DDE

Interlude: An Executive Disorder Jeb was going over the piles of paperwork generated by Bill in the wake of the Intern flight. Why the guy needed his signature on all the flight logs and telemetry was anyone's guess, and he was only going to crack the experiment container itself open in the morning! There was a knock on the door. "Yeah, come in." Three kerbals in suits filed in. "Special Agent Kirrim Kerman," the lead one introduced himself, "We have received information that you and your co-conspirators have engaged in illegal spaceflight activities." "Illegal since when?" Jeb demanded. "Illegal since the executive order two hours ago," the agent grinned. Without a word, Jeb walked out of his office, set in a tiny outbuilding by the pool. Only a few windows in KSC were lit, and the new flag was flapping in the weak wind. Jeb seemed particularly interested in the flag, looking at it for a few seconds before turning back to the agents. "So you came from Fitz to shut us down," he began icily, "You chose to confront a man who has stared into the screaming void, in a facility he now controls. In a facility full of explosives and deadly machinery, I might add. I find your tactics rather flawed..." He took out a remote from his pocket. "...and your situation quite unenviable, agents," he finished. A lamp flickered on by the SPH, illuminating a bizarre contraption. ---------- Valentina was driving back after a night out celebrating. The KSC was built a good 20 km away from anything, and the KSC Driveway through the Exclusion Zone was actually a pretty good highway. A black sedan came screaming along in the opposite direction. "Get the krak away from here!" the terrified driver in a business suit yelled at the top of his lungs. With a corner of her eye Val noticed flares of small sounding rockets coming up from near the airfield complex, spinning into spirals before dying out. A few seconds later, the metal cylinder of an RT-1 motor with tiny fins blew past her and embedded itself in the shoulder. Val barely slowed down. Whoever those pansies were, they hadn't been there in KSC's glory days.

Guys, there's also a rookie cinematography question. I'll be doing a brief flashback to a Sarnus V mission - which I'm about to run now, having just completed the ship's design - and the question is, how do I give the screenshots a cheesily retro effect just by using Windows 10's stock photo editor? Here's my best effort thus far:

Your botany powers have forced me to drop a couple of spoilers!

Chapter 3: Forward Unto Dusk The big problem of the nascent Independent Space Program was that the government had all of their surface comm stations. The window during which they could communicate with their satellites in low orbit was around 15 minutes, out of a 45-minute orbital period; outside of direct line of sight, communication was extremely limited; during Project Moho, they stretched it to 25 minutes using Morse code, but that wasn’t good enough for probes. Jeb was sipping koffee. Bill had already gotten drunk on KoolAid and had to be expelled from Mission Control; half of the freed-up staff was also out for supper. Val was napping right on her console. Linus, on the other hand, was struggling to make an impression, and pressed the headset down so hard his ear was becoming blue. Tick-tock… Tick-tock… “We’re past the thirty-five minute line… still no contact,” he announced. Tick-tock… “Got a heartbeat signal, sending status request!” “CONTACT!” barked Jeb into the PA system, drowning out the second half of Linus’s phrase. A stampede immediately ensued on the cantina. The printer spat out a sheet’s worth of gibberish. “Third stage jettisoned, experimental bay deployed, temperature regime within nominal, solar power influx above expected,” Linus translated. “Jeb… your call!” Gene puffed. “Bring it in at the end of the second orbit,” ‘Dawn Flight’ resolved. “Alright, that would mean the retroburn at MET T+1:25:34,” Val responded. “INCO, compile and send through the command.” ---------- The sat soon barreled back out of comms range. This time, the whole crew went on break, only to reassemble in thirty minutes. The fun was going on without their participation. The sat aligned itself along its orbital vectors, and then the ring of solid-fuel rockets fired, slowing it into the suborbital trajectory. “Bobak, see anything?” Jeb asked. Mission Control moved to the top of the VAB, and their sole focus was now the rookie and the telescope. “Stand by, Flight.” A few minutes passed. “Flash, twelve o’clock, 17 degrees above the horizon!” Gene called out. “Copy, confirming visual,” Bobak called out as he brought about his telescope. A small spark appeared in the night sky. “Constant bearing, decreasing range. Nice entry, FIDO,” said Gene. “It’s… it’s coming right for us!” screamed Bobak, darting to the stairs in the blink of an eye. “Get back to your post!” Jeb shouted, “Linus, man the ‘scope! Get back here, you yellow bаstаrd!” The spark in the sky dimmed. Another minute passed. There were sounds of a scuffle coming from downstairs. Val shook her head, and headed there. A minute later came a sharp smack, and the noises stopped. “Anything?” Jeb called through the door. Linus turned up the radio receiver, which gave off regular static. Suddenly, sharp, loud beeping came through. That was the radio beacon in the parachute system. “Linus, bearing!?” Far below, a woman in an orange flight suit rushed towards the aviation hangar. “5 to 10 klicks west!” “Saddle up!” Jeb yelled. As half of KSC’s personnel drove every available vehicle into the empty field, a jet blasted off the airfield and headed off in the same direction. A dagger of light erupted from under the fuselage, eliminating an area on the ground, as the plane began to bank around it. A tiny pinprick was visible in the middle of it.

