What did you do in KSP1 today?

[Hotaru]

With the Minmus mining operation now supplying fuel to LKO, shuttle Belatrix deployed an asteroid scanner in LKO, then went to the Mun to rescue a stranded Kerbonaut, who turned out to be stranded in...

...a probe core. Not sure how that happened, but the core and the Kerbal were bolted into the payload bay and safely recovered.

In the meantime, after an initial setback, the new Super Aqualung tanker ship was successfully launched.

Booster separation went entirely to plan...

...but it made orbit anyway and rendezvoused with the refueling depot in LKO on the way to Minmus.

[MagicMagor]

Started playing this weekend again after a several months long pause.

The pause was mainly contributed to my inability to land anything:

1. First munar landing: Landed on slope, lost side-tanks and part of the landing gear. Science instruments and Jeb remain intact, but stranded on the mun.

2. Second munar landing - Rescue craft for Jeb - Same fate as the first one... at the other side of the mun

3. Various (countless) attempts to land a plane without exploding anything - i think i managed it once.

So after coming back i focused on minmus. After obtaining a buttload of science from low-orbit EVA-reports (Thanks Bob)

today i tried out some new parts and the end result..

I finally managed to land a probe on Minmus, without loosing any part. I only packed light science-instruments and probably underestimated the amount of dV required to get back, or overestimated how efficient i could do my burns. End result was only 270 dV left after landing - not enough to get back to Kerbin. So i did a small hop to the midlands and transmitted more science back. (On the second attempt, the first attempt wasted so much fuel going up, that i hadn't enough left to slow me down on descent).

So now on to repeat that, with more science instruments and enough dV to come back.

Edited September 12, 2015 by MagicMagor

[cantab]

Felt a real case of VAB block. I should be putting finishing touches on my one-piece Minmus base, but couldn't really focus on it. Goofed off testing launches of the thing instead, which resulting in some fun disassemblies. Need to figure out how to reinforce it without making it look ugly, might have to strut to decouplers so I can blow them away.

[Mikki]

I.. I just aerobraked the "GLORY of KERBIN" in Laythes atmosphere!!!

More than 3000m/s entry...OMG!

AND NOTHING BURNED UP!

Edited September 12, 2015 by Mikki

[Cuky]

Jeb, Bill and Kertina returned to Kerbin SOI after their partially successful mission to Duna and completed their capture burn with ease. Then Agay took one of Rodan capsules and went on to orbit to get those 3 back home. After they were safely back at KSC Gene sent a command to probe on their transfer vehicle which activated engines for one last time to de-orbit the craft.

I have also decided to change design of current space station to make it much smaller. It will remain in use for quite some time, especially for testing of TAC LS when I install it, but I will build new larger one. I have installed Fustek station parts and Tantares and there are so much more parts to use for stations that I just had to start from scratch. One thing that helped my decision was that I have received a station contract in Kerbin's orbit, so there.

Still, it won't be built until crafts sent to Eve and Jool get there and crew is rescued from Duna

[DocMoriarty]

Walt: Quite some time since we last published our progress! So here goes our press release for the past week. Enjoy!

Gene: Yeah, but not a lot happened, mostly routine tasks in the new Kerbalverse that big banged a week ago.

Wernher: I wouldn't say that, we made quite some progress and designed some fancy vehicles never seen in any Kerbalverse before, at least not in their current shape!

Gus: Oh yeah! I remember producing kinda turtle shaped mining vehicle which does now service on Minmus. It's kinda mining-tanker-rover-lifter.

Wernher: We even upgraded that for the upcoming Duna mission. Also the basic turtle design but more advanced parts. And this time we didn't forget to add an antenna! Here flight testing at KSC. Features 8 wheels partly in fancy positions under the tanks and 4 aerospikes. Would even be able to do service on Duna itself if it had chutes for landing. But the best part is that it is 'stackable' in the main axis of a space train.

Gene: We had some fun here at the control center too this week. The worst case landing ever! The capsule came down right in the Mountains of Doom west of KSC at the steepest slopes possible. But unlike other occasions where the chutes vanish when the craft hits ground it didn't happen this time. It scratched down the slope hangin on the chutes until it finally landed safely on some less steep ground! Needless to say we needed a round of snacks after that.

