May 30, 2020

Reentry - A Space Flight Simulator - wilhelmsenstudios

Reentry has been updated to 0.6!

This update has a Project Mercury focus, but you will notice some new things in Gemini, the Command Module and the Lunar Module too.

As with the other major updates, it will take a bit of time to gather all your feedback and issues, but please except stead releases of minor updates covering the issues and bugs you report, so we can make 0.6 stable!

IMPORTANT
It's important to RESET DEFAULT CHECKLISTS from SETTINGS, and many of the Mercury Checklists has changed. This will install the latest versions, but be sure to make backups if you made changes to the default checklists.
In addition, verify that the VR checkbox is off in settings. I got feedback that it is on by default on some systems. Looking into this, but if this is ON, it will be hard to interact with anything in the cockpit.

RECORDING
You can find a recording of the Stream showing the 0.6 updates here:
https://www.twitch.tv/wilhelmsenstudios

TRUE SCALE SYSTEM (Mercury)
The main feature of the update is the introduction of the True Scale System (TSS). This make the scale of the universe in Project Mercury much more realistic. This is just the start of TSS and will evolve to cover the requirements for Project Gemini in version 0.7.

MERCURY SYSTEMS
Many of the Mercury Systems and physics has received an overhaul, such as pressure and a full electricity system overhaul. A Mercury Mission will now feel much more immersive and realistic (especially if you perform the full procedure from T-90 minutes - see the new campaign!). There are still things in the works, and things waiting for feedback, but this will evolve. Abort modes are also introduced, but not yet complete.

PANEL STATE
Mercury can now load custom panel states such as Cold and Dark. This can be done in the Mission Editor, or by using the Console.

MERCURY CAMPAIGN
The new Mercury Campaign will take you through many of the new features. I hope you will enjoy it and be inspired to make your own Mercury Campaigns and missions. The Campaign will be open sourced at github.com/reentrygame, so you can see how it was made.

FAILURES
Failures are added to Mercury. You will find emergency procedures and checklists in the mission pad. Random Failures can be configured in REALISM SETTINGS, and controlled failures can be triggered from the in-game menu. If you enabled random failures, missions could disable the setting for the duration of the mission (it does not make sense to have random failures in some scripted missions). This is a setting in the Mission Editor, and the mission designer controls this. Free Play missions has random failures enabled.

IN-TESTING ONLY: EXPERIMENTAL VIRTUAL REALITY SUPPORT
This update brings preliminary support for Virtual Reality in Mercury Missions. It leverages the SteamVR SDK. I have had support for VR in internal branches for a long time but have not yet had the time to focus on it. I decided to just release its current state for Project Mercury, so those who wish can start helping me in testing this. This is in an experimental phase and requires an HMD with motion controllers. Gaze is considered (do you wish to have support for Gaze? Let me know!) but it is not ideal for Reentry. Please see the VR lesson in the Mercury Academy.
Tested HMDs:
- Oculus Rift
- Windows MR
If you own a Vive or other headsets, it would be great if you can test it and see if it works. Please get back to me with you feedback on the forum here, Discord or on e-mail: petriw@gmail.com, so I can fix whatever issue we stumble upon.

NEW REALISM SETTINGS
Make sure you check out the realism settings for new possibilities. Lots of changes here. You can now for example disable the auto proceed feature in checklists, so switches in their correct position can still be highlighted. This applies to missions as well. If a switch is in the correct position, a green box will highlight it. The off-screen indicator will help you find them too.

INTEGRATED MERCURY MISSION EDITOR
The Mercury Mission Editor has been integrated into the game and can be used to create missions!

APOLLO CSM TEI
Getting back to Earth is not streamlined and supported yet, but the major blocker for this feature has been solved. From the CSM Burn Planner and the Lunar Globe View, you can see the Earth/TEI Node, and data on passing it. This point can be used to plan a TEI burn. The CSM Burn Tool should now work when returning from the Moon, and can be used to alter your trajectory, or get into an orbit around Earth (unrealistic, entry was direct). TEI development can then finally start and is scheduled for version 0.7!

