J-11 Orion Separation Lunar Orbit by wblack
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Description
J-11 Orion Separation Lunar Orbit
An Orion’s Arm future history image
J-11 Landing craft separating from its interplanetary Orion power pack, leaving it parked in lunar orbit prior to descent to the Martian cargo staging facility on Earth’s moon.
The J-11 cargo/personnel transport evolved as a consequence of the Martian terraforming program, serving to haul payloads and crew engaged in material resource missions to Earth, later acting in the role of resupply craft for crews based on Callisto.
The vehicle consists of two separable elements: a 200 foot diameter spherical landing craft with a large internal cargo-bay, an integral centrifuge habitat, fueled by metallic-state hydrogen rockets intended to land on airless bodies; and an autonomous interplanetary Orion stage which can be flexibly configured for differing fuel loads. Vehicle diagram to follow.
The design is an intentional homage to the spherical lunar shuttle from Arthur C. Clark and Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 A Space Odyssey. In upcoming work, I’m preparing a scene styled after one of 2001’s movie posters showing the J-11 landing craft descending over the Martian’s lunar cargo staging base.
This image is in follow up to previous images illustrating the Martian reengagement with Earth during the early phases of the Martian terraforming program. Associated posts linked here:
After The Leaving … Approaching Contact, Orion Rising, and Orbit Into Night.
Background Image is AS08-13-2344 Courtesy of NASA, Apollo 8.
All models are my own Bryce creations, constructed in Bryce 6.3 and rendered in Bryce 7 Pro.
As always thank you for your interest, thoughtful comments, and encouragement.
Comments (17)
stnaper
Fantastic Image!
grafikeer
Excellent image,great modelling and integration with the background photo!
geirla
Very nice! I like that outrigger engine design. The only question I have is on the thrusters. Looks like the downward firing (if they exist) on the main vehicle and the upward firing on the Orion stage would fire into those outriggers.
dcmstarships
very well done near-future spacecraft design and image
shayhurs
Nice!
flavia49
fabulous image
dan whiteside
Excellent modeling and lighting. The only thing the scene seems to missing is some stars.
wblack
Hi Dan, thanks for your comment, The background image was taken from the Apollo 8 command module in lunar orbit -- if you examine the NASA Apollo image archive you will note the stars are invisible in these images, this is due to several factors, the settings of the camera, as well as the interaction between the amount of light reflected from the lunar surface and the polarizing coating on the command module's porthole windows (necessary to protect he eye-sight of the astronauts). Sunlight is 20 times more intense in space than on Earth's surface -- at Earth's distance from the sun.
NefariousDrO
Wow, one of the things I've missed the most while not having much time here on Renderosity has been these fantastic models and images of yours. This is an awe-inspiring view, with a superb integration into the NASA moon-image that's most definitely on a par with the images from Kubrick's 2001. fantastic work, and very inspiring!
wblack
Hi geirla, On second reading I realized I initially misunderstood your question -- it is in regards to the OMS thrusters (OMS: Orbital Maneuvering System). The fore-shortened perspective of the image creates the impression that one element fires into the other. The OMS thrusters mounted above the outrigger pods on the main craft clear the pods (in the vertical dimension) by a good five feet and these only fire laterally and forward, lateral thrust never impinges on the pods themselves. Downward facing OMS thrusters are mounted on the bottom (center of each outrigger pod -- of course this detail is not visible in this image). These thrusters clear the sides of the Orion stage (and the Orion-stage OMS pods) by nearly ten feet in the lateral dimension. The forward firing OMS thrusters on the Orion stage are more than ten feet (in the vertical dimension) below the outrigger assembly -- these would only fire forward after the downward firing OMS thrusters mounted on the outrigger's initiate separation -- and of course in autonomous maneuvering. While mated the systems would work in a coordinated manner -- forward thrust would be applied to both elements from thrusters mounted on the landing craft and downward or lateral thrust could be applied from either or both systems without impinging on the vehicle.
peedy
Fantastic modeling, as usual. Corrie
Bambam131
William, I really love the way that the ships look. You have done an outstanding job on these models. I am glad that you cleared up the question that geirla asked. Great use of the picture taken by the Apollo 8 crew as the lighting and shadow are spot on! I will also have an answer to your question regarding those {fins) on the engine section of my ship Achilles in the next couple of post of mine. Again, another excellent image to view by you. I look forward to your next posting. Cheers, David
gmvgmvgmv
Very competent work here with some fine, credible modeling and a realistically bumped lunar surface.
texboy
better than ever, bubba!
Eromanric
Really excellent!
WPL2
fantastic!
WZRD
Cool! I like the texture work on the spherical module. Well done.