Gene: But we had some really bad incidents too. There was the new research and base rover that we tried to develop. Like 3 of them crashed while testing on Kerbin around KSC for no obvious reasons. And the worst part was that Jeb was in one of them. At least it was a nice funeral. Well here is the final version exploring the Mun.

Jeb: Grrrrrr

Linus: And we got our old research rover near KSC finally set up with loads of research. It's not really easy since all research topics are only worth 1/10 down here on Kerbin when adding them to the lab. But a few good landings of returning research vessels nearby helped remedy that. And now it produces quite some results.

Gene: Another fancy thing was an order we got to create a space station with an ISRU in a Minmus orbit. Not that it makes a hell of a lot of sense to refine stuff in orbit but it was paid well so we did it. Now our Minmus station looks kinda ... interesting.

Mortimer: Money is always good!

Gene: And finally our professional crew training kommenced with kommisioning our new crew trainings vessel Bully-09. On it's maiden flight it had 9 Kerbals on board, 6 kerbonauts and 3 tourists. Don't wanna know what that smelled like in the crew cabins on their 3 step roundtrip.

Walt: Well thats it for today. Have a snack and fun and all such and stuff.

[Cydonian Monk]

Brought Year 5 of my Kanawha Space Program to a close today with: Update 5 - Above Eve. Jeb, Bill, Bob and Ribzor landed on the not-so-tiny asteroid that lives around Eve.

On to Year 6!

[xebx]

Testing a new manned craft for Eeloo : 24500 m/s delta-V LFO+Ion, this is the Ion stage (12000 m/s) with the small lander (1500 m/s) docked on top.

Edited September 12, 2015 by xebx

[FlipNascar]

Started work on a Jool-5 mission spacecraft. Five landers designed, aesthetics eschewed in favour of part count. Main Drive Pod designed (aka 20 NERV engines....)... Only issue is the wobbly nature of stock docking ports leads to RUD. Only requires ten of these fuel pods.... But does give in excess of 10,000m/s ∆V. Needs struts. May just build it in orbit, then hyperedit a strutted non-docking port version into orbit and call it quits. Eitherway, it takes a good "20-minutes" to do a 2,000m/s burn... I either can't launch it for aerodynamic/mass reasons, or I can't attach it thanks to soft docking connections.... Maybe this is the sign that I should install KJR?

Only nine more launches to go... Test drive took place after attachment and RUD ensued, rapidly... Grr. Perhaps this is KSP's revenge because I went for function over form...

[Deutherius]

Finally got to the Mun! (in 64k) Single Kerbal, Apollo style.

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Really liking the larger planets/moons, but the stock 1.25m heatshield proved really inadequate for a Mun return, either depletes all ablator on first pass and explodes on the second, or just explodes on the first pass if too low.

Really tempted to try the same in RSS/RO.

[Bill Phil]

Science farming Minmus.... I've gotten over one thousand out of just one biome... Thank you science lab!

I need to send a refueler, though...

Wait...

I think I can unlock ISRU?

Let me check real quick...

Darn, one tech level short.

Oh well.

- - - Updated - - -

Finally got to the Mun! (in 64k) Single Kerbal, Apollo style.

http://imgur.com/a/ovujY

Really liking the larger planets/moons, but the stock 1.25m heatshield proved really inadequate for a Mun return, either depletes all ablator on first pass and explodes on the second, or just explodes on the first pass if too low.

Really tempted to try the same in RSS/RO.

What's your return altitude? I find that 25,000 is good for Minmus and Mun.

[ShawnPhillips]

Played with BD Armoy making fighter planes.

Going to stream KSP on Twitch tonight.

http://www.twitch.tv/shawnphillips_hd

[Goddess Bhavani]

To revive my long dormant 1.0.4 career (-1000 rep, 0.6 funds, 0.6 science proletarian revolutionary space program mode), I embarked on a crew replacement programme, by recruiting a dozen astronauts from one of the major KSP facebook groups. Response was stellar and I renamed everyone still on Kerbin to the names of the volunteer astronauts. Jeb's contingent on an orbital station around the Mun retain their original names, creating two successive teams of crews I can rotate for future missions.

Full mission report for CCRV-4 here.

