Angelo Kerman

Having nostalgia (and some depression) back in the height of the pandemic, I built a near-replica of the Intrepid using modern KSP: Sort of like a refit of the Intrepid-class in the Star Trek The Motion Picture era. Maybe someday we'll see the exciting conclusion to this story line. Meanwhile, many of my KSP 1 mods feature Kuzzter Instruments, a powerhouse computer manufacturer named after @Kuzzter More screenshots: https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/topic/27292-what-did-you-do-in-ksp1-today/page/2335/#comment-4036671

Chuck Y. Kerman derides the astronauts who fly in that as "Spam in a can." Nice to see your mission report taking flight again.

Chapter 12 “You weren’t supposed to plant the ISC flag,” Charles mcKerman, head of the Ministry of Space, thundered. Given the time delay between Kerbin and Duna, the chewing out wasn’t live, and Calbro mcKerman took advantage of that fact to pause the video. They had printed up the new flag- the proposed new flag- of the soon-to-be International Space Consortium to check out the new design, and Calbro mistakenly grabbed it instead of the Kerbin flag. Then Calbro planted it before a “live” audience at the base of the giant carving, only realizing his mistake partly through the unveiling. They were already in trouble for using the Kerbin flag instead of their respective countries’, and now they were in even more trouble for showing one of the international space exploration organization’s proposed flags for all the world to see. Now, the spacefaring nations of Kerbin had to scramble to finalize and approve the International Space Consortium Treaty before the avalanche of reporters bombarded them with their inevitable questions… “You have no idea what a mess you made,” Charles said, after Calbro unpaused the video. “Thanks to you, we’re not going to be called the International Space Exploration Agency. The International Space Consortium was a rejected name! Now, countless reporters from around the world are asking us about the new flag. And they couldn’t help but notice not three, but six countries on the flag, before anyone had a chance to even sign the ISEA- no, the ISC Charter, let alone announce it! I will personally make sure that you and your team never flies again!” This time, Ferwin paused the video. “So, he’s going to ground the kerbals that made the greatest discovery in kerbalkin history since the discovery of phytoplankton on Laythe,” he mused. “Good luck with that…” Calbro chuckled and again unpaused the video. The two listened to Charles mcKerman rant about their colossal error for several minutes before he finally ran out of epithets and abruptly ended the transmission. “So, uh, yeah,” Dudmon said finally, over the video link, “we’re in big trouble back home. But I agree with Ferwin, it’ll look bad if they ground us, especially after you made that amazing discovery. Discoveries, plural. The news outlets are going crazy with ‘Ancient Astronaut’ theories about how the Kermantians, with their primitive, Neolithic technology, made it to Duna and created the Face on Duna- that’s what they’re calling it. And you should see the documentaries that they’ve been airing on you guys, ‘hero explorers’ and all that. Anyway, you’ve been ordered to set up a base at the… anomaly… and conduct an extensive study of it. You’ll be receiving printer instructions for the Pathfinder base components shortly…” * Drax Kerman, former CEO of Drax Aerospace- the company that he founded- looked at his orange prison jumpsuit and sighed. Not long ago, he led a decadent lifestyle befitting his aristocratic origins. But his ambitions got the better of him. In his youth, he concocted a brilliant plan to make the world depend upon his company when he defaced carvings on an ancient Kermantian pyramid to make it look like the world was going to end. He kept everything secret and over the decades he slowly unfurled his plan, hooked the necessary world leaders, and got the contracts flowing. Things were going well: his company squashed any attempts to use the Lindor 5 rocket for the new reusable orbiter in favor of his Shuttle Launch System. Next, he pressured the government to make Drax Aerospace one of the commercial contractors for KOTS- the Kerbin Orbital Transportation Services program that freed KSP funding for Project Laythe, the first mission to Jool’s nearest moon. Then he maneuvered Drax Aerospace so that it received the lion’s share of the contracts needed to assemble the First Jool Fleet. Finally, he muscled his way into the commercial space markets pioneered by Orbital Dynamics- their chief rivals- and were poised to take over the markets despite their rivals’ technological edge. And then it all fell apart. Practically overnight, someone figured out Drax’s plan as well as his attempt to poof Dolores Kerman, the other student with him on that Kermantian expedition so long ago, and the only other person at the time who knew the full extent of Drax’s plans. As it turned out, Leando Kerman- one of his executives- also found out about his plan and turned over evidence in exchange for leniency. And just like that, Drax Kerman was quickly convicted of the attempted poof, given the harshest sentence possible, and thrown into a maximum-security prison. Drax thought that with him in prison, that would be the end of the fallout from his hoax, but apparently not… Like the meeting with him that they just concluded, federal investigators questioned him vigorously for several days about Project Eve, the unofficial name for his grand hoax. So named for its fake proposal to send kerbals to Eve using a modified SkyBase space station, Project Eve detailed how Drax intended to use the “end of the world” to funnel vast amounts of funds into his company. The investigators were especially interested in his plans for Duna for some reason, but he insisted that he had none. They even used truth serum and multiple lie detector tests- oh, the indignity! But he spoke the truth: he had no plans for Duna, no secret missions to the rusty planet. The stone tetrahedron launched into high Kerbin orbit- at great expense- was the extent of his “alien” hoax, but no, he