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Welp, this may have been predicted, but it's official: It's a new space race between United States and China! It's looking to have a lot of heat on it, with all the national security issues, protecting Lunar water, etc., etc. Looks like Space Race 2.0 is on, everyone!

PROLOUGE: FROM GERMAN SOLDIERS TO GIANT ROCKETS After World War II (WWII), the United States started a secret project called project paperclip to attain German scientists and engineers who worked on many of the German’s weapons of war. Among those scientists and engineers was a man named Wernher Von Braun. He had always dreamed of exploring the stars above, and was very much a space enthusiast. He worked on the V-2 Rocket, a (fairly faulty) missile built to launch at Germany's enemies. It flew higher than a jet fighter, and was hard to shoot down. It one upped the V-1 in every way, which scared the hell out of the allies. Many were captured by the allies, especially the Americans and Soviets. Quickly, both sides got to work designing sounding rocket after sounding rocket, and developing missile technology even faster than the Germans would. Now, back to Von Braun. He, with many other German scientists, built the American’s war machines of the early 1950s. They helped America in the now cold war between the Soviet Union and the United States. However, it was a huge blow to them when the Soviets built the R-7, the world’s first ICBM. Von Braun knew its capabilities, too. Here’s where the alternate history stuff begins. The U.S. followed with the Redstone becoming their first ICBM, and this gave Wernher a very interesting idea. He quickly designed a satellite, called the Explorer. He proposed it to the United States Air Force (USAF) in 1955, saying that it may in fact prove America was ahead of the Soviets in the Cold War. They proposed the project to Eisenhower, who gave his request… the green light. Some say Wernher jumped with delight upon hearing the news. However, the USAF was dedicated to air defense, not space. So Eisenhower set up America's space program, called the United States Space Exploration Commission, or USSEC for short. Wherner said his satellite should be done by mid 1956, and the USAF said a Redstone should be ready around then, too. The date picked was July 4th, so America could celebrate their victory on their day of independence. The space age had begun…

The parallel-sequential missions system (having recorded mission events placed on the main timeline and returning to the past) proposed in another thread enables having this feature in the stock game. AI agency could use the stock craft. There's a lot of work needed to make a balanced AI and get the timings right, but it is doable.

The year is 1965. After a successful streak of dominance throughout the Space Race, the Soviet Union kept upping the ante. And when, in 1963, the US challenged them with a race to the Moon, they happily obliged. At the time, the only crew vehicle they had, Vostok, was barely capable of keeping one man in orbit for a few days. However, a trip to the Moon and back would require a larger, more capable vehicle, able to carry two men safely to Earth’s closest neighbour and back and sustain them throughout the trip. Hence, Sergei Korolev and his design bureau, OKB-1, set out to design one of the most advanced crew vehicles there ever was. What they got was Soyuz. Capable of carrying 3 men to Earth orbit and 2 men to lunar orbit, it was created from the beginning to be a workhorse craft, capable of fulfilling every need. However, the spacecraft was a radical redesign from the small, tight-fitting capsules that had came before. It sported 3 sections, an orbital module that gave extra room and facilities for the crew, the descent module to bring them safely down to the surface again, and an instrument module to supply power and resources to the rest of Soyuz. To test fly the Soyuz on it’s first flight, the bravest and brightest cosmonauts were selected. However, only one would get to perform the mission, and that cosmonaut was Vladimir Komarov. Vladimir Mikhaylovich Komarov was a Soviet test pilot, aerospace engineer, and cosmonaut. At the age of fifteen in 1942, Komarov entered the "1st Moscow Special Air Force School" to pursue his dream of becoming an aviator. After many years of hard work, he was selected to be a cosmonaut, and in October 1964, he commanded Voskhod 1, the first spaceflight to carry more than one crew member. Now, only a mere few months later, he was ready to pilot his second mission to orbit. As the bus drew closer and closer to the pad, he could smell the distinct smell of kerosene. This kerosene was being pumped right into the rocket that would carry him heavenward, the R-7 Soyuz. Derived from the old R-7 ballistic missiles, this had set many world’s firsts, with Sputnik, Yuri Gagarin, and himself flying on this rocket before. Ground crews helped Komarov clamber down through the spacecraft, into the descent module, and as he strapped in, time ticked closer to launch. Finally, after years of designing and planning, the USSR were ready to fly a man into space in a new vehicle for the third time. As the gantry arms lowered down to prepare for launch, Komarov constantly monitored the various instruments in front of him, making sure nothing was malfunctioning. And luckily, nothing was. With all the arms retracted, the rocket slowly brought itself to life. The RD-107 and 108s rumbled to life, making the rocket creak and groan under the force. And finally, the Soyuz freed itself from its shackles, and started towards the stars. Just before the boosters separated, the escape tower jettisoned, flying off away from the rocket, no longer needed. Then, just seconds later, the boosters flew off, in a formation known to many as the “Korolev Cross” The fairing peeled away, fully exposing the Soyuz 7K-OK to the vacuum of space. Seconds before the core stage cut off, the upper stage fired up it’s engines, ready to carry on the rest of the trip to orbit. And finally, after minutes of burning, the rocket went silent, finally reaching its destination. A loud thud came from behind Komarov, as he and his spacecraft floated away from the rocket that had carried them into orbit. The mission was a success, but now came the hard part. After waiting in orbit for a while, Komarov flicked a myriad of switches, and fired the instrument module motor to raise his orbit. Then, after finally completing his orbit raising maneuvers, Komarov lay in wait for the next part he had to play. Meanwhile, in Baikonur… (forgot to mention in the post, but big thanks to @raptor-m for getting me into this. he’s running his own american version of this on the alt history forum, so go check that out!)

The sun, like always, rises to the east of the Space Center on... Earth? This is not Kerbin, but instead its larger, wetter cousin. With only one moon and a higher atmosphere, it will more of a challenge to go to space today. But the Kerbals will persist, with boosters and courage and stupidity and boosters! Welcome to the... JNSQ KSRSS Space Race! Hi all! You may remember me from the original JNSQ Space Race, where after technical issues I played the Dressian National Rocketry Association. We're doing it again, but this time in a 2.5x scaled KSRSS, for added Flavour™. Rules are similar to last time: -Career Mode -Medium difficulty +Require Signal For Control -Mods encouraged, as long as they're not cheaty -Reverts and quicksaves Are permitted, but don't abuse them. This is mostly for fending off the Kraken, let your doomed machinations tumble to the ground! These rules will be updated as the race nears its beginning However, other rules such as progression and the scoring system, tech tree mods, contruction time, lifesupport etc. are yet to be decided, as I'd like to have you input on that first! The competitors are as follows: 1. The Neo-Dressian Spacefaring Foundation The NDSF is an organisation founded by eccentric businesskerbs Nertia (not at all related to the excellent modder and KSP2 Dev of a similar name) and Eeloon Kerman. It began when the pair were out on what their agents call a 'Danger Trip' (I think some of them are still hyperventilating) in which they discovered the ruins of the old DNRA facility. There they found an old Imperial Dressian flag, bleached by the sun and torn from wind-strewn rubble and inquisitive wildlife. Judging from what remained of the facility around it, this flag was originally destined for the surface of the Moon, but it was a destiny that was never realised due to the demise of the DNRA... until now. Nertia and Eeloon knew that they needed to take the Kerbals to space once again... For realsies, this time! To this end, the Neo-Dressian Spacefaring Foundation was formed. Similarly to the DNRA before it, it sported the national flag of the Dressian Confederacy, but as most of its funding came right out of Nertia's own Gluon Corporation, its logo was plastered front-and-center of the NDSF's flag. While it still recieved government subsidies, the NDSF was far less reliant on them than the DNRA, this hopefully meant it could take a few hits financially before it went under. 2. Space Agency of the Western Hemisphere (SAoWH) It's known for its long acronyms and lack of creativity in naming, and every rocket, spacecraft, kerbal, station and base will have long acronyms as their names. Despite its name, it's actually just a small country that forgot its own name throughout its history and is now called "Small country in the west of earth" with SCiWE as its acronym. The naming schemes in this country always cause troubles in international relations. Even though it is a very small and unimportant country, its space technology is surprisingly advanced. The race will begin when we have enough people, and once some of the above rules have been agreed upon. So go forth, and form your own space agencies!

