What did you do in KSP1 today?

[Cyrious]

Welp, looks like my only viable option for my mun harvester is to use the LV-N engines. All of my other options are either too big (Wolfhound's engine bell is too big) or dont develop enough delta V with a full 6000 units of ore to get into space let alone to the station. I'd have to use the onboard converters to refuel during and after ascent, and I'd like to avoid that.

On the plus side, the whole thing is nuclear powered now, with nuclear thermal engines for propulsion and a pair of small Near Future Electric reactors providing 120EC/s, I should be set there. Lets just hope I put ample radiators on the thing. BEHOLD!

(BTW, I seem to have forgotten to install my RCS thrusters. Not to worry, it will launch with them)

As a minor bonus, since the station is equipped with so much radiator capacity, what waste heat the onboard radiators havent taken care of can be rejected by the station. As a second minor bonus, having a nuclear power source actively in use with the station allows me to convert the spent nuclear fuel into Xenon for ships and probes.

Edited September 14, 2018 by Cyrious

[ARS]

On 9/13/2018 at 11:08 PM, capi3101 said:

My money's on Tweakscale, but I'll wait to see what you turn up.

Finally I found what was causing it. There's a residual mod data about ballast that adds new resource to every stock parts. I've finished my project about submarines not long ago and now I'm focusing on spaceplanes, so I thought I'm gonna installing spaceplane part mods, but unfortunately there's still remains of the past...

Here's what it says in config file

Spoiler

RESOURCE_DEFINITION
{
  name = Liquids
  abbreviation = LQs
  density = 0.500
  unitCost = 0.01
  hsp = 2010
  flowMode = STACK_PRIORITY_SEARCH
  transfer = PUMP
  isTweakable = true
  volume = 5
}

Notice that it has a density of 0.5 (for comparison, liquid fuel density is 0.005)

[Cyrious]

!

The Kraken is displeased with my design. There's a fault with it that causes it to rigorously kick when physics is applied. Must fix that before I launch it because last thing I need is for it to rip my fuel station apart.

[Kebab Kerman]

A nice, sunny day on- Wait, is that Kerbin?

[Cyrious]

Right, lets dock to the fuel station and see if its a mass issue tempting the Kraken, or its just the way I had the launch vehicle configured.

Does handle quite well for something weighing over 50 tons though.

[Kebab Kerman]

4 minutes ago, Cyrious said:

Right, lets dock to the fuel station and see if its a mass issue tempting the Kraken, or its just the way I had the launch vehicle configured.

Does handle quite well for something weighing over 50 tons though.

So... About two-thirds the weight of a space shuttle, but with kerbalized maneuvering?

[Cyrious]

2 minutes ago, Kebab Kerman said:

So... About two-thirds the weight of a space shuttle, but with kerbalized maneuvering?

Define "Kerbalized".

[Kebab Kerman]

10 minutes ago, Cyrious said:

Define "Kerbalized".

Extremeultraamazingrediculously. That pretty much defines "Kerbalized."

[Cyrious]

Just now, Kebab Kerman said:

Extremeultraamazingrediculously. That pretty much defines "Kerbalized."

Then by that definition it does not have kerbalized thrusters, just enough + a set of reaction wheels to get the job done.

[EpicSpaceTroll139]

Now that I finally have a replacement computer (free of charge due to warranty), I've gotten back to work in KSP!

Been working on two projects for now. One of them is an improved Kurburgring lap time.  I haven't made a full circuit in a while. Currently I'm working on my driving techniques as well as an Electronic Stability Control script which should be helpful in reducing the number of times that I send it airborne.

Speaking of Airborne, just the feel of racing around in the car is making various songs from the Asphalt 8: Airborne run around in my head. Currently got Through the Gates - Celldweller looping over and over. Hoping I'll eventually be able to pull off some sick drifting like I remember from playing that game. Given KSP wheel physics, that might be a bit hard

The second project I'm working on is semi-secret, but I'll say it will be something for my Dinosaur Emporium. Oh, and it's an icon.

[eberkain]

I finished getting all my GPS satellites into orbit.  

[Geonovast]

Playing around with Cacteye even though I don't need it (Sandbox).  Launched my very first telescope.  Then, I decided to pull a NASA and immediately make it all but useless.  Told it to point at Minmus, with the aperture open.  Swept past the sun and the processor instantly exploded.

Oh well, I like KAS repairs anyway.

[Cyrious]

Well, good news. Seems the issue with the lander did stem from the launcher configuration (Must have had struts connected between the payload and the upper parts of the rocket oddly). Docking with the station and timewarping does not get the Kraken's attention. I'm debating on whether it's worth the 600k cash to sacrifice a kerbal to appease the beast anyways.

