T10

I've been using kos for over a month now, and unlike most other mods and plugins, kos is still a fresh and enjoyable part to building and launching rockets. That said, I still deeply miss using remote tech. I've figured out a workaround for not being able to type without setting off all of the ships controls and stages*, but I was wondering if anyone had come up with a way to get around the complete lack of throttle control. Either another plugin, or a small fix, or maybe even Kevin himself is working on something? RT and kos would be fantastic working side by side, it's such a shame that we need to pick one or the other. Thanks again for an amazing plugin, though! Five stars! *To get around the typing issue, I launch the rocket from a manned 'launch control' platform, and use action groups to toggle the antennae. The platform has one crew member to allow local control. First, I toggle the antennae off, and deactivate local control, breaking all keyboard inputs from having an effect on the craft. Second, I open the terminal and begin coding/loading/running programs, making sure it will begin running the next program automatically. Third, I make sure the program will turn the antennae back on again before launch, but a few seconds after the program begins. Fourth, I switch on local control, to allow kos to begin running programs. Fifth, I click 'control from here' on the payload to be launched (otherwise you just watch it launch from your pod). Sixth, I run the program for launching the rocket. Seventh, and finally, I switch off local control once the antennae are re-activated.

Great plugin! I just launched my first orbital probe with it, and so far I'm loving it. Two issues though: -Some commands (e.g. throttle, steering) are case sensitive, and need to be in lower case. The plugin won't report that it doesn't understand the command however. -Using lower case r when telling the computer to set a direction will freeze ksp.exe

Most people use Mechjeb (if they want an autopilot as well), or Kerbal Engineer (if they only want data). The most recent version of Engineer (http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/0-18-1-kerbal-engineer-redux-v0-5/) works on .21 as far as I know.

There's almost always at least one probe core on any rocket I build - even crewed rockets. Being able to de-orbit exhausted booster stages, or deploy parachutes in sequence, is very valuable. This is even more valuable when you're counting your costs and re-using booster stages, and trying to keep low orbits clean. I haven't done many manned missions recently, but because I'm going through a pseudo career mode, I've stuck to the Command Pod Mk1 (single-seat). Eventually I'll start using the Mk1-2 pod for aesthetics, but booting out one of the crew to minimise casual----costs.

A good way to take advantage of the Aerospike on an upper stage is to use two mounted on cubic struts underneath the fuel tank. If you leave a small gap between the two engines, you can then use a probe decoupler and run more cubic struts between the attachment nodes of your upper and lower stage. Essentially, instead of attaching your stages with rocket motors, you are attaching them with a central metal pole.

I used to be a purist, but recently I've started using mods for things that add features and difficulty, rather than grabbing a bunch of autopilots and super engines (you all know who you are). I have the Zoxygen mod, with some cool extendy solar panels. This mod just made the game a little harder but a lot cooler, so that was easy to justify. I'm using one of the relay mods, which is giving me a challenge of creating a good relay network for unmanned spaceships. Planning and implementing the infrastructure is pretty cool actually. A couple of asthetic mods, such as payload fairings and landing/nav lights for my planes. And the robotics mod. I've yet to find a use for it, but I'm sure I will. Probably the only 'easier' mod.

If it's parts such as landing gear, legs, parachutes, wings or other such stuff, you could try adding more extras to the other side of the rocket. I did this to counterbalance the big landing gear on my spaceplane, by calculating the 'bottom' mass, and simply adding extra parts to the top. It solved a tumbling spaceplane in upper atmosphere/space.

I've only been to Minmus (and back) once, but I've never found that pointing the nose at something is the way to get there. How I escape from the moons is to head 'eastwards' until I reach escape velocity for that particular body. Then it's just a matter of adjusting your orbit to get your periapsis low enough for a good old aerobraking.You might find this more fuel efficient than your method, too

You assume both correctly. I doubt my plane could push it's way back up the edge of the runway without snapping the gear, and the distance traveled is probably about 4 orbits worth, PE of ~80km, AP of ~87km, cheers!

After about a week of work, I'm happy to announce success with my Defiant IVa! The hardest part was making a rocket that was runway friendly; one that could take off horizontally and pitch up to a steep climb without losing control, and making one that could support it's own landing weight and not let the central engine smash into the runway. After a lot of tumbles on takeoff, and a lot of planes breaking apart when gliding them back onto the runway, this model can smoothly take off (if you're careful with pitching) and smoothly set down. Attached are the schematics, a screenie of the Defiant landed back on the runway after a few orbits, and a screenie of the mission end data.

I can't remember the exact specs and design of my own ship, but I recently built and flew a spaceplane that could make it to Minmus and back. It wasn't complicated, and neither was the launch system. The more complicated you make the rockets, the harder they are to steer, the more fuel you need to carry up, and the more stuff can go wrong. So as others have said, start small and build up only as necessary. My best spaceplane launchers have always been 'Apollo' style (with the plane mounted centrally at the top of the rocket) rather than 'Shuttle' style (strapped to the sides of rockets). It;s far easier to balance the rocket by keeping the centre of mass....well, central. My spaceplane had a central mini-lander engine, and two of the new radial-mounted mini engines (one on each wingtip). I've taken the plane to both Mun and Minmus, and for both of those I performed a vertical landing on the big landing legs, but I suppose on a suitable section of terrain, a horizontal landing on the wheels would be feasable. I think the key stage was to use a conventional central engine rather than an aerospike or a backup jet engine, so that it could be attached atop the launcher. For launch, I used five of the big rockets, with 4 boosters strapped to each of them. However you build your launch stage(s), remember to set up fuel lines so that you can be more fuel effecient. Make the 'external' rocket tanks feed the central engine(s), so they can be jettisoned earlier, for example. But as everyone says, keep it simple! Good luck!

I found that testing a landing craft on Kerbin worked well to prepare myself for the real thing. Easily restartable in the event of failure, can quickly redesign the lander to deal with issues arising, no need to play with cfgs, stronger gravity. The first Mun landing after my dozen or so practice runs was a success. The three main things to conisder are: 1. Lander design - can it land without toppling or snapping? 2. Approach thrust - how much thrust do you need to maintain a good landing speed (protip: using H to use thrusters on full downwards burst is handy) 3. How to cancel lateral drift - probably the most important part. You can slow to a 0.5m/s vertical fall, but if you\'re travelling across the ground at 30m/s it\'ll end in tears. Structural and emotional. But of course, you will need practice at Mun approach as well, and this guide is good if you want to just practice transferring from a trans-Munar flight to landing speed. Take heart Kerbonauts, once you\'ve mastered the two aspects covered by dave, you\'ve done 80% of the challenge.

Try dragging the final decoupler to the next unactivated stage. At the same time, set throttle to zero and remove any SRBs from the stage you are about to activate. It\'ll take a few seconds to perform, but it will be your best hope for survival until an official abort system is in place.

I don\'t feel like it uses a lot of fuel, but that may be simply because the stage I use for accelerating to orbital speed, extending apoapsis to the Mun, decelerating once I reach the Mun, setting down on the Mun, and (if the stage would survive touchdown under my piloting,) returning to Kerbin is a relatively big stock rocket. 7 engines, 21 fuel tanks. And on top of all that is a small 1 tank 1 engine stage too. At last touchdown on the Mun, there were still 7 full tanks. I had hoped that would be enough to take me home, without even using the tiny stage on top. I like big rockets though, makes me feel manly inside. I\'ve seen many others use much smaller vessels and I guess that\'s what makes them happy. I myself need to get used to the idea that I need a much smaller component purely for landing. The style of big rocket I like tends to crumple on landing, even at 1m/s :\'( Timewise, it does sound longer than yours; 8 hours usually for me to reach the Mun. A while of that is spent waiting for the window to burn to the Mun. We burn for about the same speeds though, so once I\'m underway..... Do you reach the Mun behind or in front of it? I have to admit I\'ve never tried your method....

My method for reaching the Mun (borrowed and modified from a tutorial video I saw once) is similar to the ones just mentioned. 1. Launch as you normally do with your rocket, as if you are trying to acheive orbit. 2. At 50,000m turn port (towards the 270 degree on the nav ball) and line up with the horizon. 2a. Be as accurate as you can - even small errors will be huge when your orbit intersects with the Mun\'s. 3. Acheive a standard orbit around the equator of Kerbin. Don\'t worry about eccentricity, just make sure you\'re above 60,000m 4. Keep a close eye on the Mun. When it is close to the horizon behind you (about to go out of view, behind Kerbin) line up with the horizon in front of you. 5a. Once the Mun is 1/3rd into the horizon, throttle up and switch to the map. 5b. When your Apoapsis is 6,000,000m, switch out of the map and reduce throttle to a much lower level. 5c. Return to map and increase your Apoapsis to 10,000,000m 5d. Leave the map and shut down engines. 5e. From this point, alternate between brief, low powered bursts of thrust (literally tap shift and ctrl immediately afterwards) and checking the map. 5f. Repeat 5e until Apoapsis is between 11,350,000m and 11,450,000m. 6. Wait until your course has taken you close to the Mun (use a low warp as you start approaching your Apoapsis, for safety). 7a. If your course was true, you will be captured by the Mun\'s gravity - a green line intersecting the Mun means you are on a collision course. 7b. Do not slow down until you are close to the Mun. If you slow down too early, you may end up mising the Mun and being set on a course to be flung into deep space. 8. Once you are relatively close to the Mun (maybe about 20,000m) bring your ship to a halt. Face the rocket towards the retrograde (the yellow circle with a cross in it) and burn until your orbital speed is appoximately 150m/s. This is your first retrograde burn. 9. Once at 10,000m, perform a second retrograde burn. Bring speed down to 10m/s. 10a. Once you are going slowly, it\'s time to elimate any horizontal movement. Aim the rocket at the retrograde, and begin performing a series of small retrograde burns. 10b. Each time the retrograde indicator moves from the centre of the navball, shut down engines and retarget it. The aim is to keep nudging the retrograde into the clear part of the navball (skyward). 10c. Keep checking your map. If you have done this right, the two blue lines should merge into one straight line between your rocket and the Mun\'s surface. This indicates you are falling directly towards the Mun. 11. Focus on keeping speed low (between 20m/s and 100m/s, depending on height), and on keeping the retrograde in the clear centre of the navball. Don\'t be afraid to perform more course corrections to keep your ship falling straight. 12a. Below 500m, bring your speed down to less than 20m/s. 12b. Below 100m, bring your speed down to less than 5m/s 12c. Below 50m, bring your speed down as low as you can. Ideally less than 1m/s at landing. ----------- So far, I haven\'t had any fully intact landings past this stage. But since refining my technique to the one used above, I have set the capsule down safely every time, even if the engines have snapped off. My advice (and a question to fellow players) past this stage, is to develop and test a landing system that can survive low velocity impacts with the Mun. I suspect that a low weight, wide based rocket is best for this (my current rocket still uses it\'s fairly hefty orbital and trans-orbital stage for landing, and the SAS landing cushion crumples under the weight). From what I can imagine, the best way to return after a Mun landing would be to simply burn towards Kerbin when it is visible from the surface. Once you escape the Mun\'s gravity well, you should find yourself pulled back home. You may need to perform retrograde burns to bring your periapsis below 60,000m, and if your return rocket is too heavy, to slow down before landing. I hope that\'s help to some out there - I could definately have used the tips on cancelling horizontal movement above the Mun.