Cuky

I use different designations for test crafts and crafts that are actually in use. For testing, crafts are usually named CTV + letter (in alphabetical order) for crew transports. Every new redesign bears next letter and once I finalize the design and craft goes into full use it will receive a proper name. Cargo crafts are named RSS + number (starting at 001; RSS = Resupply Space Ship) while in testing, while they also receive a proper name when I start using them. For my rockets, I started naming them with names of characters from Asterix comics. Cargo lifters are made of Obelix 1st stage, Asterix 2nd stage and when needed Snoopix 3rd stage. Numbers in designation are there to specify what is the diameter and number of engines on the stage. I still haven't decided on what names to use for my crew lifter rockets.

It was added in 1.0.3 together with new model for inline Mk1 cockpit

Power trusses arrived today at my Mun station. And oh boy were those hard to get in place. I didn't expect it to be that hard to balance what is practically a long stick on just a docking port. Never the less I managed it and now I only have to bring up science lab to complete what contract wanted me to build. Then I will launch a crewed mission with docking adapter and station will become operational. Note that solar arrays and radiators will be deployed once crew is onboard.

Is there any mod that brings different models for stack decouplers? I would really like to have some better looking decouplers for my rockets instead of those in stock and I don't have much space in my RAM to pack larger parts mods.

yes, new one has one engine in the middle with 8 engines in circle around it

just out of curiosity, do you plan to make only Falcon 9 v1.0 (from screen you just posted) which is now retired IRL or do you plan to make both v1.0 and v1.1 which has more powerful engines that are also arranged differently?

I started building station in Mun's orbit for which I have a contract. Since it has to be able to hold 11 Kerbals I decided to build it out of multiple modules and to later use it as place where scientists would be able to research data from Mun's surface and bring more science home. Pics are below: 1. Station core with no Kerbals onboard yet 2. Crew module with docking node added to the station. On its bottom is tug that will be used to complete the station. 3. 2 power and cooling trusses on their way to the Mun. They will be docked on the node, both under larger dishes After both trusses are in place I will launch Science module which will be docked on the port under one of the Communotron 16 antennas. It will bring up the capacity of the station to 11 to complete the contract. Then I will launch a crew of 3 that will bring with them structural part that will be docked on the other remaining port and which will put some clearance between station and docking craft so that later I am able to have space planes docked if I ever create successful one.

wow nice. Just in time as I have prepared modules for my Munar station. Seems like I'll just need to squeeze in one extra docking port to accommodate both crew and cargo ships at the same time

So, my space program was in need of some cash and Gene has found 2 satellite contracts for me to do. After quite a bit of time I returned to small launchers for light probes, one in orbit of Kerbin and other in orbit of Mun

Today I finally managed to put a surface outpost on Minmus on what was 3rd attempt in doing so. Seems that my lifter rocket wasn't that good (2.5m 1st stage 9 Swivel engines + 2.5m 2nd stage with single Poodle engine) so I changed it for a simpler design. I had 2.5m 1st stage with Mainsail engine and 2 S1 SRB-KD25k boosters with 2.5m 2nd stage powered by single Skipper engine. Also I have prepared a rescue mission for crew that is on Mun in their science lab because I forgot to pack return vehicle on their trip.

seems that I have lost it in last two days. After loosing 3 Kerbals on launch yesterday today I have lost 5 more. I have launched 3 Kerbals inside Rodan capsule from Tundra Aerospace mod. Those were 0-star pilot and two 0-star engineers who went in orbit with few goals: 1. Test re-usability of a launcher designed specifically for Rodan capsule (inspired by Falcon 9.1) 2. Rescue 2 Kerbals from LKO 3. Practice powered landing back at KSC Launch and booster separation went flawlessly. But then problems started: 1. booster died because I forgot to pack few batteries on it so I was unable to control it and it is now stuck in LKO 2. Kerbals were rescued successfully but it took quite a long time because of me launching at wrong time 3. Landing was going well, but I haven't checked my dV and I was out of fuel about 100m above the ground. Capsule smashed into the ground and all 5 Kerbals died

I have lost 3 Kerbals today (2-star pilot and two 1-star scientists) who have perished in launch accident when they were on their mission to Minmus. This accident was made even worse by it being my first launch accident on this save (at least when Kerbals are riding a rocket) and also was first on which I decided not to use LES to save just that tiny bit of mass. I went to retry that mission with a bit modified craft and new crew, but that cost me nice amount of money. I had to take on new scientists and a pilot because everyone else was on a mission somewhere and now I have to again save money to upgrade R&D (I was just about 200k funds away, now it is again almost 1,5 million funds)

I like to use OX-4L 1x6 Photovoltaic Panels because for me they look better than their shielded companion (SP-L 1x6) but I was caught few times with not being able to retract them once they are deployed. Latest mission to fail because of that was mission to land a probe on Eve. Aerobraking with panels out is not something I would recommend.

