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Top of the morning to ya and a huge welcome back for me during my KSP seasonal break. I missed you all. I am now playing KSP again this winter, but with a shocking twist. IM GOING TO MAKE MY FIRST PARTS MOD!! And what better way to do that than to introduce : MARS SCIENCE LABRATORY! (MSL) The primary objective for this mod is to release all the parts necessary to encapsulate your lander/rover payloads for transit to your EDL choice of location. I have a few parts done which are scaled to the Curiosity mission. My secondary goal is to release parts based around the historical timeline. For example I would make the areoshell re-scaled to meet the standards of the vintage Viking/Mariner landers. The MER rovers would then use a different setup. But what do you guys think? I might actually make a rover! That is if Im able to do animations Well here are some pics to show some work that is being done. As in the words of Ben from TMRO, "If your not bending metal, your not serious about going to space". WARNING: All parts are hand-crafted by me (it will be okay, trust me The early alpha is here for testing! I have two parts ready with a 3rd part (cruise stage) being now worked on. RELEASE DROPBOX (github no longer supports free accounts) https://www.dropbox.com/s/6nw5uxmeq30mwkn/Mars Science Labratory EARLY ALPHA-by lextacy.rar?dl=0 LICENSE CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

Colour image of Phobos. Although there isn't a huge amount of colour! Plus the image is more "colourful" than you would see if you were actually there as it includes wavelengths that are normally invisible to the human eye. This Google Plus post also has a link to a 3D image should you have a pair of red/blue glasses handy

I'm happy to share with you the first public release of this mod. Most of the parts are done and ready to use and you can now properly replay the Mars colonization mission in KSP. IMPORTANT NOTICE: This mod is absolutely overpowered for the stock game. The engine performance and ship stats are as close to their real counterparts as I could make them, and as of now it works just fine in RSS with FAR and RealHeat installed. You don't need RO for this to work 'realistically' in terms of performance, except the fact that the fuel is not right (liquid fuel/oxidizer instead of liquid methane/oxygen) and engines don't suffer from ullage and other great features that RO brings. DeltaV stats, Isp, masses and all related parameters are nevertheless more or less correct. PARTS Crew Transport Ship with 4 crew and 100 passenger capacity. Tanker Ship for orbital refueling. Reusable Booster with attachable fins and gridfins. Built-in decoupler, probe core and antenna. Dedicated shielded side docking port. Matches stock senior docking port. Raptor engines for atmospheric and vacuum use. Ship landing legs Deployable Gridfins that act as control surfaces and airbrakes Booster fins Solar Panels, RCS etc. FEATURES Booster has a built-in decoupler for stage separation. Built-in docking ports can be activated in config files (as an alternative). Currently uses Liquid Fuel/Oxidizer mixture but with correct masses for the ship and booster Engine Isp and thrust are set to values given by Elon Musk in his presentation All sizes are as accurate as I could estimate Ship and booster masses are as specified by Elon Musk. Raptor engine mass is estimated based on Merlin mass Tested in KSP 1.2. Backwards compatibility for KSP 1.1.3 and some extra config files for RSS are available on GITHUB Landing legs are missing landing leg module. They are still animated and act as landing legs, and are by default activated by Gears action group. They cannot overstress. CURRENTLY IN DEVELOPMENT Internals IRSU module RSS/RO configuration for proper fuel usage - partly done Configuration for stock KSP that is not game-breaking Split body flaps for the ship VIDEOS! A quick video I made how to assemble the ship: Kottabos review: DOWNLOADS: SPACEDOCK CURSE GITHUB - Backwards compatibility and extra configs are available here. DEVELOPMENT THREAD is where all the important updates and future features, as well as current issues (there are some) are discussed. I hope you will enjoy this mod! It took me a long time to (sort of) finish and I wasn't even sure if I could do it. Because of that, I'm even more excited to share it with you! A big THANK YOU to Marcus House for the support and testing, as well as config adjustments!