Moho's astrodynamics are so bad, even physics hate it!

"So how exactly did you manage to buy Rockomax? I thought Fitz was all about anti-trust and diverse suppliers. Which is why we spent a third of our time making parts work together!" Val inquired as they jogged along one of KSC's hexagonal driveways. "Something something shell companies something something greased palms," Jeb grinned. "There was one resistive guy..." "And?" "Remember the fourth Stayputnik launch?" "Do I ever, that was quite the crash... Wait, you mean..." "Yes." ---------- The operation had been moved to the old aircraft hangar. It turned out Team Locust had so clumsily removed the flight computer and the miscellaneous shiny parts from Sarnus V that it would take a few months to dismantle it; Gus was arranging for several conservation warehouses to store the massive 2.5 m parts until they could be properly cannibalized. Meanwhile, the rest of the crew was busy rescuing a few of the government workers from the topmost floors of the VAB, after their comrades downstairs carted away the cargo elevators. …Except for Bill Kerman, who managed to occupy a football field-sized hangar with a mere five presentation boards, a reasonably large engine and another cylindrical object on a cart, and was adjusting – for the hundredth time – one of the blueprints as Jeb and Val walked in. “You sure we can substitute the VAB with this?” she asked. “Rockomax had to build huge trailers for Sarnus tanks. I reckon we can refit them to carry around and flip over entire assembled rockets instead. We’ll have the operation-critical stuff replaced by sunrise, and the gantry crane here can handle entire stages. Shouldn’t be an issue. Bill?” “No, it shouldn’t, boss,” Bill tensed up, “Fitz also sent orders through non-KASA channels. Without those, we wouldn’t have cheaper engines and new solid rockets.” “Why would he need those?” Val piped up. “I dunno, something about ‘Polaris’ and ‘Titan’. Anyway! He’s been paying STEADLER to equip the Hammer with gimballed nozzles, and hired Jeb’s outfit to create a double-length version called the ‘Sickle’. But this… this one’s really interesting. Remember Jeb’s 1.25s?” Val nodded. She remembered the explosions, too. “Well, we’ve found a way to knock a zero off the price tag while also reducing their mass!” Bill exclaimed. “We dropped regenerative cooling, removed the ignition system, and voila!” “There’s a ‘but’ in there somewhere,” Val turned to Jeb, who seemed quite grim. “Ablative cooling. No pre-fires,” he explained quietly, “and we’re using an oxidizer that by itself ignites on contact with fuel.” “Highly toxic,” he added. “I’m not flying that,” Val announced. “No, you’re not,” Jeb agreed, “but we can’t afford regular flights with Reliants and Swivels. Too little bang for the buck, unless we recover them, which is something we’re completely unprepared for. Bill, next.” Bill pulled the cover off the other object. “Meet the Intern, index A2, article 1.” Val recognized the capsulated heat shield from the Kerlington pod at the bottom, and the satellite was topped off by an electronics compartment plated in solar panels, surrounded by small retrorocket engines. In between was a bulky cylindrical compartment covered in thermal blankets, with doors on one side. The probe seemed ready for final integration, and thus everything was sealed shut. “It’s a materials science bay,” Bill answered the unspoken question. “We have to test new materials for effects of vacuum and sharp temperature gradients, and we do it better if we bring it back.” “Oh, I’m sure you do,” Val began as Bill checked for the nearest door. “I’m sad to say I’m quite familiar with the effects of temperature gradients in near-vacuum.” Bill began edging towards the door. “…like that one time, when the door of my pod ejected in the middle of re-entry.” Bill bumped into Jeb. “Bill, please continue,” he said coldly, nodding to Val. “W… well, beyond that,” Bill stuttered, “Beyond that, the design is largely off-the-shelf. We’re using a modified Project Moho retrorocket as the third stage, we’ve mated the STEADLER computer and telemetry unit to a Daskh… Dachshund stack, and… and had to throw in a pair of Hammer boosters.” “Thank you, Bill,” Val said, her tone alleviating none of his nervousness. ---------- Even though half of the components had already been at KSC, the assembly took two weeks. The passivation of the oxidizer tank was the most complex part, but ultimately, the rocket was complete. The roll-out took