[Kebab Kerman]

1 minute ago, Cyrious said:

Well, good news. Seems the issue with the lander did stem from the launcher configuration (Must have had struts connected between the payload and the upper parts of the rocket oddly). Docking with the station and timewarping does not get the Kraken's attention. I'm debating on whether it's worth the 600k cash to sacrifice a kerbal to appease the beast anyways.

Hell, sacrifice two! Or three! Or 7000! Whatever pleases the Kraken!

[Ultimate Steve]

In short, I launched tourists, did a mission to a secret space station, impacted Moho, and did explosive surgery on a Mun Base.

Space Camp 6 launched on an Odin 1A launch vehicle, developed specifically for Space Camp. In a contract mod, a space camp is this: take 3 crewmembers and 16 tourists to space for 40 days and 3 of them will join your space program. This is AMAZING for me because rescue contracts are disabled and I can't figure out how to turn them back on. Almost free Kerbals.

Odin 1A is hydrogen and oxidizer and is actually pretty bad. This one barely made orbit due to TWR and *almost* managed first stage recovery. I used to launch Space Camp on a Copernicus Heavy, I might switch back to that.

Both the first stage and the spaceship are designed for vertical propulsive landings, but the spaceship has parachute backups and I'll need them because of fuel margins.

Next up, Galactus 7. A crew of 8 bound for Arkangel Station, my LEO station... It has been abandoned due to a lack of a crew (I want 4 Kerbals at every station and base, but the Mun took priority). 4 of the crew are tourists, who booked a 50 day stay, and the other 4 are crew, 2 of which are Sily and Bob (spaceplane crew I ship) who were getting oddly suspicious about why they aren't using a spaceplane for this simple mission. And the Copernicus Heavy has >2km/s of delta-v in excess... This same configuration can do a Minmus crew transfer!

The crew detached form S2 and docked with the station... History lesson, the station started construction when we only had 0.625m ports and 1.25m parts, so there's a bunch of mixed technologies. There's also nothing for the lab to research. Also, docked to the station is T-01 Spectre, a nuclear powered transfer ship for crew transfers.

Little did Bob and Sily know, hidden in the interstage was a small 2 man spacecraft called Timberwind-3, which used the second stage's fuel to dock with Timberwind-1 which was in a high orbit.

The two scientists, (NAMES CLASSIFIED), will spend at least 50 days on the station processing the data from the magnetometer, radio telescope, and gravioli experiments while at the same time monitoring the nuclear reactor (which we have to run at low power due to heat), searching for extraterrestrial radio broadcasts, and hunting for antimatter. They will hopefully return safely in their little return pod, but if they can't, a secret mission will have to be made, maybe disguised as a rescue mission for another country.

Background, in this career I'm trying to progress slowly. I have this little paper next to me with a row for each planet/moon. There are several columns, marked Flyby, Impact, Orbiter, Lander, Rover, Relays, Manned flyby/orbit, Manned landing, Station modules, and Base modules. I have to do these either in order or close enough to be logical. I need three relays, 5 station modules, and 5 base modules. When this is done I'll have developed stations and bases everywhere to play with.

This was the fifth and final mandatory module for Pandora Base on the Mun. It was for habitation, but also served another purpose.

It carried 2 extra Sr. docking ports, and the Arcadia Docking Stage had been modified to include a Klaw and RCS engines, and also carried 5 explosive charges. The new module was docked. One docking port was put on top of the central hub in the picture. Then, the klaw stage was brought over to the non-connected module on top of the picture and attached to the top.

Then we blew up the bottom of the module (sorry, history!) and attached a new port, then sky-craned it on top of the center of the base to make an observatory tower!

 

Some background, that was the first module of the base and might have been intended as a standalone base at one point, but for whatever reason I didn't have docking ports on it, so I fixed it today!

Pandora base, complete with the Higgins lander and Rosalia II Rover.

 

We did lose a solar panel and an antenna during the tip-over, but we have more antennas, and we actually didn't change in solar power because we had to retract one of the main panels to keep it from hitting the base, so really no loss!

Also a probe hit Moho (*checks off impact checkbox*) but that's minor.

[Cyrious]

24 minutes ago, Kebab Kerman said:

Hell, sacrifice two! Or three! Or 7000! Whatever pleases the Kraken!

Nah, too expensive. Hell half the reason why I've built this station and begun prospecting is because enriched Uranium sells for a pretty penny via spacecraft recovery. Landing that Enriched Uranium without losing to lithobraking or a hard splashdown will be interesting though.

But, if I can sell it, I can spend the resulting cash on things like bigger ships and more kerbals, the latter of which I need at the moment because yeah, I sent almost all of my spares to Duna.

Edited September 15, 2018 by Cyrious

[Cavscout74]

In an alternate KSP universe, I was toying with BDA.  I shot down a fighter with a Feline Utility Rover-based mobile SAM system.   I haven't quite figured out how to get the AI to actually shoot at me though.  I can get them to come in like they're going to attach, but actually attacking hasn't happened yet.  Makes shooting them down rather anti-climactic.