didn’t secretly send any kerbals to Duna. And he knew that their meticulous search through Drax Aerospace’s records would prove his claims. Harsh as it was, their rigorous questioning was intriguing to the former CEO. What did they find on Duna? They said nothing, of course, but whatever it was, he wasn’t a part of it, and that angered him. No, the fact that he was permanently banned from anything to do with space exploration angered him. While Project Eve was a hoax, he had to admit that he caught “space aficionado fever” like so many others. He yearned to explore the worlds above, to be the first to set foot on new lands, to go where none have gone before. Oddly, it wasn’t until he was forced out of his CEO role that he realized his calling. Perhaps he was just too busy focusing on his company and his plot to really notice… But now, here in prison, he was denied his new obsession. And Drax Kerman was determined to not let that continue… * Project Pathfinder- not to be confused with the Drax thermalnuclear space shuttle of the same name- was an old design proposal from the early days of the space program. It consisted of several prefabricated modules- essentially airtight tents- that crews unpacked and assembled and outfitted with various types of equipment. Standard air pressure and an internal frame kept them expanded, but their modular design enabled crews to pack them up again so that they could move to another location. The DSEV-01 crew even tested a prototype module on Laythe that had shipped with Laythe Base. For the ongoing “road trip” mission, KSP engineers redesigned the Pathfinder base components so that they could be 3D printed by the Buffabus’s printer. It was slow work, so the scientists occupied their time by setting up a research station to let remote scientists study The Face. They immediately regretted the actions; they received endless requests to get closeups of this or that, take more aerial photos, and even chip a sample here and there for analysis. From what Ferwin and Calbro could determine, the Face was carved from ordinary granite, but the devices used appeared to be a combination of Neolithic tools and advanced, precision cutting instruments. In fact, the Dunalith seemed to share the same advanced techniques as parts of the Face, suggesting that they both were created similarly. Exactly how the advanced techniques avoided cut marks remained a mystery, but some experts suggested that high pressure water could do the job. So, if aliens helped the Kermantians reach Duna and carve The Face, as some Ancient Astronaut theorists believed, then why were there no mentions of them in Kermantian texts? And if there weren’t aliens involved, then where did the Kermantians get their advanced technology from- and where is it today? It was a question that none could answer… After three weeks of work, the team finally completed the Pathfinder outpost, dubbed Face Base by the media. The specialized equipment needed for extensive research of The Face had to be shipped from Kerbin. Until then, Ferwin and Calbro had their samples and pictures and other research to keep the scientists back home busy for a while. As a bad sandstorm rolled in, the team boarded the Buffabus once more for the long trek to the next anomaly a “mere” 885 km away… What felt like weeks was only days later, but the Buffabus made it to their next destination. The team found another artificially created arch- it seemed that the Kermantians really liked building them for some reason. After their previous discovery, finding yet another arch felt like a letdown; hoping for something more exciting like a Lost City or a crashed spaceship, the media barely gave it a mention in their broadcasts. Nonetheless, the team cataloged the find and noted its location, but Mission Control elected to not set up any science instruments to study the structure. It appeared just like the other crude stone arches built on Duna. Instead, they pressed onward to the last anomaly on their list… Looking at their map, their last stop was another 480 km distant- not including detours around mountain ranges. It would take a couple of days at least to get there. If nothing else, at least their destination, Sector SNJ3, would give them a view of Duna’s Southern Lights. The crew took turns driving the Buffabus (more like letting the autopilot drive, and just monitoring the instruments), and a couple of days later, they approached the last anomaly on their list. According to Dudmon, the casinos back home were taking bets on what they would find. Another Face? Another Dunalith? Another arch? Perhaps another forgotten space probe. As they got within 20 kilometers of the anomaly, their BTDT sensor started pinging, helping them home in on the exact location. What they found had 200:1 odds on the betting circuits. “Holy mulch…” Ferwin said and trailed off. “That’s not something you see every day,” Emma finished for him. * If there was any doubt that Kermantians had somehow visited Duna seemingly without advanced technology, all those doubts were shattered by Team Buffabus’s latest discovery. Though several times smaller than the Pyramid of Tut-Un Jeb-Anh, there was no question that the construction of the stepped pyramid matched its Kerbin cousin. Why the Kermantians built the mini pyramid out in the middle of nowhere was a mystery, but hopefully the inscription on its base would help solve that mystery. Adsii Kerman, an astrophysicist and astronomer by trade, was the foremost expert on Kermantian history and language. His expertise resulted in his sudden departure from KSP’s science division in pursuit of his hobby. Only a handful knew that Adsii’s investigation into Kermantian history led to the downfall of Drax Kerman and his elaborate hoax that the world was ending. “I leave on sabbatical and the world goes to mulch,” Adsii grumbled. He looked forward to settling into his new role at Orbital Dynamics when he got a call to aid KSP once more- this time, translating the inscriptions on the Dunalith- which was interrupted to translate the glyphs on the pyramid. Once he got over his shock that Kermantians somehow toured the solar system, he got to work…

