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What did you do in KSP1 today?


Xeldrak

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I've been doing tests on a non-interplanetary version on the Songbird. This version is intended to carry small payloads into orbit.

Songbird_L.png

Its lifter consists of two small liquid fuel boosters, as opposed to... well... this:

Songbird_Lifter.png

It also uses Terriers instead of Sparks, since, as overpowered as they may be, Sparks just don't provide enough acceleration for circularization burns.

I've successfully gotten this small payload into orbit:

Payload.png

I'm not actually sure what to do with this, since I don't need to put small payloads into orbit, but hey, the whole thing weighs only 27 tons and costs :funds:24,187 (payload not included.) That's good, right?

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Today, I finally finished my first Duna mission.

Now, I know what you're thinking: "Steve, you've gone to Duna and back several times! It's in your mission reports, in your YouTube, what gives?"

Not my first Duna mission that I finished, the first one that I started. Note: no pictures available (sorry).

The mission started sometime between 0.24 and 0.90. It had undergone a test flight to the Mun already, and I decided to send it to Duna. The mission consisted of a nuclear powered orbital module/re-entry module (From top to bottom: Parachute, 3man pod, probe core, decoupler, X-32 fuel tank, Sr. Docking port, with 2 LVN's on those slanted adapters radially mounted plus electrical stuff scattered throughout) and the lander module (Parachute, Large pod, a fuel tank, Sr. port, and four radially mounted FL-T 400 tanks with 3 spark engines each plus landing legs and ladders and stuff). I can't for the life of me remember what the lifter looked like.

The lander connected to the orbital section upside-down.

Back in the day, a few years ago, I landed the lander and returned it to orbit. I transferred all of the fuel to the orbital section and discarded the lander. Then we got a new computer and I abandoned that save.

Fast forward three years and I'm making a music video and have run out of stuff to film, so I grab my USB and transfer my old saves to this computer. I film a few things exploding, yahta yahta yahta, and I come across this craft "DUNA CONQUEROR: The Final Mission." I switch to it. I recognize it. I vow to bring it home.

Unfortunately, back in the time I made the craft, nuclear engines used oxidizer and liquid fuel, not just liquid fuel. I had placed all of the saves in a 1.2.2 install, so I was lugging around an extra ton of oxidizer, and the ship was already low on fuel. I performed an escape burn which put me into an orbit crossing Kerbin's (because I hadn't installed KAC to tell me the transfer window).

Using the ability to see into the future with maneuver nodes, I devised a plan that would return the crew home within three in-game years. Before the burn I had around 110m/s of Delta-V, and afterward I had around 25, so I was cutting it pretty close. 

Now this was the nail-biting part: back in the day, there was no re-entry heating, and as such the DUNA CONQUEROR did not have any heat shield. So, I kept the engines attached to the re-entry capsule in an effort to shield the crew from the heat of the 3.5km/s re-entry. The solar panels exploded almost immediately, just as I burned the last of the fuel. The central docking port went, then the central fuel tank, and then the outboard fuel tanks, all within three seconds of each other. Right after that, the decoupler and the probe core went "BOOM." my makeshift heat shield did not last long.

I watched as the overheat bar rose to full. I swear, the entire bar was red for a solid twenty seconds, but IT DID NOT EXPLODE!!!!

And the crew, after waiting three years in-game and three years in real life, Jeb, Bill, and Bob finally made it home! :D

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Today I launched my Kerba rocket, a replica of ESA's Vega. This is a cheap rocket good for putting small payloads such as satellites or science experiments into LKO.

 

Vx9ncpN.png

 

Liftoff! There is always a worry that the main booster will explode with these designs because of the seven SRBs stuffed into the first stage.

 

V1gvP2E.png

 

The Kerba broke the sound barrier very quickly. This kind of rocket takes some skill to fly correctly, especially when aiming for a specific orbit.

 

tk9BpjM.png

 

zsnCbq4.png

 

After separation, the first stage was pulled back by six seperatrons.

 

0DP9XXF.png

 

Second stage ignition was a bit shaky. The rocket has little control authority due to a lack of thrust vectoring and roll control being provided by the upper stage.

 

McaBIZK.png

 

75oyD6C.png

 

The rocket coasted toward the AP for a moment before igniting the third stage.

 

6pegoaJ.png

 

5RWHzBG.png

 

The fairing were supposed to jettison shortly after third stage ignition, however this was delayed due to a "software issue," causing slight under-performance. This was resolved before third stage engine cutoff

 

XlnBWOm.png

 

Regardless, the 1.5 ton dummy payload was successfully delivered to a 160 km orbit.

 

GFWNci6.png

 

-Rocket

Edited by RocketPilot573
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Today I prepared for the Doing It Apollo Style challenge.....using Kerbalism. This has led to what is by far the most cluttered service module I have ever created, although it was certainly interesting to assemble. I tested it by having the kerbals spend 30 days in orbit of Kerbin. It looks like this pod is potentially suitable for a Minmus mission too.

wa7tmlY.jpg

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Unlocked some more nodes, still not into the orbital-class engines yet and even after I'll still need to unlock some suitable probes with additional science experiments. At the moment I am working on getting biological specimens above the Karman line with a Juno/Redstone clone (going all American on this playthrough). Lots of failures, I usually only revert to launch if I think I can do something better, not if Test Flight kills something. I'm getting there, though.

wz9qLy3.png

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40 minutes ago, eloquentJane said:

Today I prepared for the Doing It Apollo Style challenge.....using Kerbalism. This has led to what is by far the most cluttered service module I have ever created, although it was certainly interesting to assemble. I tested it by having the kerbals spend 30 days in orbit of Kerbin. It looks like this pod is potentially suitable for a Minmus mission too.

wa7tmlY.jpg

A quick update on this: I managed to squeeze an extra monopropellant tank in there as well. There was a little extra space on one side (there's space on both sides technically but the probe needs room to get out) and I needed more monopropellant so I managed to make it work.

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4 minutes ago, Triop said:

"Hello ?"

2ihaaVI.png

 

First thought was: 

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII'm the kerb in the box...

Buried in my... well, you get the idea. 

9 minutes ago, eloquentJane said:

A quick update on this: I managed to squeeze an extra monopropellant tank in there as well. There was a little extra space on one side (there's space on both sides technically but the probe needs room to get out) and I needed more monopropellant so I managed to make it work.

Where is this challenge you speak of?

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