MasterSounis

This is interesting in that it takes a less "romantic" tone and plot. (No exciting disasters, crazy sci fi stuff, etc)

The only rule we break is the submission you demand!

I just read 221 posts of this. Approaching short novel length. 10/10 would read again

Okay, that's reasonable and I didn't know that. I thought there was an oxygen storage mechanism, and I was wrong. However, I don't think I said anything about constantly removing the oxygen. my point was merely that plants don't require externally fed oxygen to survive.

Aren't there inefficiencies in both ends of the process? If there's left over oxygen, that could be used in photosynthesis. Anyways, in a practical extraterrestrial farming situation, I'm sure inefficiencies in plant photosynthesis would be the least of the problems that could arise, and one of the most easily fixed. Just spray some oxygen at the plants and you're good to go. Also, inefficiencies are dependent on the limiting reactant. For example, say a photosynthesis reaction doesn't generate the ideal oxygen amount. if that plant is storing energy faster than it is using it, (growth?) there would be surplus oxygen that the plant doesn't need for oxidation. This would cover the inefficiency of photosynthesis. In any case, without actually trying to grow plants in an oxygenless atmosphere, this discussion is merely theoretical. Maybe this is something that's been tested, but I wouldn't know.

http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio104/photosyn.htm I'm not making anything up here. I only reffer to it as photosynthesis is because it is sourced as such here. Maybe it's wrong, but that was the basis of what I said. Also, I understand that the oxidation and photosynthesis of glucose are separate. My point, however, is that photosynthesis provides oxygen reactant for the oxidation of glucose, negating a need to take in oxygen from the atmosphere.

It's funny that you reffer to photosynthesis as an oxygen consuming process, because that actually isn't true. While oxygen is required to gain energy from glucose, that oxygen is found through the photosynthesis of water. The amount of oxygen produced by photosynthesis matches the amount required for the oxidation of glucose, so plants actually don't need to consume any oxygen from the atmosphere.

I think the largest barrier to an extended web is mostly communal and cultural. For example, even though the Internet does connect anyone with an Internet connection, users mostly gravitate to online communities with similar cultures, interests, languages, levels of humor, and vocabulary. While mass communication would be essential between worlds, the distance would create distinct extraterrestrial communities which would reduce interplanetary communication. Additionallily, early extraterrestrial settlers would be in small enough numbers that necessary bandwidth to earth is more manageable. As these settlers expanded, I would expect to see less communication with earth, as it would drop out of importance in that society. Bandwidth may be less of a problem than it would seem.

@IvanTehFennec: That's kind of what happens when you play a game in alpha. It's half baked only because it hasn't been in the oven long enough.

I realize that several of these ideas have been posted before, but I feel that the confirmed biome expansion for .26 warrants some thought into new implementations. Current biomes can be hard to find. The other day, I saw a guy on KSPTV Get frustrated at landing in the mun's highlands again. With new biomes coming, return trips to bodies could be described as "cool, I found a new biome. How lucky!". There are biome maps available, and mapping mods such as scansat, but sometimes a 2d map can be hard to visualize in a 3d way. Therefore I propose an integration of biome mapping to the R&D center. The archive section of the R&D center already lists biomes and bodies. An easy(ish) way to visualize collected data would be to present a 3d model of the body with visited biomes highlighted. This could help prevent repeat visits while keeping the discovery of new biomes unknown and exciting. Another useful device would be to mark landing sites from this map that can be seen in map mode. This isn't really a problem solving idea, just something that would be nice to have. Biome maps already exist elsewhere. However, I believe this would only add to the experience of KSP.

There is a book in which this exact thing happens: 2010: Odyssey Two. Written by Arthur C. Clarke, co-writer of the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, Jupiter does indeed explode. (sorry for spoilers, it's been thirty-two years). However, it explodes due to alien technology eating Jupiter in parasite fashion.We can't do that. Europa turns into a tropical paradise, and giant chunks of diamond are spread into the solar system.

Realized the benefits of air breathing engines as boosters and spent an hour messing with configuration

My first rocket actually left the launch pad and landed safely.

With the coming budgets update, satellites and probes get a whole new plus: lower cost. Probes are in most cases smaller is size and mass, as well as being cheaper than large crew pods, ladders, etc. Less delta-V is required to lift them. I think that many of the new contracts could be more easily completed unmanned than manned.