KerBlammo

Getting closer... I got very lucky landing it upright on the first attempt. Timing & throttling the final burn is very tricky even with MJ's suicide burn countdown information. The result is more often something like this...

After reading this I decided to give it a try myself. Success on first attempt.

Tried my hand at flying a first stage booster back to KSC. First I made sure a reasonable dummy payload would make it to orbit with an early MECO of the booster. Then I launched again and tried to fly the booster back to KSC. First a bootback burn at Ap, then a re-entry burn to limit the speed through the thicker part of the atmosphere then a nail biting suicide landing burn. I used MJ to give me altitude and time to suicide burn data. I'm used to Mun landings and this was scary. With a mostly empty booster and a Mainsail the burn comes at the last second with a high vertical velocity. But I pulled it off at the first attempt. Of course it didn't land AT KSC, but NEAR it.

Wow looks like it nailed it!

Just found this vid on YouTube... It's taken from a distance but shows the landing and includes sonic boom (not heard until after the touchdown) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5pTDx-hFDc

yeah probably two exposures otherwise the nearby lights would be much brighter. However it was made its an amazing picture!

Yeah Left is ascent and right is the return for sure. Remember the launch path goes east over the Atlantic and it returns from the west and that the launch pad is tot he north of the landing pad. The photo appears top be taken to the north west of the launch pad.

Hopefully Space X will release some HD video from the pad in the near future, and just imagine what a daylight landing will be like!

Wow that is very cool!

11 Satellites in orbit and one booster back at the launch site! amazing!

Exactly, they've demonstrated that they can put the booster down at a specific location so there should not be much concern about it crashing into the VAB or something. Lets hope that the vehicle does not RUD on arrival this time!

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition! [DRAMATIC CHORD]

SpaceX's lack of transparency is very frustrating. If this was a NASA launch there would already have been a briefing and news conference explaining what is (or is not) happening. SpaceX please think of the Space Nerds!

Yes.

In Kansas the Arkansas River is pronounced "R-Kansas" and for some reason the Kansas River is called the "Kaw".

Ummm.... well.... I sent up the Mun Lab Expedition 2 crew via SSTO to the LKO station where they boarded the nuclear powered crew transfer vehicle Relayer II. After a stop off at the fuel depot in HKO (Relayer II has done two round trips to the Mun and was running low) they headed for Munar orbit. On arrival while preparing to rendezvous with the orbital Mun Lab I noticed that the Mun Lab was no longer there! This is a bit of a problem.

Headline: Crashed Plane Flying Too Close To Ground According To Investigators. Other than design flaws its usually when I'm doing low level flying, buzzing KSC or moving the camera around for a glamour shot... That or trying to land a VTOL. I can do it safely most of the time, but certainly not ALL the time!

Oh! Oh! I so want to use this!

One of the best movie quotes ever

Just for fun I decided to turn my SSTO Rocket Pane into a shuttle like thing with the addition of a big booster. Launched from a standing start This got it into orbit with ~1500 m/s to spare.. So I decided to orbit the Mun with it On the way home Of course the re-entry speed was much higher than usual. I picked a high initial Pe to limit the heating, but it still lost the nose cone on the first pass, de-orbited on the next pass through the atmosphere and landed safely

Past launch vehicle: Saturn V /Apollo Current Launch vehicle: Delta IV Heavy.. its the most Kerballistic real life launcher. One rocket not enough? strap three together (MOAR BOOSTERS) and if that wasn't enough it tends to catch fire during launch!

Mun Lab Expedition 1 returned home on Relayer II after a try out of the new reusable Mun Lander and supervising the addition of a Cupola to the orbital lab. While they were at the Mun Lab Kerbalkind had upgraded Kerbin. Luckily the LKO station was still there along with a ride the rest of the way home.

Sent up a component for the orbital Mun Lab via SSTO Rocket Plane. The SSTO can barely make a 71x71km orbit with cargo, but its good enough. The cargo is released and the SSTO de-orbits before completing a full orbit. The payload is picked up by a nuclear tug and taken to Munar orbit. Where it is attached the Mun Lab. Also at Mun lab are Expedition 1 along with their transfer vehicle Relayer II and the reusable Mun Lander they brought with them. The lander has completed its first landing and return to orbit and there is enough fuel on the station for two more landings.

Flew a new SSTO design to my LKO space station...

You need futtock shrouds beneath your tops, or do Kerbals use the lubber's hole? Seriously that is one cool ship!