[1.8.1 - 1.12] Photon Sailor 1.7.1 (now with background processing)

[FreeThinker]

5 hours ago, Lo.M said:

@FreeThinkerPlanning to add more stuff to this amazing mod? Could i suggest fission fragment sails, I surveyed and found that they could be implemented alongside photon sails that would improve their efficiency in places further away from the stars

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Fission sail - Wikipedia 

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What we could do is add it as a configurable VAB option to a solar sail, which would increase the sail mass but generate some thrust even without sunlight.

Edited March 8, 2021 by FreeThinker

[FreeThinker]

Version 1.7.1 for Kerbal Space Program 1.8.1 - 1.11.2

Released on 2021-03-25

Recompiled against KSP 1.11.2

[kerbiloid]

Sorry for ignorance, didn't follow the mods for a couple of years.
Maybe asked it earlier, but can't remember.

Afaik,  the Photon Sailor is about the laser-propelled foil sails.

Does it (or some part of KSPI-E) provide Magnetic Sail and/or Electric Sail technologies?
(Also, this link.)
(I.e. interaction with solar wind charged particles for fuelless deceleration.)

Basically, extending trusses with azure conducting ring first decelerate from interstellar down to interplanetary speed magnetically, then from interplanetary speed same way electrically.
Like by chute, using proton wind from the star.

(Of course, stock KSP doesn't have proton wind, but it's a mod.
Also, Kerbalism provides stellar magnetospheres, so maybe.)

Also there was a proposed option of Orion-like usage of such magnetic chute as a large magnetic nozzle pushed by nukes on acceleration, then used as chute on arrival.

Edited April 10, 2021 by kerbiloid

[FreeThinker]

Download Version 1.7.3 for Kerbal Space Program 1.8.1 - 1.12.0

Released on 2021-06-28

Compiled against KSP 1.12

On 4/10/2021 at 2:29 PM, kerbiloid said:

Does it (or some part of KSPI-E) provide Magnetic Sail and/or Electric Sail technologies?

KSPIE bussard magnetic scoop acts like a magnetic sail, which mainly generates drag but it could potentialy be used to accelerate on solar wind

Technically I could reconfigure it for a dedicated magnetic sail butI lack the model to give it justice.

Edited June 28, 2021 by FreeThinker

[kerbiloid]

Thank you for the info!

[P1votG33k]

Hey there, I was playing around with the photovoltaic sail in sandbox and noticed it was providing an unusually large amount of MJ power. Something like 800 GW of power for a 5 meter (~half a ton) sail in Kerbin orbit. This WAY outclasses the solar power options from KSPIE, and even the reactors.

I think there may be a factor of 1000 error somewhere. Doing the calculation myself (1400 W/m^2, 2310400 m^2, 25% conversion efficiency) I got 800 MW of power, instead of GW. That seems more reasonable, although it's still better than anything the solar parts from KSPI can do.

Edited January 18, 2022 by P1votG33k
added comparison to KSPI parts

[flart]

Is this suppose to work without KSP Interstellar Extended ?

The parts haven't a "deploy" button in the VAB in the both sandbox and career mode

ksp.log https://1drv.ms/u/s!Alncj27YxKc-iBmMH5p7zezgGEJz

Edited January 22, 2022 by flart

[bill_billy_lee]

when i try to load ksp i get the error that photon sailor dll did not load because of a missing dependency called "scale redist". It is the latest version of photon sailor from CKAN. 

[bill_billy_lee]

On 1/22/2022 at 7:45 AM, flart said:

Is this suppose to work without KSP Interstellar Extended ?

The parts haven't a "deploy" button in the VAB in the both sandbox and career mode

i think your problem is the same as mine, i did not have a deploy button too. the reason that there is no deploy button is likely because of missing scale redist dependency. I think it is ksp community fixes or some random mod i had installed that told me this (there was this little message in the corner of the loading screen that said something like "photon sailor.dll failed to load because of missing scale_redist dependency") , so i think you just don't have that mod to tell you what's wrong and you only see the result: no deploy button.

also i did not have KSPIE like you. maybe the problem is that the scale_Redist is a thing from KSPIE but photon sailor needs that dll to function properly. but since we both dont have KSPIE it doesn't work.

 

EDIT: After searching through the github repo of KSPIE i found the scale_redist dll. it can be found here

https://github.com/sswelm/KSP-Interstellar-Extended/blob/master/GameData/999_Scale_Redist.dll

I will put it in gamedata and try to run ksp when i have time.  hopefully it fixes the problem

Edit edit: i just read your log, it confirms my suspicions: something about failing to load scale_redist

Edited May 18, 2022 by bill_billy_lee

[QuikSilver]

Hi @FreeThinker, thanks for your amazing mod, it is surprising to me that only KSPIE and PhotonSailor provide light sailing technology models for KSP. Given the game's development has been officially discontinued and the success of your mod(s), have you considered (please) compiling PhotonSailor against the latest version 1.12.3? I reeeally fancy using the sails in the last version. I am nonetheless using it in the latest 1.12.3 without any noticeable problems yet. Thanks for the amazing work!

Edited August 11, 2022 by QuikSilver
Details

[Arrowstar]

@FreeThinker, could you share here what the power output of Kerbol is that you're using for computing the solar radiation pressure on a solar sail?  I've dug through the source code a bit but I can't seem to find anything.

[beez1717]

I love this mod, but I have no idea what the KCS laser is. I have a beamed power network setup from the interstellar mod of course, but I rarely see the beam form behind the sail until I'd guess 1 million km from kerbin. Still, I've managed to get some impressive speeds when I do see the laser.

[KolonelKerbal]

Im really sorry for adding a post to this thread, but this is the only place I know I can get help. When I use the sail, It slows me down in space, but the second I enter kerbin's atmosphere, I accelerate to 7km/s. Again, I'm really sorry, but I need guidance.