Beyond Earth Introduction The year was 1946. The Second World War had just ended. It was the dawn of a new age on Earth. The victorious Allies, led by the United States, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, France and China, had assembled themselves in what would be known as the United Nations, so that all of the world could be at peace. People looked at the future with hope, having witnessed first hand the horrors of the War. That, unfortunately, would prove not to be the case. The world was now split into two, under the shadow of the USSR to the East, and the US to the West. Yet, no matter the political differences, the remaining superpowers, the US, the UK, and the USSR in particular, symultaneously turned their eyes skywards: the future laid not on brown soil, but in the blue skies above. True powered aircrafts had been born just forty years before, but now they bore little, if any, resemblance to the Flyer built by the Wright brothers, and there were rumors about an American prototype which was capable of going past the Columns of Hercules of Aviation: the sound barrier. But, while aircrafts were the big thing for the general public, a small, if resolute, group of scientists and engineers had their focus on another marvel of technology: the rocket. The history of rocketry had started many centuries before in China, but the most important advancements had been made much more recently. It was almost universally agreed, however, that the greatest pioneer was Kostantin Tsiolkovsky, a native Russian, whose ideas on rocket propulsion and propellants, but most importantly, his equations, had laid unknown for quite some time. In the US, during the 1920s, the famous inventor Robert Goddard had developed, and launched, the first ever liquid propelled rocket. In Germany the Verein für Raumschiffahrt (VfR, of Society for Space Travel) had had some significant developments as well, in particular regarding the use of Liquid Oxygen and Ethanol as propellants, before dissolving in 1934. In the Soviet Union there had been numerous inventors, notably Valentin Glushko, whose team conducted hundreds of tests, but the Purges of the late '30s soon put an end to these experimentations. During World War Two rockets were used by almost every party, mostly for battlefield-level weapons, such as the Rocket Anti-Aircraft Artillery of the Royal Navy, or the Katyusha rockets of the Soviets. But the most interesting, and fundamental, designs came from the United States and pedant Germany. In Germany, the infamous V-2 rocket had been developed and fielded during the war by a team headed by Wehrner von Braun, who was later extradited to the US along with most of his team. It was a most revolutionary design, a "ballistic missile", capable of a range of 300km, hitting, albeit with disputable results, the British mainland. These rockets had very advanced features such as HTP-driven turbopumps, and inertial guidance. Even further, these rockets scraped the edge of space on their way to London. In the US, while no actual full scale testing took place, there was a much more ambitious program. Developed in complete secret under the codename Project Prometheus, the initial plans called for a two-stage rocket, large enough to throw a (theoretical, at the time) 7000kg nuclear bomb across the ocean, in the instance of British surrender and/or full Soviet control of the European mainland. While this concept never came to be, a series of scale motors were built, and this experimentation meant that an experienced team was readily available in the US for subsequent programs. In late 1947, however, the unexpected happened. This team of American engineers, now joined by the Germans under von Braun, was approached by a British organization, who wished to join their forces in pursuit of a greater goal: exploring space. The project was left off to rust for quite some time, but, following several years of negotiations, of course keeping the public in the dark, the plans were approved and signed by future Administrators Sir Philip Perrington and General Garrett H. Woodward. Finally, on December 19th, 1950, the International Rocket Society came to be. Roundel of the International Rocket Society from 1950 onwards

Would you like to prove your ability to be the best at career mode? Would you like to earn an awesome badge as well? Then join the Stock Space Race Challenge! This challenge begins on November 14th, 2020, so make sure to sign up fast! To sign up, PM me with the following: Your account name, your faction and faction type (company, country, organization, etc.) name, and any extra info relating to your faction (optional). Each in-game week, an "Operations Summary" will be released by the players, detailing all of the mission progress in that time. The final goal: get as many points as possible. The challenge will end on December 31st, 2020. Please follow a historic-ish flight timeline (probes first to the destination, then Kerbals exploring it, then a permanent base for exploring the location). Rules: The following settings will adjusted made to a new career save: Kerbin time: On Revert Flights: Off Kerbal re-spawns: Off Re-entry heating: 120% Funds rewards: 110% Science rewards: 110% Funds penalties: 50% Science penalties: 50% Kerbal G-Force Limits: On Part G-Force Limits: On Part Temperature Limits: On Part Pressure Limits: On DO NOT EDIT ANYTHING ELSE The following rules are for functionality: No prior achievements that work for the challenge (before Nov. 14th) will be accepted. Pure Stock is defined as no mods except visual mods and DLCs. Must-have mods for extra realism (+10 points): TAC Life Support, Kerbal Construction Time. If you don't have one of these mods, but intend to use mods, YOU WILL NOT BE FEATURED ON THE LEADERBOARD, but under a modded catogory! No cheats No K-Drives, etc. No finding loopholes in rules If two factions reach the same destination at the same (in-game)day, then whoever got there quicker (Hrs, mins, sec) If you break these rules, you will be removed from the leader-board. Pictures and videos are not needed to show proof, however, it is encouraged. Missions: Reach space: +5 pts Reach orbit: +10 pts Probe network (Kerbin): +15 pts Orbit the Mun/Minmus: +15 pts Land on the Mun/Minmus: +20 pts Mun/Minmus Return Mission: +25 pts Escape Kerbin's SOI: +20 pts Dock/Rendevous: +25 pts Asteroid Rendevous: +30 pts Orbit Duna: +45 pts Land on Duna: +50 pts Duna Return Mission: +60 pts Asteroid Redirect: +75 pts Jool flyby: +65 pts Jool orbit: +70 pts Jool 5: +100 pts Kerbol Grand Tour: 150 pts Kerbol Grand Tour (+ Kerbol Escape): +175 pts Kerbol Grand Tour (+Kerbin Return): +200 pts Largest/Smallest (Weight and Size) Spacecraft: + 10 pts, and +10 additional pts for every player you pass Largest Space Base/Station (Size): 15 pts, and +10 additional pts for every player you pass Note: a 25-point bonus will be added if you are the first to do something Note: If you have accomplished something before in the challenge, no points will be added. Current Factions: New Horizon Aerospace Division [NH Aero] (@NH04 's stock aerospace company) APEX Orbital (@Shinikitty 's modded organization) Kerbinational Aeronautics and Space Administration [KASA] (@AeroSky 's stock space program) Modded Leader-Board: APEX Orbital (Shinikitty)- 65 PTS Pure Stock Leader-Board: KASA (AeroSky)- 30 PTS NH Aero (NH04)- 5 PTS