Yup, always great to see what people come up with

Having built SunkWorks and submarine parts for Buffalo 2, I second this. I know it's Kerbal Space Program, but if there was more to do underwater (explore anomalies, go fishing, learn about oceanography, build colonies, etc.), I'd love to see boat and submarine parts. If nothing else, boat parts would be a great addition to KSP - possibly as a DLC - for use in capsule recovery craft. For Chris: - KSP 1 and 2 currently has the Shuttle cockpit for large space planes and aircraft. As a concept designer, how would you go about designing a second Mk3-class cockpit part for use in airplanes? - How detailed do you go into when creating concept parts? Do you unwrap & paint them like a modded KSP 1 part? - Just how do you pronounce "Nertea?" - Though not exactly parts, how would a modder create "parts" for kerbals to wear and use in KSP 2? Jeb needs SCUBA gear, and Bob would like a tricorder... - When creating part plugins for KSP 2, are there any considerations for kerbal skills? Will kerbal skills appear in KSP 2?

This looks great! I love the breakdown of how you made the city and sank it. I’m curious to know why SunkWorks ballast didn’t help; I designed the plugin to drop part buoyancy to zero when there is no IntakeLqg, so in theory it should have worked. With 40 parts you might have needed more ballast tanks but it’s been awhile since I looked at the code. for the save and load, the ballast not being saved sounds like a bug. I’ll look into it. Thanks again, I too wish there was more to do underwater despite the game being about space programs…

They should have Omni storage but only if you install Wild Blue Tools. I don't recall if I made B9PS configs for them as well. @kurgut made an awesome Kerbal Subnautic Program video that features the Buffalo 2 sub parts and an amazing city, check it out! Buffalo 2's IVAs were definitely inspired by Subnautica, and some of the parts were inspired by the Sea Truck as well. @kurgut I like the changes you made to the Guppy's IVA, are those available somewhere? Once again, great video!

