Reentry 0.75 has rolled out to the Test Pilots!
The long awaited "TSS for Apollo" update has finally made the huge milestone of reaching the hands our Test Pilots (no ETA on public release).
The majority of the work has been on porting the Apollo implementation from the old engine to the new TSS enabled engine. TSS is the full rewrite of the integration layer between the rendering engine and the physics engine(s), something I call the True Scale System. The old integration logic was the weakest point of the simulator, and the benefits of its rewrite can clearly be seen and felt when playing Mercury or Gemini. This has been the final missing program to be ported to TSS. The work surrounding the rewrite for TSS has been immense and time consuming (taken a year in total), but well worth the efforts.
With version 0.75, TSS will be behind us and I can finally start looking ahead.
Ok, so what else can we expect to get in 0.75?
Update of the Apollo Command Module interior. I have started the work of remaking the entire interior of the Apollo Command Module. In the current version, only the panels were visible, as well as a placeholder for the interior walls, and the seats. In 0.75, I have tried to create a fusion between the very detailed and accurate Smithsonian CSM and hatch model, and the functional panels I have already made.
Trans-Earth Injection
The final piece of a full lunar mission profile has been added. A TEI burn tool can help you plan the burn needed to get back home, and reach a predefined Pe that intersects with the atmosphere.
Panel States and Cold & Dark
You now have the option to save and load panel states for both the CM and the LM, just as you can in Mercury and Gemini. In addition, I have added support for Cold & Dark setup, with realistic checklists to guide you, both from a backup crew perspective, as well as primary crew.
Systems
While version 0.8 will have the primary focus of updating and adding some Apollo systems, this version also comes with hundreds of improvements to existing systems such as the AGC, EPS, EMS, and added systems such as the optics. All the missing switches, selectors and fuses has been added to the CM, including the Lower Equipment Bay. You can toggle the seats yourself to get more space for orbital configuration.
All of the Saturn V stages have had their first overhaul from a systems perspective as well.
Optics has been a long awaited feature, and the preliminary support for Optics has been added.
You can now configure the optics and use it as an aid for navigation. The SXT or the SCT is used to scan the surrounding stars, and a star map has been added to the Mission Pad to help you. In addition, the DSKY/AGC in the LEB has been added, and is functional.
Using P52, currently supporting option 1 and 3, you can use the optics to align the current REFSMMAT (Reference to Stable Member Matrix). Option 1 can let you align the platform with the burn direction (planned using the CSM burn planner + P30), and option 3 lets you align it by marking stars.
Checklists for all of this as also been added, and the system will improve and get into a more stable and complete state in version 0.8.
Mission Editor
The in-game mission editor for creating Apollo missions has been added, and is similar to what you have in Mercury and Gemini.
Apollo CSM Campaign
A new Apollo CSM campaign has been added, made entirely with the Mission Editor. Version 0.8 will also add another Campaign into the mix.
Instead of typing more, I'll just share a couple screenshots.