thanks for new update. This is quickly becoming flagship of my career

Looks to me like Rosetta and Philae

Today I had tried my first ever powered landing from orbit to KSC. I have just downloaded Tundra Aerospace mod and in Rodan Test 1 flight Jeb took it with two tourists on suborbital test mission. Then on Rodan Test 2 flight Jeb took 2 more tourists and two new recruits into orbit, tourists for contracts and recruits for experience. After they went around Kerbin 3 times it was time to return and I decided to finally try and land my spacecraft at KSC. I was able to come as close as 6km from launch pad which is my record for orbital crafts. (obviously I managed to land atmospheric planes at runway and I am still to launch orbital space plane). I cut throttle a bit early so landing legs broke...but everything else survived. I have nice launcher designed for this, a not so perfect replica of Falcon 9.1, but I still haven't tried to return it back though I am getting ready for that with landing legs and airbrakes already on.

today I lost my station that was on its way to Duna. It was just coming to mid-course correction burn and I switched to it. It all went blank for a few moments, and when everything reappeared I only had stuck HUD and that space background. When I went back to KSC I had only space background with no planet or KSC or anything. I have restarted the game, everything works but station is no more visible in tracking station.

Today I resumed my save after few days off. Since I am waiting for Duna station to get there I have decided to do few contracts on the Mun and Minmus. But before I did that I have decided that it is finally time for me to standardize my launchers instead of building new one for each and every mission. So, I have basically been working on that for a few hours today and here is an example rolled out on the launch pad with Mun return vehicle and lander inside fairings This is Obelix 2-5 booster with Asterix 2-1 2nd stage. I still haven't flown them though as I am trying to optimize their performances a bit better. Basically, all my boosters will be named Obelix with 1st number describing it's size (1 = 1.25m, 2 = 2.5m, 3 = 3.75m) and 2nd number describing number of engines (1, 3, 5 or 9). Same goes for Asterix 2nd stage. On some flight there may be even smaller 3rd stage which will be called Snoopix and it will come only in 1.25m - 1 engine form.

I have sent my biggest rocket ever (and it is still tiny one) to Duna. Inside fairing there is an orbital station for 9 Kerbals that will fulfill 2 contracts: flyby Duna and building orbital station in Duna's orbit. Docked on top is tiny probe that will detach itself once in Duna's orbit and go to Ike to fulfill Explore Ike contract. After it left Kerbin's SOI it accidentally completed one contract that I had forgot about: orbital station for 8 Kerbals in Sun's orbit

my top ten: MechJeb Kerbal Joint Reinforcement Docking Port Alignment Indicator Kerbal Alarm Clock Enhanced NavBall Crowd Sourced Science Near Future Solar Temperature Gauge Killer (since 1.0.2) Others I mix and match according to what I want to do in my career.

Today I had my longest crash-free KSP session ever, almost 3h in total. Though once I thought game crashed, but that was just sticky keys because of me abusing shift key on EVA. I sent Valentina and Hudrim (Scientist) to visit Minmus and complete "plant a flag" contract after which they used lots of fuel to jump around different biomes gathering science. I visited 5 biomes totaling in about 2430 science. They also took Bill with them as he was still my only Kerbal on roster that hadn't been to space. This was also my largest manned vessel yet. They had a little mishap on their return voyage as once again my decoupler and parachute were on the same stage. Luckily, unlike in Bob's case, I noticed it so I changed the slider in right-click menu to open parachute at 0.5 atmosphere so it didn't open when it was not safe to do so. When it was safe I moved the slider back down and parachute deployed correctly. After that I started design of satellites. I have to be quick though because in 10 Kerbin days there is a transfer window for Duna. I will put 4 satellites in equatorial orbit, maybe stationary orbits, but not necessary. Here is a pic of WIP version of long range DunaComm of which two will be placed in either Molniya or Tundra orbit. They will communicate all the way to Duna through those satellites in equatorial orbit. Though I still may add Infernal Robotics to better pack my satellites, but that remains to be decided.

I have decided to spice my career save a bit so I have installed Remote Tech...Now I have something to spend my excess funds on, I need to set up my comm network.

After failing to land a base on Minmus yesterday due to bad design I have sent new one today. This one wasn't designed for looks but just to mark that contract so that I can proceed forward with other things. I have used the same launcher as for previous one, only ditching one LFO tank from 1st stage because this design was quite a bit lighter so I didn't need extra fuel to have enough dV to reach Minmus and land.

I have killed quite a few of them...though since 1.0 came out I have only lost Bob and that was because parachute was in wrong stage so when I decoupled service module before re-entering I have also activated parachute which was torn off a bit later when it opened.

crashed my Minmus base while trying to land due to badly placed radial engines that caused it to spin around roll axis. It was possible to stop it rolling, but then it would start to spin out in either yaw or pitch axis. I managed to touch the ground, but I bounced back up and lost control. But that mission wasn't complete failure. I managed to put a satellite that was riding along in correct Minmus orbit to complete a contract and base managed to collect some science while trying to land.