Thrust

Part 2. - Pre-flight testing. Three more missions to the Moon were launched. Unfortunately none succeeded. One rocket failure during launch (hit the launch clamp), and two lander failures (both when detaching fairings on top stage, damaged landing leg, and fuel tank explosion). With Mars transfer window soon, everyone focused on testing equipment that will fly there. Two main parts were selected, lander "Ares", and inflatable "DropBase3". This is one of many short launches, to see if it works. At some altitude the tank was detached, and parachutes deployed... ...the two parts separated 2km above ground... ...maybe not this time... ...and that is why we need more tests. With more vertical speed it works. The base, when fully deployed looks like this. Living space for 5 astronauts, and supplies for 3 months. In the meantime, brave Kerbals return from vacation only to find out that all space flights were canceled. Jebediah was so frustrated that he will never again go to space, that he requested reassignment to "experimental aircraft" program. Here we have three top test pilots standing near the X-6 rocketplane. From left: Jebediah, Jedfrey, and Nedzor. Nedzor took Jebediah on a short testflight with old X-4, officially to do some atmosphere analysis. Nedzor: "Tower, can we make some maneuvers before landing? Jebediah is asking me how many G this plane can withstand." Tower: "Emm...Sure, as long as you don't crash. Stay below 2000." Nedzor: "Roger." Jeb was the first Kerbal in space. He experienced similar G during ballistic re-entry. And tailslide before landing. A few weeks later, equipment for Mars was ready to launch. Before that, the new lifter had to be tested. 70 tons to LEO. After 3 successful test launches it was safe enough to lift more valuable cargo (and more wobbly). Staging. Just look at the size of this fairing. It's almost as tall as rest of the rocket. Mars test ship on orbit. It detached that small tank on rear and waited for service module (a.k.a. tug) that will be pushing it. Below you can see one of the refuel tanks, carrying fuel for the service module. Two of these were needed. And the actual service module launching from KSC (i have only this one screenshot). Everything assembled and ready to go. From left to right: Habitat module for 6 crew members, with 2 capsules docked, and life support module (scrubbers, filters etc.); Drop module with docked inside Ares lander and DropBase3 under fairings, plus heat shield and deorbit unit; Docked Service module with supplies for 2 years, fuel, and nuclear engine. Two astronauts visited it, to check all systems. With everything working, they programed flight computer to launch at next transfer window, undocked their capsule, and watched as the ship begins its journey. To be continued...

KSA - Moon and beyond [RSS] I've finally got time to put this all together. Whole week of gameplay, different small missions, many successful designs and even more failures. I use many mods, the most important is "Real Solar System" (some of them I tweaked a bit, to match the rest, like Realism Overhaul without rescaling). That's why Moon, not Mun. Part 1. - Prologue. This program started 7 years ago, when some crazy guy said: "Lets go to other planets". Easy to say. A space agency was brought to life. Finances were not a problem, so they immediately started developing equipment... P-1 was a series of small impact probes. Only one launched successfully, and hit the lunar surface. Next was P-2, a microsatellite with science. Two are currently still operational, one around Mars, and one near Venus. P-3 small probe, built and launched together with P-2 to explore the surface of Mars and Venus. Both successfully landed. The Venus one broke shortly after landing, it transmitted only small part of expected data. Another launch to replace it was planed, but never happend. P-5 micro rover. Two were sent to Mars, but didn't last for long. Complete failure. Next is the first manned Moon landing. Building a rocket for this was a real challenge. During the first manned launch one of the launch clamps failed, and the craft ended flying sideways 300m above surface. Thats why Jeb is not the first Kerbal on the Moon. Backup crew launched in second rocket 12 hours later (this time I decoupled some of the clamps before launch). Commander of this mission Bill Kerman, and Endred Kerman, undock the lander, and deorbit. Flight engineer Bob Kerman is waiting in command module. After touchdown, the crew is preparing for EVA. They deploy solar panels, anthenas, lader, and small lunar rover. Bill leaving first footprints. Endred joins him, and is first to ride the lunar rover. Boys take a short trip to collect some rocks, and surface samples. Landing site is in south of Ocean of Storms {"Oceanus Procellarum"). After 5 hours the lander crew is ready to rendezvous with command module on orbit. It was realy tight on fuel, to complete circularization they burned with monopropellant. The CM actualy moved to dock with the lander. Bob saves the day. After some boring maneuvers and 4 more days, they finally return. (sorry no screenshots from this phase). To be continued...

I found a way to force my prototype space shuttle to flight... Center of mass is too far in front. But for now I leave it as it is. Now I need to transport six kerbals, first in space, and later back into atmosphere (for "permanent moon base" project, and future manned mars mission), with something that is lighter than two capsules... The X-13 STS testing platforms: Tier-1 - Good in space, has the aerodynamics of a brick, disassembled itself during re-entry. Tier-2 - Is still at an early stage of development and testing, during its maiden flight had no fuel tanks or RCS (on the tips of the wings, which will be decoupled before re-entry), surprisingly well-entered the atmosphere (no flames! I did it before but not in RSS).

I only use one, and it works if the rocket is build correctly. Orbit alt: 200km, Inclination: 5 (or more, I launch from Kourou). In ascent path editor - Turn start alt: 2km, Turn end alt: 200km, Final flight path angle: 0, Turn shape: 30%. If you use the Ignitor mod, then the top stage needs 2 ignitions (if the payload is lighter/heavier than "perfect", MJ will shut the engines and float before final burn). Link to image: http://i.imgur.com/Z4Eut72.jpg < as you can see, orbit inclination is set to -28, but the rocket will fly to 28 (not minus xD), because later it will fly to the moon. And yes... a bunch of trial and error ^^'. I hope this helps.

First Moon landing (RealSolarSystem), apollo style.

This MAKS system is great, although the mid-air launch looks somewhat acrobatic. Nice video . Shuttle with tank on its nose... crazy idea, very kerballike ^^'. You can use procedural fairings (interstage adapter?) and put it on bottom of this orange tank. I use it to hide engines on rockets/lifters. Here's Shuttle prototype I've been working on... ...It looks good, goes to orbit sideways (mechjeb), 800 deltaV left, 9 crew, docking ports, cargo bay etc... But its crap, it can not land (nose down below mach 2). True.

It reduces stability, but greatly increases maneuverability - anhedral angle. That's in theory. I wanted to make the plane controllable at supersonic speed.

My prototype rocket plane based on X-15, cannot achieve orbit.

This prototype is called "X-7C Evolution" but the pilots call it Kerbal Killer (3 manned flights, 3 dead kerbals ). I plan to replace the engines and beat Mach5. (this is with AJE)

Two of my latest rockets... 45t launcher and 70t

I fixed my biome map for Mars (hopefully no more biomes jumping), and made new one for Venus (15 biomes): https://www.dropbox.com/s/bjcoxfn6bg22y8r/mars_and_venus_biomes.zip (you need SpacedInvader's textures, 269 page of this thread)

I think that to avoid biomes jumping the image needs to be "pixel sharp". Every pixel must be in one of the colors from the list (.att). Look at this: Left is too blurry.

Sure. I also have the problem with buildings flickering at first load of KSC, but for me, its not a big deal.

I recently play with RSS (great mod), and decided to replace the biomes, with something matching SpacedInvader's textures (also great xD). Moon (8 biomes): and Mars (18 biomes): http://www.dropbox.com/s/e2qm7aaw9hrpu37/moon_and_mars_biomes.zip It needs testing, especialy the mars one. From orbit it looks ok. Awaiting feedback .