As I’ve mentioned in previous entries, the first phase of the Apollo Simulation Project involves research and modeling. Research of the spacecraft and modeling the launch, orbit, and re-entry of said spacecraft. The latter part requires quite the extensive amount of mathematics, involving many advanced topics on the broader topic of astrodynamics:
Astrodynamics
the branch of astronomy that studies the motion of natural and artificial bodies in space
So where do you get resources on such a subject? The answer is the AIAA. The AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics) is the world’s largest technical organization dedicated to the study and discussion of all things air and space. They have published a number of books, all of which are multi-hundred page wonders on different topics of aeronautics and astronautics. They include everything from The Airplane to Nonlinear Composite Beam Theory.
It is a jackpot of books that I cannot wait to save up for and purchase. Here are the ones on my list (descriptions courtesy of AIAA):
- Advanced Dynamics: explains the fundamental laws of motion, but goes a step beyond by covering new topics such as gyroscopic effects, missile trajectories, interplanetary missions, multistage rockets, and use of numerical methods.
- An Introduction to the Mathematics and Methods of Astrodynamics: covers the fundamental theoretical developments in astrodynamics and space navigation that led to man’s ventures into space: celestial mechanics, spacecraft trajectories, and space navigation, as well as the history of the underlying mathematical developments.
- Journey to the Moon: The History of the Apollo Guidance Computer: the first of its kind, Journey to the Moon details the history and design of the computer that enabled U.S. astronauts to land on the moon.
- Modeling and Simulation of Aerospace Vehicle Dynamics: unifies all aspects of flight dynamics for the efficient development of aerospace vehicle simulations, providing the reader with a complete set of tools to build, program, and execute simulations.
- Re-Entry Aerodynamics: addresses the kinetic theory of gases, the prediction of vehicle trajectories during re-entry, the fundamentals of hypersonic aerodynamics as they are used in estimating the aerodynamic characteristics of re-entry configurations, re-entry heat transfer for both lifting and ballistic configurations, thermal protection systems, and the application of high-temperature materials in design.
- Space Modeling and Simulation: puts modeling and simulation squarely within the overarching context of systems theory and systems engineering where the subject rightly belongs.
- Spacecraft Mission Design: takes the shortest route to practical understanding of mission design focusing on the most general and most practical tools needed for the early spacecraft design studies, including the principles of two-body motion, definition of orbits, orbital maneuvers, and central body observation.
I’m pumped.
Over the last few days, I have been collecting material to start phase 1 of the Apollo Simulation Project (I think I need a better name…), which is the research phase. I found a bunch of high-res flight manuals and flight plans, which I had printed at Kinkos. They are each more than 300 pages, so they provide quite the wealth of information.
In addition, after quite the adventure, I got a library card at the Cupertino Public Library, and then proceeded to check out some books on the physics surrounding rocket flight, particularly in the Apollo missions. There is a lot to learn!
The Apollo Simulation Project progress:
Current phase: Research.
Though many of you would claim that I’ve been a nerd for a long time, of which claim I will not dispute, I think yesterday I officially inducted myself into nerd-dom. I was reading the Saturn V rocket manual, and I wanted to know a little bit more about the use of retrorockets (small rockets used for slowing down a space vehicle). The Wikipedia article on them claimed that for the Apollo missions, they were not used. So I was like, “hold on, I just read that they were used for backing off the S-IC and S-II stages after booster shutdown.” Consequently, I edited and corrected the page.
Yeah, I’m a nerd. Score.
I’ve always been a space nerd, and I’ve always been a computer nerd. Well, now I am going to combine both. I have recently just become completely overcome by my passion for space, and so starting a few days ago, I began planning to build a real-life Apollo spacecraft and mission simulator.
Now this process is going to be a long road, and I have a feeling it may be years before it’s completed. But that never stopped anyone from doing something they were passionate about, right? The project will take three distinct stages:
- Research: Building a simulator requires that you ’simulate’ an actual working object. In this case, I have to simulate how the Command Module of the Saturn V rocket series will travel from land to space, around space, and then back. This is going to require a pretty extensive knowledge of the spacecraft, including most of its systems and procedures. One of my goals for the simulator is that every button in my simulator will affect the state of the simulator. Now this phase not only will include researching the spacecraft, but researching and understanding the physics and dynamics of space flight, definitely on a simple level. I will have to have a grasp of such topics as energy conservation, equations of motion, power, time derivation of kinetic energy systems, and the Tsiolokovsky rocket equation, just to name a few. A lot to learn, so I better get started!
- Software: After getting a good grasp on the mathematics and technicality surrounding the Apollo missions, I need to actually write the software that will simulate all of the variables and systems. In terms of time, this will probably be the longest stage. Most likely, I will have to write a ton of software to get the simulator using concepts of distributed computing, since I don’t think my MacBook Pro alone will be able to compute all the necessary pieces hundreds of times a second needed to achieve a realistic simulator. So if you’ve got any old Macs you want to send me, I would totally appreciate it!
- Hardware: The last stage of the simulator building process is building a physical simulator that will interface with my software in order to make gauges show values and to access and mutate the simulation model. I have a sickening feeling this will be an extremely expensive part of the process (since both stages up to this point are free), and also one requiring a divine expertise in electrical engineering. If you know anyone who wants to help, please send their name along.
Here are some of my goals for the simulator and process I will be going through to build it:
- First and foremost, learn and have fun. This is a project spawned not from need (obviously), but from shear passion for the subject material. There is so much I want to learn, and though this project is definitely ambitious, it will help me really learn the basics (and maybe the basic advanceness) of astronautics, spacecraft systems, simulation design, distributed computing, electrical engineering, and a whole plethora of other subjects.
- Obtain a mastery knowledge of the Saturn V rocket.
- Get a really good grasp of rocket dynamics, from both a conceptual and mathematical standpoint.
- Write simulation software that is well organized and efficient, but also that is extendible to be moved and molded to simulate other spacecraft like the Delta IV rocket or maybe even the space shuttle.
- Build a real-life cockpit where every button, dial, and switch represents real simulation model data and can change the way the spacecraft is flying.
- Find a good name, ideas?
- Overall, design a realistic simulator that will not only teach me a ton, but will help others enjoy flying to the moon in the Command Module used by the first man to walk on the moon.
I encourage all of you to keep me accountable to working on this. I don’t want to flake out, I want to do this through. So please kick me in the butt if I am lazing off on my Apollo simulation project.
Alright ambitious project, bring it on.