Sept. Art Challenge - Trekker4747

[Trekker4747]

Since I'm now getting into doing 3D here's my first ever ArtChallenge Entry!

It's a rough concept for Earth's first Mars-Shot vechile.

This is a "first draft" so it's very likely going to change, get refined, or more detail. I'm not likely to do texturing on it as I've not mastered that paticular skill.

I'm not entirely settled on the "history" of this thing, or where it fits in Trek Canon, but I invision it as Earth's first manned Mars-Shot/landing vessel.

The "nose" piece is a landing craft that can seperate from the bulk of the ship (inset), land on the surface, and take off again to redock with the mothership. (Presumably living facilites, refueling stations, and other scientific equipment are already on the planet placed there in previous missions in a "multi staged" preperation for manned exploration of the planet. (Rather than bringing everything needed all at once.)

The large cylindircal bits in the back are the engines/fuel the sphere spins on its axis (magnetic repulsion from the rings around it) to simulate gravity inside as well as offering some protection in the case of radiation spikes, the next section is the main section of the ship where sleeping facilities, dining and the head and then the nose is the cockpit.

 

[Trekker4747]

Update:

 

[ShamelessMcBundy]

I like it. I can see some similarities to the DY-100s ... Cool.

 

[Trekker4747]

ShamelessMcBundy said:
I like it. I can see some similarities to the DY-100s ... Cool.

That's more or less what I was aiming for, to hopefully show a bit of lineage.

 

[ShamelessMcBundy]

That's what i assumed. Shows progression going on. Well, the DY-100 was supposedly launched ... 11 years ago ... must have slept through it ...

 

[Trekker4747]

Quick update:

I think I've almost gone as far as I can with the vessel, lacking any texturing ability.

I may add a detail here and there, or do profile shots with markings paintbrushed on it, but I think this may be the final design for the ship herself.

Next, I'm working on the stations that are on the planet and other features of the mission (like the launch-vessel/platform for the ship.)

 

[Turbo]

Lookin' good, Trekker. Reminds me of a cross between the DY-100 and the Ares IV.

For the solar panels, though - they should be double-sided, held to the ship by the connecting rod through the middle. No "x" bars on the back. I'd also make the rod a bit thicker.

 

[Klaus]

Very cool...

 

[Trekker4747]

For the solar panels, though - they should be double-sided, held to the ship by the connecting rod through the middle. No "x" bars on the back. I'd also make the rod a bit thicker.

Out of curiosity:

What use would double-sided solar panels serve? Only one side can face the sun at a time, right?

 

[Turbo]

On the ground, that's a technical yes, since most are installed horizontally instead of vertically, and vertical panels only produces about 1.3 times as much power as horizontal panels.

However, in space, double-sided panels are much more effective, especially in orbit. When a spacecraft is in orbit, the optimal direction to receive sunlight is constantly changing, and if the panels were single-sided, there would be times where the spacecraft would be totally obscured from sunlight. Using double-sided panels greatly reduces this problem, and also greatly increases the total power generated by the spacecraft.

For a spacecraft in transit to, say, the Moon or Mars, double-sided panels probably wouldn't be necessary during flight, but they would be necessary in orbit.

 

[Trekker4747]

Ok.

My "concept" is that these panels can move/rotate as needed to point at the sun, but it shouldn't hurt my design concept too much to make them double sided.

A, very rough, look at that lander on the surface.

 

[Turbo]

Cool-looking design; it took me a minute to realize that it's attached to the nose of the rocket (should've been an oh, duh moment). I like the concept so far.

And as for the solar panels - yes, they can rotate back and forth, and the ones on the space station do, but the double-sided panels greatly reduce the amount of rotation needed, and put much, much, much less wear and tear on the rotation mechanisms.

 

[Trekker4747]

Yeah. The nose is just a way to get to/from the mother ship and the surface. There's pre-landed structures on the surface for the astronauts to use for their year-long stay on the surface. I'm making those next as I think I've gotten as far as I can on the ship.

I'm trying to decide when this thing was launched.

