another driving the water truck, another is helicoper to tell if everything is good etc

We haven't tested it, but it should work. Our objects are "normal" FSX objects, except they are not under FSX positioning control.

-Will the Object be persistant?
Will the object stay where I left them if I closed the sim? (After I moved the rocked from VAB to Pad, will it stay there?, or will it even be able to move when user is offline? and Most Important is about Orbiting Object, I don't know how it'll work, will the objects orbit the Earth "by default" or will have to insert them? and so, how to plan a launch window/rendez-vous to the Space Station? and after that, next day, to deorbit the capsule, will it be when it is supposed to be after 24h of orbit?
If you understand what I mean?

Good question, and the answer is YES. We will be saving a special file where persistant objects will be stored. So, you will be able to launch something, and that something will be in orbit next time you enter the sim (provided you entered the sim on the date and time AFTER orbit insertion of the object). Their position will depend on the date and time (in the past, present or future) the user enters the sim and it will be calculated from orbital parameters. If you enter the sim in the past, before the mission to launch the object, the object will, of course not exist in the orbit.
Some historical objects, like Skylab for example, will have their "natural" historical life span, (for Skylab from 1973 to 1979) so if you don't interfere, it will be removed in 1979. Imagine assembling a mission to boost the Skylab into higher orbit and saving it from destruction

 

[Marc L]

No - since it is a REALISTIC simulator, we will make user wait for 5 hours as the crawler transports the rocket to the launch pad Kidding! Of course -User will have an option to skip the transfer - OR - there is a speed up function in the simulator that goes up to 128x time compression, so the trip will last about 2 minutes and 20 seconds.

Amen

Well - no. Since this is a spaceflight simulator, we are concentrating on space flight. Attaching objects to FSX-controlled aircraft is possible but it would be on a very very very low priority

Well, it was Worth Asking anyway

Yes, that will be possible.

That is amazing! Now Avoinding Airpaces for real reasons (Transfer or even Launch? ) when Flying an Airliner

No, the crawler is automatically driven, but monitored by a human. Actually, a lot of humans - a whole team, overseeing everything.

Hmmm, you know more than me, I'll trust you

Get one!!!

MSFS is my Wife, I can't Cheat More seriously, I even had to Uninstalled FSX to get more disk space, I am on MSFS only (I wish everynight that MS increases the Altitude limite lol)

 

[Marc L]

We haven't tested it, but it should work. Our objects are "normal" FSX objects, except they are not under FSX positioning control.

Ahhh so yep, should work indeed

Good question, and the answer is YES. We will be saving a special file where persistant objects will be stored. So, you will be able to launch something, and that something will be in orbit next time you enter the sim (provided you entered the sim on the date and time AFTER orbit insertion of the object). Their position will depend on the date and time (in the past, present or future) the user enters the sim and it will be calculated from orbital parameters. If you enter the sim in the past, before the mission to launch the object, the object will, of course not exist in the orbit.

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I LOVE YOU MISHO !!!!!!

Some historical objects, like Skylab for example, will have their "natural" historical life span, (for Skylab from 1973 to 1979) so if you don't interfere, it will be removed in 1979. Imagine assembling a mission to boost the Skylab into higher orbit and saving it from destruction

OHHHH It Will Be Possible???????


ASOBO/MS, FIX THE LIMITATION NOW !!!!!! lol sorry


Keep going Misho, You are doing an Incredible Job !!!!!

 

[Marc L]

Hello Misho, hope you are well Amazing news here:

You are Cleared for LiftOff

 

[manschy]

Looks like a new Red Bull record mission....

