Martian Emigrant

Hi Tyko. Can't always be done (It depends on the planet). But. Over Kerbin before I do a re-entry with a space plane with the intent of landing at the KSC. I click the Mun as target. It is exactly over the equator. So match planes with it and you are set to 0°. ME EDIT Conversely you can use the planets own orbit to set a pretty good plane. It you zoom out enough (On the map) you can see the oultine of the orbit. Move the camera until you get a good intersection of your orbit and the orbit of the planet (or moon). Put a manoeuvre node there. With a combination of zoom-in-out and tweaks you can get them matched.

Hi. That's because I claimed for STS-2a: But while you were awol I loaded pictures for STS-2b. Imgur http://imgur.com/a/qKrgX The pics are at the top, last one first. I have complete STS-2b. The mission report is appended: Run-o-the-mill takeoff. Good rendez-vous.....In the bloody dark but that's OK it means loading in daylight. Terribly sorry for the work load. One more badge please: My telescope and MMUs are ready. Don't go to far. ME

Hey there. Next step STS-2b. Retrieve the 40t fuel tank we left in orbit previously. Imgur album: http://imgur.com/a/qKrgX Night departure. Waited till the target was directly overhead. Run of the mill climb to orbit. Once there I immediately setup an encounter with the target. Took two more correction to get it down to 0.1km Stopped the relative speed with the main engines on low. Sorry its so dark. Separated the external tanks. Then proceeded on RCS with the gear down to shine the landing lights on the target. Retracted the solar panels set the shuttle as target and lined up the tank with the orbiter. The orbiter was turned arounf the controls passed to the cargo bay docking port. Thankfully the sun started to rise. I didn't want to stop and wait for it as everything was just right. As the orbiter got closer the pitch was manually tilted to get the engines out of the way. Some RCSsing was done to keep the tank aiming at the hold. The tip is in! RCS up-up-up. Close the door. Got'cha Now we go home. My Orbiter had a hard time with the new load. I think the COG was too far back. I would loose control. On my last (And successful) attempt The speed was kept high and the manoeuvring kept to a minimum. Didn't dare to try lining up with the runway. But there was enough speed left (I cut the chut off) to climb the embankment. I'm on the runway. Mission accomplished. Conclusion. Loading the tank was harder than when I practised it. My orbiter as a hard time with the load.....Was fine on testing....Go figure. ME

I did mention it some post earlier. This is a busy thread. It went unnoticed. I built my own for 1.2.0 as the tank is built in 1.2.2 and is not compatible with my game. My own: ME

I don't know. Originally I wanted to burn it all as I had COG issues but the current design seem quite tolerant. I just burn what is needed (For all I know if I burn it all I will stall). I went looking for a landing picture with fuel displayed and found this one (I never use the engine in atmosphere, so call it 700 Unit: ME

I like it. I think the consensus is that you make your own. Weight doesn't seem to be an issue either. I really dig the reflectors. Using the nodes of the fairing is pure genius. I might have to dump the telescope I built and replace it with something inspired by yours. ME

Hey all. I have completed STS-2a Commander. Imgur http://imgur.com/a/qKrgX was appended My mission report was also appended. The gist: A small tug was fitted in the cargo bay. Orbiter climbed above 350km. Released the tug and came back to the KSC. The tug raised it's Ap to 2 863 334.06 m or thereabout. Then raised is Pe to 1225km to get a difference of 2 hours between Ap and Pe. Every orbit a satellite is released and circularize it's orbit. I therefore claim the STS Commander Rank 2 Badge. . Thank you for the read. Now STS-2b. Should be all right as I have practising with and without the tank when I redesigned my shuttle.....I don't think I tinkered with it since.....We'll see. ME

Now. STS-2a Commander. Imgur album: http://imgur.com/a/qKrgX For this one. I built a tug and fitted 3 small satellites on it. I figured they need to be small because I am putting more in the the cargo bay.... I could have gone bigger. They look lost in there. The take-off was routine. I transfered fuel and dumped only one of my external tanks as I was unsure of Delta-V needed to get back down. The tug has been released. The Orbiter is RCSsing down and away from it. Going down at reduced thrust due to the offset COG. After establishing a lower orbit and correcting the orbital plane. Dumped the tank and did a routine de-orbiting. Barely made the tarmac. Now back to the tug While the tug climbs to the proper altitude the Periapsis is raised to 1225km. If you look at the time to PE and AP you will see a difference of 2 hours (10secondes off) A round trip take 4 hours. Kerbin days are 6 hours. That's a difference of 2 hours or 1/3rd of an orbit. So the tug releases a satellite (Anywhere but PE is good). Later said satellite will circularize it's orbit at AP. The 3 new satellites are at 1, 4 and 9 o'clock. Done. So pleased. ME