I am starting this space race after I had to leave the Japris space race (files corrupted). I plan to write up a goalsheet later. Each one will award you a certain number of points, and the person with the most points when 3/4 of all points have been collected. note: this will take at least a couple months

So, after being forced to drop out of the Beyond Home space race, I decided to make my own...using @DunaManiac's Japris Stellar Neighboorhood! This IS NOT a JNSQ space race. But like many JNSQ races, this is based off of in-game time. we will be playing with a VERY /moderately high science multiplier....some of the kspie parts have very heft costs! And the tech tree will only be completed up to the Daedalus engine, other wise this would take forever to complete. The goal of the race is simply. To put a self-sufficient orbiting colony and planetary base around/on Oppo. Special thanks to @DunaManiac for this wonderful, high quality mod. I will write up a list of milestones later on, each will include a set amount of points. The player with the most points at the end of the race wins. The Race will start one week from know, Saturday, November 21, 2020. It will end at a time yet to be determined. This will be a science mode game. Career would be ideal, but the kspie parts are too expensive to be used in a space race. (it would take forever to get the necessary funds!) The science multiplier will be 130%. Just DM me with your flag and country/company name, and I'll put you in the Roster. Mod list- Extra Planetary Launch Pads (for interstellar vessel only!) Kerbal Planetary Base System KSPIE Japris Steller Neighborhood And qol mods that you see fit (EVE, KER, etc. etc. Mechjeb is not allowed. Milestones Points will be given to whoever does following- Orbit around any celestial body(+10) Science returned from a celestial body (+15) Landing on said celestial body(+15) Landing a crewed mission on said celestial body(+25) Sending a colony/orbiting colony to said celestial body(+35) Finally- An orbiting colony and/or surface base on/ around Oppo For every kerbal over 25 (+5) Only an Orbiting colony (+50) Only a surface base (+60) Surface base and Orbital colony (+90) Also...an additional 10 points will be given to the person to who creates the most visually/and/or functional base/colony. Roster- @Lewie Green Origin @DunaManiac Kerbin Federation @AccidentalColonies Kahos Theory Spaceflight & Spacecraft @sir rocket Phoenix Aerospace Corporation Cheers! -Lewie

In the spirit of @Misguided_Kerbal's JNSQ Race, which you can check out here if you want: This time we will be doing it with @Gameslinx's Beyond Home All players will use a specific mod, along with Stock parts, KIS, and KAS along with any Graphics, Info, or QoL mods you want. We may need a rescale according to some players who have tried this before, so just in case: https://github.com/Sigma88/Sigma-Dimensions/releases Rules: Everything will be based on Game-time. Example: Two players reach orbit on the same day, however, the first player got into orbit at Day 1, 35 min, 23 sec; while the other player got into orbit at Day 1, 30 min, 8 sec. In this case, the 2nd player would receive points for reaching orbit first. You may pick a parts mod, but once you pick your part mod, you must stay with that. You are allowed to use Stock parts though. Once a part mod is chosen, other players can’t use that mod. You will have to take a screenshot of the tech tree after each launch, the mission report (Where they show how much science you got), and pictures during the mission, should show the liftoff, staging events, and any other significant events, and then either the end of your mission or the landing. You may post only on Saturdays. Due to some people giving complaints about how far others have gotten. Milestones: Here. Ending: First one to have bases with 10 kerbals on Janus and its moons wins! Participants: @Dat Kerbal Dude Krazy Labs. Inc Using @CobaltWolf Bluedog Design Bureau @jimmymcgoochie AAARG (Rhode Division) Near Future Technologies by @Nertea @kspnerd122 Using @linuxgurugamer's KW Rocketry Rebalanced @camacju Hephaestus Space Program

Winner: @jimmymcgoochie !!!!! After dropping out of my Space Race with @HansonKerman because of technical issues, I decided to start a new, JNSQ space race. I took inspiration from @The Dressian Exploder's JNSQ space race, which is itself based off of @Ultimate Steve's RSS space race. This is going to be a 4-part series, the first part being the beginning (Satellites and a Kerbal into orbit), the second part being landing a Kerbal on the Mun and Minmus, the third part being establishing a presence at the Mun and/or Minmus, and the fourth part the land on Duna. Everything, including all the milestones and prerequisites, will be based off of game time. Now, let's move on. Note: If you're wondering where all the action is, and you've already scrolled through 5 pages, the first space race post is here: Rules: 1. No cheating (Hyperedit, Alt-F12 cheat menu, just plain old lying, etc.) 2. Everything is based off of in-game time 3. You are limited to ONLY 1 milestone and 1 prerequisite per flight. Even if you accomplish more, IT WON'T COUNT. 4. Use quicksaves/reverts only because of game-related problems. If the game glitches out, go ahead and revert, but if you forgot a part or something, too bad so sad. Setup: Set the game to normal difficulty, except add these: Set the crew respawn option to off You can enable advance tweakables (autostruts) if you want Mods: You can basically use any mods you want, except any OP mods, for example Alcubberie Warp Drive, Metallic Hydrogen, Dark Matter stuff, Antimatter stuff, and the likes. Basically, no Interstellar Extended. Of course, you need JNSQ. We're going for a 60s-90s feel, so feel free to use BDB and Tantares. Recommended Mod List: JNSQ (duh) Nertea's Stuff (Near Future, SSPXR, CryoEngines, Kerbal Atomics, Mark IV Spaceplane, etc.) KS3P or TUFX with Zorg's configs Better Time Warp Final Frontier KSC Extended Restock and Restock+ Habtech 2 Modular Launch Pads Universal Storage 2 Contestants: 1. Kerman States @Misguided_Kerbal (Me!) The Kerman States is a rising superpower, a democracy consisting of 5 powerful city-states connected together. After the Great War, Von Kerman scientist Wernher Von Kerman, brought to the Kerman States by Operation Staple, discovered a new dimension known as "Space". The Kerman States Parliament has approved a healthy stockpile of funds to explore this new dimension, and perhaps even land on the Mun. 2. Neo-Dressian Spacefaring Foundation @The Dressian Exploder After the failure of the MQVI, The DNRA lost all funding and was abandoned. 50 years later, one Nertia Kerman (In no way related to the great modder *AHEM*) found the ruins of the DNSC, and realised that it was time for Dressia to reach for the stars once more. 3. Tree Industries (Formerly K.H.R.I.S.S.E.R) @GuessingEveryDay Dedicated to the memory of Khris Kerman, we will continue on, this time with the trees to the stars. 4. AAARG (Advanced Audacious Aerospace Research Group) @jimmymcgoochie Succeed or fail, our intrepid Kerbals always scream our name! Prerequisites: (Does not have to be followed in order, but the order listed below is recommended) Bolded ones are Milestones, which will be explained later. You must complete EVERY prerequisite in each part before advancing to the next part. Before landing a Kerbal on Duna, you must have completed EVERY SINGLE PREREQUISITE except for that. Part 1: Up, Up, and Away! 1. First Launch 2. First Satellite 3. Polar Satellite 4. First Kerbed launch 5. First Kerbal to reach orbit 6. Docking 7. Kerballed Docking Part 2: Flags and Footsteps 1. Launched a working communications relay (at least 3 commsats) 2. Munar Probe 3. Minmus Probe 4: Space Station 5. Kerbal to reach Munar orbit 6. Kerbal to land on the Mun 7. Kerbal to Minmus orbit 8. Kerbal to land on Minmus Part 3: Establishing a Presence 1. Second Space Station (Must be bigger than the first one) 2. Mun Space Station 3. Mun Base 4. Minmus Space Station 5. Minmus Base 6. Duna and/or Ike probe 7. Eve Probe 8. Jool Probe Part 4: Rusty Dust 1. Unmanned lander on Ike 2. Unmanned lander on Duna 3. Duna Sample Return 4. Kerballed landing on Duna Milestones: Now, what are milestones, you ask? They are the bolded ones on the top. Basically, first to do that Milestone gets those points. Points are only there because, for example, 2 contestants land on the Mun at around the same time, then whoever has more points wins. Also, they are a nice little touch. Part 1: Up, Up, and Away! (5 pts) First Launch: @GuessingEveryDay (10 pts) First Satellite: @jimmymcgoochie (15 pts) First Polar Satellite: @jimmymcgoochie (15 pts) First Kerbed launch: @Kraken that doesn't exist (15 pts) First Kerbal to reach orbit: @jimmymcgoochie (15 pts) First Kerballed Docking: @jimmymcgoochie Part 2: Flags and Footsteps (20 pts) First Kerbal to reach Munar orbit: @jimmymcgoochie (25 pts) First Kerbal to land on the Mun: @jimmymcgoochie (20 pts) First Kerbal to Minmus orbit: @jimmymcgoochie (25 pts) First Kerbal to land on Minmus: @jimmymcgoochie Part 3: Establishing a Presence (20 pts) First Mun Space Station: @jimmymcgoochie (30 pts) First Mun Base: @jimmymcgoochie (20 pts) First Minmus Space Station: @jimmymcgoochie (30 pts) First Minmus Base: @jimmymcgoochie Part 4: Rusty Dust (20 pts) First Unmanned lander on Ike: @jimmymcgoochie (25 pts) First Unmanned lander on Duna: @jimmymcgoochie (35 pts) First Duna Sample Return: @jimmymcgoochie (40 pts) First Kerballed landing on Duna: @jimmymcgoochie Leaderboard: @Misguided_Kerbal (Kerman States) 0 points, 0 milestones, 6 requisites completed @The Dressian Exploder (Neo-Dressian Spacefaring Foundation) 0 points, 0 milestones, 0 prerequisites completed @GuessingEveryDay (Tree Industries) 5 points, 1 milestones, 3 prerequisites completed @jimmymcgoochie (AAARG) 335 points, 16 milestones, 27 prerequisites completed Example Post: (Example post in spoiler)

