Varamin

Yes, CKAN updated now, I can confirm that all is working fine. Sorry to have bothered you with this.

After I just updated my install through CKAN, I've noticed that KSP complains about missing parts in my save, specifically the RO-RD-253 engine. I have tried creating a fresh install with just KSP 1.1.3, with RP-0 installed through CKAN, and I can't find the RD-253 anywhere in the tech tree anymore. Does anyone else have a similar problem, or is that user error?

Thanks, they really are too cheap for what they do. Designing my LVs exclusively around those does reduce my launch costs by about half... If they were larger, I could use them for everything, but KSP lags too much with too many parts. On the subject of engines, what is the currently recommended method of using ion propulsion? Orbit manipulator seems incompatible with the latest KSP, and using realistic ion engines with physics warp (even increased using mods) doesn't seem doable. (I don't mind unrealistic solutions if this means they are playable.)

I have been playing my first RP-0 career for some time, and recently it has reached a point where I wanted to start sending Kerbals to other celestial bodies. So, I began to design a launch vehicle that could lift 100t to LEO. Since I have hydrolox engines, I imagined they would be more efficient, and tried to use them in lower stages. However, the first stage becomes enormous in size, simply because of hydrogen's low density, and the tank costs a lot of funds. Should the tank be a significant part of the cost? Replacing the lower stage with tried and true kerolox engines results in great cost savings seemingly not so much because the engines are cheaper, but also because the tank is smaller. Am I experiencing something weird?