KerbalX

Description

Another side-mounted-payload Energia, like the Princess Ruby, but, this time, with only one payload, and using the same asymmetric booster arrangement as the Kaminari and Aneko. This booster arrangement moves the vehicle’s center of thrust further toward the back side of the stack, at the same time as the heavy payload moves the center of mass towards the front of the stack, creating a great deal of pitching torque; even with the boosters throttled down via KAL-1000 partway up (as was done for the Kaminari and Aneko), the payload needs quite a bit in the way of jettisonable auxiliary aerodynamic flight-control surfaces in order to prevent loss of control during ascent. For this reason, the Brilliant Ruby configuration is best reserved for carrying payloads with large wings or other lateral protrusions which would interfere with the boosters were they mounted any closer to the payload.

The payload is a demonstration vehicle, serving as an example of a payload whose shape and dimensions force the use of this booster layout; it’s based on the Princess Ruby’s space-station payloads, but with the addition of solar-array-carrying wings, of large tail fins on the jettisonable tailcone (to allow the maintenance of pitch control during first-stage ascent), and of four secondary-payload cans (complete with minirelaysats) based on those from the Vashta Nerada. The two wingtip payload cans are jettisoned following secondary-payload deployment, uncovering a pair of Clamp-O-Tron docking ports, while the two cans mounted to the station’s fuselage contain Clamp-O-Tron Jr. docking ports within them, revealed once the minirelaysats in these cans are deployed.

The notes regarding the Princess Ruby’s naming also apply here.

A stock rocket called Brilliant Ruby. Built with 294 of the finest parts, its root part is probeStackLarge.

Built in the VAB in KSP version 1.10.1.

Details

• Type: VAB
• Class: lifter
• Part Count: 294
• Pure Stock
• KSP: 1.10.1