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(STS) Struppey's and Tatz' Scenario 2.3 - NASA Space Transportation System [Vanilla]

*** UPDATE to Version 2.3 ***

You wanted it - you get it!

Welcome to the new STS Project – Struppey’s and Tatz’ Scenario!
After the success of our STS Scenario we spent months getting into planets, gravity and hydrogen thrusters and this is the result.
You will find a complete earth-based world, including 4 Launchpads, 2 SRB Landing Facilities, a runway and some useful ships. Launchpad 4 features the MLP and a ready-to-launch Space Transport System.


This is not a replica of the Kennedy Space Center as our primary goal was to finish a planet-ready STS. So there are no Streets or driving vehicles as known from our previous STS-Project. But standby for the future ;)



Overview:
- Tutorial
- Tipps and Tricks
- Bugs
- Ships included in this world


Tutorial

A full video tutorial is available on youtube:
https://youtu.be/ul42WdOV498

Launch:
- Sit down in the orbiter's cockpit (doesn't matter if left or right one, but true Commanders will sit down in the left seat)
- Press button 1 in group 1 to activate the 30 seconds timer
- Press "k" to open the menu, select "Remote Control" and choose the MLP
- Use shortcut 4 of the MLP for the camera monitoring the left SRB. At T-6 seconds the Space Shuttle Main Engines will ignite automatically. At T=0 the Boosters ignite automatically.
- Press shortcut 5 to unlock the landing gear of the MLP that is connected to the SRB, press "F" to end the remote control and enjoy the ride!
- After 123 seconds the SRBs will separate automatically and aim for their respective Landing Area.
- At 0.1g latest press shortcut 1-4 to activate the External Tank separation. It will slow down and fall back onto the earth. You can use the ion thrusters of the Orbiter to get into the orbit (basically you can switch off the inertia dampeners at about 35.000m/ca 0.08g and float out of the atmosphere)

Approach:
- When you want to land just drop back into the atmosphere and aim for the runway. The Orbiter has enough atmo thrusters to hover, but only a few to the front. So it will keep altitude but move forward all the time (just like an airplane). However the Atmo Thrusters will get back their thrust very lately (below 6000m) so you will be very low when your rate of descent finally decreases.
- Switch on the Radio Altimeter (8-1), it will warn you when you reach a height of 10m (low alarm sound) and 5m (high alarm sound)
- Extend the landing gear using shortcut 8-2.Make sure the rotors are "ON" (8-3)
- Activate the Landing Thrusters (8-4) above the runway, then activate the ground thrusters (8-5) when landet and use the parachute (8-6) to slow down. Use the brakes to stop (8-7).
- As there is no aerodynamical physics available yet, this is a bit tricky and improvised but hey - this is engineering ;)
Just try it and let us know how you feel with that and what we could do better.
Welcome home!



Tipps and Tricks

- For a night-launch you can activate the timer of launchpad 4. This will trigger the light system.
- You can also activate a light system for the Runway. It features realistic lighting, including Runway Edge Lights, Approach Lights and Sequenced-flashing Lights
- There is a platform with some useful ships (Bobby- for multiple tasks, The Jumper to quickly explore the world and Bobby Heavy Lift to move the STS). At the side of this platform is an LCD panel with some GPS positions. They are useful to find some orientation in the world
- There are 3 other Launchpads in the Area. You can use them to launch rockets. They have an automatic release-function. Just sit in the Station-Control-Seat and press 1-1 to activate it. A 10 seconds timer will start and unlock the landing gear then.
- Play this in creative mode. If you want to play in survival you have to fill hydrogen into the tanks (the world and the ships have never been tested in survival)



Bugs (maybe you have some ideas for that):

- The Orbiter can get some damage in the back part of the vehicle, when getting into the orbit. We do not know why. Maybe the moving parts (Landing Gear) hit the rest of the vehicle. The amount of damage varies significantly.
- There can also be damage in the forward part of the vehicle, where the Nose Gear is situated
- There is also a chance that the Orbiter's Payload Bay Doors separate
- Sometimes the Orbiter looses it's wheels during ascent - you can replace them by selecting the wheel suspensions and a click on "Add Wheel". The Landing Gear must be extended, when adding wheels
- The SRBs can start burning after a while if you do not ascent straight upwards. The inside thrusters will then damage the conveyors. It will happen at an altitude high enough, so you will not have bigger issues with that
- There is a possibiliy that the SRBs will fly to their landing point but then start to ascend again at a low speed, instead of landing. Sometimes they even miss their landing point and crash
- Eventually it has to be said that Space Engineers is not intended for this. These are 5 very large "small ships" that have to work together in a way the game is not designed for. So there will always be some trouble. But you are Space Engineers - Fix it!



Ships included in this world:

(STS) Orbiter V 2.3
(STS) External Tank V 2.2
(STS) Left SRB V 2.2
(STS) Right SRB V 2.2
(STS) Mobile Launcher Platform V 2.2


As usual there are no mods.

Future Plans:
- Rebuilding the Cape Canaveral Launch Complex
- Refurbishing ET, SRBs and Orbiter (including the Canadarm like in V1.0)

Please rate and comment!
And as usual - never stop exploring ;)

Struppey and Tatz