This is amazing and very well done! I love the changes you made to the Guppy IVA too

KFS 1.1.1 is now available: - Updated the FX for the standalone gravitic engines. - Bug fixes in Wild Blue Tools.

Where are the Space Marines when you need them- or at least Space Vikings!

DSEV 3.2 is now available: - Added new texture variants to the Nautilus Centrifuge. - Added new texture variants to the 2.5m station parts. NOTE: The Nautilus Centrifuge and the S2 Cargo Bay parts have to use the stock texture switcher, while the rest can use the Wild Blue texture switchers as before. It's a bit of a kludge, but it works and no parts had to be retired. - Removed BARIS configs from the 2.5m station parts.

Buffalo 2 v 1.6.0 is now available: New Parts - B2 Workshop Module (Short): A half-sized version of the B2 Workshop Module. - Support Unit Endcap: A Stilt Lift Module without the stilts. Changes - Increased the B2 Workshop Module's Sandcastle printing capacity to 800 liters. - Added Superstructure part variant to the B2 Endcap. - Fixed wrong node size on the Stilt Lift Module. - Fixed AuXEN requiring Breaking Ground DLC. - Fixed missing texture on the Mineshaft.

@Nertea This is a great explanation of the design goals for KSP 2's thermal system. Having seen you struggle with KSP 1's system- and running into the problems of heat management after timewarp or after being away from a vessel for a long time- it's good to know that factors like these are being taken into account in KSP 2.

There's supposed to be a converter utility in Pathfinder to turn them into regular astronauts. Are you saying that doesn't work? I still recommend KIS/KAS for Pathfinder; the parts were specifically designed for it. They technically work with the stock EVA Construction, but given its less-than-optimal implementation, you can't snap parts to the correct angles, and some Pathfinder parts won't node-attach. It would take a whole new Pathfinder mod to use stock EVA Construction, something that I sadly don't have time for right now.

The biggest thing keeping me from modding KSP 2 is a lack of official modding support. Someday they might include it, then someday I might mod the game. That's one big difference between KSP 1 and KSP 2: in KSP 1, the designers provided modding support early on. I wasn't around before KSP 1's 0.23.5, but by then they had modding.

This would be for advanced users, but the ability to set part, suit, and flag colors via RGB and/or hex values would be immensely useful.

Question: Are there plans to add, perhaps for advanced users, the ability to set rocket and suit colors via RGB and/or HEX values?

Question: Longtime players of KSP 1 know that throughout its development, rocket parts had varying levels of texel densities, styles, and mesh qualities, which resulted in community projects like Restock (spearheaded by @Nertea, who is now part of IG). KSP 2 is already following suit, with different numbers of faces on cylindrical parts of the same size, disparate texel densities, and different art qualities, such as the exterior of the Mk3 shuttle cockpit not matching the other Mk3 parts. In terms of texel densities, number of faces for cylinders/number of polygons for parts in a set, and color palettes, how does the the art department ensure a consistent look and feel for part sets so that another Restock isn't necessary, and will modders be provided with the art standards ? Side note: A part quality standards guide would be immensely useful as part of a modding toolset.

