New Engine Types

[SOXBLOX]

So it looks like we're getting a few new engine types in KSP 2. My analysis is that we'll get Orion drive; atmo and vacuum rated metallic H, the Daedalus ICF, and the torchdrive we see in the trailer. It appears to be performing a brachistochrone deceleration burn, Expanse-style. I think the tech progression will be roughly Orion>Metallic H>Daedalus>Torchdrive; though it would be interesting if they are alternatives to each other on the tech tree. This would force a strategic decision on which branch to pursue short-term.

Also can't wait to see colonies and stock clouds! 

Any thoughts on the new propulsion types? Anything I missed? 

 

Edited April 26, 2020 by SOXBLOX
Fixed typo.

[RoninFrog]

 

[prestja]

I'm personally of the school of thought that metallic hydrogen technology will precede Project Orion nuclear propulsion in the tech tree.

[Cavscout74]

3 hours ago, SOXBLOX said:

I think the tech progression will be roughly Orion>Metallic H>Daedalus>Torchdrive;

 

1 hour ago, prestja said:

I'm personally of the school of thought that metallic hydrogen technology will precede Project Orion nuclear propulsion in the tech tree.

My vote is on the first one - the biggest barrier to an Orion drive is political rather than technological.  The first atom bombs were built 75 years ago and steadily shrunk in size afterwards vs the first sample of metallic hydrogen produced in a lab was last year

[prestja]

18 minutes ago, Cavscout74 said:

 

My vote is on the first one - the biggest barrier to an Orion drive is political rather than technological.  The first atom bombs were built 75 years ago and steadily shrunk in size afterwards vs the first sample of metallic hydrogen produced in a lab was last year

That's an excellent point.

[SOXBLOX]

I'm wondering what the torchdrive will be. Nate Simpson said it would be the craziest engine on Atomic Rockets. That could mean the NSWR.

Thoughts?

 

[SOXBLOX]

But, I found this. In the cinematic trailer at roughly 1:58 we see a ship apparently decelerating towards a moon. I focused on the ship, and from the radiator arrangement and spherical fuel tanks, I believe it is the ship shown in the next scene, from which the lander departs. Looking at the nozzle, we can see some trusswork with, perhaps, beam emitter units pointing in at the nozzle. Maybe it's a small Daedalus, but I don't think so. The deceleration is too similar to the Epstein drive in the Expanse. I'm very confident these clips are our torchdrive.

It looks similar to the ICAN -II from Atomic Rockets. (Engine List 3, ACMF)

Given that we're getting the Orion, I don't think this antimatter drive is out of the question. It would be a good fuel for colonies to produce, and would form the very late-game drive hinted at by the devs.

[betaking]

I'd want there to be some piston-engines.

simply for "early career mode start" and/or other "low-performance kerbinside applications" the player might find themselves needing to do.

we've got a turboprop for Breaking Ground, but idk.

[catloaf]

On 4/26/2020 at 6:34 AM, SOXBLOX said:

I'm wondering what the torchdrive will be. Nate Simpson said it would be the craziest engine on Atomic Rockets. That could mean the NSWR.

Thoughts?

 

I have seen pretty good arguments for it being antimatter based, which makes sense for it being a super-endgame engine that is better than the Atomic Rockets, its definitely more hypothetical than the other technology's and is likely for ferrying massive payloads across interstellar space. I think this engine will be used in the part of career mode (if career mode still exists in any form) where you have all the parts and near infinite funds and its just about building cool stuff (like city's on other worlds or rotating rings with multi kilometre diameters) and sending them to crazy places.