purpleivan

Probably the most impressive launch, or more accurately set of launches I've had was for the Mun Double challenge. This required a vehicle to fly from Kerbin to the Mun and back, then repeat that again. All from a single launch, with no refuelling or ISRU. As an entry for this (I had a couple) I launched the Double Trouble, which at 222 tons (so 3 doubles so to speak) of expendable rocket, was fairly light for the task. (Full Imgur album here)

Ok... attempt number 3 (I bailed on the 2nd when I realised it didn't really match the rules). This is an entry that uses a spaceplane to place a payload of 235kg in orbit of Jool, at a cost of 9008.5 funds/ton Here are the pics salient to the challenge entry. Mass of the payload at Jool Cost of the probe 1606. Cost of the spaceplane wet 31,640. Cost of the spaceplane dry 31,129 (so fuel cost of 511) Total cost of mission 511+1606, to put 0.235 tons in Jool orbit = 9008.5 funds/ton. If there's anything missing or wrong here, let me know. I'll blame doing this far too early in the morning (started putting vehicle together at 6:30am). Here's a few scenic pics (full Imgur album here).

What did I do... I spent the day misinterpreting the rules of a challenge. I made an entry to the the Low cost per ton Jool Intercept challenge, only to find out that I'd got the major premise of the challenge wrong (next time I'll do more than glance at the rules). Attempt 1. That resulted in me launching this... ... to put this little guy in orbit of Jool. Attempt 2. With new information in hand I decided to have another crack at the challenge using a spaceplane as a launcher, only to realise that I'd still not interpreted the rules correctly. So using this... ... to deploy this little guy, was a complete waste of time. But at least I got to see this nice sunset, albeit at the wrong landing site, i.e. not the KSC (next time I'll do more than glance at the map view before de-orbiting) before finding out my spaceplane had about 30 seconds of fuel in it for a landing. Fortunately there was enough in it to make the 180 degree turn, before gliding to a landing in the dark at this nice little location (much clearer in daylight) which fortunately was as flat as I'd hoped.

While they're at it, would be nice if the normals were fixed on the male character models too (arms and legs).

Ah... didn't notice that. I was thinking that it was a bit strange that the total mass was the one that counted. Ok, here's the revised stats. Total cost = 5515 funds and a mass arriving at Jool of 0.28 tons, so a total of 19696 funds per ton. Definately going to have another go at this with an SSTO launcher. Scrub that, just realised that the mass at Jool has to be minus anything related to getting the payload there, so the spark and tanks would have to be deducted too. Started a spaceplane mission that suffered the same issue, so I'm going to re-start with a payload specific section, that is detached at Jool for clarity.

Here's my crack at this. Nothing complicated, just a Spark sitting on top of a Kickback. Cost was 5515 funds and mass of 24.880 tons, which works out at 224.076 funds per ton Just a basic attempt this, so expecting it to be given a thorough spanking. Actually I've been messing around with vertically launched SSTO's for the last couple of days, and the upper stage of this would fit nicely in the cargo bay of one of those. So might be giving this another attempt later. In VAB Kickback most of way to orbit. Circularise on the Spark In orbit. Burn for Jool. On its way out. Course adjustment to swing by Tylo, to bring vehicle into Jool orbit. Hi guys. Passing Tylo. In Jool orbit.

Took this from a rover I sent by rocket to the area. This was part of my grand anomaly hunt of late 2014.

Poodles to orbit it is then. Made it into a 70x79km orbit with a little bit of fuel to spare, so de-orbited and tried for a last moment blast prior to splashdown, to slow the descent to non lethal speed... Jeb died in the attempt.

Another couple of modules delivered to the station today. Power Module With a couple of gigantors, this will provide any electrical requirements the station is likely to have. Additionally, perched on the end of it is a small tug, which will be used to attach future modules to the station. The launcher returned to a nice flat bit of desert, for another safe landing. Science Module 2nd delivery of the day was of a science module, with all the technical gubbins that any kerbal could ask for (just add scientists). This was the first module that would be attached to the station with the help of the tug. After delivery to the station of the module, the launcher headed home for a gently landing in the lowlands.

