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NuclearWarfare

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My newest colonial project requires massive heavy-lift - in this case, about 3000 tons to a 300-km orbit.

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Liftoff. It's canted over like that because it launches straight off the pad (no launch clamps - they just outright don't work when they have to support 17,000 tons of spacecraft, regardless of how many there are). Or, perhaps more accurately, the middle bit launches off the pad - most of the booster hangs off the sides.

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First stage separation. We're less than 1km over KSC.

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Stage 2 is away. 3km and starting to pick up speed.

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Stage 3 dropped - we're starting the gravity turn soon.

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Starting the gravity turn. Something this big is ALWAYS slow to turn, so it travelled a few more kilometers vertically before it started picking up appreciable horizontal speed.

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Stage 4 away. The booster now only has one more stage, and we've shed about 50% of our launch mass. The empty stage 4 tanks clocked in at about 600 tons.

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Stage 4 made a nice ring formation when it dropped (uncommon with stages this size), so it felt like a real shame not to take a picture. So I did.

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The final booster stage drops. Altitude is about 50km, and apoapsis is just outside the atmosphere. The transfer stage will continue the burn from here.

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The payload from a different angle, showing off the transfer stage. This is about the time when I went to bed.

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In orbit (after having drifted for about an in-game hour).

The whole flight was flown by MechJeb, because it took ~3-4 RT hours to launch, and I went to bed around the time the transfer stage kicked in (not knowing if it would make orbit or crash). The payload itself is a 487-ton apartment block, meant to be landed on Tylo as part of a colonial effort I'm undertaking. 3000 tons is currently my all-time mass-to-orbit record (though I feel like I might break that in the course of this project).

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KSP_ArroSabot_VAB_zps695af706.jpg

The new Arro "Sabot" SSTO, undergoing pre-flight inspection in the VAB. It works, at least up to 150km circular orbit, but transitioning from jets to rocket is rather tricky... may need more development. (Damned asymmetric engine stalls...)

-- Steve

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Today, progress was made towards building one of the biggest stations I've planned. Based on the Dual Keel concept by NASA, mine will operate primarily as a refuelling depot around Kerbin. However, before it's finished, the current station had to be abandoned and destroyed; it was merely a concept for the Duna Spacedock to see how everything fit together and served little practical purpose other than to refuel interplanetary tugs. In fact, the shuttle I sent up there couldn't even dock!

Anyway...

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The Skyrunner shuttle did all the evacuation work today, but only one of the flights returned safely to Kerbin (just). The first flight managed to glide to the island northwest of KSC.

The second shuttle, well...

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Physical time warp, with engines running in atmosphere...

8 fatalities. 8. It's the worst space-related disaster I've ever had, I think :(

After the fatal crash of the Skyrunner shuttle, a torpedo bomber went up to destroy the old station. A bit unorthodox, but it works...

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...Well, I say it works, but it left some big chunks...

A couple of launches later, and we have a not-so-slight problem to deal with; a decoupler failed to do its job, so it got the death penalty. Execution method: gatling gun :P

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The blast caused the new station to rock and wobble, but it's free of litter. In case I have the same problem again with the second solar array, the ship with the cannon is still docked to one of the multitude of ports available.

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The dual keel station as it stands thus far. I'll be waiting for the ARM update for the largest fuel tanks, and there will be a habitation module docked on the opposite side of the truss to the solar array.

For anyone unfamiliar with the Dual Keel concept, it was the prime choice for NASA's Freedom station prior to budget issues, and it was huuuge. Here, have a look:

station-dualkeel.jpg

Yes, that's a Space Shuttle in the middle. Mine won't be quite so big, but still.

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I tossed this behemoth up to Duna. Total weight once I stripped off all the landing amenities: 27 tons

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comes with two decks. The top deck is for KAS cargo, and the bottom deck is where the monopropellent fueled generator is located.

here's some cross sections

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The engineer on lower deck. The generator can draw from a bank of 500 monoprop, during my ~110-130 km journey I have used 15 units. It's supposed to circumnavigate Duna and meet up with the three bases I have on Duna's dried up ocean beds.

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it doesn't doesn't tackle slopes well, and unfortunately this is the terrain I'm up against. Either I'm climbing at 5m/s or going 35m/s downwards, which is when my wheels break.

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Edited by KAO
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The new Arro "Sabot" SSTO, undergoing pre-flight inspection in the VAB. It works, at least up to 150km circular orbit, but transitioning from jets to rocket is rather tricky... may need more development. (Damned asymmetric engine stalls...)

-- Steve

Swap the Turbo jets for RAPIERs and run a fuel line between the big tank with oxidizer in and the liquid fuel only tanks. Problem solved and you'll probably get higher.

RAPIERs don't seem to need as much air as turbojets on airbreathing mode.

Here is an eclipse as seen from Kerbin and in orbit.

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6656560C7F0C9AB70F4F4D6712A6C325A99942B1

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Sent a Kerbal X to orbit.

http://imgur.com/a/Fcdgw

How many tons is the Kerbal X?!?

The Munshine rockets truly awesome... (I believe that's what's being used there) ;)

- - - Updated - - -

Nothing to see here, just doing some archaeology...

http://i.imgur.com/7VGLrYM.jpg

Was putting Jeb in charge of the operation a mistake???

That's awesome! :)

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How many tons is the Kerbal X?!?

The Munshine rockets truly awesome... (I believe that's what's being used there) ;)

- - - Updated - - -

That's awesome! :)

Wait, does the ---Updated--- appear automatically?

Edit: I don't think it does.

Edited by Giggleplex777
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