At Year 0, Day 0, a few companies made it their mission to explore space. Each one wanted to be the first to go where no kerbal has dared to go, armed only with boosters, struts and a whole lotta luck. But they were not alone in their endeavors, and they would have to compete against one another for mastery of the Kerbol System... Kudos to Ultimate Steve for the original RSS/RO Space Race, which is absolutely awesome. Go check it out! This is originally made for peeps who really enjoy the RSS Space Race, but really aren't skilled enough for the challenge of RSS. People like me! So feel free to join in. JNSQ SPACE RACE Contestant 1: Dressian National Rocketry Association Created when a group of Universities in Dressia united together to eat snacks send a rocket into space. The Dressian government soon noticed them, and gave them funding to help Dressia become a spacefaring nation. Despite a government grant of over100,000 to develop the required tech, DNRA remains a private company. Contestant Two: Agencia Espacial Kanada (because kerbal backwards Spanish & beer) The AEK's tired of building arms and legs for everyone else. Time to reach space on our own, leaving empties on The Mun and beyond. Led by the fearless Chris Kerman, fighter pilot and badS extraordinaire, and backed up by original four-member Bob and his hosehead engineer brother Doug, these kanucks emerge from behind the successes of others to take the spotlight on their own. Contestant 3:Notebook Space Program *insert bio here* Contestant 4: Laythe Initiative (sorry, couldn't find a bigger flag) Contestant 5: Za Warudo! Space Agency After Enrico Pucci remade the universe, DIO found his immortal soul adrift shunted into the outer multiverse. Would this be an opportunity for a revival? For a chance for the once godly DIO to resume his conquest of the universe itself? Unfortunately for DIO, he emerged on a minor world, without access to either his vampire or Stand abilities. Reborn as Dio Kerman, DIO would have to rely on his charisma and wit to dominate the new world. While the Kerbals were not respective to displays of brute force, they had an obsession with space travel. In order to get the Kerbals to follow him, Dio muscled his way into the leadership of the Kerbal Space Program, which he renamed after his former Stand, Za Warudo! Now, to plumb the secrets of the universe and keep his easily distracted minions occupied, Dio would have to begin the conquest of the world, via space. Contestant 6: Photon Corporation Pending Competitors: No one as of now. Rules and Mods The way this race will be judged is through the milestones in Pap1723's Career Evolution Contract pack, one of the mandatory mods of this Space Race. The first person to complete 30 milestones of this pack will win the race! NOTE: This is in Game time, not RL time. Meaning one participant could finish a week before another and not win the race. Required mods: -JNSQ (obviously) -Career Evolution Contract Pack -Kerbal Construction Time -UnKerballed Start & CTT. -Kronometer -Plus all their dependencies. The rest of your mods are up to you! Non-OP parts mods are allowed and encouraged, I'll be using Tantares, Taerobee, CRE and PParts.(among the mess of mods I have) Oh, and one final thing... at least one of your 30 milestones has to be kerballed, doesn't matter which one, and apart from that one milestone, launch probes to your hearts content! Coming soonish (I.E when I get this all set up, and we have enough participants.) Reply if you want to join!

I’ve realized many people on this forum have space races, but they all seem to require mods. Now I have a computer that can’t really take on more than BD armory. So I decided to set up a full blown stock space race for people like me who can’t or don’t want to install mods for ksp. Up to 7 competitors will be allowed. Each one will take on an organization for the current space race of Mars, but in this case Duna! The competition will begin on November 9 (Saturday) All competitors will use the science mode gameplay. First one to set up 3 five module settlements will win. Competitors: KASA: (kspnerd122) (FINISHED)The United States of Kermerica’s national space program, they are widely known for landing Neil Kerman and Buzz Kerman on the Mun in 1969. SpaceK: (baybrawler) Run by economist and billionaire Elon Kerman, SpaceK is known for being regarded as the most successful privately owned space program. Green Origen: (Robonoise) Another privately owned space program, Green Origen focuses on space tourism, and is run by billionaire Jeff Kerman. Duna One: (raptus)(FINISHED) Duna One is an operation based in Kolland that wants to kolonize Duna. KESA: (Jeb head mug Kerman) The KESA is a space program run by the continent Kerope, and helped boost the progress of the Kerbin Space Station. Roskosmos/Kussian Space agency: (Fraus) The Kussian Space Agency, popularly called Roskosmos is known for their Stayputnik, the first artificial Kerbin satellite. Khisese National Space Administration: (fuzzyhead) The Kainese National Space Administration is known for their invention of fireworks, which later became rockets, and are now planning on making a space station in orbit of Kerbin. Kindian Space Research Organization:(splatn’t) The KSRO is known for being among the best space programs on Kerbin. They have in the past run several Khandrain missions and have several Duna Orbiters. Edit: Just wanted to add that all companies that were listed above are based off of real life space programs. NASA, SpaceX, Blue Origen, Mars 1, eESA, Roscosmos, Indian Space Research Organization and Chinese National Space Administration. Rules: •All competitors must use science mode.(default settings) •No mods are allowed with the exception of ONLY visual mods (no expansions either). •No cheat menu •You can use replicas of actual ships, but try to get creative. •Be ready to submit pictures •Good luck Leaderboard: 1. Kspnerd122 (year 1, day 200) 2. Raptus (year 2, day 9)

