The Yellow Dart

That is exactly right. The plane I was speaking of started as a massive jumble of parts stuck together with struts. It ditched a couple booster immediately after takeoff just to get it into the air, had lots of drop tanks and 2 or 3 separate landers that got left behind after last use. By the time it got back to Kerbin it was just a tiny little plane, it was very impressive. It was just a collection of pics, though, not a video, and I can't seem to find it anymore.

I have wondered about this ever since I rode the Mission: Space ride at Disney world. It did an awesome job of simulating a high G rocket launch, as well as zero G in orbit. This one is way too complicated for an amateur builder. Someone should suggest it to Elon Musk since he is a billionaire engineer KSP fan.

I've seen someone do the entire Jool system with a stock spaceplane, so yes the Mun is very possible.

Once important question about mining asteroids: will they get lighter as you mine them? If so, all you need for a long range interplanetary ship is an asteroid, an engine, and mining equipment. You can go very far with a single, small, light launch. You can just burn it as you mine it without adding any big tanks, just one small one. But if they don't decrease in mass as you mine them (as they should) then you'll want to build a proper ship and just use the roids as a gas station. Just depends on if they made sure to include this aspect in the game.

Has anybody at Squad given thought to the problem of parachute clipping? Or is that just something we have to live with? Could you give the parachutes an oversized collider so that they can bump into each other and spread out like real parachutes, rather than phasing into each other with magic? Also, in regards to the change in contracts, I think it would be better if, rather than making those basic contracts insta-accepted or however it will work, you could just combine them into 1 contract that still has to be accepted. i.e. the first contract has all of the altitude records as objectives in the same contract, so you still have to accept it (seems like a better mechanic, rather than just getting money out the blue for doing things you'll do anyway) and you would get the money for each objective as you complete them, with a big bonus at the end of them all (orbit). Other ones could be Explore the Kerbin System, including all objectives for exploring the Mun and Minmus, or Explore the Jool system, including Jool and all the moons in one(with a MASSIVE payday at the end of it).

Just so I know, have they ever mentioned fixing parachute clipping? I only mention this because I heard them mention 2 or 3 times recently that they fixed a clipping problem with the flag plant animation, like clipping is a terrible thing (and it is pretty ugly) and that that example was unbearable/had to be fixed, yet I have never hear a peep about the worst, thus far untouched clipping issue in the game: radial parachutes. There is no good way around it, at least with stock. If you want to have a docking port on top (which is most of the time), you are forced to use 2 radial parachutes, but you can never get them far enough apart to prevent the opened chutes from clipping each other. Could they give them some kind of over-sized collider, so that they bump into each other and spread out when deployed, making it look vaguely realistic? Is there any other way they could fix it easily? That problem has always been something that made me say "it's still in development. it's still in development" over and over to myself as I play.

I have a hard time finishing games but it's because I am just a ridiculously slow, methodical player. Much slow than the rate updates come out at. I am like this in most sandbox games. For example, it took me about 8 years to finally finish ES: Oblivion. I think I did just about every possible side quest before advancing the Main Quest even a little. In KSP, on top of being to concerned with making crafts that look decent and real-world-feasible, I always feel like I am going to miss a launch window or encounter so I can never time warp foreword too far.

It was around 300 miles if I remember right, but I may not remember right.

Wow, beautiful video! Can't wait 'til next try! I bet no one hopes for success more than the guys whose job it is to clean and fix and paint the barge. "How many %@*# rocket disasters do we have to clean up after!?"

I still can't believe that Squad hasn't adopted toggle-able tanks like in B9 so we can choose what we want in a tank. It is such a no brainer, solves so many problems and essentially multiplies the usefulness of the stock parts inventory while decreasing the actual number of parts needed. No more need for Jet fuel tanks and rocket tanks and mono tanks. Just tanks.

I was thinking electromagnetic footpads that activate for an second or 2(to lower power requirements) on touchdown.

If it isn't on the barge, that is the next most likely assumption. I don't think it brought a life jacket.

Aww, that's too bad. Not even a trophy to show for it.

Haha! Where did you read that?

The end of the webcast said there is a sat launch later this month, but I have no idea if the orbit allows landing or not. Anybody heard?

Aww well good that it landed, in some form. that is certainly still a milestone, still a first. I had this ready for success: http://cdn2.sbnation.com/imported_assets/2106015/stephen-colbert-celebration-gif.gif

Oh man, I wonder when we find out about stage 1. If it failed it might be hours. UuUuUgh!

Reentry burn complete!

Oh my God this is exciting!! - - - Updated - - - Boostback burn complete!

Let's try this again! Space X! Space X! Space X! Space X! Space X! - - - Updated - - - Yup, that is correct.

Dag.

We should get an online forum chant going. SpaceX! SpaceX! SpaceX! SpaceX!

This should have been posted in gameplay questions or suggestions.

How about "Spraying Kraken-repellant" also "Hiding Easter Eggs" and "Removing life support from command modules"

Most of the Twitter responses said it was a new Dragon logo, don't know if that is it or not though.