Download the Jupiter 246 Demo for Outerra: J246.GNU.OTX

Hey everyone!I have spent the past few days researching how to implement a mod which I'm calling AeroKinetics. It will introduce a number of procedural aerospace components, including everything to assemble multistage rockets and put payloads into orbit. The concept may sound far fetched or unrealistic, and indeed it may be difficult, but I believe it is achievable in a series of smaller steps. The concept is inspired by Kerbal Space Program, if you have never played I highly recommend it. KSP is great, but I have been disappointed in a number of aspects including how difficult it is to mod and how poor the aerodynamics and flight controls are. I have also modded in Digital Combat Simulator (DCS), but the maps are finite so going into space doesn't really work.Instead of making hundreds of components, as in KSP, I'll make a procedural component for each standard type (listed below) which allows the player to construct complex assemblies of all shapes and sizes, with a Rocket Stage Calculator to help compute empty/gross weight and delta V per stage. Everything, including rocket design, operation (aerodynamic center, center of mass and center of thrust) and orbital mechanics (semi-major axis, inclination, periapsis, apoapsis, ecentricy, etc...) will be based on real world data and equations and the gameplay should look and feel as authentic as possible. I plan that all of the components can be damaged or destroyed, via strain, impact or excessive heat, making dynamic pressure of ascent or reentry, critical for successful design and operation.Controls:P Information display. (period) Hold-down force (on=1, off=0)pgup Increase throttlepgdn Decrease throttleenter Exit/enter rocketG Google MapsTo enter a prograde orbit with minimal inclination, spawn the rocket using Google Maps to face due West. This will orient the autopilot to make an Eastward gravity turn. To make sure the rocket does not have pitching moments or go into a spin directly after launch follow these instructions carefully. After spawning the rocket, press '.' (period) to take off the hold-down force. This will allow the rocket to rotate into a vertical position. Wait until the rocket stops moving completely before turning back on the hold-down. By pressing 'P' you may see the status of the hold-down force, (on=1, off=0). Slowly increase the throttle until above 70%, this will fire the four SSME RS-25 engines, wait a few seconds for the thrust to stabilize, increase to 100% to fire the two SRBs. Release the hold-down force after the SRB thrust has stabilized. After the SRBs burnout, they will be jettisoned in JSBSim, and the mesh hidden (separation still not working). When the main External Tank is empty the first stage will be jettisoned. Enjoy your flight!Liquid Fuel Tank (insulated or uninsulated)Liqui Rocket Engine/Nozzle (light, regular, heavy)Solid Rocket Booster TankSolid Rocket Engine/Nozzle (light, regular, heavy)Reaction Control ThrustersFairing/Payload Bay (multiple shapes)Interstage/DecouplerNose Cone (multiple shapes)Aerodynamic Fin (fixed)Aerodynamic Wing (multiple airfoils and complex leading/trailing edge options, i.e. smooth or sharp edges)Aerodynamic Control SurfaceHeat Shield (adjustable ablative tile thickness/weight)Retractable Landing GearMulti-stage Parachute (add chute stages and adjust canopy sizes)I will begin by building a simple rocket, which is put toghether from all of these components, but the components ARE NOT procedurally generated. I will need to develop the vehicle assembly user interface and flight dynamics/orbital mechanics first, and the procedural parts will of course follow with time. If anyone would like to contribute to this mod, please contact me. I would also appreciate you thoughts and suggestions!Lastly, I would just like to say, the Outtera procedural environment is of course breathtaking, the attention to detail exceptional. I am specifically impressed with the fact that I was able to navigate the area where I grew up in North Central Washington and, without using the Google Maps panel, was able to identify many landmarks and features which I did not expect would be consistent, not to mention mountains such at Mt. Rainier which are unmistakable, very impressive! My only disappointment is the Mig was unrealistically easy to fly, but hey, its only an Alpha!Fly with the Oculus Rift DK1, it is amazing even at low resolution.Regards,Uriah