Stickyhammy

Just wanted to say the way the probes work is cool. I was trying to make a polar orbit satellite halfway between the mun and minmus as per my contract so I could send a kerbal to flyby the mun for profit. Everything was fine until three probes in a row the controls locked up. I had power and fuel, and a google search of an old thread said it was a bug and explained what to do to try to fix it. Nothing worked. It didn't work because probes are working as intended. For my third and last probe I sat in space with it trying to get it to respond. Was running my mouse over the displays trying to click anything to fix it. Got to signal strength. No signal. The probe wasn't broken, it was just so far away from kerbin that there was no way to get the move commands to the probe. No one in the thread I looked at mentioned that little fact. My two options are to place relay satellites all over the place to boost the signal, too expensive, or get a higher tech antenna, no science for that. Will require thought on how to proceed in the career. TLDR: Probes need a signal! Duh!

I believe in equality for all kerbals. This way no kerbal has a penthouse and the other kerbals have to live in the sewers. It was also easy to land with a larger surface area. Once I get further in the tech tree I will change it up to add a lab and a place to dock rovers. Probably not add miners to this design. Best to make a new one for that.

Just a starter base for the contract. Docking port might be useful if I had some sort of super freighter that could attach a bunch of bases at once. Mostly there because it was required in contract. 2 hab modules, science junior, bay with temp and pressure + goo. Also four batteries for the long dark of Munia. Ladders for kerbals to climb down to play dustball on the mun. Also a ladder for scientist kerbal to access science gear. With a way to fuel on the ground this could be a lander. One shot from KSC to mun was a crash at 40 ms when fuel ran out. Simple small refuel in low kerbal orbit makes it cake.

Not everyone... Oh well. Good to know.

I seem to recall that the first Kerbal base that wasn't upgraded was supposed to be a trailer park, yet I just started the new .90 career and I don't have a cute little barn.I must not have been keeping up with the updates recently, or I just dreamed it up and it was never a real idea. Does anyone know what ever happened to that idea? Was it just a joke? Or am I just losing my mind?

I have had stations do that, and rockets with probes on it that break apart as soon as they reach space. Whenever it happens I take it as a sign that I should have used more struts. My last probe core gas can with one full stock 6400 fuel can made it only because I used 24 struts to keep the top 4 sections attached to each other. Its ugly but it does prevent runaway part krakens. No workaround for a kraken station though. Other than don't dock anything to it.

In the end I had 27,000 science left over. So I could have done it for less than 50% outsourced. Not sure how to fix the problem other then chop off most of the benefits and jack the price.

So I had just made it into orbit in a new game. Got back and tested a mainsail in orbit for 700kish funds. Decided to get another expensive contract before I tried to get to the mun. But before I did that I made the change in administration to 100% outsourced science. For the low cost of the policy, one probe, an LRB KB 1x2 in orbit test and the tanks and fuel to get it there I spent 260k and no kerbal lives. Crashed it like a bomb back into kerbins mountians, after all who cares about a probe. Bam 37,406 science. I win! Or at least I can now research the entire space program without ever leaving Kerbins orbit. I think thats broken dont you?

This stock ship has basic parts earned from 1 visit to the Mun and 1 visit to Minmus. Cost is 250,000. Reaches a 200km circular orbit of Kerbin with 7783 fuel and 9512 oxidizer. In this ship it translates to 6461 delta V. Its just a gas can so that number is of less importance. I am looking for a cheaper way to get 4 full orange cans into orbit. This ship is equal to 4 orange cans but the 6 half orange cans are almost half empty. I used the smaller cans to make it simpler to attach the boosters. She does have a rotation problem but Bob managed to keep her in control. It evens out once you ditch the boosters.

Okay thanks that's what I needed to know. I will have to make it longer. Got plenty of time before the rock hits Kerbin. Visual aid of test. It looks like the flare is hitting the empty gas cans but I am going up so I guess its going to be good enough. The real test will be the asteroid.