GRAPHICS CHANGES
The entire game has been upgraded from being based on Unity 2018 to now be based on the latest 2019 version. The Mercury capsule a realistic model of an astronaut in the seat, and some updated features on the panels. Gemini has received a new interior model (while panels remains the same).

BREAKING SAVE AND LOAD STATE CHANGES
This update contains a lot of changes to how the Save and Load state works. Old save states might not work correctly.

Apr 20, 2020

Mission Control Live and version 0.6

Reentry - A Space Flight Simulator - wilhelmsenstudios

Reentry version 0.6 has been in development for a while, and will introduce many new changes to Project Mercury. This post aims to briefly cover the main parts of 0.6, as well as showing you another feature in planning: Mission Control Live

True Scale System
The major work we did with version 0.45 can be seen in-action through the True Scale System. This is currently only available in Mercury, but it changes how Reentry works with the floating points limitation. TSS now allows you to maneuver in a true scale environment with seamless ascent (no transition), and a much more realistic sized Earth. Zooming no longer affects the scale of Earth like it did before, and the "floating rocket parts" are no longer a thing.

Failures
With random failures, mission scripted failures, or failures triggered by a troublemaker in the Mission Control multiplayer module, you now have to pay much more attention to all of the internal systems. If a fault is detected, you will need to work the problem and figure out if the mission can continue or not. A basic implementation of the Mercury Abort Modes are also available, where the Escape Tower is used to drag the capsule away from a failing launch vehicle (see video below)

New missions & in-game Mercury Mission Editor
Version 0.6 will also add a few new missions for Mercury, where your abilities will be tested outside of the Academy. A new mission editor has been created, allowing you to create Mercury missions directly in the game.

Mission Control Live
The Mission Control Live module is a multiplayer mode scheduled for version 0.7 where multiple players can join a game session as Mission Control for an astronaut. The Mercury Control Center has been remade with a focus on details, gamification and functionality. I have been doing a lot of research into how it looks, feels and works, as well as how one person or a team can be Mission Control, following realistic flight plans, or private training sessions.

Here are some comparison pictures from real life, vs. what I have in Reentry

The mission control room is populated with custom avatars where each player can design his or her own character to be used as a mission controller (and eventually as the face of your astronaut).

Saturdays stream
Many of you saw the stream on Saturday where the Test Pilots and I were playing the new Mission Control Live module for Reentry, with Serpatron in the capsule. Unfortunately, we were unable to bring him down due to an unfortunate event where the retros were jettisoned too early.

If you wish to see the session, you can do so here:
Mission Control Perspective:
https://www.twitch.tv/wilhelmsenstudios

Astronaut Perspective:
https://www.twitch.tv/RealSerpatron

When will 0.6 or Mission Control Live be released?
I do not yet have an ETA on when version 0.6 or the Mission Control Live feature will be released. Version 0.6 will need to be released before Mission Control Live can be a part of the game. Mission Control Live will hopefully make it into 0.7.

Mar 19, 2020

We are getting close to 0.5 - this post covers it all!

Reentry - A Space Flight Simulator - wilhelmsenstudios

Version 0.5 has been in development since the summer, and is going to be a great update for the Apollo program + some new things for Mercury and Gemini! With the release of version 0.45, I finally had the tools needed to get the Lunar module from the surface of the Moon back to the CSM.

You got a glimpse into what you can expect from version 0.5 in the previous post, but today we will take a look at other things 0.5 will introduce, and also talk about Atmospheric Entry for the Command Module. I will mostly use pictures do describe these features.

The initial plan was to release the lunar ascent, rendezvous and docking as one release, and then another release containing atmospheric entry for the Command Module. However, this has changed, 0.5 will have both Lunar ascent, rendezvous, docking and Atmospheric Entry. The bits are now in the hands of the Test Pilots!

