Orbiter Spaceport

VS-40 rocket launch: Launch test of my VS-40 sounding rocket add-on for Orbiter Space Flight Simulator. It features a complete surface base, detailed textures with normal-maps and accurate flight behaviour programmed in LUA, including roll induced by the tail fins. Buran aerotester virtual cockpit:  Working instrument implementation using LUA scripting in Orbiter Space Flight Simulator

Here are some illustrations for the Brazilian Space Program add-on documentation. They show the VLS-1 rocket configuration (labeled in English and Portuguese) and the launch profile with approximate times.

Besides the well know Kennedy Space Center or Baikonur launch sites, there are many other such places around the world. Some of them aren't used for rocket launches, it they played an important role in space history, or are part of current aerospace activities. As part of the development of my Orbiter stock bases upgrade add-on, I've done some research regarding this sometimes little know sites. My objective was to provide high resolution surface tiles for each base and to represent, using the stock base objects, the main structures present. I'll share here some interesting places I discovered. Matagorda was considered as a possible location for NASA's spaceport, along with places like Cape Canaveral... While it was not chosen in reality, it's still featured as a space base in some Ben Bova books. In reality, two close airfields exist at that location, one of them related to private space firms in the 1970s.   Matagorda Island AFB   Matagorda...

Besides the  well know Kennedy Space Center or Baikonur launch sites, there are many other such places around the world. Some of them aren't used for rocket launches, it they played an important role in space history, or are part of current aerospace activities. As part of the development of my Orbiter stock bases upgrade add-on, I've done some research regarding this sometimes little know sites. My objective was to provide high resolution surface tiles for each base and to represent, using the stock base objects, the main structures present. I'll share here some interesting places I discovered. Gran Canaria Airport (IATA: LPA, ICAO: GCLP), (also known as Las Palmas Airport) was an official alternative (emergency) landing site for the NASA Space Shuttle.Also nearby is the Gran Canaria drop zone , an air-launched rocket drop zone, located lat/long 27.0, -15.3. Runways: 03L/21R : 10,171 x 148 ft (3,100 x 45 m) — paved — lighted 03R/21L : 10,171 x 148 ft...

Some images of the final Launch Center model fully textured. Really happy with the results, specially with the vegetation, since my goal was to make a low polygon model for easy export to Orbiter simulator. General view of the two pads: left for sounding rockets, right for the VLS and VLM VLS-1 rocket on pad. The TMI (Mobile Integration Tower) is retracted to a safe distance. After a successful export, here's the Alcantara Launch Center in Orbiter, with the VLS ready to launch.  Alcantara Launch Center in Orbiter