So I tried and failed to push a 3500 ton E class asteroid into Kerbin orbit but that was fine as I learned a lot. Things now are much more dire. A unknown tonnage E class Asteroid is on its way to Kerbin and this time I need to stop it from crashing into the planet. To that end I built a tug to pull the asteroid rather than push it. My question is do the engines need a clearance for the exhaust and if so how much? I have 3 main engines and their rocket flare at full thrust will be burning holes in the asteroid, if that was possible. I don't want to make the chain with the claw any longer to preserve its stability. If I have to I guess I can add another huge fuel can to the middle part of the ship and that should give the room I need. But before I bother with that I would like to know how close is too close in terms of engines flares on a tug.

I tried to capture an E by making a main rocket ship to move it and 6 small probes with rcs that clawed into other sides of the asteroid to help with turning. My advice, don't do what I tried. The only thing that happens is the probes go crazy if you hit time accelerate, whip back and forth, and ultimately explode into lots of small parts. I only got 4 probes in before the asteroid had a fit and started tumbling. What a mess. In general it seems to be easy to get to an asteroid outside kerbins SOI if you burn properly. On a 70 day timer until it hits the soi you should be able to hit it at around 40 days left. Then you can putter around with your Kerbal poking at the rock with a stick for 40 days. By the time it enters the SOI of Kerbin your Kerbal will have made a scientific discovery. The asteroid is in fact not made of cheese after all. Also be sure to save often before starting a burn. If a 3500 ton E class starts to tumble you might as well untrack it and let it despawn. Your not going to get it back under control even if every Kerbal on Kerbin gets out and pushes.

Never send a probe to do a Kerbals Job. I had 69 days so I sent a new ship piloted by Melvin. 6 engines, 13 advanced SAS, 8 nuclear reactors for power, and front mounted asteroid floodlights. May Melvin fair better than the probe. Edit: Melvin should have stayed home. Somehow my arrival and clamping the asteroid has pushed it even farther from Kerbin. After less than a week of time acceleration i lose my Kerbin intercept. Melvin what have you done?! Last Edit for post: My question was answered so I can let this post stop now. I have not yet finished my asteroid moving but I have high hopes. Reloaded to 70 days before I sent my mover ship to the asteroid. Also built an rcs prober ship. Has 6 small clawing RCS-Inlines that I can spike into the asteroid on different spots. That combined with the power of the ship pictured above should be enough. Thanks to all for your help.

It would seem I dont have the power to do anything but start the asteroid spinning. Even if center of mass as close as i can make it to the claw on point, lined up with the green retro orbit marker the speed never changes. Go low power or full blast it doesn't budge. Rocket may swing to the side then get pulled back when the asteroid starts spinning. Once that happens its all she wrote. Maybe I am doing it wrong or I might need bigger engines. Whatever the case it seems this time around the block I cant orbit the rock.

I made it to the asteroid. It weighs approx 3470 tons so its a small one. Very sad. I have 70 days before I enter Kerbins Soi, so plenty of time to figure out how I am going to bring it into an orbit with my paltry delta V. Suggestions are welcome. My current plan is to attach as close to the orbit retrograde marker as possible and burn for all I got and maybe she will enter a capture orbit.

I decided since I had 122 days and unlimited budget i would just take the hit and burn to 180 AN with the asteroid. I am now refueled and I think heading in the right direction. The next step should be to launch towards the asteroid. If everything is setup properly I should be able to reach it soon. Here is the setup in case I am missing something. Interesting note launching the fuel ship with a Kerbin inclination of 72.4 degrees got me right on track. My fuel ship had more fuel left then the ship i am using to grab the asteroid with. Oh well. Looks like its working. Got the intercept down to 800ish. As Applejack would say, Here I go!