Lunar ascent, rendezvous and docking
As most of the Lunar Ascent and rendezvous parts of this update was covered in my previous post, this post will cover the things that 0.5 will bring in addition to that. If you have not read the previous post, you can find it here:
https://steamcommunity.com/games/882140/announcements/detail/1709617390888004912

Atmospheric Entry
Apollo Atmospheric entry should now work again. There are many parts that needs more development cycles such as the EMS and procedures, and the autopilot during the entry programs (P60's), but at least it's now possible to perform an entry with the Command Module again!
The Atmospheric Entry Academy lesson has been remade to reflect the changes, and is now much better.

The EMS is a great tool during entry, and will show you the G load, distance left and suggested guidance. This is still in development, but it's enough to make you understand what it's capable of.

When drag increases you will now see a much more realistic plasma effect during entry.

Landing & Splashdown
When the blaze is over, you now enter a much better splashdown area. It's very important to arm the ELS system, or else you will crash. With the ELS system active, and set to AUTO, the apex, drogues and main chutes will deploy automatically. But verify this, and if a fault happens, you can deploy manually by setting the ELS to MANUAL, and use the altimeter to check when to trigger an action.

First thing you will see is the release of the APEX cover, shortly followed by the two drogues. The descent rate should slow down to about 200 ft/s or less, and the capsule should stabilize/hang from the two chutes. Do not use the RCS system at any time during landing, or the ropes will burn.

Then the three main chutes will deploy, and the descent rate should slow down to about 32 ft/s.

Followed by splashdown

Improves cockpit ambience
A new Cockpit Ambiance System is in the works, and will eventually roll out to all of the supported spacecrafts. This system generates a more true-to-life cockpit atmosphere with radio static noise, and the famous beep sound effect on radio messages. Lot's to be done, but feel free to give it a try.

Graphics & Performance settings
Render Probes
One of the major issues with Apollo is the amount of system resources it requires, and the amount of graphics used to render it all. The Earth, the Moon, the Saturn V stack with the CSM, and the Lunar Module, and both the virtual cockpits. That's a lot of draw calls. One of the biggest bottlenecks for performance is the reflection probes used to render reflections on materials. You now have an option to turn these off, or improve their quality.

Improved CSM Model
Small changes has been made to improve the quality of the Command Module and the Service Module.

Main Window Glare
The improved reflection probes can now render reflections on the main windows of a virtual cockpit. If you have a lit cockpit, the reflections will be more intense, while if you turn off all the lights, there won't be much to reflect at all.

Basic Crew Models for the CSM and LM
I'm working on a Crew Model and Astronaut Avatar system, used to create your own Astronaut. While this is in progress, I have enabled the option to render basic models of the crew in the CSM and the LM.

Off-screen Switch Indicator
Ease-of-use is very important for me, and TP SwGustav suggested adding a UI indicator pointing towards a switch when it's outside of your view. An off-screen switch indicator was introduced, and will be visible if a checklist or mission instruction needs you to change a switch not rendered. This will then point you in the direction you should turn the camera to find the switch.

All-in-all, with the introduction of Lunar Ascent, and Atmospheric Entry, version 0.5 will bring a lot on the table. Academy lessons has been added. In addition, a lot of issues has been fixed (and probably introduced too), thanks to all the bug reports and feature requests you have made.

Mar 2, 2020

An update on version 0.5x

Reentry - A Space Flight Simulator - wilhelmsenstudios

Hi!
It has been a while since I posted anything here. The focus has been on getting the development of version 0.5x up-to-speed.

This post is a brief summary of some of the new features you will see in 0.5x, as well as some plans on the roadmap.

Version 0.5 has a focus on two major features for Apollo.
1) Lunar ascent, and CSM rendezvous and docking
2) Atmospheric Entry

The 0.5x update will be split into two releases where 1) will be part of 0.50 update, and 2) will be part of 0.55 update. Development has started on both, and 1) is getting close to a release for the Test Pilots.