Been trying out some SSTO's and now planning to put together a fully SSTO launched space station. At 5 tons payload at a time, it's going to take a while though... or I have to make a bigger launcher.

I've been playing about with some vertically launched SSTO's after a few weeks ago making my first of these. That one didn't have the ability to return (safely) to the surface, so I rectified that today. Mk1 Only a tiny payload volume inside a payload bay, that it shared with solar arrays, and parachutes etc. A crew of two takes this to orbit. Worked well enough for a first stab at this. Went for a land touchdown, rather than splashdown. The flat terrain allowing it to balance on the aerospikes. Mk2 A straight forward "bigger is better version, with a longer payload bay. As with all of these designs, a lare part of re-entry was a case of just letting the vehicle spin to pick up drag and spread heating, rather than a nice controlled descent... but hey, it works. Upper half of the open payload bay, plus another one (closed in this image) available for cargo. Plenty of heat on the return. And a comfortable 7.4m/s splashdown. Mk3 A payload only vehicle this time, that delivers 5 tons of playload to an 80km orbit. Launch was uneventful. Left with decent amount of fuel for circularisation. Separation of the payload. One orbital habitat, ready for business and for more deliveries to join it in the near future, to create a larger station. Another "wobble, wobble, but ok in the end" re-entry.

New video showing the events of Day 3.

To celebrate the 49th aniversary of the launch of a certain other species, first trip to their moon, the KSC decided to launch a mission of their own. This began with 4 brave adventurers hurtling skyward this morning, towards a rendevous with the Mun in 3 days... or is it hours.... er, sometime in the future. However only 3 will venture to the surface as Bill is getting a little tired of the trips up their and decided to sit this one out in orbit. Due to a lack of proper timekeeping (it's a bit thing amongst kerbals) the mission was launched 2 days late, so is not quite in sync with the other species' flight. Day 1 - Launch Here are the broadcast highlights from todays launch and transmunar injection. The communication engineers at the KSC promise that further transmission will be of higher quality, once they remove the crows nesting in the main dish. Day 2 - Mid Way Out TV coverage of the mission as the crew reach the midway point on their way to the Mun. Coverage of the flight continues tomorrow, when the 49'er is scheduled to enter Mun orbit.

To celebrate the 49th aniversary of the launch of a certain other species, first trip to their moon, the KSC decided to launch a mission of their own. This began with 4 brave adventurers hurtling skyward this morning, towards a rendevous with the Mun in 3 days... or is it hours.... er, sometime in the future. However only 3 will venture to the surface as Bill is getting a little tired of the trips up their and decided to sit this one out in orbit. Here are the broadcast highlights from todays launch and transmunar injection. The communication engineers at the KSC promise that further transmission will be of higher quality, once they remove the crows nesting in the main dish.

The latest image from The Truth Can Now Be Told.

It's one of the "anomalies" that are scattered through the game. Kerbin has several (not just saucers) as some of the planets and moons.

On a previous anniversary I flew a mission from from the Inland Space Center to the Mun and back. Nothing unusual about that I hear you say. Well I launched the vehicle from the KSC, then air dropped it (seated on top of a mobile launcher) then drove it to the ISC pad and launched from there. Trickiest part was that I landed a few km from the ISC in the hills to the East and driving that thing over the bumps climbing down from there was a little hazardous.

Throw in a giant squid and you've got this.