Emulating Real Life in KSP- Craft Submission Thread This is the official thread for craft submission under the Emulating Real Life in KSP project created by myself @Oliverm001x and @TheEpicSquared. Here is where the LP's and PP's post their respective craft. (Note: read specific rules before posting!) General Rules, Consult Before Submitting: Launch Provider Information: Payload Provider Information: We look forward to receiving and flying your craft!

Hi there, I've decided to share my collection of crafts from teh space race era with the community. I think the 60's and 70's were what you could call the golden era of space flight with massive goverment founds for Roskosmos and NASA and extremly fast developments. Me, as a big fan of the spacecrafts of that time i decided to build stock replicas as good as i could and share them. Since i hardly found any stock replicas of those craft (aside from Apollo) I would also love to see your stock replicas of those crafts I built Vostok, Soyuz, Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. I haven't build Voskhod yet since it would only be a slightly changed up Vostok. All my craft have acurate replicas of the lifters too. It was important to me, that all lifters and Spaceships have teh original staging I will include the downlaoad links if you want to download the craft. Vostok https://kerbalx.com/SpaceTrashCan/Vostok Mercury https://kerbalx.com/SpaceTrashCan/Mercury Gemini https://kerbalx.com/SpaceTrashCan/Gemini Soyuz https://kerbalx.com/SpaceTrashCan/Soyuz Apollo (15) https://kerbalx.com/SpaceTrashCan/Apollo-15

The goal of this challenge is to land a kerbal on the mun before the other team. A user may only launch 2 missions. Each user selects whether to launch for the US or USSR. They must join whatever team is currently behind on missions. If they are tied the players can choose. The missions must be newly launched and in this order: 1. Orbital Satellite Done by both teams, USSR first 2. Suborbital Manned Spaceflight Done by both teams, USSR first 3. Orbital Manned Spaceflight Done by both teams, USSR first 4. Munar flyby probe Done by both teams, USSR first 5. Orbital Manned Spaceflight and EVA Done by US first 6. Munar impact 7: Launch a docking port into orbit and then launch a kerbal to dock with it(like agena target vehicle) 8. Munar orbit probe 9. Munar landing probe 10. Manned 3 person capsule 11. Manned lunar orbit 12. Test 2-stage Munar lander in LKO 13. Manned Munar orbit with Munar lander test. Fall down to 5 kilometers and then ascend again. 14. Manned Munar Landing The catch? Total cost per team must be less than 250,000. 150,000 However, the team which completes each step first gets 2,000 * step number of bonus money. (So a Munar orbit probe would give you 16,000 bonus money). Before posting about your mission, you must post that you are going to do it in advance. You have one week of real time to do the mission. If the mission fails, than your team lost that money. No quicksaves/reverts please. If your mission fails, you can launch another mission if you want. A failed mission will not count as one of your two missions. This is possible. Remember, a rockomax 3200 tank is only 3,000. Get to the Mun first! Each poster must post in this format please: Team: Mission: Put pics and desciption Initial funds: Funds used: Funds remaining: Rules: Mechjeb allowed Tweakscale banned Procedural tanks banned Other procedural things allowed No asparagus or caterpillar staging. No ions or nukes No other mods

Chapter 1 UTPKA Territory. 'Phoenix' shuttle on the pad at KSC, with its 'Odyssey' core booster and 'Artemis' side boosters. Year 1, Day 123, 03:08 PM GMT. As he turned the tuner on the radio, static crackled across the speakers. "... I need a hero, I need a hero 'til the end of the flight..." "... Fly me to the Mun and..." "... When the sky falls, and the stars rise..." "... In other news, we sadly mourn the death of Deswin Kerman, one of the best Kerbonauts in the KSA. He died today during an in-flight accident during the circularisation burn of STS-3. A pipe, which was directing fuel into the main engines of the Artemis-I booster, became clogged, and the buildup of fuels burst the pipe. The hypergolic fuel mixed with the oxidizer, and the entire craft exploded in a shower of flames. Streaks of flames were seen in the sky as the debris re-entered the atmosphere..." Deswin Kerman casually switched off the radio. He spoke into his helmet mic: "CAPCOM, I'm astonished. I can't believe they fell for the flares, over." "Copy that, Des. Transfer burn T-minus 1 minute 30 seconds, over." Deswin clumsily removed his clunky suit gloves, before skillfully maneuvering the shuttle to line up with the maneuver node on the black-and-green navball. "Maneuver node aligned. Burn in T-minus 1 minute and counting, over." "Copy that, Control is watching your every move. Or, at least, the portion of it that knows..." The capsule communicator didn't even need to finish his sentence. Deswin understood what he meant. His fingers rested on the throttle. "T-minus 30 seconds." "T-minus 20" "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2..." Deswin rammed the throttle forward, and the shuttle accelerated with a jolt of power. He had his eyes tuned on the fuel balance, and his other finger on the 'Stage' button. The fuel ran down rapidly. "Cutoff T-minus 40" "30" "20" "15, 14,13..." The fuel in the 1st stage depleted, and Deswin flicked the 'Stage' switch. The 6 Thrustmax 200 engines roared to life, giving another half a G of acceleration. "11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1..." He carefully nudged the throttle lever backwards as the seconds ticked down. The map in his cockpit's LCD screen displayed his current trajectory, on an encounter with the Mun. He couldn't help but smile a sly smile, with the knowledge that he was only one in a handful of people who knew the Artemis Program's true goal. The 'Artemis' core booster separation during the transfer burn: Day 124, 01:23 AM GMT. "You're approaching the node for orbital injection, T-minus 3 minutes, over." "Copy that, CAPCOM. Pre-burn check complete, all systems nominal. However, somebody forgot to pack the sunscreen, over." Chuckles over the radio. "No, I'm serious. The guys back at R&D can't afford visors on the EVA suits, so we have to cover ourselves in sunscreen and wear a pair of those huge, blocky sunglasses that a dentist puts on you before they shine a giant light in your face." More chuckles. 02:50 AM GMT. The heads-up display showed a small object, highlighted in green, approaching the shuttle at 23 metres per second. "Capricorn Station approaching, close approach T-minus 50 seconds," chimed mission control. "I've got my hand on the throttle, ready for velocity match, over." The gap between the 'Phoenix' and the station grew smaller and smaller, as indicated by the heads-up display. 1.5 kilometres. 1 kilometre. 0.8 kilometres. Deswin nudged the throttle lever forward slightly. The relative speed on the HUD grew smaller. "Close approach T-minus 20" 20 metres per second. 15 metres per second. 10 metres per second. "T-minus 15." 5 metres per second. "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1..." 0 metres per second. "Zero!" The shuttle, approaching the station after ditching the 2nd stage: 03:00 AM GMT. The docking ports inched closer. Deswin watched eagerly from the LCD screen, displaying the docking port's camera. He fiddled with the docking joystick as he attempted the align the Latch-o-matic ports with each other. As the distance grew closer, the magnetic clamps kicked in, doing the rest of the work for him. The two ships floated gracefully towards each other, and the clamps safely secured themselves around the shuttle. "Phew," sighed Deswin, switching off the LCDs and opening up the hatch with a pull of the latch. "That was tense." Gene Kerman at mission control smiled carelessly to himself in his office chair. "Good," he said. "Phase one is complete." The 'Phoenix' docking and docked: Author's note: Please give me your thoughts! I would love to see the feedback these stories get; I have a much bigger project (and I mean HUGE) ready to come this way if you guys enjoy 'Kontakt'. If you think anything is bad, or needs to be changed, say so. I want the truth, even if it hurts. Kind regards, N.