Shuttles are hard. Very hard to do. Almost uncontrollable they are. I use mods for look or for stuff I just can't do. My PC is a potato. On this run it didn't matter. The rules were to get back to Kerbin. I would have been fine if not for the altitude thing. ME

Hey all. It as been a few days since I posted here. Good news and bad news. The bad first. I failed. The challenge was to put 2 satellite in Kerbisynchronous Equatorial Orbit. I did that but failed to remember that the shuttle had to be above 200km.... Don't matter that was for the Pilot badge. I will do the commander next. All if forgiven. Here are a few pic and a vid. I won't bother with the take-off and de-orbit. All looks the same. 2 KEO Relay satellites loaded Release (Too low....Now I know)(I had the delta-V too) Climbing . Hey look it's the KSC below. Yes! Final cnstellation. The return found me a bit short of the runway.....22km. But Jeb said: My next report will be about the next phase of the challenge. Putting 3 KEO in equidistant orbit. I have already done it. Just need to load the pics. I'll be right back. ME

Hey all Kerbinmeisters. Today I placed Jeb in orbit with the Newton Cannon. ME

Hey Kerbalite guys and Kerbalite gals. Got tired of nobody doing a Kerbal's job. So I told Jeb to do it. Here is the video proof of the pudding. Not sure if the cannon is on THE highest peak but it was good enough. I decided that there was no real need to turn the cannon North or South as Minmus turns anyway. It will take many many orbits before Jeb comes back to a peak. ...If any. As for removing the cannon. I decide to let it kill itself out of the way. Thanks for watching. ME

Just did. A teaser before I go to bed. Tug with 3 Satellites. One of Three being released Final constellation. There are 5 satellites in there 2 from my Failled STS-2a Pilot (5 and 10 o'clock) And 3 from my successful STS-2a Commander (1, 5 and 9 o'clock) Good night all, ME

Hi Jestersage. I am still new at landing at the KSC myself. I used to be just content that my ship got through the atmosphere without loosing parts or crew. I looked at a few videos but nothing worked for me. I created my own. I think the main thing is to do it exactly the same every time. I will usually make it on my second try. So do a save first, try, adjust your aim and do it exactly the same way. The first time I landed a spaceplane at the KSC I would be at 80km of altitude, would wait till my ship was over the small islands just East of the desert continent, apply full retrograde power until the orbit was in the water just East of the KSC. That would get me there. Now with my current shuttle I have to apply power mid-desert continent (I use a mountain range) and have the orbit in the water West of the KSC continent. The orbit suddenly stretches. I never had that before. I don't fly on the way down. I founds that I induce oscillations and cause the flight to never be the same. I set the attitude and let the ship fly itself. Another thing when I wait for a ground feature to apply power or stop the engines. I center that feature in the middle of my screen. The curvature of Kerbin induces huge errors. The middle of my screen has the manufacturers name. Middle of the name, middle of the screen. Hope that this will help, ME

Hi. I don't think you need to fly both 2a and 2b at the same time. If you can that would save some work but if you are fuel limited after doing the climb to 350km+ just go home and do b later. ME

GRRR. ARGGGG Just finished STS-2a. Quite pleased with myself. Got the 2 KEO sats in place. My firsts ever. Yes! Almost 180° apart. Returned. Landed a bit short (22km). But Jeb decide to "Taxi" it back. Then I read the requirement one more time...200km+...Arg... Oh well. Back to the drawing board. I'll see if I can get 5 3 sats at the same time from above 350km and claim STS-2b completed and claim the commander badge. If you can do 3 at 350km you probably can do 2 at 200km. I have a short vid of my first KEO sat below VVVV. ME

You are correct. However. The canon being the highest object (Standing on the tallest hill of Minmus) can be tall. The projectile has to be EXACTLY facing East and the canon need to be EXACTLY on the equator for an impact to occur. Moving the canon slightly North or South before firing (Gives you an angle with the equator and and you don't come back over the launch site) combined with moving the canon away from the launch site (Throwing in a valley) should give a hair-raising-skimming-elliptical orbit. Orbit can be done me think. You just need a canon that can give you an instantaneous boost of sufficient Delta-V. ME