place under the cover of darkness, as they had prying eyes: while they were busy sweeping the VAB for lost workers, about a hundred of them set up camp in the astronaut training facility and resisted all attempts at eviction. By late morning, the rocket and the fueling gantry were erected and the servicing personnel cleared the pad. A T-30 minutes, Jeb personally started the pumps that fed the devilish brew into the tanks. The tanks were full in exactly 4 minutes 23 seconds, but the gantry remained in place, compensating for slow loss of pressure in the third stage. The launch control complex was hurriedly put back together. Its radio systems consisted of a bunch of Communotron datalinks on top of the VAB, and the remaining computers were linked by the cables littering the floor. Luckily, Jeb’d worked with STEADLER and MuMech to cut down on personnel, to the point that all it took was a dozen volunteers and a ground crew of wrench-draggers. “Booster?” Jeb began to call out. “Go,” responded Gene, demoted to a position entailing an actual fussy job for this one. “FIDO?” “Go,” answered Val from behind her console. “INCO?” “Go!” shouted Linus, causing Bob to sigh at the enthusiasm of Werner’s former intern. “Firing Control?” “We’re go, Flight,” Gus looked up. “Range Safety?” “Standing ready… ow wait. Go!” Bobak Kerman was a rookie, responsible for triggering the self-destruct on a stray rocket. “This is Dawn Flight,” Jeb went on with the platitudes, “Initiating launch sequence.” He inserted the launch key and turned it. The signal went down the crawlerway, up the umbilical. The STEADLER flight computer booted up, filling up their screens with test, error and fault messages before the real telemetry came in. “Flight program initiated. T-30 seconds,” Linus announced. Outside, the sirens began to blare. The computer, in turn, booted up the satellite’s systems, while also testing its local telemetry antenna. “T-10,” he continued, as everyone peered into their screens except Jeb, who stood at the massive polycarbonate windows facing the pad. “Gantry retracting,” Gus reported. “Internal power nominal, we have comms,” Linus confirmed. “Fuel pumps starting up…” Gene proclaimed, “ignition in 3… 2… 1…” The sickly-yellow flare coming from under the central stack was barely visible from that distance, but vibration was easily felt. “Thrust nominal, committing!” barked Gene, raising his voice for the first time in weeks. The rocket’s own automation agreed, igniting the solid rocket boosters mounted between the fins, and immediately releasing the clamps – lest the rocket would carry the pad with it. “Tower cleared. Acceleration nominal.” “Decon team to the pad!” Gus called out, his job remaining groundside. He fired up the sprinkler system to wash off most of toxic residue, noting with satisfaction that the noxious cloud was blowing towards the ill-prepared hobos in the Astronaut Training Centre. “Initiating pitch, acceleration nominal,” Val observed. Between the Dachshund and the Hammers, even with the latter set at half-thrust, the Intern was being carried at breakneck speed. “Approaching max Q. Acceleration climbing… booster separation in 10… acceleration critical… 3… 2… 1… Cutoff! Jettison!” Far above the KSC, shaped charges blew holes in the Hammers’ outer casings, with the rest of the flame choked up by the sudden loss in pressure. The pyrobolts fired and the small rockets in the nosecones activated, pulling the empty cans clear as the core stage surged upwards. The smoky trails of the SRBs died off, leaving only the ever-thinning Dachshund plume. “Thirty to MECO,” Valentina announced as the freed-up controllers crowded behind her. “That’s it. Main motor cutoff. Payload decouple, retrorockets firing.” The main stage had a large complement of separation motors to counter Dachshund’s issue of occasionally not shutting down as expected. Before parting ways, it fully woke up the sat’s electronics and comms. “FIDO, please confirm trajectory,” Jeb said with poorly-concealed apprehension. “Payload and third stage headed for circularization burn of 766 m/s. INCO, stand by to receive maneuver program… and… sending,” Val responded before leaving her station as well. “Received, transmitting. Traffic received and acknowledged, stand by to enter autonomous mode. Loss of contact confirmed at 2:29:32. Expecting to regain contact in thirty-five minutes,” Linus intoned, “Why are you all looking at me? There’s no chance I’ll get traffic through this ball of rock. Get off my back!

