Zeiss Ikon

Well, apparently the board software doesn't like Dropbox -- but it works fine with Photobucket. Images fixed.

I tried the "insert other media" as instructed in the "how to post your rockets" thread, but the insertion doesn't seem to take with the Dropbox links. If I don't get a suggestion how to get Dropbox links to work, I may move the images to my Photobucket and leave only the craft file in Dropbox.

The pictures are on the "naked" links. I'd welcome assistance on how to edit them to show inline.

The Neptune series of launchers was named because the first iteration had a pickle-fork layout to launch two Mk. 1 Command Pods, each with its own LFO tank and Reliant engine, plus docking clamp (and parachute) in parallel -- that is, one alongside the other. This was intended as an easy way to get two Command Pods, each with its pilot and ability to maneuver and navigate, into similar orbits with a single launch. Experience led to some modifications: duplicating the parachute on each pod seemed a good idea after a seemingly minor collision during a docking attempt turned out to have destroyed the radial parachute -- a problem discovered only after reentry had begun. Oops, sorry, Jeb. Also, building the second capsule stack upward from an inverted bi-coupler caused staging issues, in that when the capsule was staged off the tank/engine module, the focus stayed on the uncrewed portion. If that happens after you drop past 70 km, unfortunately, KSP won't let you switch to controlling the occupied Command Pod, but forces you to watch until the engine/tank stage crashes, leaving too little time to then go via Tracking Center to start "flying" the Command Pod and still deploy the parachute before impact. Valentina, you're a hero before all of Kerbin. Eventually, this led to changing to a stacked/tandem arrangement. RCS fuel shortages prompted addition of in-stack monopropellant tanks, the need to control (very cranky) early booster iterations during launch resulted in doubling up the RCS quads, taking advantage of the more than adequate RCS propellant supply. Heat shields prevent the RCS tank from exploding during reentry, after it was found that it was best to keep it with the Command Pod after staging off the LFO tank and engine. Excessive stack flex was controlled with struts -- both joining the lower Command Pod to the upper service module, and bracing that upper module to the top of the large diameter booster tank. Finally, with the stiffer stack now much more controllable, it was possible to add a fairing to neaten up the appearance on the pad and cut down on drag during boost, which could now be accomplished without RCS. The last modification to date was stretching the booster fuel tanks to a full 19,200 units (Twin Boar engine/tank unit, plus two orange 64 tanks), which gives the full stack "barely" SSTO performance -- in fact, there's just enough fuel to circularize, and still deorbit the booster (though the Command Pods must then recircularize, either together of individually; I need to come up with a way to extend the battery life of the probe controller in the booster long enough to handle the deorbit after staging). That's 16 T (the two Command Pod stacks and their fairing) orbited by a single booster. I'm pretty happy with that, given I've been playing the full version for about two weeks, and I'm still on Year 1, Day 4 game time (which includes a fair amount of warping waiting for maneuver nodes and such). Next upgrade on this is likely to be conversion of the uppermost orange tank to a stage, which ought to give enough additional dV to send the upper section to Mun and hopefully even do the Munar capture burn. That will be accompanied by conversion of the lower Command pod to a lander, while the upper command pod stage will push itself and the lander's Command Pod back to Kerbin after descent, ascent, and docking. Neptune One Mod. 3 Craft File 71 parts 132.8 T liftoff mass (including launch clamps?) 38.4 m high 2.6 m wide (2.5 m booster diameter, plus Twin Boar skirt) 3.6 m "long" (Twin Boar engine setup and skirt) Inline images don't seem to want to work from Dropbox -- but this is the first time I've tried to share from there, so it's probably me missing something.

I've been seeing KSP videos on YouTube for a couple years -- they'd come up in my recommended list, probably because I search for videos on sailplanes, autogyros, ultralights, hang gliders, airchairs, high power rocketry, etc. A couple months ago, I watched several of them, including a couple by Scott Manley, and there was mention somewhere of a demo version. Well, a free demo of an interesting looking game is always worth a try -- but I use Kubuntu (Linux). Would it run on my system? Well, eventually I decided to try the demo, even through it was Windows-only. Downloaded it, went through the process of installing it via PlayOnLinux (an easy front end for Wine, the Windows API for Linux systems) and found the demo worked very well. I Googled a bit, after flying a couple of what amounted to sounding rockets with pilot, and found a design for a demo-part rocket that could make orbit. Built it, flew it, extended it a little (limited by stack flex with the 20-unit 1.25 m tanks) and flew Jeb around the Mun -- and got him stranded in a rather high orbit because I ran out of dV before I could get a periapsis inside the atmosphere. But by then, I was hooked. I was concerned, however, about whether the full version would run well enough under Wine to be playable. Then I found out there was a Linux-native version, specific to Debian-based distros. Well, what do you know -- Ubuntu (and hence, Kubuntu) is based on Debian. Even better, if I bypassed Steam, it was less than US$14. Done! Now I'm waiting for the mods I want to install (based on Scott Manley's videos, ones like TAC Life Support and Ferram Aerospace Research) to be compatible with 1.2.2. So much for free time...