Chapter 11 Bolstered with the success of their first outing, Dudmon authorized another outing- after repairing and upgrading the Buffabus. While the Buffabus crew rested, Tobias handled repairs to the rover as well as stocking up its repair kits. He also attached additional propellant tanks to the outside of the factory building for storage of liquid fuel and oxidizer. Once Emma got some rest, all three engineers worked on the additions to Buffabus. To investigate the anomalies further away from Duna Base, Buffabus needed to be more self-sufficient. That required additional facilities to handle contingencies. To expand its capabilities, the vonKerman engineers planned to dock support rovers to the sides of the bus and drive them as a single unit- much like how the two Buffalo rovers joined together during DBE-1’s landfall. Both support rovers had the same basic design with a standardized chassis, sloped front, a docking module, a set of retractable solar arrays, and an aft-mounted large-scale fuel cell array and drill. But that’s where the similarities ended. The port support rover had a small 3D print shop and a galley, while the starboard rover had a sickbay and a gym. Together, the three linked rovers essentially formed a mobile base to conduct extensive research with. By the time they were done, the Buffabus was fully stocked with resources, ample repair kits, work lights, exo skeletons, and science experiments. “I wish I could go with you,” Dudmon lamented, but he knew that he couldn’t. As the only pilot, he had to remain behind to fly the Endeavour into orbit and bring DSEV-02 back to Kerbin. Instead, Ferwin, Calbro, and Emma set out once again into the vast rusty desert to see what other sensor anomalies would reveal… Their first anomly site was a whopping 387km away from Duna Base and it took a day to reach. On the trip over, Emma vonKerman took the time to take her engineering exam, and she passed. “Congratulations, you’ve earned your 3-star rating,” Tobias radioed. The explorers finally located the anomaly- a pair of discolored sand dunes out in the Midlands. The larger of the two had what appeared to be a camera mast sticking out of it. From the looks of it, the team had discovered a second rover. Emma carefully examined the mast and compared it to pictures of the one from the old rover that they’d found a week ago. The two designs were very similar. “I wonder what caused this one to become buried in sandstone,” she asked. Neither scientist had an answer. After taking detailed pictures of the site, Calbro decided that they would stop for the night and set up a science station in the morning. As Calbro prepared a meal in the galley, Ferwin got some exercise time in the gym while Emma did some work in the exploration module. After dinner, Calbro and Ferwin insisted that Emma sleep in the hab module, while they stretched out in the two support rover’s airlock modules. There wasn’t a lot of space in the Buffabus even with the additional support rovers, but there was enough for each crewmember to have their own sleeping quarters. The next morning, while Calbro made breakfast, Emma and Ferwin set out the first set of science instruments to study midlands biome. It didn’t take long for them to complete their task; they set up the basic infrastructure along with instruments like the seismic sensors, graviolium detector, and the cosmic ray detector. Once that was completed, Emma attempted to diagnose the problem with the retractable solar arrays on the support rovers. They would extend ok, but for some reason they kept retracting, and nothing in the control software appeared to command them to do that. Frustrated, she entered the print shop and printed up a set of non-retracting solar arrays and attached them to the sides. Finally, she deployed the drills and started the converters to replenish their liquid fuel and oxidizer reserves before sitting down to breakfast. After their morning meal, the explorers tapped in the coordinates to their next anomaly, a site known as FRN-3G- the rock cropping that Duna Copter 1 discovered over 4 years ago. At just under 400km away, it would be a hard day of driving for the rover autopilot, but they’d break their previous record for the longest off-world road trip. Before they set out, Buffabus drove over to the nearby “Duna Blueberries” and the sand dune to scan them with their scanning arm. With the results of the scans stored in the B2 Laboratory Module for analysis, the Buffabus set out for its next destination… Along the way, Emma finally sorted out the software issues preventing the retractable solar arrays from staying deployed. It took them the better part of a day to drive the long distance, but by sundown, they arrived at the strange rock outcropping. After the team stepped outside to take a quick look at the anomaly- and the mangled remains of the Duna Copter that crashed years ago- Emma took a moment to install a core sampling drill before they went back inside for dinner. “I just heard back from Wernher,” Emma said while working out in the gym, “some of the vonKerman Rocketry Corps ballistic missiles from the Last War were technically capable of launching a probe towards Duna if they were modified. But he hadn’t heard of any space program from back then. If they did launch probes, they were very quiet about it. He thinks it’s the most likely explanation though.” The next morning, Emma and Ferwin set up another science station- the map said that they were in some notable mountains- before Emma programmed the Buffabus to auto-drive to the next anomaly a “mere” 687km away… As the Buffabus drove itself, the team took core samples at various locations, and in the highlands, they discovered 33,838 units of graviolium! It was the first source of graviolium discovered on another planet, and the largest concentration of graviolium outside of the Magic Boulder. The team carefully noted the location and continued towards their destination… Two days later, they arrived at the next site after sundown. In the glow of the rover’s lights, they found it- but what they found was astonishing. The explorers deployed the drills and then stepped outside for a look before bedding down for the night. “Why- how- is