Captain Sierra

My first successful self-refueling mun lander. I have made refinements to it and changed several things but I will not be using it again likely. I am setting up a permanent kethane base on the mun so I will need heavier landers to tank up and then make a sub-orbital jump back to base.

They were just glitches? Awww. I always found that an interesting feature and wanted to go see one. (good thing I haven't updated my KSP yet, waiting for all my mods to be supported)

MechJeb is great for stuff you've done a lot (like launching) and good for info readouts. I use mechjeb to do maneuver nodes for me but I still usually make them myself. Docking, no mechjeb. Mechjeb burns your RCS out and then you're screwed. As for precision landing, I use mechjeb for the landing predictions and then set a node to drop me straight down on target, tell mechjeb to execute next node, then use the suicide burn countdown to land it myself. (manual death evading skills FTW!)

I've never had an issue multi-staging with any engines. I rarely do it on upper stages that then require decouplers but mine (I'm still back on 20.2 but have the large splitters (KSPX) so I do use them) never have any problems when staging. I've even done setups where I have asparagus first stages and then a pancake upper using quad couplers to expand to 4 engines and the back down to a single core for the asparagus.

My first successful kethane operation: The Ketholander mk 1. Now I have extraplanetary launch pads and have found a deposit of ore and kethane overlapped just south of the equator on the Mun. This is the start of the ship I'll be sending to it towing modules and other stuff for a full scale land operation (kethane first, then EPLP) The ship, the Lazarus!

Most stuff in KSP is bouyant. Try creating a new part by doing some .cfg editing on something to make it basically a giant weight, then add that to the bottom of your drill. Once it is on the seafloor, use the KAS (with grappling hook, not anchor) to latch it down and start drilling. Anchors were meant to serve as anchors for airships, not boats. You could always just make them weigh a sh**-ton if you wanted to.

Certain mods fix that. I believe Ferram does (because with my Ferram install, I have persistent debris in atmosphere off planes at 10k+) but either way my modified KAS which is set to 2000 meters of rope over 50.

5 of six probes sent to Jool (thats a career total) have either been thrown off into space with too little fuel left to do anything effective or crashed into a planet. All 6 were useless as the last one alive is in a retrograde orbit with not enough fuel to reverse it.

My latest probe can get all the way there, with multiple correction burns without touching it;s main engine. It has ~6500 dV on it's engine. Fuel efficiency is not a problem for this mission.

Jool is quite a profitable planetary system with it's 5 moons if you have kethane and(/or) extraplanetary launch pads. Getting there is obviously harder than it looks. So far, I've lost a total of 5 out of 6 probes I sent. All 6 are useless because I got them in the system with the wrong rotation and 5 are dead. Good thing I haven't sent kerbals! XD I still have not updated. Any help for going to Jool? I can get the phase angle set up but once in the SoI is when things go bad. If it is of help, I've been swinging out wide and coming in on the dark side. is this one of my problems?

yes BUT there is a limit to what you can launch because of weight and structural stability. Docking ports are not the most stable things in the world.

Thx. That does however complicate my operations and make orbital operations far more important as I doubt I will get kethane and ore on the same point. I also am not using the stock parts for this mod. Hooligan labs pads coming up! EDIT: I already have pretty detailed scan maps on several planets. do I then already have the ore maps done on install or do I have to scan again?

hey, quick question about how the heck this mod works. Ore, is it just everywhere or do I need to scan for it like kethane? Also, how is compatibility with the new geodesic kethane grid?

Decouple can be used to disconnect docking ports from other parts that aren't docking ports (assuming they were built together in the VAB) whereas undock is only available in docking port to docking port scenarios. Example: You launch a mission to a planet with a probe on top of your docking port, no stack separator or decoupler. You decouple it and it goes to one planet while you go and dock with a space station.

You landed on Pol, I can't even get a probe to Pol. I'm trying to map the Jool system for kethane but I got my probes in an orbit going the wrong way! damnit. Oh well, every failure is just another opportunity for success.

My personal flag, tell me this ain't an epic shot. Also, when I get my Lazarus project (or some other major scale interplanetary operation) going, I will replace this with a KSP screenshot that is just as dramatic and awesome looking.

So, who here, like me, didn't upgrade? Im actually sad about it but I can't upgrade. I launch lots of big stuff (station modules and bigger) and the new SAS system (played with it on stock backup) just won't put in the force required for a big launcher and payload. I really wanted to do some Munscraping

Top this masterpiece! XD, this is really nice though. I need to make some refinements on the text but that aside, +1 for badass factor, +1 more for sheer beauty.

Resources, better aerodynamics (I want Ferram stock, it's amazing on planes and then nose cones would be worth it), and more planets. Planets and moons are awesome but what I REALLY want to see is a saturn analog and an asteroid belt. I also want the stock resources system in so I don't need extraplanetary launch pads and Kethane (even though kethane is fun).

There was a suggestion way earlier in this thread (around page 27 I think, it got lost with all the ranting) to have multiple bite levels. Mild: As it is now. Aggressive: The old all or nothing SAS. Moderate: a blend of both, strong enough to hold even big rockets in place but not shake them to bits. Make this toggled by another key. We don't use TAB for anything in KSP keybinds right? Set it to that or maybe to Y.

1) N/A. It's steady as a rock on the pad without them for me. 2) I have the command pod, inline reaction system, and extra reaction wheels on it. I shouldn't need gimbaling with that level of torque! 3) How come that wasn't a problem earlier then? ALTHOUGH) Duely noted. But then why won't the SAS hold it straight vertical? I'm okay with westward drift as long as it doesn't change my orientation but the new SAS seems so weak that even aerodynamic effects are pushing it around. What the hell? I don't even have Ferram Aerospace in yet! God help me when I do.

The sepatrons are slightly offcenter (to get the pod clear of rocket flying at mach 2) but that SHOULD cause it to lean toward the camera because of where they are. It leans left, westward, therefore they are not causing the issue but you can download the craft file above and test it with and without.

1) I can't wait to see that rocket. 2) My update was a hard install so the settings.cfg has been overwritten (I'm sure). My joystick (I do have one) has not been plugged in or configured on my stock backup KSP since updating. There is no way that's the problem. For those who want it, here is the craft file. https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_BVD9gAcd6BTS1laDhPN0llLW8/ And this is what it is for. Look closely before asking if I am missing something. I didn't action group the solar panels (for if you reach orbit; and sorry). Abort triggers parachute, fires sepatrons, and decouples the command pod (with running kill tallies, I'm into abort sequences to save kerbals now XD)

I have both. The stabilizer by the cockpit and additional reaction wheels on the lower stage to provide extra torque.

Even manned command pods need power now. I do think the power consumption is a bit high though.