Chapter 1: Up the Rabbit Hole The VAB’s Cargo Bay 3 is a secluded concrete box behind a massive sliding door, but on that day, it nevertheless resonated with the ruckus as Jeb flipped over one of the empty fuel valve crates bearing his name, and perched on it. Bill shook his head, and joined him; Bob kept mulling about, while Val simply plopped onto the cold concrete floor, protected by the aramid fabric of her orange suit, gutted and stripped of badges. Around them stood the crowning achievement of KASA; but KASA itself was no more. The Kerbal Space Center was being stripped of anything that could be carried away by a swarm of workers that had descended upon it a week ago. The VAB, the Mission Control, the comms array, the administration and R&D facilities… like a swarm of locusts, they consumed everything. “So, I guess this is it,” said Bob, just to break the silence. “He… won the bet,” sighed Valentina, “and now we’re getting downsized.” “And Kerminsky didn’t hold his word either”, muttered Jeb, drawing surprised looks from everyone involved, “Yeah, I ‘have sources’”. Outside the door, amidst the extensive scaffolding, towered a half-assembled Sarnus V. They probably weren’t going to drag the five Mainsails and their fuel tanks anywhere, and would just leave them standing. A month back, another one of those monsters carried a tiny can containing Jeb and, unfortunately, Bob, all the way to Munar orbit, and the small ship on top landed onto its desolate surface. They planted a flag, they took measurements, they took samples, and then they blasted off and returned relatively safely. President Fitz Kerman was absolutely delighted – for about a week. Then, all this happened… “Hey, guys!” barked out Gus Kerman, in his usual safety helmet – which was coming in handy, because they could hear bolts and tools getting dropped left and right. “I’ve got a spare Rabbit out back, care to ‘accidentally’ launch it?” “Well…” drawled Val, “it’s not like we have anything better to do." ---------- The primary launch pad had been fully reconditioned. The modular gantry had been dismantled and the blast trench was covered by heavy grates that easily supported their truck. Gus casually drove straight over the crawlerway connecting the pad and the VAB, a big no-no back in the day. The Rabbit was a slender sounding rocket, three times as tall as Jeb, but only as wide as a helmet. A small slanted launch stand, the truck’s crane and a briefcase with remote firing controls; all of it about ten minutes’ work. However, Bob had to be sedated with Val’s elbow to the stomach. “Fire in the hole!” Jeb barked, appropriately. There was a brief hiss, then a burp, and the rocket blasted off. The screams of horror coming from the VAB were quite satisfying. The Rabbit spared itself the trouble of having any stabilization. The thick trail of its solid-fuel motor began to form a distinct spiral as the angled fins sent it into a wild spin, which actually helped keep it from veering off-course too much. They didn’t need any particular accuracy: after the motor burnt out, the empty casing tumbled into the bay to the north of KSC, with a parachute trailing behind it to reduce the impact speed to a reasonable 6 m/s. “Who do you think is going to buy all this stuff?” Val idly wondered. “I did,” Jeb answered nonchalantly, “All of it. And I also own Rockomax, so all that money the Pres has 'wasted' is now lining my pockets. And I have big plans.” Modlist (current as of June 2): This is going to be a poorly-roleplayed Sandbox game suffering from delusions of grandeur and realism.