Another report was released this evening, detailing American astrounats' encounters with strange alien beings on the Mun, during the Apollo mission. The latest report was recieved by this reporter in an envelope marked "Do not open until April 1st 2019", slipped under the door of his office. In addition to a photograph showing one of these beings, the envelope contained a transcript of the debriefing of one of the astronauts. "We'd been at Station 2 for about 3 minutes, Dave was collecting samples around a boulder and I'd started on taking a 2nd pan at the site. I was a few shots into the pan and as I turned towards the rover, I could see one of those wierd critters. We'd come across them on EVA 1 and although they kind of freaked us out, they seemed essentially harmless, more curious than anything. I started to walk towards the, er... the creature, it had it's back to me, but I wanted to get a closer look and some more pictures. As I approached it started yanking on part of the Rear Payload Pallet, looked like it was trying to take a souvenir. Before I could get to it, to prevent any damage, it seemed to give up and bunny hop off to the North. While I checked on the rover to see if there was any damage, I lost sight of it. The only thing I could see wrong with the rover when I examined it, was that some of the Sample Collection Bags were missing. Dave was still busy collecting samples around the rock and didn't catch sight of the creature until it was heading away from us. He told me he'd found scuff marks and small boot prints in the regolith around the rock and some strange looking material underneath it. He bagged some of it and later the guys at the Lunar Samples Lab told us that it seemed to be some kind cookie dough. I guess that creature was trying to keep the place tidy and didn't have anything to put it in."

Made my first vertically launched SSTO. I've done harder things, but this is something that never occured to me before reading about other people's exploits with them. Probably should have equiped it with parachutes, so it could return to the surface.

Some pics of Val's one way trip to the Mun as an entry to the Weekly Challenge Impact the Mun. As I wasn't going to be in the running for the fastest time, I made an entry for what I like to call the "one brave volunteer" catagory. That volunteer being Val (Jeb wimped out). Lots of Vectors powering this thing straight up with a TWR of 5+ on each stage. Separating the many stages with many Vectors, to continue on powered by... more Vectors. This stage burning out could not come fast enough, as during the last few seconds it was wobbling heavily with large explosions from the engine area. Val powering on towards her impact... er... "landing" on the Mun Val leaves the "safety" of the command pod, for a front row seat. That Mun's getting bigger real fast now. Seconds away from impact, Val finally loses it completely. Manic laughter or sheer terror... I'll let you decide. Signal with the vehicle was lost on impact, in a time of 18m 28s from launch. Not a great time (several in the challenge faster than that, including a couple of mine), but my flight did manufacture some Mystery Goo as a byproduct

One of my early Eve return designs. It was far too tall and narrow based to make landings reliably and didn't have enough DV to make it back to orbit. But at least the detaching the long descent ladders prior to launch was kind of cool. Fortunately I flew it unmanned, so an Eve rescue mission wasn't called for.

Launch pad scene loads. Wiggle camera round to get a nice view of the craft. Zoom out a bit... no back in again. Hmmm... sun's low in the sky and it's over there, so spin camera round to other side of craft. Wiggle camera round a little more. Hide the GUI (wiggle camera round a bit more) and take a screenshot. More camera wiggling, to get a bit of the VAB area in view before taking another screenshot. Spin camera round so it's back in the default pointing North orientation. Unhide the GUI. T, Z, Space Go.

While working on an attempt at the weekly challenge (Impact the Mun) I've come across a wierd behaviour of the game when staging. I have a video below which captures this behaviour. What happens is that after loading a mid flight save, several of the staging levels disappear when I hit the staging key. This has happened several time with various forms of the vehicle in the video. In this specific case, I loaded the save (a few seconds before the video starts), then at 17 seconds into the video I hit the staging key, which that time works correctly. However the next time I hit the key (at 1m 02s) stages 8 - 6 just disappear, without being triggered. I'm running version 1.4.4 of the game on Windows, but I only updated yesterday and had the same behaviour occur on v1.4.3. I have various mods (visuals and infomation mostly) , but none which should affect the functionality staging. The only non-stock parts I have are those in the Making Kistory DLC and none of those were used on the vehicle. I've put the craft file and game save that I was loading from here. https://www.dropbox.com/s/6yged3if5ehvuxw/purpleivan_staging_bug_craft_and_save.rar?dl=0

I had a crack at the Daily Kerbal: weekly challenge only to realise afterwards that I'd missed the week in which it was set by 3 days. The challenge was to send a vehicle to the Mun in under 20 minutes... a safe landing not required. I grabbed a video of the trip as well, seeing as it was a short one.