Post #1 - April 13th, 2017. DISCLAIMER: This entire thread is intended as a parody of the space race, so please don't take what I say seriously. Kerbin's Geography: 1943 - 1978 (Current): Mod list: Please be advised that I am currently accepting payloads submitted for launch by "private companies." Preferably, payloads must under 15 tons, but the limit is 25. The only mods you can use are MOLE, Tantares (Either LV or spacecraft), TRAILS Plus, Home-Grown Rockets (With the patches for use in 1.2.2), Fuel Tanks Plus, KAS/KIS, and Ven's Stock Revamp. I'm not installing mods just for your payload, because my game already crashes way too much! Payload submission form below: So. Here it is. I've been wanting to do an Eyes Turned Skyward style mission report series, where I'd play a new career mode game, presented in a history book format (Also inspired by this). These mission reports will have multiple different parties launching space vehicles - the USSR and the USA. Yes - It's basically just a career game with a moderately entertaining backstory - but I wanted to do it so here it is: --- Year 1, Day 1. (April 13, 1957) At a remote complex in southern Kazakhstan, a new ICBM is being prepped for launch. But this is no regular ICBM. And it carries no nuclear payload. As trucks and jeeps drive around the missile, ground crew fuel up and prepare the ICBM for takeoff. This missile contains a small satellite, equipped with four long-range antennae and advanced scientific instruments. At T-minus ten minutes to launch, the three large, green metal launch gantries lower themselves away from the rocket, and the ground crew clear the launch zone. TV crews crowd around barriers, blocking any unauthorized personnel from gaining access to Launchpad-G. The rocket has two stages - the first, an FLT-800 fuel tank, with a singular BPT-180 engine, and a TR-18A decoupler to make way for the second stage - an FLT-200 fuel tank and another BPT-180 engine, with four Vernor engines to keep the rocket on course. At zero hour, the entire stack lifts off the pad, the 158 kiloNewtons of thrust more than enough to propel the rocket through the sky. Huge clouds of smoke billow from the engine as it approaches the highest-ever altitude set by an aircraft - 28 kilometres - and easily breaks that altitude record in a mere matter of seconds. At an altitude of thirty kilometres, the first stage cuts-off, and is jettisoned. The craft coasts to apoapsis, the Vernor thrusters aligning it on the correct attitude for the orbital injection. The second stage cuts-off with a mere ten seconds left in the orbital injection, at which point the fairing deploys and the 'Sputnik' satellite completes the burn using its NT-5R engine - an efficient, low-thrust experimental nuclear engine. The engine, also known as the 'Shiba,' has not been perfected, and slowly emits radiation, which would, if exposed to any astronauts for long duration missions - as the USSR would later find out - be lethal. After the satellite had reached orbit, it took readings with its scientific instruments, and broadcasted a continuous message towards Kerbin: Beep, beep, beep, beep... The successful launch of 'Sputnik' prompted the United States of America to respond with their own space program. In the beginning, the task was handed over to the Air Force, which, to put it bluntly, couldn't get to space if they were given a prefabricated rocket with instructions spelled out in block capitals with simple verbs and multiple pictures and diagrams. They were better at designing aircraft. They just couldn't get their heads around the fact that there is no air in space. So it's no surprise that on Year 1, Day 3 (July 21st, 1957), when the US Air Force attempted to launch 'Voyager 1,' the rocket failed to get off the ground. The two strap-on TX-354-3 SRBs and core SCOUT LRB were designed to carry the satellite, 'Voyager-1,' to an Apoapsis above the atmosphere, where the satellite would perform the orbital injection. However, the engineers made the embarrassing mistake of mistaking the vacuum Isp for the Isp at sea level, which wasn't even capable of lifting the rocket a single metre off the ground! The launch had made a mockery of the US Air Force, and the American people lost faith in their country's ability to compete with the USSR, with the failure being nicknamed "Flopnik" by the American press. And so, on Year 1, Day 4 (October 3rd, 1957), the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) became the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). And NASA's first task was to launch a satellite to compete with the Soviet 'Sputnik' program. The first thing NASA did was haul Wernher Von Kerman out from the Air Force's grasp to become their head rocket engineer. He and the rest of his team happily obliged, and, once work on the KSC (Kerbal Space Centre) was complete, work on the 'Explorer' program began. The facilities at KSC were less advanced than those at Vandenberg Air Force Base, but they were completely NASA-owned, and because NASA was government-funded, it meant that they could decide what to do with their facilities. Construction of the 'Cygnus M-22' rocket began on Year 1, Day 5 (December 19th, 1957). First, the rocket required two DIOSCURI-1 SRBs to provide the necessary boost at launch to raise the Apoapsis. The contract to build and test the boosters was awarded to BDB International, while the first core stage, an FLT-800 fuel tank with a TR-18D stack separator and an MPT-180 engine, was given to LeBeau Space Industries. The upper stage, consisting of another MPT-180 engine and two fuel tanks, one FLT-200 and one FLT-100, was also awarded to LeBeau Space Industries. The payload, the 'Explorer-1' satellite, was to be built and tested by the NASA design teams themselves. And, alas, on Year 1, Day 6 (March 11th, 1958), 'Explorer-1' was ready for launch. It sat on Launchpad-1A at the KSC. Crowds of reporters flocked to the Space Centre, and the local police had to be called in to prevent rambunctious Kerbals from jumping over the barriers and onto the pad! At lift-off, the two SRBs and central LRB ignited, and the rocket ascended towards the heavens on a plume of flame and smoke. Across America, tall tales were told of the launch being felt across the continent. But of course, they were just that - tall tales! At twenty kilometres altitude, the two DIOSCURI-1 SRBs were separated, and the central stage continued until it, too, was jettisoned at forty kilometres. The upper stage completed the orbital injection and raised the orbit of the satellite to a record-breaking altitude of five-hundred kilometres! As the satellite circled Kerbin, it took photographs, and studied ionizing radiation and the temperature of space! A famous image taken by 'Explorer-1,' known as 'the Greenish-Blue Marble.' Summary: USSR successfully launched 'Sputnik' LKO satellite - first artificial satellite - Year 1, Day 1 (April 13, 1957) USA failed to launch 'Voyager-1' LKO satellite - Year 1, Day 3 (July 21st, 1957) USA successfully launched 'Explorer-1' LKO satellite - Year 1, Day 6 (March 11th, 1958)