It hasn't fallen through YET. And it will be viciously difficult, because they basically have to return it from orbit.

I'm not sure about rotation, it's more about a mechanical grip and power coupling, but here's a clip! There's a mod with that sound effect, BTW.

I'm a RemoteChute user too. And it's obviously more of a nosecone. Care to share the config?

OK, just to be clear, I can remove the original E(p)L parts altogether?

Hey, @Ven, more interesting problems. 1.9.2 mod and 1.1.2 aero. I've been using the LES booster cover in 1.0.5 with no major issues. However, I've just spent three evenings straight trying to get my first 2.5 m ship in orbit, fitted with that part. It had a 100% chance to flip, which appears to have been caused by the boost cover creating a metric frakton of head-on drag; as soon as I ditched it and used a regular fairing, all issues disappeared. So, it's definitely not acting as an aerodynamic fairing.

Erm, you get Sarnus, with moons outside, within and inside the rings. Didn't you look at the OP and the image gallery?

Methinks that Tyche (I prefer the name from the other Planet X proposal) is up Transkeptunian's alley, a step up from OPM (what would that be? VOPM? XOPM?). It should be way beyond the orbit of the Sedna analogue.

Yeah, and to add to all of this, you've screwed up my "fix" to your solar panel appearance with your redesign. Pulling out your inflatable hab designs, reverting the rest. EDIT: The KerbKan's EVA fails in Overlay mode (possibly the old version, I only saw now); the IKU-1 cannot be mounted on the ground for some reason, the IKU-2 does not display crew portraits at all, and the IKU-3's IVA is apparently a total placeholder.