Since restarting the game (see my "most painful" entry), I've pursued a vessel naming scheme roughly similar to British military aircraft naming. For instance, my docking practice vessel was named Neptune 1 (got that name because of the pickle-fork configuration to launch two Mk. 1 Command Pods, each with its own Reliant engine and tank, simultaneously). When that brought up staging issues (focus stayed on the "service" stage when staging off the capsule from the second tine, and if done after reentry starts -- to experiment with burning very late to adjust landing location -- "cannot switch while in atmosphere" results in death of the pilot due to inability to deploy parachutes), Neptune 2 was born, with the two capsules launched in tandem so that building up from below wouldn't cause KSP to see the capsule as a disposable part attached to the tank. Following experience with the extremely flexible stack making the launch very, very cranky to fly (as in, started tumbling around 200 m/s, even with RCS and SAS enabled), Neptune 2 Mk. II followed (many struts added), then Neptune 2 Mk. II Mod 1 (added RCS fuel capacity in both pod stages) and the current design, Neptune 2 Mk. II Mod 2 (added a fairing which encloses almost all of the 1.25m section, closing at the base of the top RCS tank), which looks slick and clean on the pad and is "almost SSTO" (requires a modest burn to circularize the two capsule stages while leaving the booster in a decaying orbit; same thing with a single capsule stage would easily SSTO, possibly with fuel left to deorbit). Constant apologies to the second pilot, who rides the boost phase with no view due to the fairing. Next iteration will replace the "back seat" capsule stage with a Munar lander (now that I know how to fly a rendezvous and dock without wasting immense amounts of monopropellant) and add a stage for circularization, transMunar insertion, and Munar capture; it will be Selene 1, and will have appropriate Mark and Mod designations as the initial design is improved. Obviously, the same vessel design will serve to visit Minmus, and if I find there's a lot of dV to spare, might go to Duna/Ike or, with a little gravity assist, Dres.

My most painful moment to date was making a Mun landing with a direct launch (sandbox mode). No, that wasn't the painful part, yet. I spent too much dV getting onto the surface, and the lander tipped over because I landed on a steep slope. Okay, this is salvageable... Managed to stand the lander back up with RCS (I had a lot of RCS authority). Jeb went EVA, planted a flag, had to fly back to the module on his maneuvering unit because the ladder was too short. Still not bad. Bad was when I found out the RCS tank that was the bulk of the lander (using RCS engines to land so the landing legs would actually touch the surface) didn't have enough fuel left to make Munar orbit, never mind get back to Kerbin. Jeb bailed in his space suit, and used its jets to establish a stable orbit, and waited for rescue. So, built another ship, with a second piggyback Mk. 1 Command Pod for Jeb to ride home in. Spent so much dV trying to rendezvous that there wasn't enough left to get back to Kerbin, and flew Jeb's maneuver unit dry as well. Now Jeb and Val are stranded in Munar orbit, separately. Completely new ship, with a three-seat Command Pod, lots of extra dV, and two empty couches -- named "Rescue Them, Dammit!" -- and, you guessed it, I still couldn't fly a rendezvous and get close enough, and now Val's maneuver unit was dry (EVA to try to get to the rescue ship) as well as Jeb's, and there wasn't anything like enough fuel left to get even the last rescue pilot back to Kerbin. Trying to figure out another rescue mission, and I realized that, due to earlier deaths in flight mishaps, every single pilot available was stranded in Munar orbit. At that point, I deleted the save file and started a new game. Started off with rendezvous/docking practice in LKO, haven't been to Mun yet, but my only fatalities to date have been due to a destroyed parachute (docking accident) and getting caught by "can't switch while in atmosphere" while attempting a simultaneous reentry, using the ship with fuel as a tug to push the one that was dry.

A little Googling and I didn't have trouble getting into orbit with demo, even managed to send Jeb on a transMunar flight -- but ran out of deltaV and couldn't get him all the way back to Kerbin. I probably could now, my piloting/orbit planning skills have improved since then. Sure is easier with the better selection of tanks and engines in the full 1.2.2 sandbox, though.