Heho Kerbal-Kind. The last few days were spent building Shuttles, Orbiters, flying bricks, whatever. Anyhoo today I placed a 40.0t tank in orbit. That's nothing I have to come and get it back in a few days. What I am pleased with is I started the next phase which involves placing satellites in geosynchronous orbit. I have placed my first one. Up there. Where it should be. Almost above the KSC too. I was lucky. No way I can "Plan" that. Here is a short vid: Really pleased. Now I have to fly the other one up. ME

Hum.... I admit that it always annoyed me that the new satellite is just dumped in the orbit and Bob's your uncle. Easy cash and you go on but.... How about having contracts to place a satellite above the KSC, Nye Island, ETC. Either with a "Ghost" to rendez-vous with or maybe giving us a window of say 5 degrees of longitudes. Of course satellites would drift so.... More contracts. "Reposition Geo-sat-one over Nye Island" (It's longitude anyway). ME

Hi again. I have completed STS-1b. Imgur album: http://imgur.com/a/qKrgX The mission report was appended accordingly. I claim the Badge. I will just re-post a few pics here. My homebuilt 1.2.0 Mullet 40.0t Fuel tank The landing at the KSC was a bit dificult. Luck was involved.....Me think. Anyway thank you. Onward, ME

Hey all. This is the phase two of the challenge. Imgur album: http://imgur.com/a/qKrgX The last time was the STS-1a and STS-1b parts. This time I claim to have completed STS-1B. And I therefore claim the Badge. For this part of the challenge one must fly up a fuel tank of 40t. The given tank being built in 1.1.2 isn't compatible with my version. I run 1.2.0 So I reverse engineered the tank. I also had to re-examine my orbiter. More delta-V was required. The COG changed too much. I developed control issues on re-entry. Plus coming from higher orbits meant I had to put in more robust components. Some of them tended to explode on re-entry. The tank loaded in my re-designed orbiter. On the lauch pad. Fuelly loaded fully loaded. And lift-off. I will skip the climb as it is virtually the same as before and you are all familiar with the process. Jeb to Bill (Slightly high-piched-voice): The return was more luck than talent. I was able to "Hit" the KSC on second try. The first "Simulation" got me in the Western Ocean. As for the touchdown....I did perhaps 12 before It was successful. Very glad the runway is as long and wide as it is. Maybe having a chute isn't so bad after all. This conclude the report. The next part is to fly two satellites to Keosynchronous orbit. ME

Hi. I have a question. About this: My first reading was that I had to have a ELLIPTIC orbit with an apo of 1999 and per of 70 with +- 100m from those numbers. Now my reading is a any CIRCULAR orbit with the per and apo within the specified limits. I have been trying (Hard) for the first one but now I am going with the second. Please correct me if I am wrong. ME

Too bad I wanted to string them. I guess I can't be a captain, a major, and a general at the same time. A copy I have made. Can't tell what is below and behind but my version is close and weight 40.000t. The solar panels on the original are fixed. If retrieved they will be broken. My version has the retractable ones. ME

Hey all. Here is my stock entry. I claim to have completed the STS-1a. I also claim the Pilot and Commander badges. I have done a mission report. I will only repost a few pics here. Thank you, Onto STS-1b, ME EDIT I just now downloaded the Mullet Dyne Fuel Pod and it's incompatible with my version. I run 1.2.0 Until I get a reply I will make a 40.0t boiler plate.

Hey all. I am starting on the Shuttle challenge and I am looking to get licensed on em. I just Completed the STS-1a. Imgur album: http://imgur.com/a/qKrgX My shuttle design use two tanks as I can't for the life of me understand how the DELETED-EXPLETIVE can possibly fly straight. The build wasn't too complicated as all the parts just click together. I built and tested the Ship as a aeroplane first to test it's flying by taking off and landing from the runway. Gave it a good gob of Delta-V then put boosters on it. Seem to be working as I am claiming the first two badges at once second badge for my first try. I claim I admit I was lucky. The de-orbit burn was taking me too far over the KSC and in the sea. But I decided to try a Split-S and came back from the other side. Actually landing at the KSC is still very new to me. I still find it to be rare and remarkable. Here are the pics. In retrospect the chute is more for show than actually useful as the landing speed isn't so great. Anyway, good fun was had by all Kerbals on board. On to the next badge. ME