60 years to the day, came a sound that shook the world. beep...beep...beep... Sputnik 1 - long gone but your legacy lives on.

so i reinstalled KSP yesterday and as the 1. thing that i made was a Saturn 5 replica almost stock exept for tweakscale and i used kerbal engineer, chatterer and opm gets to the mun, has the lander (the lander was the only inacurate thing) the fairings are impossible to scale up so that was a bit complicated in the vab during day during night launch escape system second stage lander module landed download https://kerbalx.com/martiplay28/saturn-5

So I've been thinking about making a Multiplayer Career for a long time, so much that I've tried to do it with some friends I have IRL, but failed, as they aren't Kerbal players. I've asked this on reddit, but got few responses (1), so I'm asking here, on the forum, if anyone would want to play a Space Race Career with people. This Multiplayer career would consist from 2 to 4~5 people playing Kerbal in a Multiplayer mod (DMP or KLF if the first is too unstable) using the following mods: (They can be discussed) Dark MultiPlayer (DMP) or Kerbal Life Feed (KLF) Kerbal Konstruct Kerbin Side Ven's Tantares and LV TweakScale Procedural Parts ALCOR landing pod DMagicOrbitalSciences KIS KAS Near Future Tech Mk3MiniExpansion HabTech ScanSAT 2K System (Every body is make 2 times bigger) Any that you would want but RemoteTech ---------------PROPOSED--------------- FASA FTP SpaceY KWRocketry x1 Size Kerbol system (Stock) Each person would get 1 or 2 launch sites in a specific part of Kerbin. No one would be using the KSC. Cooperation is allowed, but not at the start (As if we were in a Kold war) If you want to play in this career you have to put this on the comments: Amount of free time: Ability to open a server if needed: Any mods you recommend/dislike: Where you live (So it's know when each one can play): Also, you can use a custom flag. The thing will take a little bit to set up, as I'm in finals exams and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Also, sorry if I'm very plain, If you want to contact me, my Skype is "pkmniako" Candidates: Vulkasitos - Afternoons - Can host server - (GTM+1) nosirrbro - Free teag2 - Free - Could Host a Server if needed Kuansenhama - Can vary if free or not - Could Host a Server if needed -(GMT-7) - Would like FTP and SpaceY amarius1 - ??? ZooNamedGames - Has Left. ...

Details on the contest: http://lunar.xprize.org/ Currently there are 16 teams all over the world attempting this contest by Google, for the grand prize of $20 million (+$5 million if they managed to have scientific/technological achievement). In order to win, the team must: 1. Sucessfully place a robot on the moon 2. Travel 500m there. 3. Sending HD video and image back to earth. And another condition is that the team must prove that 90% of their mission cost are funded by private sources. The teams has until the end of 2016 to announce a verified launch contact to stay in the competition, and must finish their mission by the end of 2017. Let's hope this will make people want to fund for space trip again.