OK, Ven, I'm back and exploring 0.9 in 1.1. While I'm ambivalent of the handful of changes I noticed, I've noticed something big and flat. DISHES! I'm a RemoteTech user, so I've set upon making a sort of compatibility patch. I took upon myself to resolve a naming conflict (see below), write slightly more informative descriptions and invented some angles and power use levels out of thin air. Note that the distances are meant for the Outer Planets Mod. // Launch Clamps (Stock) @PART[launchClamp1]:AFTER[RemoteTech] { %MODULE[ModuleRTAntennaPassive] { %OmniRange = 5000 } } //// RemoteTech Omnis // Reflectron DP-10 @PART[RTShortAntenna1]:AFTER[RemoteTech] { @description = An aerodynamic-resistant launch antenna. Switched on by defaut. Will work on line of sight to KSC if below 150 km altitude. %TechRequired = flightControl %MODULE[ModuleRTAntenna] { %IsRTActive = true %Mode0OmniRange = 0 %Mode1OmniRange = 500000 %EnergyCost = 0.01 %TRANSMITTER { %PacketInterval = 0.3 %PacketSize = 2 %PacketResourceCost = 15.0 } } %MODULE[ModuleSPUPassive] {} } // Communotron 16 @PART[longAntenna]:AFTER[RemoteTech] { @description = The good old short-range whip antenna. Will work on line of sight to KSC if below 1960 km altitude; however, it will get ripped off should it be exposed to a strong airstream during launch or descent. !MODULE[ModuleDataTransmitter] {} @MODULE[ModuleAnimateGeneric] { %allowManualControl = false } %MODULE[ModuleRTAntenna] { %Mode0OmniRange = 0 %Mode1OmniRange = 2500000 %MaxQ = 6000 %EnergyCost = 0.13 %DeployFxModules = 0 %TRANSMITTER { %PacketInterval = 0.3 %PacketSize = 2 %PacketResourceCost = 15.0 } } %MODULE[ModuleSPUPassive] {} } // CommTech EXP-VR-2T @PART[RTLongAntenna3]:AFTER[RemoteTech] { @description = A somewhat more robust omnidirectional antenna with enough power to relibly work on Kerbosynchronus orbits. @MODULE[ModuleAnimateGeneric] { %allowManualControl = false } %MODULE[ModuleRTAntenna] { %Mode0OmniRange = 0 %Mode1OmniRange = 4300000 %MaxQ = 9000 %EnergyCost = 0.18 %DeployFxModules = 0 %TRANSMITTER { %PacketInterval = 0.3 %PacketSize = 2 %PacketResourceCost = 15.0 } } %MODULE[ModuleSPUPassive] {} } // Communotron 32 (from RemoteTech) @PART[RTLongAntenna2]:AFTER[RemoteTech] { @description = After installing a greatly oversized whip antenna, and routing a lot more power into the electronics, we've been able to produce an omnidirectional radio system that can reach the surface of the Mun. Although Jeb insisted we should push it further, Dr. von Kerman lambasted him as being too lazy to arrange a proper directional dish connection, pointing out that this boosted antenna already burns through a lot more power than a dish system of comparable size and much greater range. @MODULE[ModuleAnimateGeneric] { %allowManualControl = false } %MODULE[ModuleRTAntenna] { %Mode0OmniRange = 0 %Mode1OmniRange = 12000000 %MaxQ = 6000 %EnergyCost = 0.6 %DeployFxModules = 0 %TRANSMITTER { %PacketInterval = 0.3 %PacketSize = 2 %PacketResourceCost = 17.0 } } %MODULE[ModuleSPUPassive] {} } //// Short-range Folding Dishes // Comms DTS-M1 @PART[mediumDishAntenna]:AFTER[RemoteTech] { @description = By using a reflector disk, this folding antenna gains increased range without relying on raw signal power. While it now has enough range to communicate across Jool's and Sarnus's vast moon system, it is restricted to a 45° directed towards the set target. !MODULE[ModuleDataTransmitter] {} @MODULE[ModuleAnimateGeneric] { %allowManualControl = false } %MODULE[ModuleRTAntenna] { %Mode0DishRange = 0 %Mode1DishRange = 220000000 %EnergyCost = 0.4 %MaxQ = 6000 %DishAngle = 45.0 %DeployFxModules = 0 %ProgressFxModules = 1 %TRANSMITTER { %PacketInterval = 0.3 %PacketSize = 2 %PacketResourceCost = 15.0 } } %MODULE[ModuleSPUPassive] {} } // Comms DTS-M2-XR (renamed from Ven's Communotron 32) @PART[LongDeployableAntenna]:AFTER[VenStockOverhaul] { @title = Comms DTS-M2-XR @description = The new