there a Kermantian monolith on Duna,” Ferwin asked. * Back in Kerbin orbit, yard workers at the Ministry of Space’s Space Operations Center just finished docking Halley (DSX-02) to the airlock module’s ventral docking port and unfolded its habitat ring. The command hull and habitat ring needed a lot of interior work to finish, its sensors needed to be wired to the ship’s flight computers, volumes of code needed to be written, and its revolutionary graviolium-catalyzed fusion engine had yet to be tested, but the shipwrights celebrated nonetheless; they completed the hull of the Halley ahead of schedule- and more importantly, before Orbital Dynamics and their team completed the Newton. The construction crew held a brief celebration before immediately getting back to work. * The next morning, Emma installed a pair of radiators to handle some heat issues with the drills. “We’re lucky that the drills didn’t explode,” Emma noted. The radiators made quick work of the heat buildup threatening to cook the occupants alive. Then, Ferwin and Emma got to work setting up a new science station specifically to study the “Dunalith” as Calbro dubbed it. By the time that they finished, Mission Control informed them that they were working on locating Adsii Kerman, the foremost expert on the Kermantian Empire. According to Orbital Dynamics, he was currently on sabbatical, and they didn’t know his current whereabouts. In the meantime, the Buffabus’ spectral analysis showed that the “Dunalith” was made of granite- just like the one at KSC. The only difference was that the one on Duna had a green tint due to some feldspars such as Amazonite. There didn’t appear to be any variable densities like the one at KSC, nor were there any magnets nearby to enable the stone slab to levitate. The monolith also had some writing on it that appeared to be different from the one at KSC. With nothing more to gain from staying at the site, the team double-checked the cameras that they set up and verified that the data links were solid before programming the rover autopilot for their next destination, known as Zone 6-HML. It was “only” 445.6 km away… Two days later, the team arrived at the next anomaly after navigating some treacherous mountains. The anomaly turned out to be another rock formation like the one that Duna Copter 1 found several years ago. Strangely, it appeared to have the same arrangement of rocks, suggesting that the formation was deliberately constructed. Given the previous anomaly suggested that somehow, Kermantians landed on Duna despite not having the technology to do so, it’s possible that they assembled the rock formations. The team took the time to set up a small research station by the monument before plugging in the coordinates to the next anomaly on their list and heading out. They had a 146 km dogleg maneuver to get around the mountains before they could reach their next target, known as Sector R6-V… After three days of driving, the Buffabus finally arrived at Sector R6-V. The crew was tired- Ferwin was already snoring in the lab- since they arrived at local midnight. Emma and Calbro looked at the anomaly through the Buffabus’s cockpit windows. “Should we wake Ferwin,” Emma asked. “Nah,” Calbro answered. “It’s just a large boulder. It can wait until morning. Let’s get some rest…” * Arrow Space Corporation’s completion of the Halley inspired the Orbital Dynamics- led team to step up the pace and as a result, a week after Halley slipped free of the Space Operations Center’s construction dock, shipwrights at Magic Boulder docked the Gravitic Propulsion Module to the Newton. As with the Halley, the Newton’s engineering team still had a lot of work to do to outfit the ship’s interior, but they were proud of their handiwork. The ship’s design remained virtually unchanged from the initial proposal with the only difference being the addition of a docking ring on the front of the cockpit cupola. Though it sacrificed a small amount of forward visibility, the docking ring provided an additional location to dock other modules to the vessel. Newton also gained an experimental version of the Buffalo Shuttlepod, docked to its ventral docking port. Unlike the standard shuttlepod, “Pod 1,” as it was called, had the ability to separate its cockpit and engine section from the passenger cabin. Chassis couplers mounted to the roofs of the engine section and cockpit enabled Pod 1 to dock to a cargo frame. In theory, that would enable the shuttlepod to deliver various cargo modules to the surface of a planet or moon. Designers weren’t sure if the modular approach was better than having a dedicated cargo shuttle for a DSEV, but that’s why test projects existed. At any rate, with the main hull completed, both DSX teams had just over a month to complete their respective spacecraft and basic systems testing before the three space agencies evaluated the craft and chose the winner. * The team slept for what felt like weeks, but the next morning, the intrepid explorers of the Buffabus stepped outside to look at the seemingly non-descript boulder. “Huh,” Ferwin said, adjusting his helmet. He tilted his head. “Almost looks like a pair of eyes…” “What,” Emma asked. “The outcroppings at the top of the boulder. They look like- eyes.” The trio walked towards the large boulder to get a closer look. Calbro examined the rock’s surface. “Those look like chisel marks,” he said. “Yeah,” Ferwin said, lost in thought. “Emma, can I borrow your jetpack?” “Sure,” she responded, “It’s in the port storage compartment.” A few minutes later, Ferwin returned to the rock face after rummaging around in the storage compartment to find Emma’s jetpack. “Found it in the starboard compartment, he said.” “Oh, sorry,” Emma apologized, “I thought I left it in the port one. Anyway, the jets aren’t powerful enough to lift you off the ground, so you’ll need to jump and hit the jets at the same time.” Ferwin did as he was told- though it took a couple of tries- and was rewarded with an amazing sight. “Incredible,” he exclaimed. “What, is,” Calbro asked. “If we had any doubts that the ‘Dunalith’ was made by kerbals before, there should be no doubt now. This entire rock is a carving of a kerbal’s head.”

