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Impossible Parts Ideas


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You ever had that weird idea of a part that does the impossible, but then you dismissed it out of hand? Then this is the thread for you!

All you have to do is to share ideas for parts - engines, tanks, pods, electrical devices, you name it, but they all must be impossible or absolutely ridiculous stuff.

I go first - What about a solar panel that only works in the dark? It only generates more electricity when less sunlight hits the panels, but it always faces the sun?

Speak up! I want to see!

As for mods, move this to the appropriate section if need be - these stuff aren't going to be added anytime soon.

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I'll share some:

1. Magnetic wheels or tracks that automatically sticks on surface, useful for driving on Gilly or off Mohole

2. Orbital mining beam, basically think your typical ISRU surface base, now put it in orbit, with giant beam emitter that needs a lot more power to operate than drills, but can dismantle planetary regolith from orbit

3. Not exactly a part, but I have an idea of automatic rocketbuilding mod. Basically, on VAB:

-Determine destination and whether going back home or not

-Input payload mass. The rocket will be built based on bare minimum Dv needed to bring that payload into destination

-The mod will automatically build a rocket design that fits the required parameters

Limitation: too large payload mass may cause the mod to built a rocket that the computer itself cannot handle, leading to a crash. It also only builds a rocket to go there, without the means to land there (that's your job)

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There should be an earlier part enabling Comms right from the start of the tech tree. A good name would be 'Can-U HMN'. It should be from the 'Found lying by the side of the road' manufacturer, and consist of two empty tin cans attached through the bottom by a piece of string. It would only have Direct comms capability, not be combinable, and have a very low bandwidth. To balance those disadvantages, it would require no EC for transmissions.

It will need to be a compound part like the struts and fuel lines, but without a length limit so it can reach all the way from KSC Mission Control to the orbiting craft. We're still trying to figure out how to keep the string from wrapping itself around the planet.

 

There should probably be a second slightly more advanced model that attaches three cans in series, which would obviously give it Relay capability. That way the other end could be given to a Mun rover.

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1 hour ago, steuben said:

Define impossible. Cause I can imagine some pretty impossible stuff. Like SCP level impossible, or are we talking stuff that would make Escher go have a lie sideways.

Both. It should be reasonable enough to implement though.

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8 hours ago, Xurkitree said:

Both. It should be reasonable enough to implement though.

Then by that definition, it is not impossible, and should not be in this thread, and since it's not int this thread, it's not going to be done, and therefore, it is on a practical level, the same as impossible. 

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16 hours ago, Xurkitree said:

You ever had that weird idea of a part that does the impossible, but then you dismissed it out of hand? Then this is the thread for you!

All you have to do is to share ideas for parts - engines, tanks, pods, electrical devices, you name it, but they all must be impossible or absolutely ridiculous stuff.

I go first - What about a solar panel that only works in the dark? It only generates more electricity when less sunlight hits the panels, but it always faces the sun?

Speak up! I want to see!

As for mods, move this to the appropriate section if need be - these stuff aren't going to be added anytime soon.

breaks down wall

Did someone say solar panels that only work in the dark? 

I happen to be working on such a thing, though it will be some time before it's finished.

 

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1 hour ago, V7 Aerospace said:

I thought this was a thread for the impossible?

After all, the Fulton Recovery System does exist :wink:

...I take it you never read the sequel to "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_and_the_Great_Glass_Elevator

The titular elevator is lifted by literal "skyhooks" that are anchored into space by...well, who knows? Magic? Anyways, I highly recommend it, fantastic book.

Edited by Rocket In My Pocket
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2 hours ago, Gargamel said:

Then by that definition, it is not impossible, and should not be in this thread, and since it's not int this thread, it's not going to be done, and therefore, it is on a practical level, the same as impossible. 

well fug

What about an engine that gains efficiency with great ambient pressure?

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3 minutes ago, MaximumThrust said:

That's possible, air-breathing/augmented rockets :P They pull air to use it as reaction mass. I think Mk2 Expansion and Near Future Aeronautics have them.

Not jet, but just a pure rocket engine, but instead of gaining ISP with Altitude, they lose ISP with Altitude, and they work better with several atmospheres of pressure on them.

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1 hour ago, Xurkitree said:

Not jet, but just a pure rocket engine, but instead of gaining ISP with Altitude, they lose ISP with Altitude, and they work better with several atmospheres of pressure on them.

Pfft. Haven't you heard of reversing the polarity? It works on everything.

I reverse the polarity of my toaster to unburn my toast every morning. It's extra work, sure, but it beats buying a new toaster.

Edited by 5thHorseman
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4 minutes ago, 5thHorseman said:

Haven't you heard of reversing the polarity? It works on everything.

Mutter... I still blame Star Trek for breeding an entire generation of project managers that believe replying "You have half that time." in a forceful tone will change the fabric of spacetime.

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1 minute ago, swjr-swis said:

Mutter... I still blame Star Trek for breeding an entire generation of project managers that believe replying "You have half that time." in a forceful tone will change the fabric of spacetime.

That's one thing I loved about Stargate.

Quote
DAVIS
We've almost replaced all the super conductive interface elements, Sir. The old ones all melted. It's going to take some time to load test them though.
HAMMOND
Just tell me the minute we can send a probe through.
SILER
That'll be 24 hours General, minimum.
TEAL'C
Captain Carter and Colonel O'Neill do not have that long.
HAMMOND
I'll give you half that.
SILER
No Sir, it doesn't work that way. 24 hours is the best I can do.
HAMMOND
Then you'd better get back to it.
SILER
Yes Sir! Come on, let's go.

 

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2 hours ago, Xurkitree said:

Not jet, but just a pure rocket engine, but instead of gaining ISP with Altitude, they lose ISP with Altitude, and they work better with several atmospheres of pressure on them.

I was searching the definition of rocket, to discuss the concept of "pure rocket", and the first one I've found were way more Kerbal than expected :D:D

znS6YGk.png

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The way I'm reading this is practical joke type parts rather than OP ones,   stuff that makes you sound like an idiot when you ask for one.

 

Solid Fuel Line  (so you can asparagus stage your SRBs)

Zero point wings (generate lift from the quantum particles that spawn in the vacuum of space.  Don't work in an atmosphere,  but allow your space vessel to make banking turns.   As a side effect,  produces "swoosh" noises and a slight bobbing motion in flight,  as if your craft is actually suspended on a piece of string)

 

Space Turbine  (very low mass part that produces a continuous engine sound and plume to keep the crew happy while coasting.    Occasionally breaks down causing orbit to rapidly decay).

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40 minutes ago, Gapone said:

Anti Fuel Cell (generate LFO out of electricity)

This needs to be a thing

1 hour ago, 5thHorseman said:

Pfft. Haven't you heard of reversing the polarity? It works on everything.

I reverse the polarity of my toaster to unburn my toast every morning. It's extra work, sure, but it beats buying a new toaster.

Yeah it works on everything, except replace polarity with atmocurve and you're set.

I tried that, and the way i did it allowed 3 engines to lift about 2 tons of batteries to 10km before running out of xenon

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