antenna model from Symphonic Protonic pushes the radial fold-out design to the physical limit, thus achieving interplanetary range at the cost of ballooning power requirements and a dramatically reduced view-cone for the transmitter. !MODULE[ModuleDataTransmitter] {} @MODULE[ModuleAnimateGeneric] { %allowManualControl = false } %MODULE[ModuleRTAntenna] { %Mode0DishRange = 0 %Mode1DishRange = 35390000000 %EnergyCost = 0.8 %MaxQ = 4500 %DishAngle = 0.1 %DeployFxModules = 0 %ProgressFxModules = 1 %TRANSMITTER { %PacketInterval = 0.3 %PacketSize = 2 %PacketResourceCost = 20.0 } } %MODULE[ModuleSPUPassive] {} } // Communotron HG-55 @PART[HighGainAntenna]:AFTER[RemoteTech] { !MODULE[ModuleDataTransmitter] {} @MODULE[ModuleAnimateGeneric] { %allowManualControl = false } @description = Well, we at ISPE were wrong. After integrating modern high-fidelity electroics and reversing the polarity of the proton flow, we've been able to develop a wholly new radial fold-out antenna design. Not only have we extended the warranty coverage all the way to Dres, but we've set all-time records for bandwidth and widened the cone as well. %MODULE[ModuleRTAntenna] { %Mode0DishRange = 0 %Mode1DishRange = 62000000000 %EnergyCost = 1.2 %MaxQ = 6000 %DishAngle = 0.16 %DeployFxModules = 0 %TRANSMITTER { %PacketInterval = 0.1 %PacketSize = 3 %PacketResourceCost = 15.0 } } %MODULE[ModuleSPUPassive] {} } //// Stack dishes // Comms DTS-M5 @PART[SmallFixedAntenna]:AFTER[VenStockOverhaul] { @description = An invention of one Ven Kerman, the DTS-M5 combines an enhanced datalink unit with a large focusing reflector dish covered in Shiny Stuff™ to maintain a reliable connection all the way out to Dres without excess use of electric power. Canvas cover accidentally included; do not remove. !MODULE[ModuleDataTransmitter] {} %MODULE[ModuleRTAntenna] { %Mode0DishRange = 0 %Mode1DishRange = 62000000000 %EnergyCost = 0.6 %DishAngle = 0.08 %TRANSMITTER { %PacketInterval = 0.2 %PacketSize = 6 %PacketResourceCost = 25.0 } } %MODULE[ModuleSPUPassive] {} } // Communotron 88-88 @PART[commDish]:AFTER[RemoteTech] { @description = The 88-88 is the second edition of the classic Symphonic long-range collapsible radio communications dish. Just like old one, it can reach all the way to Jool and Sarnus, but this one suffers no loss in signal quality. Our QA department assures that any "screams of the damned" heard on the channel it are purely signal interference. !MODULE[ModuleDataTransmitter] {} @MODULE[ModuleAnimateGeneric] { %allowManualControl = false } %MODULE[ModuleRTAntenna] { %Mode0DishRange = 0 %Mode1DishRange = 146220000000 %EnergyCost = 1 %MaxQ = 6000 %DishAngle = 0.05 %DeployFxModules = 0 %TRANSMITTER { %PacketInterval = 0.3 %PacketSize = 6 %PacketResourceCost = 30.0 } } %MODULE[ModuleSPUPassive] {} } // Comms DTS-M7 @PART[mediumFixedAntenna]:AFTER[VenStockOverhaul] { @description = The M7 model builds upon the success of the M5, but scaling up the components to reach all the way to Urlum and Neidon. The specialized interference-resisted encoding system sends data in large chunks. !MODULE[ModuleDataTransmitter] {} %MODULE[ModuleRTAntenna] { %Mode0DishRange = 0 %Mode1DishRange = 428180000000 %EnergyCost = 1.5 %DishAngle = 0.01 %TRANSMITTER { %PacketInterval = 1 %PacketSize = 10 %PacketResourceCost = 60.0 } } %MODULE[ModuleSPUPassive] {} } // Communotron 88-X @PART[largeFixedAntenna]:AFTER[VenStockOverhaul] { @description = Maintaining a reliable connection with probes sent to Plock and other trans-Neidon objects was a difficult task, requiring the use of a massive 3 m reflector dish and ISPE’s best radio equipment – as well as quite a bit of electricity. !MODULE[ModuleDataTransmitter] {} %MODULE[ModuleRTAntenna] { %Mode0DishRange = 0 %Mode1DishRange = 700360000000 %EnergyCost = 3 %DishAngle = 0.005 %TRANSMITTER { %PacketInterval = 1 %PacketSize = 10 %PacketResourceCost = 75.0 } } %MODULE[ModuleSPUPassive] {} }

