Super community wide mission?

[VincentMcConnell]

I thought of an idea that I think would be really fun for all of us, I don\'t know about you guys. We should organize a system where we can all remain within radio contact with each other (live stream of some kind?) But only the CAPCOM can be heard by the astronauts. Someone here has to get two friends in real life that play Kerbal Space Program. The first to do so, please PM me and you will be the prime crew.

We can set up a whole mission control with different shifts (I\'d like to be a CAPCOM) and we\'d do the entire mission with no time warping or anything allowed. No cheats, either. Somehow, we have to figure out a way where the MecJeb data can be relayed to the 'mission control' 'on the ground'. Maybe a camera pointed right at it on the astronauts\' screen? This way, control will be able to tell them when to make course corrections, etc.

Objective?

Land a crew in the Sea of Instability on the near side of the mun. I\'m not sure how to set up these kinds of livestreams, so we\'d have to all figure it out as a community.

[togfox]

Roger Wilco + team speak + kessler plus everyone in the same time zone would do it.

The pilot would have to promise to not use map view or to use the mechjeb orbital/surface information. If they did there is no need for capcom.

[VincentMcConnell]

Roger Wilco + team speak + kessler plus everyone in the same time zone would do it.

The pilot would have to promise to not use map view or to use the mechjeb orbital/surface information. If they did there is no need for capcom.

Yeah. We should keep everyone honest. It\'s just fun if everybody is serious and honest about it.

[togfox]

It would introduce some serious mathematics for capcom - which is good! The community can \'watch\' as delta-v calculations are posted on the forum and everyone cross checks.

[VincentMcConnell]

Looks like you and I might be the pioneers of this little idea. We have to start thinking of ways to do communications (not theory, but actually setting them up) and getting all of the people on the forums who would like to do this to sign up.

[togfox]

Teamspeak, Mumble, Ventrilo for voice.

IRC is something everyone can do.

[VincentMcConnell]

Teamspeak, Mumble, Ventrilo for voice.

IRC is something everyone can do.

Sounds cool. How should we make a thread for signups?

[GOOMH]

Doing Delta-V calculations live with no map now that sounds awesome. I\'ve been wanting to do a mission without the map view for a while plus a moon landing be tough but knowing that you did it even if you are just on the ground tossing up numbers be such an awesome feeling. But before we do this we need to get formulas for everything and we must be able to determine if are on a collision course with the Mun or on a escape trajectory.

[tiger336]

use skype to share screens

[Tim_Barrett]

use skype to share screens

But that isn\'t the point: we are avoiding that so people who are not currently on the mission have something to do and calculate.

Sliderules anyone? xD

[VincentMcConnell]

Sliderules anyone? xD

OMG I love it! haha

I\'ll actually see if you can still buy them. Right now, I can go calculate precise burn times and tell you guys which engines need to burn for how long for a proper trans-lunar injection.

[VincentMcConnell]

But before we do this we need to get formulas for everything and we must be able to determine if are on a collision course with the Mun or on a escape trajectory.

This is easy. at 12,100KM, you whiz by the mun at about 100kilometers. Then retroburn to bring that down to 30KM and then do the second retroburn at perilune.

[VincentMcConnell]

FOR ANYONE WHO NEEDS TO KNOW WHICH CRAFT WE\'RE USING, IT WILL BE THE KERPOLLO SATURN V.

If you do not have it, please let me know. I\'m thinking that our first mission might be lunar orbit, since landing will be an even greater challenge, but it\'s up to you guys. I think I have a word document for burn times on the SIVB.

[VincentMcConnell]

I have just calculated the Trans Lunar Injection burn time for anyone who needs to know (astronauts, FIDO etc.)

With the SIVB, from a 100KM orbit, the Translunar injection occurs just after mun rise. Above the SIVB is the SIVB fuel tank, Kerpollo Instrument system, SIVB separator, Kerpollo Panel Fairings and the following on Command Module.

Top to bottom:

Kerpollo Parachutes

Kerpollo CM

Orion Decoupler

Down Under ASAS

MecJeb 1M addition

Kerpollo RCS fuel

Stock RCS

Kerpollo SM fuel

Kerpollo SPS engine

The EXACT Translunar injection burn time to a 12,500 KM Apokee is 24.84s at 100% thrust. Then , the course correction to bring that down to 12,111KM is 9 seconds thrust (retro) on the RCS with the SIVB stage STILL ATTACHED.

If the burns on prograde went all correctly, our astronauts should have a perfect Apokee to intersect the mun.

--EDIT --

At an altitude of 941.3KM ASL, it is time for the first course correction to change the apokee to 12,200KM so that we don\'t end up on a collision course. Burn time with RCS at prograde is: 1s with just the command module. After the first course correct to bring it down to 12,111KM, we dropped the SIVB

--EDIT--

So I just got captured by the Mun. Problem! My periapsis is 14KM. So now we must burn pro to change that to 30KM. The burn time with RCS is: 17.03s. Now I have a Periapsis of 30.26KM. Course correction to take that down 260 meters is: .38s with the RCS.

--EDIT--

BAD NEWS!!!!

I think this mission will be impossible until Kerbal Space Program adds 100% burns. The throttle up period, where the engine goes from 0-100% in a matter of seconds, completely throws off the calculations. We need to be able to type in a burn and press ignition and it will do that. I suggested a plug in, but noooooooo nobody made that long ago. Now we\'re paying the price for it.