My idea is for it to be the ship which first took humans to Mars' surface but I'm not confident it's design lineage fits in with "canon."

Ares IV (Voyager) was launched in 2032, I don't think anything suggests it's part of Mars' first mission to Mars (infact I think the craft was there to replace the crew already on the surface.)

World War III started in 2026 (which makes it odd we were launching vechiles to mars 5 years into a war that ended up lasting 30 years) I was wanting this craft to launch before World War III so now I'm at a conudrum.

1. Come up with a reasonable explanation why my (as of yet unamed) ship looks more advanced/complex than one launched to Mars several years later. (Which could be the case of the crew exchange/transport ships being simpler designs or WWIII causing budget crunches and design crimping.)
2. Completely redesign my ship.
3. Completely ignore canon (which means ignoring Voyager (which I'm not opposed to doing) or ignore WWIII's start date which I think was only shown as part of text on a computer screen in Enterprise (which isn't all that hard to ignore. Since it's a small detail probably not to taken seriously.)

 

[Albertese]

Huh. That start date seems waaaaay to early to me. Where exactly did that come from (I missed almost all of Enterprise). I think that a rather short conflict in the 2050's would seem more apropos but who can say in these topsy turvy times. For my money, it would seem just as odd to be sending out the Ares missions in the 2030's if we were a number of years into a protracted war. I *suppose* that since they were run by ISA (and international space agency) that the continuing missions could be some form of political/idealogical slap in the face of the nuclear heavies engaged in the fighting......

But I doubt it.

 

[Trekker4747]

Being, mostly, satisfied with the main ship I'm moving on to the ground equipment. Starting with the Rovers:

Meet: Martian Roving Vechile I (Or Marv 1) One of two vechile on the surface. Occupants ride inside the cab of the vechile which runs off solar energy and hydrogen fuel cells, giving it great range, occupants can ride in the cab without the encumberance of pressure suits since the cabin is pressurized. There is an airlock, and pressure outside for EVA activity or emergencies. Occupants slip on a VR helmet and don gloves to manipulate that arm like appratures on the front to dig, or do other work.

(The arms/tool set/hands are not yet complete.)

 

[Trekker4747]

Work continues on the rover:

 

[Trekker4747]

So, ignoring the crudness of the artwork (these are only the first few 3D designs/models I've done as I'm still learning this program and far from doing texturing) how does this program strike people?

Are there any improvements or changes you thin may be needed, components I may need to include in it?

I've got the mothership and the rover and am starting on the ground facilities tonight and tomorrow.

I'd appreciate some feedback to aid in my development.

 

[USS Jack Riley]

Heck...I'll be your Huckleberry.

So far I have liked what I have seen. The only nit I can pick on this is with the manipulator arms on the rover. While 5 fingers is standard for humans, I usually only see 3 (or even 2) "fingers" on mecdhanical arms (before I get slammed with pictures - please note I said "usually" ). In the case or your rover, you may only need 2 manipulator arms with interchangeable (or revolving) "hands" for various missions (a drill for, well, drilling; a manipulator hand for grabbing samples, a scanner for searching for water or other minerals, etc.). Otherwise, the arms come off as too spindly.

Of course, that is just my take (and it ain't worth much at that!), so you're mileage may vary.

 

[Trekker4747]

Well, the rover has 2 passengers, so there's a set of arms for both of them. And five fingers so that the user can easily manipulate them (they slip on "power gloves") and manupulate the arms for that.

As for tools, the hands are easily interchangable with different tools and there's a tool kit with which they can simply just "pick-up" a tool they want to use and use it.



Thanks for the comments, though. I'll take them under advisement.

 

[Magic04]

The arms of the rover also seem to be too short. Perhaps another segment with an elbow joint would be appropriate. That way the rover doesn't have to be right in front of whatever it is the occupants are examining. Each segment could be 5-8 ft long giving them a 10-16 ft reach.

...Just a thought.

Also, multiple entrances (e.g., two sides and on top) might be benefitial in case of roll-overs or getting buried in a Martian sand storm.