No. God no. Just barely within the orbit of Moho your craft begins to melt. There's no space for a Pegasid or something.

Dear @CaptRobau et al, I am moving from 1.0.5 to 1.1; in the meantime, I'm moving from a then-outdated version of EVE and its cloud configs. It is my understanding that the cloud pack Eleusis La Arwall compiled is not even compatible with the current EVE version, let alone with the new OPM. So, are we out of clouds? That would be a bummer.

Bizarrely, when I combine a Mk 1 pod with the appropriate 1.25 m heat shield, the Mk 1 pod sucks the heat out of the shield. http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=682297630 Tested for glitched craft save, tested for influence of amount of ablator; no effect. Technically none of the mods should be an issue. I can provide a MM readout on request. Partial mod list: KSP: 1.0.5 (Win32) - Unity: 4.6.4f1 - OS: Windows 8.1 (6.3.10240) 64bit USI Tools - 0.5.4 Chatterer - 0.9.7.86 Community Resource Pack - 0.4.8 DMagic Orbital Science - 1.1 Docking Sounds - 1.2 Firespitter - 7.1.5 HeatControl - 0.2.1 RasterPropMonitor - 0.24.2 KAS - 0.5.5 Kerbal Joint Reinforcement - 3.1.4 InlineBallutes - 1.2.3 KIS - 1.2.3 KSP-AVC Plugin - 1.1.6.1 Infernal Robots - 0.21.4 Docking Port Alignment Indicator - 6.2 NearFutureConstruction - 0.5.5 NearFutureElectrical - 0.6.1 NearFutureSolar - 0.5.5 NearFutureSpacecraft - 0.4.4 Final Frontier - 0.9.8.1882 Outer Planets Mod - 1.9.2 RCS Build Aid - 0.7.7 RealChute - 1.3.2.6 RemoteTech - 1.6.9 SCANsat - 1.1.4.5 SmartParts - 1.6.6 StageRecovery - 1.6.2 TAC Fuel Balancer - 2.5.1.7 TextureReplacer - 2.4.12 ThrottleControlledAvionics - 2.3.0.2 TAC Life Support - 0.11.2.1 Trajectories - 1.4.5 Kerbal Alarm Clock - 3.5 TweakScale - 2.2.6 USI Core - 0.1.2 USI Exploration Pack - 0.4.3 USI Survivability Pack - 0.3.3 Universal Storage - 1.1.0.8 VenStockRevamp - 1.9

So, it should definitely come with Kerbinside for that extra gut punch.

All nuclear rocketry is pretty much 1950s. "As God and Heinlein intended". NSWRs should be effortless vertical SSTOs. Atomic Rockets classifies them as a possible torchship (high ISP, high thrust). However, they will require highly specialized tankage and tens of tons of highly refined nuclear fuel per launch.

Nuclear winter is coming...

@Chimer4, I also had to add a bit of code in the PartPatches file (I assume that this is where the models are indicated). My node was seriously wrecked; but while the fairings work as advertised now, the aerospike is still 1 m wide or something, so it doesn't fit flush with a 1.25 m stack. Edit: I commented out my alteration in Engines-PathPatches, no effect. The smaller engine does seem to fit the inner rings of many objects, but I remember it being fully 1.25 m...

OK, I'm done with Mk 55, but while I have "ported" the 1.8.1 model, but it's experiencing issues with its bottom node (which is apparently a massive attachment surface now), and is permanently fitted with a shroud (which isn't left behind with a decoupler). It also seems to be only about 1 m in diameter, and a bit short. I have also regained appreciation for the Mk 2 boost cover with the return of the Mk 16-equipped docking port. Edit: posting problem code: And I tried deleting the altered node, but all issues persist. What has happened to the model?

Wouldn't mind getting behind this. But to my own point: Guys, could anyone waste five minutes and give me a step-by-step of how to revert to the more visually interesting 1.8-era model for the aerospike engine, and to rollback to the new stock sleeker Mk 55 Thud radial engine? I'm not sure how much stuff need to be deleted, especially for that last one (since I fear that I might mess up aerodynamics, colliders or attachment).