Soyuz-2 Crewed Rocket

This is a full scale model of the Soyuz launch vehicle.
It is the single rocket that has brought crew up to the ISS for the last few decades, excluding the past few years.

To operate this rocket, make a new world with this addon enabled, or go into the addon editor and load this, then click the test button on the location.
If you enable the addon through the world, you can run the commands "?spawn_rocket" and "?despawn_rocket".
You can also explode the core stage of the rocket with the command "?detonate_rocket".

Once the vehicle has been loaded, find your way over to the Dean Hall Mining Company. This should be located roughly in the middle of the Sawyer Islands and will look like it has some rings around it in the map.
Once there, the launch site and rocket should be loaded in and/or moving. If it is moving, please wait.

** If it isn't there, try running "?spawn_rocket" **

Once it is still, head to the Gantry arm to the left (facing from inside the mine) and head up the stairs, then open the door with the button.

Use the elevator to get to the second to last platform. Once there, open the second door and go around to the other side of the platform.

A button on the floor will lower a platform to help you board the vehicle. Open the door on the fairing using the button, then open the hatch on the orbital module. Use the handle to assist your entry.

Once in the orbital module, close all the hatches behind you. Next, open the hatch below you and enter the descent module. Get in a seat and close the door.

Hold the key on the left to lower the gantry arms, this will also arm the launch escape system.

A button should now unlock. The Arm Rocket button is required to be on in order to start the launch sequence. During the launch sequence, this button may be disabled to cancel the flight.

A small button on the control panel is labeled "Launch". This button will do the whole flight sequence for you.

Another small switch below the launch button is labeled "Extend Umbilical Arms". This button will extend the umbilical arms (or retract them) for aesthetics. Make sure the arms are retracted before launching.

The far button to the right is the ABORT switch. When triggered, the launch escape sequence will be initiated. This can be triggered any time after the gantry arms are retracted.

Use WASD during flight for control.

For the cleanest booster separation, make sure you are facing the same direction you are going; the rocket plume behind you should be straight.
Booster separation occurs right after the launch escape tower is jettisoned, so keep an eye out for that.

If you pitch over too fast, or have an angle of attack (how far rotated you are relative to the direction you're moving) too high, the rocket might explode. In this situation, the Launch Escape system should activate automatically.

If you want to cause a booster separation error, go down to the base of the rocket. At the base of the core right by the boosters, there is a keypad (you will only see its back face, it's on the right side of the gray part where the smaller rocket motors are). Each pad corresponds to its closest booster, you can set a chance between 0 and 1 of the booster failing to separate. 0 means a 0% chance, 1 means a 100% chance.


The third stage does what's called "hot staging". This means that its engines fire before the stage separates. This is required to start some engines.
There is thing called "ullage", a fuel tank has liquid in it, and when there are no forces acting on it, the fuel is scattered all around. When you are moving forward, you settle the fuel which means that the engines can accept it.
Some rockets use RCS (reaction control system) thrusters to give a bit of acceleration to get the engine started.
Hot staging is another solution, if the propellant is settled already and you start the engine, the rocket will have acceleration after separation.
RCS thrusters overcome this problem by being hypergolic (meaning the reactants react on contact, no ignition required) and they are pressure fed (meaning that there is a gas pushing the reactants out of the tanks to the thruster)


Quick mention to B3N's Soyuz rocket for the original inspiration for me to build this: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2274604231