In addition, 0.5x will have some other nice general features, fixes and a lot of general improvements.

Lunar Ascent & Rendezvous
For those familiar with the Lunar Ascent and the LM/CSM rendezvous will know that this is a complex operation. There are a lot of procedures involved, and many new systems will be used. In addition, you will need to control two spacecrafts at the same time. The LM during ascent, and the rendezvous burns, and the CSM for docking, and during the rendezvous burns.

The first part of the ascent is where the Lunar Module separates from the Descent Stage and uses it as a launch pad. The APS (Ascent Propulsion System) is used to take the Lunar Module ascent stage from the lunar surface into an elliptic orbit around the Moon, with the same inclination etc as the CSM. The CSM is in a larger circular orbit.

The initial orbit has and Ap altitude and Pe altitude of 17km x 83km. Once the LM reaches Ap, the orbit is circularized using a burn named Coelliptic Sequence Initiation (CSI). After this, an optional Constant Delta Height (CDH) burn and an optional Plane Change (PC) burn is used to align the LM orbit with the CSM orbit, as well as ensuring that the LM orbit is in a circular orbit 15 nm below the CSM circular orbit.

After the above burns, the LM is catching up with the CSM (it works in a similar manner as when the Gemini spacecraft is catching up with the Agena before the rendezvous burn). The Lunar Module is using the rendezvous radar to track the CSM, and have an attitude that where the LM is facing the CSM, and vice versa.

At the correct point in the orbit, where the line-of-sight (LOS) from the LM to the CSM and the flight path of the LM has an angle of 26 degrees, a relative motion burn takes place in the LOS direction. The LM is thrusting directly towards the CSM, and will now be on a rendezvous path. This burn is named the Terminal Phase Initiation (TPI), the burn to intercept CSM's orbit). A TPM (Terminal Phase Mid-course correction burn) takes place after this, followed by a series of small breaking burns named the Terminal Phase Final (TPF) - placing the LM in a similar orbit as the CSM.

All of these burns are planned using P32 and P3X, and executed manually using P41 and the RCS system.

There will be two methods of rendezvous in Reentry, one simplified and one advanced. The simplified method will still use P41 to execute the burns, but will use P30 to plan the burns, with parameters received from MCC. The simplifies rendezvous will have the CSI burn, and then a direct rendezvous hohmann burn, followed by rendezouvs and docking.

The advanced method will use P32 to plan the burns, and then P3X (one P3X for each burn like CSI, CDH, etc). The simplified method is now complete, and will be part of the initial release, while the advanced still needs some development and will be part of a later update.

New checklist system
The entire checklist system in Reentry has also been replaced by a new system. It looks similar to what you are used to but is now fully file-based. This means that each checklist has a dedicated file on your computer. A new checklist editor accessible using the in-game console can be used to add your own checklists, as well as modifying existing ones. When a mission is loaded, the checklist tabs of the Mission Pad will be procedurally generated based on the files it finds, and their data.

The checklist editor can also add Checklist Guidance Steps to it (if a checklist has one or more steps, the RUN button will be visible). A record feature will allow you to record the checklist steps that will execute when a player press RUN.

The DEFAULT checklists will be installed each time you run the simulator. It will detect if a default checklist is missing, and install it if so. If you have created modifications to a checklist, these modifications will persist. If you wish to reset it, just delete it and it will be installed the next time you start the simulator.

Each time you add a checklist, you will need to restart the mission for it to be visible. However, if you just make changes, the changes will be visible the next time you open the modified checklist using the mission pad.

Checklists can also have images (png).

The checklist system is applied across Reentry, meaning it is used in Mercury and Gemini as well as Apollo.

New Apollo Co-Pilot view
The new co-pilot screen allows you to give commands to your fellow crew members. You can ask the Lunar Module Pilot to guide you during the LM powered descent, or help you slew the rendezvous radar. Each of these features are tools and aids to simplify some tasks, and will used dedicated UI items. More features will be added.