The Flapjack was originally a proof-of-concept craft that I created to determine if modular, saucer-shaped craft could be built and flown in KSP 1. While the Mk2-S is a project that I'm using to learn Blender, it could potentially turn into a new saucer part set. If so, then the Mk2-S would essentially be a Restock version of the Flapjack. The Mk2-S would have the same stats as the Flapjack, but employ a new shape that lets it integrate with Mk2 parts and leverage the art experience that I gained since making the original. I don't plan on making adapters to go between the Mk2-S and the Flapjack (it was made in a 3D program that I no longer have the license for). I also don't see the Mk2-S artwork as a drop-in replacement for the Flapjack since the Mk2-S is slightly larger. If the Mk2-S ends up as a new part set, I could either retire the original Flapjack parts or let the Flapjack and the Mk2-S work side by side.

More doodling/learning. Below are some cross-sections. I learned how to use the measuring tool today. Top: Mk2-S (tentative name) cross-section, 8.75m-diameter saucer. Middle: Typical B2 IVA cross-section. Bottom: Mk2-S cross-section, 7.5m-diameter saucer. I think the 7.5m saucer would have enough floor space for IVAs. Here is another doodle, this one prototyping how the gravitic engine would look on a 7.5m-diameter saucer: The rotating section would have more glowing bits on it. I'm using a higher-resolution for this Mk2-S, potentially something like what you'd see in KSP 2, but perhaps a lower-resolution version of the gravitic engine would be possible for KSP 1.

Since the license on my previous 3D program ran out at the end of last year, I've been on a 3D modeling break for a few months, but I've had the goal of learning Blender this year. Last couple of days I took the first few steps in that direction. This is just me noodling around, but I thought it might be worth a look. This is based on the Mk2 form factor. While not as sleek as the existing craft, it does give more options for combining parts.

Personally, I still think that KSP 2 has a lot of potential, but it also has a long way to go. I remain cautiously optimistic.

This is a great reporting tool. By chance does it produce a boilerplate text (e.g. system information) for the start of a forum post? That might be helpful for users who post bugs on the forums. Then it would be a matter of opening the boilerplate output and cutting and pasting.

Oh no worries, this is all a few months down the road. The KSP 2 roadmap won't have resource extraction for a long time, for instance, and there's no telling when official mod support will be available.