Then I went back to the normal KSP universe & sent the vets back up for another trip to Jool.  Apparently they enjoying it on Laythe and were eager to go back despite only being home for a few months.  PCC-04B Destiny was sitting in orbit waiting for its next mission.  A quick refuel & restocking mission, followed by flying a fresh crew spaceplane to bring them up & they were ready to go. 

Val performing the Jool transfer burn

I also found my new "Pegasus Base" on Duna has a snack production shortfall with a 4-man crew, so their ground mission was cut short & moved back to orbit.  The new Duna Operations Plane made orbit easier than i expected & rendezvoused with Ludous Kerman Memorial Station.  Although it does ok, I think I'm going to make some "improvements" & send a new one on the next Duna window.

Pegasus Base with reactor & mining addons attached.  As I'm posting these images, it's occurring to me that the snack shortfall could have been caused by the greenhouse not actually being manned.....

Duna Operations Plane climbing towards orbit

EVA crew transfer

Last but not least, I completely & totally forgot about the Tylo crew lander I was working on, and completely and totally forgot to launch it in the Jool window.  I guess the Tylo anomaly contract will have to wait a while longer.

[Cyrious]

Ok, definitely should have used the higher TWR engines and just sprung for more fuel and/or ascent refueling. A descent TWR of 3.5 at the Mun (about 5.42m/s^2) is crap and it resulted in me overshooting my initial landing site.

EDIT: On the plus side, having these engines allowed me to stop and backtrack in my flightpath to head back to the intended landing site.

Sorry about the blinding brightness, needed the lights at full power for landing. But now that I'm down, its time to mine (and refuel).

Edited September 15, 2018 by Cyrious

[Ultimate Steve]

47 minutes ago, Cyrious said:

Ok, definitely should have used the higher TWR engines and just sprung for more fuel and/or ascent refueling. A descent TWR of 3.5 at the Mun (about 5.42m/s^2) is crap and it resulted in me overshooting my initial landing site.

EDIT: On the plus side, having these engines allowed me to stop and backtrack in my flightpath to head back to the intended landing site.

Sorry about the blinding brightness, needed the lights at full power for landing. But now that I'm down, its time to mine (and refuel).

Just so you;re aware, it may be a bit unrealistic but there is an ambient light slider in the settings menu. 

 

 

[Cyrious]

Yeah I know about the light slider, but even so having lots of lighting helps me to judge where the ground actually is so I don't plow into the surface at 90 meters a second. There's also the option of waiting half a munar orbit before actually descending so the landing site is in the sunlight, but, eh, I have the skill to land in the dark. Least I didn't land on a 70 degree slope like someone a couple pages ago did

[Triop]

Almost arriving at the Southpole.

 

3 hours ago, EpicSpaceTroll139 said:

One of them is an improved Kurburgring lap time.

What is the Kurburger Kurburgring ? Can I have a go ?

Edited September 15, 2018 by Triop

[Cyrious]

Miner and converters are doing their job, and apparently I wont be needing to worry about refueling the reactors anytime soon. Taking out transit time to and from the surface, I can make a little over 1500 trips before the reactors require refueling (23 days on the surface to refuel and fully fill the 6000 unit ore tank).

So! While that's harvesting the first ore load and refueling, I'm going to install the remaining hardware to the space station.

[Hotel26]

First flight of my new Swordfish in my "production" world.

It's a 1.3.1 stock rendition of @JadeOfMaar's LAPCAT lookalike.  I've configured it to perform the original mission (mid-1600's m/s @24km) or sub-orbital or EZTO with 32 pax/0 crew.

It lands like a feather -- a very, very fast feather.  I've had several outlandings now and no mishaps.  Landing this one this morning at KSC touched down at "only" 60 m/s.

I will require a Krew bus on the ground to load this baby and a Sparrow tug [pictured] in space to bring the dock home.  No docks, no RCS.  It sails majestically from port to port but, like the QE2, requires panpering at each end.  Well worth it!

 

Spoiler

 

 

Suborbital re-entry on the KSC-to-Baikerbanur route:

 

On approach to Baikerbanur R18:

 

EZTO = easy-to-orbit     

Edited September 15, 2018 by Hotel26

[Klapaucius]

I installed the Galileo Planet Pack and discovered that the Mission Builder works just fine with it. So I went exploring.

[Zosma Procyon]

 I experimented with this new design for a mobile base for a contract on Vall, but I'm having some trouble with those giant wheels. I very much want to use them, but in a straight line I can't get this thing to accelerate past 13 m/s. But if I hold a turn key, it will accelerate past 40 m/s in a spiral, and then roll. Anyone have any idea why?

Anyway in the VAB I was struct by how small and adorable the Kerbals are.