Is anyone aware that ExoMars's Schiaparelli Lander will be touching down tomorrow morning? http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/ExoMars/Watch_ExoMars_arrival_and_landing Oops. Did not see proper post. Oh well.

THIS MOD HAS BEEN RELEASED! CHECK OUT THE RELEASE THREAD HERE SpaceX Interplanetary Transportation System! With realistic sized parts (aka massive), accurate mass (launchpad might explode occasionally) and other stats as close to SpaceX presentation as I could get. Now you can colonize Mars SpaceX style. Intended use for this mod is going to be RSS/RO, because it is obviously overpowered for stock Kerbol system. It took me a lot of time to model these parts and even longer to make them work properly, so I hope you will enjoy and provide feedback, because it is very much needed! DISCLAIMER: This mod is absolutely overpowered for the stock game. The engine performance and ship stats are as close to their real counterparts as I could make them, and as of now it works just fine in RSS with FAR and RealHeat installed. You don't need RO for this to work 'realistically' in terms of performance, except the fact that the fuel is not right (liquid fuel/oxidizer instead of liquid methane/oxygen) and engines don't suffer from ullage and other great features that RO brings. DeltaV stats, Isp, masses and all related parameters are nevertheless more or less correct. Currently in development Internals RSS/RO configuration for proper fuel usage - partly done, files on Github ISRU Backwards compatibility for 1.1.3 (for RSS and RO) - compatibility done. Config files for stock KSP Proper configuration for the landing legs Engine heating animation (I totally forgot about them) Split body flaps for the ship Imgur Album - more pictures. Downloads: Spacedock Curse Github - extra configs for RealPlume and SmokeScreen, also WIP configs for RealFuels LICENSE: All rights reserved. If you want to use models or textures from this mod, just ask. It's the second mod ever and therefore there are many, many sharp edges and strange solutions. Some parts might summon Kraken, so be warned. This endeavour turned out to be far bigger than I ever expected and I have certainly underestimated the complexity of such operation. Development will be slow because I have learn things on the fly, but if you would like to help with the development, please contact me. In any case, I hope you'll enjoy the mod and please share some screenshots!

Hey folks, As per Nibb31's request, I've started a new thread for discussing Martian colonisation, agriculture, living-off-the-land etc. A couple of observations to start. Perchlorates aren't neccesarily bad and could be quite useful provided they can be extracted and processed safely. Perchlorate candles, for example, are a well known emergency oxygen supply. Plus you get sodium chloride as a reaction product, so you get some lovely Martian salt to go on those Martian potatoes. Also Martian regolith wouldn't make a bad starter for making soil. It'll need a load of water and organic material for sure but it's got plenty of vital minerals.

I know, this should probably be a part of the SpaceX main thread, but I couldn't resist! T-3 hours to Elon's talk! A couple of handy links: http://www.veloenvivo.com/iac/eng.html https://www.reddit.com/live/xnrdv28vxfi2 Any of the links in the comments here: https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/54itnx/rspacex_mars_architecture_announcementiac_2016/ http://www.iafastro.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/IAC2016_FP_FULL-Doc_Sept201620_FINAL_LowResCHECK2.pdf (page 41) http://www.spacex.com/mars HYPE! Sad, looks like the virgin galactic thing isn't being streamed. Fingers for BO's being streamed.

http://jalopnik.com/congress-just-mandated-a-human-mission-to-mars-1786994598 Science reporting sucks, and so does Gawker Media.

