Purpose of Valentina Kerman

[krblman]

Yes, I understand that Valentina was meant to showcase the Female kerbonaut model in KSP.

 

But why is she, like Jebediah, a pilot? Wouldn't it be cool if she were something else?

So what's the practical use of sending Valentina apart from when Jebediah is doing Kerbol knows what?

[Starman4308]

It's the same as the question "why have an extra pilot on a mission?" There's sometimes call for a pilot to remain on an orbiting mothership and have one on the lander so both have probe-core-less SAS, but admittedly pilots are relatively easily replaced by probe cores once you have relays set up.

[Guest]

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Edited June 20, 2021 by Guest

[krblman]

7 hours ago, Brikoleur said:

She's named after Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman to go to space. It would have been very odd if she was anything other than a pilot, even if her real-life degree is in engineering.

Oh! That's a cool bit of history!

Just now, krblman said:

Oh! That's a cool bit of history!

Although in my save the first kerbal to go to space was named Zerbol

[king of nowhere]

7 hours ago, Brikoleur said:

She's named after Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman to go to space. It would have been very odd if she was anything other than a pilot, even if her real-life degree is in engineering.

most pilots of experimental vehicles have engineering degrees. it gives them a better survival chance

anyway, she could have been a second scientist, or a second engineer, and you'd still be asking what's her purpose. a second pilot is as good as anything else

[Just Jim]

20 hours ago, Brikoleur said:

She's named after Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman to go to space. It would have been very odd if she was anything other than a pilot, even if her real-life degree is in engineering.

Surprisingly enough, Valentina Tereshkova started off as neither a pilot, or engineer... she was a BadS parachutist. 

When she was 22, Tereshkova learned of a parachuting school in the region. “I didn’t believe in my abilities very much – it looked like this sport required courage,” she wrote in her memoir, Stars Are Calling. In 1959, Tereshkova made her first jump – before her instructor had told her to do so, and the first of more than 160. She recalled that before a later jump, her mother warned her: “If you crash, don’t come home!”

She eventually made more than 200 jumps onto land and into the Volga river.

By her second year of jumps, Yuri Gagarin became the first person in space, riding aboard the Vostok 1. After Gagarin, Soviet officials were keen to send a woman to space before Americans could, just as they had sent the first satellite, animal, and man. Tereshkova and Soviet propagandists would eventually say that, in the excitement of a radio broadcast about the first two spaceflights, she dashed off an impulsive letter volunteering for service.

https://massivesci.com/articles/tereshkova-first-woman-in-space/

Edited May 24, 2021 by Just Jim

[kerbiloid]

27 minutes ago, king of nowhere said:

8 hours ago, Brikoleur said:

She's named after Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman to go to space. It would have been very odd if she was anything other than a pilot, even if her real-life degree is in engineering.

most pilots of experimental vehicles have engineering degrees. it gives them a better survival chance

anyway, she could have been a second scientist, or a second engineer, and you'd still be asking what's her purpose. a second pilot is as good as anything else

On the flight date she was a textile worker and a local Comsomol organization secretary.

https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=&sl=ru&tl=en&u=https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Терешкова,_Валентина_Владимировна

Edited May 23, 2021 by kerbiloid

[Beowolf]

I think we play differently.  

I just counted: I have 11 missions currently active. That doesn't include commsats and empty bases and such. This was 11 alarms defined in Kerbal Alarm Clock for upcoming mission events I'll have to respond to.

Obviously most of those were unmanned, because I sure don't have eleven pilots available, though I make it a habit to do every "stranded Kerbal" contract I see.

So I want all the pilots I can get my hands on. Hey, Valentina, welcome to the team! Do you have any younger sisters or nieces who might be interested in a pilot training scholarship? My space center is hiring. 

 

 

[SingABrightSong]

Serious answer: Valentina being a spare pilot serves an important gameplay purpose so that the player can still use pilot skills if Jebediah dies before they're able to hire more pilots.

[netbumbler]

I use Valentina for SSTO development while Jeb, Bob and Bill are off doing rockets and getting science. I also have Valentina test fly all the aircraft and she gets a bunch of science from the surface of Kerbin for everybody. When I start doing interplanetary stuff I send all four of them and Val and Jeb switch off flying the mother ship and landers. I usually do Apollo style missions for all the different planets.

[Slyguy3129]

I usually put her in rockets I expect to fail and don't want to lose Jeb in. Her addition felt hamfisted and got a big eye roll from me.

[OldManGamerOMG]

I end up with so many missions in all kinds of trial vessels, that I use all of my crew and more. Aside from that, I really appreciate the addition of Valentina. Her being added is a beautiful addition to acknowledge history and keep it fun in gaming. Not everything has to be seen as a pandering or force equality. Sometimes a homage is just a homage. 

[kerbiloid]

Quote

Purpose of Valentina Kerman

The Squad's designer was learning 3d ponytails.

[eatU4myT]

For me, Jeb and Val always have a "1-up" competitiveness that is usually what drives my space program forward.  Jeb was the first Kerbal to take a flight?  Val's gonna be the first to reach the upper atmosphere.  Jeb was the first Kerbal in space?  Val's gonna be the first to orbit Kerbin.  Jeb fly by the Mun?  Val's gonna land. 

 

And so it goes...

[kerbiloid]

Also their car has four seats,

1 of 4 should stay sober.

Because at the wheel.

Btw, that's why a second pilot.

Edited June 29, 2021 by kerbiloid