KerbalX

Details

• Type: VAB
• Class: ship
• Part Count: 37
• Mods: 1
• KSP: 1.11.1

Mods

• Bluedog DB

The early satellites of the Space Race were small and somewhat limited such as Vanguard, Explorer, Sputnik, Ariel, Alouette, and others. They provided invaluable early data about the unknowns of space that would be necessary knowledge for manned space missions, especially those beyond Low Earth Orbit. This would change with NASA’s bold plan to construct larger and more complex observatory satellites which would provide complex data on the Earth, the Sun, and the space between the two. The first Orbiting Solar Observatory (OSO) was launched in 1962 which began multiple series of space observatories of which each would have a different focus. The Orbiting Geophysical Observatory (OGO) soon followed which focused on the Earth and its interactions with the Sun while the second Orbiting Astronomical Observatory (OAO) would become the world’s first space telescope in 1968.

The OAO series were four space observatories, made up of multiple telescopes, which were launched between 1966 and 1972. They carried the world’s first space telescopes and studied many objects, including others, through ultraviolet light. They also could observe x-ray and gamma emissions through separate instruments. The first OAO did launch successfully but instruments failed to deploy and the mission ended after only three days when the undeployed solar panels were unable to recharge the probe’s systems. The second OAO deployed the world’s first space telescopes in 1968 and was highly successful and made a number of important discoveries involving comets before its mission was finally complete in 1973. The third OAO failed to reach orbit but the upgraded fourth OAO launched in 1972 which operated until 1981 and took hundreds of photographs of stellar spectra and new discoveries involving long-duration pulsars.

The second generation of Atlas rockets became standardized and were known as standardized launch vehicles or SLV with the SLV-3-C designation used for Centaur upper stages. It operated as the previous’ generation Atlas as a stage-and-a-half rocket with a booster skirt with two booster engines which were jettisoned in the upper atmosphere. The Atlas-Centaur was used to launch the other three OAOs including the one last on pad and the final one, OAO-3.

The Bossart SLV-3C is an approximation of the Atlas SLV-3C made from Bluedog Design Bureau parts that has a couple of engine upgrades to allow for a greater payload capacity. The upgrades don’t affect the rocket’s operation and it still remains a stage-and-a-half rocket. The booster skirt should be jettisoned around 20 seconds left in the burn which will decrease the thrust but greatly increase the remaining burn time. The core portion of the Bossart should continue its burn until exhausted. The Inon will take over the rest of the ascent and also handle the orbital burn.

The historical mission profile will be to put it in a fairly circular orbit between 700 and 800 km where it’s supposed to observe distant stellar spectra (and other objects) but which can’t be simulated under stock settings. It has been both four different star trackers and a pair of RCS thruster booms which in real life allowed it to keep a very precise attitude for observational purposes.

Built in the VAB in KSP version 1.11.1.