KerBlammo

You have to add a MechJeb unit to your craft. There's a little radio pack in the command and control section in the VAB that you can add to an existing craft (also there is a MJ capsule in the capsule section) that will let you use the MJ. As mentioned above the custom window editor alone is worth it!

I spent a lot time in KSP this past weekend. At some point designs that previously flew with no problems started having issues with un-commanded throttling. I am using MechJeb on the crafts but I am not using it during the ascent. I engage SAS and set the throttle to 100% before launch. Craft 1 has liquid fuel main stage and SRBs. During the ascent the main engine operates normally at first and then just throttles down. I can hold the shift key and throttles back up but then immediately throttles back down again. I press shift again and the same thing happens, after that it just stays down. At staging the throttle comes back up again and remains at 100%. Craft 2 has LF main stage and LF boosters. This one just sits on the launch pad with the engines sputtering (rapidly oscillating between 0 and 50% throttle) after 30 sec or so it starts operating normally and lifts off. (Note this design previously flew properly and has a TWR of over 1 so its not a question of TWR <1). During the subsequent ascent it seems to run normally. For each of the above the issue happens the same way every time I try to launch. Edited to add: Upper stages all seem to fly normally. I tried making a quick test example from scratch today (2 stage rocket with a Mainsail and 4 large stock SRBs (Kickbacks iirc) as the first stage) and that flew as expected. I replaced the first stage on Craft 1 above and it still had the throttle down problem, but it manifested differently than before. This time it even throttles down after SRB staging and then spontaneously throttles back up. Has anyone experienced anything like this? Around the time this issue started I installed the NavyFish docking indicator but I don't think it happened right after that but I can't be certain. Removing that mod didn't fix anything (and I doubt it had anything to do with it but who knows).

Landed on the Mun at 68° south latitude. Bob forgot to retract the ladder before lift off: Another mission attempted to land near the North Pole. It did not end well.

Yes you can turn that stupid message off, but it took me a long time to do it because when that message pops up I'M TRYING TO LAND A SPACE CRAFT!!! and don't have time mess with my computer settings!

landed on the Mun again (I love Mun landings!) Apollo style:

Probably this thing:

Direct Ascent Lander on Minimus

Spotted an anomaly on the Mun during the ascent from a Mun landing.

My least successful rocket design ever.

Usually I can do a project in one session, but it depends. Sometimes I have trouble getting the launch vehicle right and then it will take longer. I just completed an Apollo style Munar landing. It took me one session to get the two stage Munar Module right and the two more days to perfect the launcher. After actually flying the entire thing last night I spent two hours building and flying a Direct Ascent Mun landing mission which went flawlessly (apart from the parachute burning up during re-entry killing Jeb, Bob and Bill on impact with the ocean).

Turn off (or limit) engine gimbal.

I feel your pain. I've had untold hours of effort disappear in fiery doom for many reasons (but not spilled juice) and all I can do is laugh and start over...

Just go at night.

Thanks everyone. I thought this was the case. I know I can delete stuff from the tracking station, but I thought it would be nice if it went away by itself. I do have surplus fuel on these launches so maybe for future ones I can ditch the 2nd stage with a pe below 25km and see if it gets deleted automatically.

I've been trying to limit space debris while constructing refueling stations in HKO and Munar orbit. This first stage (4 boosters clustered around the second stage) is only on a sub orbital trajectory so no problem there. The upper (transfer) stage has enough left over fuel to de-orbit itself after delivering its payload so no problem there either. Its the second stage that is the problem. I thought I was being clever but ditching it while in a ~650km x 35-45km orbit even though it still had a little fuel left & using the transfer stage to circularize before rendezvousing with a station at ~2500 km or in Munar orbit. My thinking was that with a pe of <45 km the debris (2nd stage, separator ring and nose cone) would de-orbit after a 2 or 3 orbits. But it doesn't. It seemingly just whizzes through the upper atmosphere many times with no penalty. If I "fly" the debris it will burn up after no more than 3 orbits, but left to itself its "on rails". Is this a "feature" of the "physics bubble"? Do I have to ride along with the debris for it burn up? After 7 (of 8) fuel tank and two solar panel boom launches there is a lot of stuff still up there that I was hoping would go away by itself...

Well for me KSP is the new Minecraft. I used to play Minecraft a lot but now I play KSP. However I don't thin KSP will ever rival Minecraft in popularity, its just too hard for one thing. I'm a life-long space nerd so KSP naturally appeals to me but I don't think that appeal is as universal as Minecraft's "virtual lego".

Reducing the amount of engine gimbal will also help with this issue.

1.0 is a great update IMO. The new areo is a big improvement. It seems to me that most of the "problems" are just people having to relearn how do things a differ way than before. Of course there is room for improvement (I am a bit concerned about the over heating of the nuclear engines given that there is no dedicated radiator part, and I do think that the maneuver node UI is need of an overhaul) but I am very happy with this update and am enjoying re-learning how to make a decent launch vehicle and get into orbit as efficiently as possible.

Letting the rocket just follow the prograde seems to work for many designs but (for me at least) tends to result in a high apo and a large circularization burn (I'll try letting it turn more and go horizontal by 35 km as other posters have described). If using SAS reducing the gimbal range will reduce the wobble. One design I was messing around with last night required me to reduce the gimbal to 18% (on a Mainsail) to keep the wobble under control.

I'm having similar issues with SAS on any wobble gets exaggerated by the gimbal response. To get to orbit put some fins on the rocket, use SAS in stability hold mode at launch and at around 100 m/s or so pitch over slightly and then turn the SAS off... the rocket will basically fly the ascent by itself until its time for MECO and then the circularization burn.

Ahh... so it "works as designed" then. Thanks!

I had a "blast" yesterday messing round with 1.0, but I noticed that (at least the 1x6) solar panels won't retract from action groups (either on 'toggle' or 'retract') is anyone else experiencing this?

Of course! How about this one:

This weekend was supposed to be the triumphant completion of my Duna campaign. I have landed an unmanned lander on Duna, I have test landed and re-orbited a prototype crewed lander. I have launched the Interplanetary Crew Transfer Vehicle (ICTV) and docked it with the high station where it was refueled. I have two transfer stages (each with a fair amount of fuel left to refuel the ICTV) docked in orbit along with the final design crewed lander. I have constructed a refueling/way station station in high Kerbin orbit. So this weekend I launched Bill, Jeb and Bob in a capsule to rendezvous with the high orbit station where they could dock and transfer to the iICTV. As they neared the station ready to dock the ICTV started to oscillate in some sort of weird feed-back loop (the station its self was unaffected by the osciallations) and finally tore its self apart and exploded! The Kerbals never even docked and immediately returned back to Kerbin. I was able to control the command section of the destroyed ship for a while until the battery power was exhausted and used most of its mono propellant de-orbiting it. An automated re-supply mission was successfully sent to the station and replaced the fuel that had been transferred to the doomed ICTV but there is now a string of co-orbital debris near the station that will be a hazard to future missions. The Duna campaign is now on hold pending the outcome of a Board of Inquiry and a re-design of the ICTV.

get off my lawn!