Foreword: This mission report will be a little different. For the purposes of the story there will be 2 (to start) different space programs. The actual Save file will be in Sandbox mode so all comments about Reputation, Funds, and Science are for flavor. The competing programs will be KASE (Kerbin Academy of Scientific Exploration) which will serve as a NASA analog to start with and KOSMO (Kerbin's Orbital Science and Mechanics Organization) which will serve as the USSR's space program analog. At the start KASE is working on making the theory of Kerball'ed sub-orbital flight a reality (Mercury) while KOSMO is working on orbital satellites (Sputnik). History wise for this S.A.V.E. (See @Parkaboy comic for that acronym) Wherner's Z-2 is the only object to have ever gone suborbital. While KASE spends its time training its Nauts and trying to build a capsule that can survive splash down without sinking, KOSMO is working on Stayputnik. The plan is to Kerbalize the space race including recreations of parts of Vostok, Mercury, Gemini, Soyuz, Apollo, and allow things to diverge as the story develops its own life. I've brainstormed out as far as a Duna trip but we'll see how things actually go as I give the characters life and allow them to define their programs.. KOSMO is the space program of the New Kerbin Order and uses the Kraken's Belly launch site at the start. The NKO was founded on the ideal that an egaltarian utopia would end the need for war, poverty, hunger, and conflict. They Kerbrads - or Kerbal Radicals - were a small and poorly developed faction during the last war but an influx of captured science and technology has turned them into a power the whole world recognizes. KASE is the space program of the United Kerbdom and uses Hanbert's Cape at the start. United Kerbdom is a large and powerful nation with a strong foundation of traditions. Its colonies attempted a rebellion roughly 200 years ago but lost due to having poorly rationed their snacks. United Kerbdom claims to stand for freedom, tradition, and "simply what's right." During the last war United Kerbdom lead the Council of Kerbin Allied Nations (CKAN) to victory and signed the global peace accords with the NKO. So far United Kerbdom considers KASE a publicity arm of the government more than a serious space program. Both agencies will be exploring the idea of more bases. The Cast: KASE's staff will have a lot of familiar names. Wherner Von Kermon: Head of research and development. Wherner was liberated from a think tank belonging to KRAUT (Kerbin's Really Atrocious Ubervillain Technocracy) during the last war. He had been instrumental in the development of KRAUT's Zoom MkII (Z-2) rocket. Wherner has seen enough death and destruction to be wary of the military's control of KASE but is too focused on rockets and discovery to care overly much. Jebidiah Kerman: Jeb was dubbed "Kaptain Kerman" by the news reels "A real Okayhoma farmboy turned war hero!" His actual rank is Lt. Kernel. Jeb was thrilled to get accepted into the KASE pilot training program. His time in the war left him ready to live on the edge but never crossing it. Bill Kerman: Ex-military Engineer core, Bill is somewhat resentful about working under an Ex-KRAUT scientist. Bill is a perfectionist at heart which is why Wherner recruited him specifically. Bill will be the head engineer on the Mk1 manned capsule. Bob Kerman: youngest of the three, Bob is a recently graduated academic who is eager to learn more about the solar system. He's got no experience working with the military or for anyone who lacks a sense of humor. Gene Kermz: A retired Military commander who is glad to be home from the front. Gene runs a tight ship but has never, never, left a Kerbal behind. He's a demanding boss but knows the value of a good soldier. How he'll deal with scientists is anyone's guess. Mortimer Kermberg: Mort's job is to keep the lights on and keep parliment happy with the program. While the bean-counter is generally disliked by just about everyone on site he knows that they've got one chance to make things work because what's going on is expensive and no sane Kerb is going to keep writing them checks if they aren't producing results. Walter Kermsey: Walt's job is Public Relations which means he's the one who keeps trying to interrupt pilot training for Press conferences, interviews, and other things. He'd be very happy to turn KASE into reality TV if only the TV cameras were lighter and more portable. He's submitted requests to the R&D team many times but they never get approved. Linus Kermlich: Linus is another ex-KRAUT genius. He's refused to work on any part of the program which is combustible saying that he wants no part in making anything which could be a weapon. He's got interesting ideas about capturing solar power in photovolic cells but his research has yielded nothing yet. Valentina Kermov: One of the few female pilots during the last war, she'd been regulated to flying CAP for medical convoys and rarely saw action. When the war was over she was able to arrange a posting at KOSMO though she still doesn't know what her ultimate assignment will be. Konstantin Kermovsky - KOSMO's lead scientist, a reclusive and strange man whose understanding of rockets rivals or even exceeds Wherner's. Konstantin had been playing with the idea of SRB boosted planes when KOSMO recruited him. Valeri Kermasov - A gifted engineer with a preference for automation over redundancy. Valeri has worked hard to get to stand in Konstantin's shadows and work on his R7 orbital project. Valeri believes that Kerballed flight is a mistake and that the pilots are needed only to help the engineers design better flight programs. She's not always on good terms with the other, better known, Val. Yelena Kermdakova - A gifted scientist with a knack of politics - she focuses on satellite designs and works closely with Valeri. Unlike Valeri she desperately wants to switch KOSMO's design over to Kerballed flight mostly because she wants to go to space. Yelena dreams of seeing the day when Kerbals can walk on the Mun - an idea that KOSMO directors call a pipe dream: "there aren't enough struts on Kerbin to build a rocket big enough for that". Ivan - Is a "Political" or an officer that reports directly to the government. This character is one that no one tries to befriend and no one dares make an enemy of. Serge- an aging engineer who tries to keep his program running despite Ivan's interference. Mods: I realize not all of these matter in a Sandbox game... Antenae Range, Asteroid Day, Chatterer, Coherent Contracts, Community Resource Pack, Community Tech Tree, Contract Configurer, Various Contract Packs, Contract Windo +, Crowd Sourced Flags, Crowd Sourced Science, Dang It!, Distant Object Enhancement, Diverse Kerbal Heads, DMagic Orbital Science, EVE, Final Frontier, Firespitter, Kerbal Alarm Clock, KAS, KIS, Kerbal Konstructs, Kerbal Planetary Base Systems, Kerbin Side, Kronal Vessel Viewer, Lore Friendly Serious Parody Flags, MagiCore, MKS Lite, Module Manager, OSE workshop, Planet Shine, ScanSat, Scatterer, Sensible Screenshot, Stage Recovery, Star Trek TOS suit and IVA textures, Texture Replacer, Toadicus Tools, Umbra Space Industries Tools, USI Core, USI Life Support, Ven's Stock Revamp, Waypoint Manager. KOSMO chapter 1: Getting with the program. Valentina took a deep lungful of the mountain air. She almost hadn't believed it when she'd flown up to Kraken's Belly, but there was a compound secluded in the mountains. This was it. This was KOSMO. From just the other side of the mountains it would be impossible to tell that there was a compound here, let alone one as big and important as the NKO's advanced rocket science division. Quietly she killed the engines on her old IG-6 and coasted into a landing at a nearby village. Officially she'd been assigned to crop-dusting duty at the Kerbal's Industrial Farmlands in a nearbye town. There were few who knew what KOSMO was, let alone that it existed. Unlike KASE. Valentina sighed thinking of Jeb. Jebidiah Kerman would be with KASE now, she knew it in a way she couldn't describe. They'd met briefly a few times furring the war. She'd been envious of his plane, he'd complimented her on her flying, and they'd shared many drinks together. It never went beyond comradeship, neither of them had wanted it to. Now the war was over and they were suppose to be enemies. The Council of Kerbin Allied Nations (CKAN) had declared global peace and urged every nation towards peaceful endeavors. Still there were two ideologies boiling to a conflict over the future of Kerbin. The New Kerbin Order had decided that the old orders were inherently flawed. It had been born of dreamers seeking utopia. The old guard over in United Kerbdom would eventually need to be converted to the NKO's more egalitarian system. Valentina shook the thoughts from her head. This was KOSMO. From here history would be written. She got out of her plane and headed to report in. As she pushed open the new door of the "general store" she was surprised to see an aging field marshal sitting at a desk looking through many files. The desk was in complete disarray from her point of view, though the old Kerb had no trouble finding her file the moment she walked in. "Lt. Valentina Kermov. On Schedule I see. Good, good. Ivan does not appreciate late arrivals. You will report for medical exam and evaluation in the morning. Barracks are out back, grab a bunk. Transport leaves at 0400, so sleep early." All of this was said without more than a passing glance. "Thank you sir." Val said trying to be chipper. "Anywhere to get..." "Canteen is next to Barracks." The old soldier said curtly before going back to his papers. Val whipped off a salute and left in the direction she'd been pointed. secretly she hoped that KOSMO itself would be friendlier. It hadn't been easy getting a transfer from the air-service to this organization and she was hoping that the effort was worth it. The next morning she stood in the dark stomping her feet to shake off the pre-dawn cold. An old truck, more of an engine with a flad bed on the back pulled up to the stop and asked to see her transfer papers. Some mumbling later she was on the truck headed into the mountains. The ride was cold but uneventful. The sun was already high in the sky when she finally made it to the site. There were large buildings, taller than any hanger she'd worked in before though not as wide and a landing strip far too short for a plane to fly from. "You will wait here until you receive an assignment." The driver said curtly before turning around. The New Kerbal Order insignia on the truck caught the sun impressively as he sit the door. "Do not speak until then." Valentina nodded and looked out at the cold mountain base, shut away from outside eyes by the mountains. It was nearly half an hour later when she was approached by a young woman in a white coat. "Lt. Valentina Kermov?" She said looking Valentina over twice. "Yes." Valentina said snapping off a salute. "Actually you outrank me Lt. Yelena Kermdakova, you'll working with me on the navigation program." "Me? I'll be designing a training curriculum for the pilots?" "Pilots?" Yelena asked surprised. "Kraken no. The program for the computer. Valeri and Konstatin have no plans to put pilots in anything." "Oh." Valentina said casting her eyes down. This wasn't what she gave up her plane for. "Cheer up." Yelena said pulling Valentina closer. "United Kerbdom announce that they're starting a program too, when Kommand gets nervousness about their pilots we'll get ours. Just keep your head down and watch out for Ivan." "Whose Ivan?" Valentina asked. "We're not sure. Officially he's a bean-counter in charge of janitorial issues but even Konstantin keeps controls his temper with Ivan. The last kerb to spout off at Ivan was gone the next day. There are rumors he's Kommand's eyes on the project." "Should you be telling me this?" Valentina asked somewhat worried. "Probably not, but I need a friend and took a chance." Yelena said with a shrug. "I know that kerballed space-flight is the future but no one listens to me. I thought I might as well try to make friends with one of our pilots." "I'd certainly like a friend too." Val said with a smile. Together the two set off into Kraken's Belly. ------------------------------------------------- Next time... KOSMO's engineering team is beginning final tests on the R7 rocket while Val and Yelena struggle to get a computer program that can run effectively in a small enough system to fit on the rocket.