So getting a human to land on Mars and come back is very hard. But here's an idea for a less sexy mission, but still sends people to Mars and if anything gets us some practice. Apparently, a mission to Mars will involve 18 months on Mars itself. That's a tall order, but theoretically doable. What if, instead of landing the astronauts, you leave them in orbit and land one rover per astronaut. Each one with certain specialized equipment. Each astronaut then spends 18 months working long hours driving them around, no need to tie up the DSN. You have one or more land close to a rocket capable of docking with your orbiting station in LMO so at the end of the mission you can bring back some samples. Now, we don't get that sexy shot of humans standing on another world, but in terms of science we would have three curiosities running around, probably something more sophisticated. The real utility of this project comes from that 14 minute delay no longer being a problem. Any possible benefit of having humans on Mars with less risk, and without having to go all the way down to the surface. Which means it will be easier to bring them home. Which gets to the title of this thread, what is that 14 minutes (and a free DSN for other missions) worth? And, this tech can possibly be applied to longer missions to Jupiter or Saturn, where the delay time is more severe so you get a bigger benefit.

Anybody else tuning in to this? I wish I could attend, but ... school. The full itinerary can be viewed here. Looks like an interesting lineup.

I'm a fan of Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy, and wanted to recreate the Ares from Red Mars in Kerbal. It's a HUGE ship, eight rights of six large tanks each, nuclear propulsion, room for 100+ Kerbals and their gear to get to Duna and setup a permanent base. Here's the YouTube playlist with the trailer and the first two episodes, lots more recorded!

I watched The Martian for the second time yesterday, so I decided to do this. The plan is to send a bunch of missions to Marcx (a modified version of Duna from my mod Realistic Remodel) and eventually end up with a colony on the planet. Everything is stock, except for a few utility mods, such as Trajectories. Part I: Intelligence Lander Next I'm gonna try to do a manned mission based on The Martian, starting with the MAV.

Hi, I want to offer you my version Mars colonization. Here I will upload videos as they become available Protoss mission - Mars satellite #1

Adding to the many remarkable properties of graphene, they are also highly efficient in converting heat directly to electricity: SUTD team proposes low-temperature thermionic converter with graphene cathode; about 45% efficiency. 9 March 2015 http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/03/20150309-sutd.html For spacecraft operating too far from the Sun or needing too much power to use solar cells, radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTG's) have been used, and nuclear space reactors have been proposed in regards to manned missions. RTG's however have very poor efficiencies in the range of 3% to 7%: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisotope_thermoelectric_generator#Efficiency And the nuclear space reactors that have been tested only have efficiencies in a similar poor range: http://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/non-power-nuclear-applications/transport/nuclear-reactors-for-space.aspx though a proposed nuclear space reactor could have ca. 25% efficiency. The new research on graphene however suggests it could get efficiencies in the range of 45% in converting heat directly to electricity. And using graphene rather than heavy metals for the thermoelectric conversion would also save significantly in weight. The greater efficiency at a lighter weight might make possible proposed nuclear electric space propulsion systems such as VASIMR that could cut trips to Mars to weeks travel time instead of months. The Mars Society president Robert Zubrin had criticized VASIMR on the grounds that it would require an unreasonablly lightweight nuclear power system for the power it put out: The VASIMR Hoax By Robert Zubrin | Jul. 13, 2011 http://www.spacenews.com/article/vasimr-hoax But taking into account both the higher efficiency and the lighter weight, a graphene based thermoelectric conversion system may allow the required lightweight power system for VASIMR or other nuclear electric propulsion systems. Bob Clark