 

[Stevena]

Inspired by the tech Alpha, I went searching on Github for spaceflight simulators and found '42' by NASA. It's has a really nice API that appears trivial to hook up with SimConnect; it gives you GPS coordinates out of the box so I figured it can be done without any specific knowledge of orbital mechanics. Nice surprise to find you're *wayyyy* ahead of me, having put years of work into this idea.
Anyway, I'd like to draw your attention to the ISS interior & exterior models recently published by NASA: https://nasa3d.arc.nasa.gov/detail/iss https://nasa3d.arc.nasa.gov/detail/iss-internal
These are "holy-grail" 3D models; everything is complete, all with 4K normal maps & metallic maps & realtime optimized geometry. It would be rather awesome to see them integrated in your module within MSFS 2024.

 

[Misho]

Inspired by the tech Alpha, I went searching on Github for spaceflight simulators and found '42' by NASA. It's has a really nice API that appears trivial to hook up with SimConnect; it gives you GPS coordinates out of the box so I figured it can be done without any specific knowledge of orbital mechanics. Nice surprise to find you're *wayyyy* ahead of me, having put years of work into this idea.

Yes, I know about '42', it is a "bit" more involved if you are going to integrate this into SimConnect.

Anyway, I'd like to draw your attention to the ISS interior & exterior models recently published by NASA: https://nasa3d.arc.nasa.gov/detail/iss https://nasa3d.arc.nasa.gov/detail/iss-internal
These are "holy-grail" 3D models; everything is complete, all with 4K normal maps & metallic maps & realtime optimized geometry. It would be rather awesome to see them integrated in your module within MSFS 2024.

Thanks! I've been checking out this site periodically. These interiors are nice, certainly a good starting point.

 

[Stevena]

Do you plan to support WASM/Xbox?

 

[Misho]

Do you plan to support WASM/Xbox?

I haven's started porting from P3D to MSFS2020/20204 yet, but as it is all SimConnect code, I don't think there is any reason it wouldn't support WASM/XBox. WASM DOES have some gotchas and limitations (like multithreading), but I think I can get around those. I will know more once I start porting. Right now I am trying to get my KSC Scenery out on the market before Christmas.

 

[RiverSkyHigh]

With FS2020, the ONLY limitation/showstopper is 275k ft/84km altitude limit. Anything else, like flight dynamics or speed limits, are irrelevant, because we are not using sim's flight model.

Hey there. I know this is an older thread, but as someone into both flight simulators and various kinds of space simulators (Orbiter Sim, KSP, and even Microsoft Space Simulator, for those who remember it was a thing), I think it'd be so cool to do at least Earth orbital flights in the same sim used for typical air travel. Whether it be a Space Shuttle, Dragon capsule, or anything else. Now that FS2024 has a much higher altitude cap, are there now any plans to work on any form of space flight for this sim, from launch to orbit to reentry?

 

[Misho]

Hey there. I know this is an older thread, but as someone into both flight simulators and various kinds of space simulators (Orbiter Sim, KSP, and even Microsoft Space Simulator, for those who remember it was a thing), I think it'd be so cool to do at least Earth orbital flights in the same sim used for typical air travel. Whether it be a Space Shuttle, Dragon capsule, or anything else. Now that FS2024 has a much higher altitude cap, are there now any plans to work on any form of space flight for this sim, from launch to orbit to reentry?

Thanks - yes, we are in fact starting on this functionality (Project "SpacePort"), now that MSFS2024 removed the altitude limit. If you want, join our Discord server
TerraBuilder, that's where all the "action" will be happening once we get into it and have something to show. Pretty quiet there for now, the server is only a few days old.

We actually just recently released our KSC Scenery for MSFS, check it out on MSFS Marketplace. It will serve as a backdrop and infrastructure for SpacePort.

 

[RiverSkyHigh]

Thanks - yes, we are in fact starting on this functionality (Project "SpacePort"), now that MSFS2024 removed the altitude limit. If you want, join our Discord server
TerraBuilder, that's where all the "action" will be happening once we get into it and have something to show. Pretty quiet there for now, the server is only a few days old.

We actually just recently released our KSC Scenery for MSFS, check it out on MSFS Marketplace. It will serve as a backdrop and infrastructure for SpacePort.

Very cool! I'll check it out.