For those who previously has done a powered descent has noticed that the LMP will start to tell you some important data, and that this data clutters the mission flow using the mission command UI. This has now been moved to a chat box bubble-like UI element, and can be enabled and disabled to your liking. All of the verbal aids from a co-pilot will appear in this view. Each update will not be a new message, but will replace the existing content, so it works more like a data view instead of individual messaged (like Verb 16 in the AGC/LGC)

Also, a RR slew aid has been implemented, where you get the shaft and trunnion angle changes needed to target the CSM.

I have not yet decided if this should use the UI above, or the same verbal chat box used by the co-pilot.

So, this brief update ended up being rather long, but I think this covers the major features you will see when 0.50 is released. 0.55 will have the new atmospheric entry model, and will be covered in a later post.

Thanks for reading!

Dec 25, 2019

Happy Holidays!

Reentry - A Space Flight Simulator - wilhelmsenstudios

Reentry has been in development for many years now, adding one spacecraft yearly. It all started with the Mercury capsule for the Technical Preview I release in 2016, followed up by the Gemini capsule in Technical Preview II in 2017. The Command Module was then added for the initial Early Access release in November 2018.

In 2019 we saw the addition of the Lunar Module, as well as many improvements to the simulator such as the new physics update introduced in 0.45, and the Lunar Landing with the Lunar Roving Vehicle introduced in version 0.4.

Version 0.5 is now in development, and will be the update where the last parts of a full Apollo mission will be introduced. This includes the Lunar Ascent, the LM/CSM rendezvous, returning to Earth and performing an Atmospheric Entry. These technologies will then be applied to the other space capsules in later patches, starting with Project Mercury in v.0.6.

2020 will be all about improving the simulator, enriching its contents with new missions, failures and systems. New play styles has also been in development and will start to see its light next year.

All in all, I think 2019 was a great year for the simulator, and I really look forward to seeing what we can do in 2020.

I wish to personally thank each and every one of you who has bought Reentry and supported the development, to those being part of the evolving Reentry Community, as well as for all the great feedback I have received from you. A special thanks goes out to all of the Test Pilots who has spent countless of hours in fragile builds, working through checklists and having control of partial spacecrafts in development, It's a lot of work, and the simulator would not have been the same without your flight hours.

Dec 14, 2019

Update 0.45.EA is out - Physics updates, tools, console, new lessons

Reentry - A Space Flight Simulator - wilhelmsenstudios

The long awaited 0.45 (Early Access) update is finally out!

This update is the largest one written yet, as it impacts everything related to the physics in the simulator, so please keep this in mind as you play. The Test Pilots have worked a lot on testing the various parts of the simulator, and we have managed to fix most of the major and high priority issues we have found related to this update. However, that being said, there are still issues to be fixed, and I'm sure you will find things to report.

Please do so over at the official Reentry Discord channel at http://discord.gg/reentrygame

The physics parts of this update will most likely be invisible for most of the players, but is the basis for the work that will happen in version 0.5 and towards 1.0. It was required by the lunar ascent, as well as planning orbital maneuvers. As we move forward with the next updates and major updates, you will see the introduction of new tools and gameplay mechanics, balancing, as well a rendering improvements - all made possible thanks to the changes in 0.45.

Patch notes:
- Major physics update
- Apollo CM Tools (SPS burns, TLI)
- New Apollo Academy lessons for SPS burn planning and TLI
- Addition of a new Lunar Module Academy exam
- Console (open it in game using Back Quote)
- DevJournal (access it from the main menu or the console)
- First iteration of flight data profiling

Update 0.451.EA:
- timescale logging to identify who timescale is reset back to 1x in some missions
- LM exam panel state should now load C&D

Some major parts of this update still needs work, and going forward we will release minor patches correcting these things.
- Engines (F1, SPS, DPS ..) still needs re-balancing. Please expect longer ascent times, S-IVB and SPS burn times.
- TLI burn precision