Yes I tried to follow that tutorial. But the problem is "launch towards the inbound leg" I know what the inbound leg is but my problem is launching along the right inclination. The new launch rocket thankfully doesn't rotate so I can put myself into any orbit, even polar, with no problem. I just don't seem to be very good at lining up the leg or something. Maybe if I do it enough times I will do it right and I will understand. It only takes me one success before I can do it over and over forever. I can keep retrying because when it doesn't work I just reset to launch and try again. I only have 130 days left to do it right. Cant be late. Edit: I am going to try again launching along the brown line. Edit: That got my to 135.8 AN Logic suggests I need 40 more degrees so I will launch along the 45 line next. Edit: Launching along the 45 line put me 42 degrees AN from my other ship I left in orbit. But 134.2 to the asteroid. This leads me to believe I can launch normal at 90% for best fuel and its in fact the pink marker that needs to be sitting on a different line. This is why I am confused as the tutorial to me suggests I launch along different lines. Edit: I give up. Launched at 90 with the picture below and ended up with 106 degrees. I don't know why. Looking for a solar intercept orbit tutorial for kerbals with stupidity at maximum level if anyone has one.

I have a new design for an interceptor. Only one main engine. Approx 6800 deltav without refueling in a 100000 km orbit. Unfortunatly I must be asteroid mission stupid because I tried to follow the linked tutorial from page one and I just cant get it to work. I think the first step says to make the AN of the asteroid as target read 180, but I cant seem to get a launch that lines me up at 180. Trying to burn to 180 AN takes a lot of fuel. I will just have to keep trying I guess. Here is the new rocket design on the launchpad.

So here is my asteroid grabber. Standard claw, 12 massive fuel tanks, 6 massive engines, and a nuke engine in the center because whats asteroid catching without nukes? Do you think it will have enough power to slow down the E class asteroid into Kerbin orbit? Obviously the delta v isnt as high as it will be as the cans are not full yet.

Having just returned from Eeloo I have found an asteroid that is going to fly by Kerbin at about 5 million meters. I would like to capture it and bring it into a circular Kerbin orbit but I don't want to not have enough fuel to move it. Does anyone have a chart with estimated delta V values needed to slow down different asteroid classes? Here is the asteroid in question.

I think after 19 years in space Jeb, Bill, and Bob need a vacation. I might send Melvin to EVE and try to Establish a mountaintop base. Will take research, planning, and lots of extra fuel. I hear that things that get down to the surface of EVE seldom get back up again. I am a bit short of science to get the last structural components so maybe just a quick orbit of Jool. I swear I had 4 different times on the way to and from Eeloo that I could have entered Jool orbit, but since it wasn't my destination I passed it by.

I will retire this thread with these last two pictures. I did add 1000 dv with a fuel ship run by a probe before I blasted off for home. As you can see in the pictures I am glad I did Home sweet Kerbin.

Launch windows.. Pfffht. Who needs them. I made it to Eeloo! Of course there is the slight problem of having not enough fuel to get home. But... Details.

Getting the ship into orbit was a pain in the tail. Took 8 orange tanks, 4 mainsails and 12 srb's. Even with that I had to use the nuclear engines to finish the orbit and claw into my station. Was fun though Oh yeah and lots of struts. Was like balancing an elephant on the head of a pin. Oh and in case of emergency I just send out another ship and eva my kerbals to it for returning home. Probably not possible if I run out of fuel on the return trip from Eeloo. But first I need to get there. Going to shoot off now and hope for the best. Edit: For kicks I let mechjeb plan a maneuver. It wants me to wait over a year to launch. Heck with that! I go now!

Thanks for the ideas. I do have a new question though. If I dropped the size of the main fuel tank, where would I put more fuel tanks to keep my delta V over 10,000? I never looked into the mass of the fuel tanks vs how much fuel capacity they have so I don't know what the best size to use is. You could say I don't need that much delta V but I have settled on going to Eeloo as my first planet orbit after Kerbin. The chart from this morning someone posted said i need 4700 one way. I am cutting it close as it is since I have no experience in inter-planetary burns. I am sure I will waste a lot of fuel. Wouldn't be surprised if I only had enough to get there after all the puttering around I will have to do. ETA from the only intercept I managed to plot was 5 years in the smaller 1 engine ship. Lots of time to waste fuel. Btw that 5 year trip time was the reason I added the hitchhiker container. The command module has a snack bay, but it also has a note saying someone ate all the snacks. I don't want my Kerbals to starve! I know they wouldn't but that's not the point.