Hydrogen mining?

[Aerindel]

So I've finally decided that I'm burnt out on vanilla KSP and decided that I want to take the next technological step so I've just installed all the Near Future mods. I'm having a blast and just for the heck of it I landed my 25k DV ship on the Mun, which made me realize that its totally possible to make a mega mining ship that can go anywhere in the system.

But...one problem...I can't seem to figure out how to mine hydrogen. I thought there would be a way to do it in Karbonite as that seems to be a complementary mod to Near future technologies but it seems there is no way to do this, and at least so far I haven't found the right mod by searching.

So friends, whats the answer? What is the right mod for mining hydrogen to fuel up those glorious golden sphere tanks?

EDIT:

Well, duh. I assumed the stock ISRU wouldn't cut it since there is no stock use of hydrogen, but while attempting to learn how to mod it myself I saw that it does.

Okay...enough internet for me, back into my hole.

Edited September 24, 2015 by Aerindel

[p1t1o]

GLORIOUS GOLDEN SPHERES

[Mystique]

Well, duh. I assumed the stock ISRU wouldn't cut it since there is no stock use of hydrogen, but while attempting to learn how to mod it myself I saw that it does.

Okay...enough internet for me, back into my hole.

I believe that NF mod(s) include some stuff from Interstellar and Community resource pack, which makes stock ISRU generate LH2 too. At least that's what ISRU description says in my game install and I didn't modify it manually.

[Terwin]

EDIT:

Well, duh. I assumed the stock ISRU wouldn't cut it since there is no stock use of hydrogen, but while attempting to learn how to mod it myself I saw that it does.

Okay...enough internet for me, back into my hole.

Indeed, after I realized this LH2 thing in my IRSU was compatible with the near future VASMIR engines, I built an outer-planets grand tour vessel using the largest VASMIR as the main engine.(I also have 8 thuds in the hopes that I can return from Lathe and Tylo, but that is not tested as of yet)

It would be nice if ISRU could produce Xenon or Argon, but I suppose that would be fairly unrealistic.

(perhaps they could be produced by an ISRU exposed to an atmosphere?)

[Pedro_daher]

Uhm... I don't really think that there is one... But honestly, I got sick of Liquid Hydrogen, I deleted the file that was doing it, so now my Nuclear Engines only use normal liquid fuel. <3

[TrooperCooper]

It would be nice if ISRU could produce Xenon or Argon, but I suppose that would be fairly unrealistic.

(perhaps they could be produced by an ISRU exposed to an atmosphere?)

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/131433-1-0-4-Blue-Technologies

[Aerindel]

I built an outer-planets grand tour vessel using the largest VASMIR as the main engine.(I also have 8 thuds in the hopes that I can return from Lathe and Tylo, but that is not tested as of yet)

I use six of them powered by eight reactors. Gives my 25K delta V and .25 G thrust, which is enough that I can land the mother ship on most moons with the main engines. Granted, If I set down at more than about 1m/s The ship spectacular falls apart and turns into many hydrogen balls rolling down hill.

I must say, I really love NFT. Instead of building ships around fuel,you build them around power and heat. The biggest challenge I've had so far is finding places to mount all the radiator fins that I need for that many reactors.

[Specialist290]

Just leaving a quick note that I'm dropping this in our General Add-on Affairs section, since it's a discussion primarily regarding mod content. Carry on

[xebx]

Indeed, after I realized this LH2 thing in my IRSU was compatible with the near future VASMIR engines, I built an outer-planets grand tour vessel using the largest VASMIR as the main engine.(I also have 8 thuds in the hopes that I can return from Lathe and Tylo, but that is not tested as of yet)

It would be nice if ISRU could produce Xenon or Argon, but I suppose that would be fairly unrealistic.

(perhaps they could be produced by an ISRU exposed to an atmosphere?)

You don't need mining Xenon or Argon (or Lithium ?) with a Ion / Plasma Ship that can have from 20000 m/s to 35000 m/s deltaV (depending on upscale, payloads and mods).

It's clearly non isru and probably enough for 2 grand tour with same ship, the lander is the only one that needs refueling LFO (kerolox, hydrolox or methanox) because of medium gravity moons.

And good luck landing your ultraheavy full of shields and radiators vasimr+nuke ship, both these tech produce huge amount of waste heat (60-70% primary energy) + the med-high thrust mode of vasimr don't seem efficient when compared to a short lfo classic burn.

Classic Ion/plasma and Solar+capacitor produce very little waste heat, and i don't want a ion ship to land, except maybe on very low/low gravity moon when the payload is reduced/empty ion ship.

You need little of this Xenon even with a medium/large main ship, the ultrahigh ISP (4000 to 30000, 6000 max for most of these tech) allows it. You just have to produce it on Kerbin like in reality.

That said an extrakerbin source of Xenon/argon/lithium is realistic even if probably rare, that's a part of space exploration, finding valuable resources.

Edited September 25, 2015 by xebx