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/130142-A-lady-friend-helping-me-with-depression-asked-me-What-s-the-point-of-KSP-and-heres-my-answer-%29?p=2192593&viewfull=1#post2192593

[waterlubber]

Messed around with KSPiE. Built a microwave relay network, and then (with a bit of config editing) made a non-B9 version of Scott Manley's inertial fusion spaceplane. Unfortunately, this was the first time I ran into a real performance hit on my CPU. KSP's very poor thermal/resource physics and the lack of multi-cores made me sad.

On second thought, I have an idea for the suggestions thread. Be right back.

[Kuansenhama]

Paid Eve a visit. Or at least tried to.

[LABHOUSE]

I have been having so many problems with glitches, I made my background show the workaround:

[Joshwoo70]

started my ksp night with BI PLANESSSS! and then launched the life support and lab module and docked with my the WIP station in LMKO (low medium kerbin orbit)

the thing on the right is the new station module.

there is a mun eclipse going also.

Edited September 13, 2015 by Joshwoo69

[Kyrt Malthorn]

I got inspired to attempt a recreation of Philip Bono's 1960s design Mars glider mission.

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If this thing survives Kerbin re-entry intact I will be:

a) Amazed my struts inside there held.

Ready to build the interplanetary and launch stages.

EDIT:

I am amazed my struts held and ready to build the interplanetary and launch stages, apparently.

Do need to work on landing gear, though.

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Edited September 13, 2015 by Kyrt Malthorn
Better progress than expected

[hellblazer]

Made another short video. RSS RO RVE

[Deutherius]

What's your return altitude? I find that 25,000 is good for Minmus and Mun.

In 64k? I somehow figured out that if going below 50 km at 7.5 km/s made my capsule go boom, going even lower would not be healthier. But this is KSP and if the stock game is of any indication, it might just work. Will try again lower.

[tseitsei]

In 64k? I somehow figured out that if going below 50 km at 7.5 km/s made my capsule go boom, going even lower would not be healthier. But this is KSP and if the stock game is of any indication, it might just work. Will try again lower.

I think that it might work because if I understand correctly this is how ablator works:

It will start burning after some temperature and it will burn with constant rate as long as temperature is above that limit.

So if the limit is say 1000C and you are at 1001C for long period of time (higher reentry @ upper atmosphere) you will burn all your ablator before slowing down enough.

Now if you come in steeper you will be hotter but for a shorter period of time and you will burn up less ablator. Of course you can't come in too steep or you'll blow up heat shield or not but you must find the sweet spot I believe.

(I'm not sure how ablator works IRL but I think this is at least how it works in KSP. At least according to my experiences)

[BJ Quest]

The last of the Mega series - 16 probes to drop on planets/moons. the system works well.

a space station called "Crazy 2" More then enough.

[moogoob]

Dusted off my 1.04 career save, fired a sounding rocket for science around Kerbin (made a profit) then launched a successful first manned landing to the moon (and return!). While I play sandbox mostly, I have to admit that career makes even simple accomplishments feel like a real success.

[strigon]

I think that it might work because if I understand correctly this is how ablator works:

It will start burning after some temperature and it will burn with constant rate as long as temperature is above that limit.

So if the limit is say 1000C and you are at 1001C for long period of time (higher reentry @ upper atmosphere) you will burn all your ablator before slowing down enough.

Now if you come in steeper you will be hotter but for a shorter period of time and you will burn up less ablator. Of course you can't come in too steep or you'll blow up heat shield or not but you must find the sweet spot I believe.

(I'm not sure how ablator works IRL but I think this is at least how it works in KSP. At least according to my experiences)

I have never had that experience; my ablator drains at a variable rate, based on temperature.

Normally it's < 0.1 units per second, and that's what I consider a safe reentry.

Between 0.1 and 0.35 is safe...ish. You might run low on ablator, but you won't burn up. Anything above that is suicide, I find.

[ShadowZone]

I put together my collection of the "Ozymandias" deep space exploration vehicles. Seven have failed, one will go to the Outer Planets to explore them.

Here are the vehicles as still pictures

http://imgur.com/a/Fe6hs

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Here are the vehicles as moving pictures

Edited September 13, 2015 by ShadowZone