Ultimate Steve

I joined the game in 0.19.x. However, the newest copy of KSP I have lying around is probably 0.90 somewhere. I really wish I had kept the older versions. This computer I have only had since Christmas, however, and I have 1.4, 1.3, 1.2 (New RO) and 1.1 (old RO) installed.

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-webb-observatory-requires-more-time-for-testing-and-evaluation-new-launch JWST is now NET May 2020. At this point SLS may beat it to space.

Mars 2020, yeah! Hopefully it will go as well as its predecessor! Although it won't get all the way to space (just over halfway), it's still a rocket and that's what counts!

R-7 for what it started. Saturn V for what it did. Falcon 9/H for what it does. BFR for what it's (hopefully) going to do.

Do you know if they are going to stream the sounding rocket? If so, great, because the Chinese won't stream theirs, the Russians might not (because it's a secret payload on the 2.1v which they didn't stream last time iirc) and the ISRO one is early in the morning (which might not be a problem, actually). I swear, if there is four launches on my birthday and none I get to watch...

KSP community vs flat earthers... Hmm... There was a KSP player who started his own aerospace company, actually, @Tristonwilson12 called Cloud Aerospace. Originally their plan was to develop a small (hybrid or solid, I can't remember) potentially reusable launcher called CloudOne (capable of IIRC 50-150kg to orbit) which would be later followed by CloudOnePlus which used two strap-on boosters. They got as far as almost (or maybe they did) static firing the first stage, but I'm not sure what the result of that was. They have since changed over to a methalox design called Vapor/Vapour which can get almost a ton into orbit in theory. Reusability has been discussed as well. Last I heard they were going to test an engine for it this month (but that was two months ago so either they aren't saying anything or the schedule has slipped). However, as of a week ago they have bought the land where they are going to build the construction facility for Vapor/Vapour. They are saying a first flight around 2020 (although given the nature of spaceflight it may very well be later). Estimated launch price is below 2 million dollars (probably an optimistic guess but that's just my guess). If this actually flies with sufficient reliability (and that's a big if, but I'm rooting for them!) then 1000kg gives us significant room to put a space capsule onboard. Mercury massed 1400kg for the heaviest flown model, optimization is possible from there.

Where can I find the whole map?

Five? I heard four - Falcon, GSLV, Long March, and Soyuz. I was looking forward to that as well - that day is my birthday!

I don't have any pictures, unfortunately, but I spent a day trying to build the smallest orbit capable rocket I possibly could. The IRL record is 2.2 tons. However, I found out that a fully upgraded procedural SRB will have about 5.7km/s of delta-v even if you resize it. Until you edit it afterwards, so this is technically a slightly cheaty exploit... But that meant I could make the upper stage extremely tiny and I just had to get it out of the atmosphere with a slight sideways component and it would reach orbit. The lowest mass I got was 471kg. But, since the first stage and half of the second stage lost a lot of their Oomph due to drag, I tried an air launch design from 20km and was able to make a 100kg launch vehicle. Unrelated to crafts: Okay, so I've been thinking about trying to update my 1.1.3 install to 1.2.2 and finally continue with my career. However, this save is extremely laggy by itself so I would need to prune a bunch of debris and unneeded satellites (and I regret saying this, but with the amount of stuff up there the visual mods might have to go as well). Anything I should be aware of when trying to upgrade?

Soon.

I have not actually flown my design yet, but I stuck the whole Mk3 fuselage in a fairing. Not sure if it's worth the extra weight.

So crewed Dragon flights are basically almost a year away at this point.

TBH I don't really get all the hate towards windows 10. I use it and I don't see any huge problems, why are people so against it?

Yikes, that's an old screenshot, 1.25m small reaction wheels. I am impressed with the quality of the replica given that it's at least 3.5 years old (0.25). I am also disappointed that the media is unable to tell an actual image or a CGI image apart from a video game image. EDIT: The guy who wrote the article was a gamer, ignore that. Also, apparently you have to agree to the TOS just to access the wiki now...

IIRC that one was pretty much unannounced. I remember going into spring break saying "Nooooooo! There aren't any launches!" and being surprised when I work up one day and found out that the Chinese launched yesterday. I wish China would stream.

A bit more up-front ness would be great for the entire aerospace industry in general, but not hearing about a company until they are two weeks away from a launch is pretty stealthy. Although if they painted their rocket "cool" in a "stealth" way then I'd forgive them for the secrecy (as long as they stream the launch).

-Humanity Star website -Also from the website Yeah, it's sad.

The Humanity Star is expected to fall out of orbit sometime today according to a few various sites. I guess someone didn't do the orbital decay equations right, we're a few months early.

This image went around Reddit a while back, no official comment was made by any known company but this is believed to be Astra.

OOOOH I have a story, although it's sort of off topic for the thread. Main point: I've never seen a sunrise, as in the instant the sun comes over the horizon. Mostly due to the trees to the south, and the fact that most of the east from my bedroom window is obscured by the garage. I came very close one day when I was in a skyscraper hotel but I was about four minutes late. However, I did see the solar eclipse last summer - so the only sunrise I've ever seen was the one above the moon.

Not to toot my own horn or anything, but here it is!

Today my prom date/almost girlfriend came over to my house and we launched some model rockets. