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Major999

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    Getting back into the game with a Grand Tour

    in KSP1 Mission Reports

    Posted · Edited by Major999
    Fixed images

    Hi Everyone!

    So I took a break from this game for the better part of a year, but now I have a new computer and as a result I have the processor grunt to run more than 200 or so parts. As a result I have decided that it is time  to attempt a grand tour. I'm running 1.4.2 (mostly because that was what was on by boot drive when I idly decided to give KSP another go). 

    Before y’all get mad about me relying on MechJeb for everything, I’ll explain: I have a mild but irksome developmental co-ordination disorder, and so offloading complex operations to a computer is, for me, far more  pleasant. Further, the limitations of the tool provides issues that I must design around.

    PART 1: Prototypes and Problems
    Our story begins with the resumption of space program operations. The KSC, unceremoniously closed after being spectacularly destroyed by Jebediah Kerman II, is reopened in the current day with lofty ambitions and its original staff in tow. The goal from the start is simple: long ago, they did everything. Now it is time to do everything at once.
        Designs are drafted for a rocket of immense size, launched in two leviathan pieces, carrying the equipment required for this grand tour. Sadly, funding from the federal government is limited, and so the private sector must be brought in. After much deliberation, the technology company Kapple, known for pretty tech (and not much else) agrees to fund the mission with their near limitless stacks of cash. One condition: the vehicle must be pretty. Funding is secured for a Kerbin system tour to test a prototype, and then the launch of the true grand tour vessel. (I can’t find my pictures of the launch of the prototype but there will be pictures of the operational vessel.)
    8zcjJa0.png
    The prototype is an ugly duckling vessel; attached to the rear is the actual lander package (Eve, Tylo, and Laythe require special landers that don’t fit neatly into my cargo bays at the front of the vessel.) The crew was intended to be launched separately, but the mission co-commander Jebediah Kerman III stowed away on the way up.
    2Ykpe4p.png
    CP8K2HA.png
    The Atlas-Orion inspired launch vehicle launches the remaining three crew members; so now would be time to introduce our crew:
    Jebediah “Jeb” Kerman III: Mission Co-commander, selected for Tylo and Duna landings, specialist in challenging vacuum and low-pressure operations (after seeing what happened to his father in an atmospheric vehicle test, this makes sense.)
    Valentina “Val” Kerman: Mission Co-commander, specialist in atmospheric operations and as a result selected for Eve and Laythe landings, as well as holding the stick for most aerobrakings.
    Bill “Buzz” Kerman: Honestly unaware of how he became an engineer, and reluctant to reveal how he got his nickname, Bill is the flight engineer for this mission. 
    Dr Bob “No Nickname” Kerman: Here for the science. Nobody knows if Bob actually posesses an advanced degree, but they call him Dr Kerman just in case. Flight science and medical officer.
    95sdQGu.png
    Val takes control of the Korion for docking, despite Jeb’s insistence that “I can dock the mothership to you guys, it’ll be fine!”
    Ye9lx2B.png
    Soon enough the journey begins. First stop: The Mun!
    Here we see the mothership (the von Braun I) enroute to the mun, and the intercept chosen.
    Ye9lx2B.png
    z2IW4tI.png
    Slowing into Munar orbit:
    QaAvmvS.png
    Now, introducing, the Feynman-N Nuclear lander: While yes the lander is heavily clipped in this form, I’m more about aesthetics than making this thing a big ugly thing. Val and Bill are selscted, because an engineer is useful on a prototype mission.
    deK68we.png
    Bill, proving his qualifications are ambiguous at best:
    hX6w565.png
    The lander was not equipped with any electrical generation capacity, a clear issue to be remedied.
    Ascending back to orbit:
    GRjVlgL.png
    Docking back into the von Braun:
    coE8RY6.png
    Soon enough the gang was headed to Minmus. Bob insisted that minmus, despite the surface temperature being approximately 220 Kelvin, was not actually made of mint ice-cream. Jeb agreed to disagree, and pointed out thermometer readings from previous missions being prefect for consumption, and the mysterious but relaible disappearance of surface samples headed back to Kerbin. Note the habitation module in view for this image.
    iQtoU11.png
    u1Zoe8D.png
    After reaching orbit, the Scanner Satellite was deployed to search for ore and to test its ion propulsion solution.
    nXUzvVv.png
    The mining lander was docked to the tail, and found to be woeful at manoeuvring, and so that will need a total redesign.
    6VILQWh.png
    A landing was not attempted, mostly because all crew landers are clearly going to work at this stage, and because I was growing more excited to test the main event: Flying in a clean configuration for aerobraking.
    Two saves were made, one with a deployed heat shield and one without. Without worked better, as it pointed forward at all times:
    prR6fsZ.png
    Soon after, the von Braun was parked in an elliptical Kerbin orbit. To move the crew from one vehicle to another without melting my CPU with 1600 parts in one place, an Atlas vehicle was sent into orbit  with a hitchhiker disposable crew transfer can. This mission was a disaster, with the crew pod somehow ejecting through a hole only 1.25m wide:
    q1XwIPh.png
    uCKP3wY.png
    A rescue vehicle was sent up to retrieve the crew of the Atlas that was damaged in this incident:
    M4aJnnd.png 
    After a quick Transposition, Docking and Extraction, the Korion is ready to save the crew:
    BGKfhvv.png
    After rendezvous with the capsule, and crew transfer via EVA, the vehicle meets von Braun I and they too are transferred via EVA. Jeb and Val have a race, Bob tells them it was a tie. a tug is sent up to meet the Korion and help move the primary crew to the new von Braun:
    xy3maQr.png
     FasUbCP.png
     8NXRtl3.png
    Our secondary crew, Arul, Lenuki, and Graly Kerman, are sent home.
    RcyQDua.png
    “Do you reckon we’re filler characters in a vast cosmic forum post?”
    “Is re-entry really the time for an existential crisis?”
    i5KAc7I.png
    vWj3yZD.png
    Now, time for the main event: The operational vessel. Using one of the three side packages as a mining lander, as well as carrying an increased fuel and xenon capacity, this solves all the issues found in testing.
    Von Braun II atop the massive lift vehicle built to carry it:
    4H5pGgH.png
    A cool gif of the staging event:
    7VFwE3N.gif
    The lander package (launched suspended between three smaller vehicles, I’ll post pad pictures next post) is docked to the tail end in orbit and the crew is transferred in by EVA. Ready for a grand tour.
    QkOHxhK.png
    EAvoyKE.png
    Personally I’m really excited to get going; I’d love some feedback on the vehicle design. Cheers!

    What Are Things You've Heard That Made You Facepalm?

    in The Lounge

    Posted

    "Bush did 9/11"

    "It is impossible for a plane to collapse 2 towers" (Emphasis on the idea that only one plane was involved. How stupid do you have to be to believe that?)

    "The towers were rigged with explosives"

    etc.

    If you are a 9/11 conspiracy nut, you are blatantly ignorant and disrespectful to the USA, and more importantly, the people who died in the events of September 11th.

    [/rant]

    Fairings as heat-sheilds

    in KSP1 Gameplay Questions and Tutorials

    Posted

    Hi everybody,

    I have been building a grand tour system, but have been having trouble with my Eve Lander. It weighs 200 tons, and uses a fairing shaped like a disc as a heat-sheild, (as well as an actual heat shield for the fairing base.). It explodes almost every time, no matter how I aim my re-entry, so here is my question: Do fairings shield things behind them, or just stuff inside them?

    I feel that the game needs a procedural heat shield, or at least something that can be used instead of many separate shields clipped together.

    Thanks for all the help in advance,

    Major999

    PS: How do all of you guys do Eve entries?

    Unicycles: One wheel to rule them all

    in KSP1 Challenges & Mission ideas

    Posted · Edited by Major999

    Hi everyone, I think that it is time for a challenge: Who can build the best unicycle?

    By Unicycle, other than the obvious details (One wheel and Kerballed), it is all up to you!

    Challenge criteria/categories:

    "I couldn't afford the extra wheels": Build the cheapest unicycle that you can!

    "Adorabalance": Build the "cutest" craft possible! (Rated collectively by myself and other posters on the thread)

    "Lopsided-Cycle": Build the most asymmetric cycle you can!

    "Long range riding": Land on another planet with your unicycle!

    "Monster Wheel": Use the XL3 (Or bigger, mods and stock bearings are allowed) wheel! Build the biggest cycle!

    "Stable cycle": How high is your maximum turning speed?

    "Stunts (Wheelies don't count)": Backflips? Barrel rolls? What cool tricks can you do?

    "Wobbly speed demon": How high is your top speed? (Rocket cycles allowed)

    1-Major999: 539m/s

    2-Fire219: 324m/s

    3-Darren9: 249m/s

    3.5-Norpo (See Below)

    4-Slam_Jones: 120m/s

    Cool cycles that do not fit a category/tempt the kracken will be placed here:

    Norpo: The Ladder-Drive Unicycle (129m/s)

    As usual: pics or it didn't happen. Good luck!

    Highly Controversial Are GMOs good or bad?

    in Science & Spaceflight

    Posted · Edited by Major999

    I'm very happy to see that the KSP community supports the scientific consensus. Just a few things though:

    All seed varieties are patentable. They have been so since before GM, and will remain to be so. Monsanto isn't going to patent GMO seeds to kill biodiversity, they do it because it stops people from stealing their intellectual property.

    Monsanto has never sued someone for accidentally having a contaminated field. They sued one guy, but his crop was over 95% of their crop, suggesting that he was planting stolen seeds. It wasn't accidental contamination.

    Roundup is significantly less toxic than organic pesticides such as rotenone. In fact, very little gets to your food anyway, as it breaks down rapidly when exposed to sunlight, which it is exposed to for weeks after it is sprayed (early in the growing season). Furthermore, GMO crops use less pesticides than organic ones, by up to 5 times less.

    Just thought I'd try to clear things up!

    Electric motors and propellers

    in KSP1 Suggestions & Development Discussion

    Posted

    Electric propellers and blimps. Both exist, and blimps have been used for space exploration before (one of the soviet venus proves). I don't see why it would be so hard, and it would add so much to the game.

    Imagine being able to fly indefinitely over the surface of another planet, and having to balance blimp parts, the spool up and down of propellers, and the enormous solar array all at once. It would really add to the game. To balance the blimp parts, make them really heat sensitive, or make them have to gain mass to be heat proof, making eve blimps hard but still doable, and duna blimps huge but lightweight. Propellers should suck up electricity faster than a couple of gigantors can generate it.

    I fully support the idea of electric propellers.

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