http://spacenews.com/bezos-suggests-nasa-pursue-prizes-and-gigantic-technology-programs/ I think a lot of people here have similar sentiments, but let's not forget that space prizes have a spotty history- Bigelow's Space Crew Transportation prize fell flat, the Google Lunar X-Prize has constantly been delayed, and a similar prize is unlikely to be repeated. Honestly, a more "CCdev" solution is probably better (Bezos apparently didn't like it tho, they felt NASA had too much involvement in it), with there being less of a prize, than a contract for spacecraft based off that design. This would likely limit that program to Orbiters (and possibly asteroid sample return missions/ asteroid probes in general, since asteroids and comets have huge amounts of variety, and a similar design can be used for each.) More specialized things like Mars Sample Return, and rovers could then instead be placed into NASA's Discovery, New Frontiers, and Flagship Programs- thus, allowing for more 'experimental' missions in those programs that can't use a common design, and putting less pressure on (esp. Discovery Program). After all, only "big" companies like LockMart, OrbitalATK, SpaceX, etc. would be able to compete, and similar things, like Mariner, using the same baseline design, were a success (though did it actually save $$$?). Only problem is Mars Sample Return ends up in the Flagship Program anyways. Probably not a huge deal, considering it's nearly a HUGE NASA priority (right next to Titan/Enceledus, and Uranus) and we already have the caching rover in development, and the orbiter being pitched to Congress. The pickup rover can be derived off MER, and a Pheonix-based lander carrying a rocket to rendezvous with the orbiter. That section only may just fit in the New Frontiers budget. I doubt that would work. Way too experimental and risky for a private company to get into (unforeseen difficulties in the technology), and especially nuclear reactors are something it would be difficult to even get funding. There's a reason NASA doesn't X-planes and tech development internally.

Wanted to do one last goodbye to my RSS/TAC-LS career before retreating to the calmer waters of OPM

Crimson Aspirations is an Apollo style Duna/Mars return mission craft for use in the stock game or in Stock Sized Real Solar System. It has a 2 person rover to deploy on the ground and space for 4 crew. 182 parts Download Launch to above 200km orbit, deploy solar panels, transfer to Duna or Mars, orbit Duna/Mars, move crew into Lander and detach, stow solar panels if deployed and de-orbit, start slowing down with rockets at just under 15km until you can deploy drogue chutes, continue reducing speed until main chutes can be deployed safely, at this point turn off engines and wait till the last 100 metres or so to turn them back on and wipe off the remaining speed to get it under 10ms on landing. Once landed deploy rover and solar panels. When ready to leave stow solar panels and start your launch to rendezvous, use up the landing stage fuel to give you a little boost and head for orbit. Rendezvous and dock as frugally as you can and transfer crew to command module. Leave Duna/Mars for Earth. At Kerbin/Earth use up any fuel to slow you down before re-entering and deploy inflatable heat shield and then parachutes, once chutes fully deployed you can detach heat shield.

The time has come! Mars has been in obscurity since April of 2014, but now it is shining at magnitude -1.9/-2.1. This is the brightest Mars has been since 2005 and it's time to take advantage of that. Mars' opposition is May 22nd and it will appear very nice for the next 5-10 days. So, if anyone has the right equipment, observe Mars! OTHER THINGS TO OBSERVE Mars is near Saturn, the Moon, and Antares, giving anybody a nice selection of beautiful astronomical objects to choose from. The nearby constellations of Scorpius and Ophiuchus have over a dozen clusters and nebulae combined and provide deep-sky observers a wide range of things to see. Farther away in the night sky is Jupiter. All of its moons are out, and Jupiter is also passing very close to some background stars. FINAL NOTES Anybody can post photographs of any objects they observe these nights. It is highly encouraged to post something about your observations, and to try and find surface features on Mars. I'll also be doing a bunch of observations, especially since I've missed every other Martian opposition. PICTURES If anybody wants to, they can have their pictures of Mars put up on this main page. Here are some of my best Mars pictures from my observations on May 20th: Happy Observing!

I really like this idea. It sees like something logical that could happen. What do you think? what changes do you think should be made? http://marsbase.org/contents

The thought occurred to me that if you had an engine with sufficiently high energy to pull a brachistochrone (thrust prograde halfway to your destination, then retrograde until you arrive) to Mars, the ideal plan for a manned Martian mission would be to start from LEO at 1 gee, then gradually taper off thrust through the full transfer to 0.3 gees to Martian orbit. That way, your crew would be smoothly acclimatized to Martian gravity and have no adjustment period. The same could be done in reverse, starting at 0.3 gees and thrusting harder and harder (no innuendo intended) until you reached Earth at exactly 1 gee retrograde. Unfortunately I have absolutely no idea how much dV would be required for such a maneuver, nor how long the transfer would take. It would require like four nested integrals, and trying to set it up for iterative solution in Excel would be a nightmare. I don't even know if outgoing dV would equal incoming dV, due to the influence of old Oberth. Any ideas on how to calculate that? Notably, such a thrust profile would be a prime candidate for beamed power...