Unfortunately, we\'ll need to use mecjeb and have mission control be the only people who can see it. That way, we can figure out burn calculations on the spot and tell them how long the burn must be to increase or decrease an orbit.

I also suggested a burn data table that would give you information on your last burn (I asked for it PRECISELY for situations like this and nobody made it)... So yeah. Basically, we got screwed over.

We\'ll have to think of ways to do this, because simply timing burns ahead of time cannot and will not work.

[togfox]

You\'re right that we can\'t do this for almost the same reason.

Boosting from 0 - 100% is difficult but wouldn\'t affect the calculation much. What is really needed is a 'set throttle at 43%' setting, where the % is variable. If we could do all course corrects at 100% then we could attempt this but I\'m not fast enough to do a 100% burn for 1.73 seconds precisely.

* sad face *

[Guest GroundHOG-2010]

Ill be one of the controllers if I am up at the time (I have teamspeak and mumble (used to run a mumble server off mine for some friends who are lets players)).

[Causeless]

I have just calculated the Trans Lunar Injection burn time for anyone who needs to know (astronauts, FIDO etc.)

With the SIVB, from a 100KM orbit, the Translunar injection occurs just after mun rise. Above the SIVB is the SIVB fuel tank, Kerpollo Instrument system, SIVB separator, Kerpollo Panel Fairings and the following on Command Module.

Top to bottom:

Kerpollo Parachutes

Kerpollo CM

Orion Decoupler

Down Under ASAS

MecJeb 1M addition

Kerpollo RCS fuel

Stock RCS

Kerpollo SM fuel

Kerpollo SPS engine

The EXACT Translunar injection burn time to a 12,500 KM Apokee is 24.84s at 100% thrust. Then , the course correction to bring that down to 12,111KM is 9 seconds thrust (retro) on the RCS with the SIVB stage STILL ATTACHED.

If the burns on prograde went all correctly, our astronauts should have a perfect Apokee to intersect the mun.

--EDIT --

At an altitude of 941.3KM ASL, it is time for the first course correction to change the apokee to 12,200KM so that we don\'t end up on a collision course. Burn time with RCS at prograde is: 1s with just the command module. After the first course correct to bring it down to 12,111KM, we dropped the SIVB

--EDIT--

So I just got captured by the Mun. Problem! My periapsis is 14KM. So now we must burn pro to change that to 30KM. The burn time with RCS is: 17.03s. Now I have a Periapsis of 30.26KM. Course correction to take that down 260 meters is: .38s with the RCS.

--EDIT--

BAD NEWS!!!!

I think this mission will be impossible until Kerbal Space Program adds 100% burns. The throttle up period, where the engine goes from 0-100% in a matter of seconds, completely throws off the calculations. We need to be able to type in a burn and press ignition and it will do that. I suggested a plug in, but noooooooo nobody made that long ago. Now we\'re paying the price for it.

Unfortunately, we\'ll need to use mecjeb and have mission control be the only people who can see it. That way, we can figure out burn calculations on the spot and tell them how long the burn must be to increase or decrease an orbit.

I also suggested a burn data table that would give you information on your last burn (I asked for it PRECISELY for situations like this and nobody made it)... So yeah. Basically, we got screwed over.

We\'ll have to think of ways to do this, because simply timing burns ahead of time cannot and will not work.

I have a joystick, which means I can change throttle very quickly.

Also, jeeze, you don\'t need to be exact. back in the days of 0.10.1, our orbits were all basically down with a chart and some educated guesses!

[Guest GroundHOG-2010]

I have a joystick, which means I can change throttle very quickly.

Also, jeeze, you don\'t need to be exact. back in the days of 0.10.1, our orbits were all basically down with a chart and some educated guesses!

And you had to wait half an hour to do one!

[VincentMcConnell]

You\'re right that we can\'t do this for almost the same reason.

Boosting from 0 - 100% is difficult but wouldn\'t affect the calculation much. What is really needed is a 'set throttle at 43%' setting, where the % is variable. If we could do all course corrects at 100% then we could attempt this but I\'m not fast enough to do a 100% burn for 1.73 seconds precisely.

* sad face *

If use Mecjeb data (my numbers DID NOT expect us to) we could just have mission control read the astronauts their altitude, AP and PE etc.

[Kosmo-not]

I always wanted to do some kind of mission like this. I would be fun if there was a plugin that allows others to download close to real-time trajectory information. You can put me in 'the trench' for this kind of roleplay. I was going to mention joystick throttle too, but someone got to that already.

P.S.

I actually do have a slide rule. Is it time for me to learn how to use it?

[VincentMcConnell]

I always wanted to do some kind of mission like this. I would be fun if there was a plugin that allows others to download close to real-time trajectory information. You can put me in 'the trench' for this kind of roleplay. I was going to mention joystick throttle too, but someone got to that already.

P.S.

I actually do have a slide rule. Is it time for me to learn how to use it?

Kosmo-not, you\'re probably the most experienced person with the technicalities that I\'ve met here, so I\'d really like if you could help as much as possible. I agree with you. I\'d rather be in the trench for this, too. That\'s why I\'ve chosen to be one of the CAPCOMs.

We can send real time trajectory info by having the astronauts use Mecjeb and point a camera at the orbital information table on blogTV and then promise not to use it for themselves.

Yes, you should learn your slide rule. Where did you get it?

[bsquiklehausen]

This sounds awesome! I have access to a slide rule as well if I need it.

[semininja]

You can get slide rules at thinkgeek; I have one somewhere around here...