Astronauts' Hall of Fame

[CristiRo]

Yes sleep, 9 hours per night!

[Cthulhus]

And maybe in real time, no "next event" or "time skip". See you in two weeks per mission

/Admin

I did STS1 few weeks ago in real time and hard level simulation and it was very fantastic !

[Admin]

And maybe in real time, no "next event" or "time skip". See you in two weeks per mission

/Admin

I did STS1 few weeks ago in real time and hard level simulation and it was very fantastic !

You have too much free time! That's not fair!

/Admin

[Cthulhus]

You have too much free time! That's not fair!

Just do it during your vacation and send your wife and children at the grandma's home And you'll feel like to be on the space shuttle for real

[Admin]

You have too much free time! That's not fair!

Just do it during your vacation and send your wife and children at the grandma's home And you'll feel like to be on the space shuttle for real

Wife? Children? What's that? :-P

/Admin

[CristiRo]

STS-8 Completed 5 hours in real time

[Cthulhus]

Real Time ? STS8 in ONLY 5 hours ? Strange ...But OK ! You have been added !

[CristiRo]

No play 5 hours in real time and rest next event and time skip.

[Admin]

No play 5 hours in real time and rest next event and time skip.

I suspected that

Real time = NO TIME SKIP AND NO "NEXT EVENT"

/Admin

[JWvD]

STS-1 completed!  (from T-1:50 as I should have)

Some personal highlights I wanted to share (in no particular order).

Perfecting shuttle attitude by manually adjusting after the GPC set attitude for the oncoming OMS burn (close but not perfect). Watching theyellow needles finally align perfectly after having wondered why they "did not seem to work" before.

Seeing every action reflected on the shuttle visually if you go to the outside view. Examples being seeing the MSE "spread out" before ignition so they don't collide, closing the umbilical doors on the underside of the shuttle, testing the hydraulics that drive the aerodynamic surfaces before reentry and many, MANY more...   

Realizing the shuttle's attitude was truly independent (M50 coordinate system) of the earth's rotation so attitudes that did not -seem- to make sense when I made them for OMS burns actually allowed me to visually guess how far I was away from the OMS firing! (yes I'm aware of item 23 which is awesome too!)

Getting a temperature warning on the warning panel regarding the RMS port and realizing I was fixing it by turning on the heaters!

I could go on and on.. But I have been sleeping too little lately anyway so I'd better stop.

Last comment. TrackIR. Im using Freetrack with a DIY setup which cost me exactly 26 euro in components and works really well. It makes ssms into an even more immersive experience for very little money! Its making me look around much more then I ever did and you all know the view is pretty!

Well that's it for now. Happy flying!

JW

[Admin]

Congrats JW!

Your first Astronaut Wings virtual set is on its way

/Admin

[Cthulhus]

Congratulation ! You have been added ! And thanks for sharing with us your feeling about that "game"

[JWvD]

Thankyou both 

Very excited to continue on with the other missions although its also tempting to see which procedures i have learned from my head. It's great fun to try and "beat" the com's on certain events and a good way to see what you have learned. The option to go to orbit directly is also something I love. Great to test something you have learned/read about and to just experiment with the control panels if you feel like it. :-)

I also still have some hobby projects to undertake. I find the rudder control on the joystick a bit "limited" for lack of a better word. Its fine for rcs control but not really for the glide down. I'm considering making a proper rudder control from a secondhand (cheap) joystick just for kicks. From what I've seen the rudder control on the shuttle is rather huge!

I've also been thinking about building the "keypad" for the GPC. However I don't believe those inputs can be mapped directly from within ssms1 from what I've read. I'm not looking to replace the entire virtual cockpit (it is way too immersive with trackir) but that would seem like a pretty cool input device especially since you can use it "blind".

Oh well enough with the rambling. Where do I order my $400 virtual golden astronaut pin? ;-) 

[Admin]

Hey JW,

Wait just a bit longer with all that hardware, and complete more varied and complex missions.

As you move along, you'll discover that you maybe want to add just a few more buttons and knobs to that GPC kbd. There is a request on the Suggestions Board to add more keyboard shortcuts beyond gear, chute, etc.

Who knows, maybe SSMS2 or one of its future Features Packs will enable users to map key presses to more controls, allowing for building more elaborate control devices. What about a box which beside the GPC kbd would also include the THC and RHC? That would make RMS, docking, EVA and attitude adjustments ops so much more realistic and enjoyable

Oops! Was that a tease I just spilled?

/Admin

[JWvD]

Haha, I think it was (a tease). Thankfully I have enough to do in ssms1. All the skills will transfer over anyway so anything I learn now will make ssms2 even more enjoyable.

I actually read through some of the threads on the suggestions forum already so I am aware of some of the things you guys are thinking about for ssms2 and its sounding very good. Looking forward to the 3d cockpit especially. 2d panels work fine but they do detract a bit from the immersion factor.

Ill stop cluttering the hall of fame thread now and actually go do some stuff. Ill prospone the keypad but the rudder pedals still sounds like a fun project to me. Its pretty hilarious to go from no flight gear at all to pretty much a full set in a only a matter of weeks. It has been years since "a game" has gripped me this much.

Thanks i guess...   

JW