This is my idea for a space exploration road map. Not all of it is politically plausible. 2016: Orion program replaced with with the integrated space exploration vehicle, or ISEV program, which utilizes orion and a privately developed DragonRider with Orion life support and a service module in addition to a trunk. DreamChaser selected for ISS crew delivery, in addition to other spacecraft. BEAM on station, with good results. Bigelow begins developing a module to fit the dragon trunk. 2017: Commercial crew delivery begins. Exploration sats deployed. 2018: Insight launch, SLS test flight to the moon, Falcon heavy test flight, ExoMars launch, dragonlab in service, Nauka delivered. Mars cubsats delivered. OSIRIS REX mission. JWST. 2019: Falcon 9R flight. 2020: ARM vehicle launched. Bigelow station alpha on orbit. 2020 rover. 2021: em1, Taingong 3 construction. 2022: Lunar orbit station begins construction to support future moon bases and deep space missions. Probe to Apophis. Mars exploration landers/ rovers.Luanar base tests asteroid equipment. 2023: Europa clipper launch, Jupiter cubesat network, includes lander cubes. 2024: deep space mission from lunar station, flies to asteroid.Phobos satellites.Saturn titan submarine. 2025: SpaceX starts work on Falcon X. ULA starts work on Vulcan, ACES and ZEUS. 2026:Skylon test flight, Deep space mission.BA2100 launch. Shackleton crater outpost construction begins. 2027: Falcon X launch. NTR MTV construction begins. Taigong 3 finished. 2028: Deep space mission. Skylon comes into service. 2029: Phobos hab launched, supplies launched. 2030: ISS decommissioned. Skylon begins space station construction, International and corporate collaboration allow a 2nd MTV, with a centrifuge, to be built. 2031: Phobos mission. 2032:Moon base is enlarged. 2033:Mars supply run, Falcon X heavy, falcon XX in service, Phobos return. 2034: MTV 2 finished. 2035: MTV Embarks on mars excursion. Humanity becomes an interplanetary civilization! 2036: Venus landers sent. 2037: 2nd mars mission launched. Previous one returns. 2038: Space exploration becomes a huge business. Preparations are made for venus mission. 2039: Mars missions launch and return. 2040: Venus mission. 2041: mars outpost established, MCT Constructed. 2042: SpaceX begins mars colony construction. 2050:FUSION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2055: Space Elevator. I will be adding details and more events later, but for now, what do you think?

I was doing calculations for a hypergolics fuelled trip using tech from 1970-1980, and I came up with 40 tons to land, 292 tons to orbit, and 700 tons to inject to Mars. Is this correct?

Mars is our universal neighbor, but we are yet to get the technology to land man on it. Consequently, all we know about it are from the robots that are deployed to explore it. we will let you in on some interesting facts about Mars.

NASA recently did research on a propulsion system that could get humans to Mars in as little as 3 days for a 100 kg probe, and a Manned (Much heavier) spacecraft in a month. Now, we do know this tech exists, like Starwisp, but if they can scale up the lasers (And power) needed (With either massive solar panels, or fusion reactors), we could send a probe to Proxima Centauri by the end of the century, and have it get there in as little as 40 years. Now, there's no telling of whether this would get enough funding (Or any funding), but if it did, we could have a very fast propulsion system that could allow us to explore to solar system quickly. So what do you think about it? And do you guys think building something like this would be worth it?

The martian can now be replicated (a bit) with the rover! though slightly faster than the original it has the same range (half batt default is 35km wth a full batt it is 70km) currently working on ntergrating an exit hatch and adding an IVA http://spacedock.info/mod/30/Ares%20III-%20the%20martian p.s. this is without the pivot activated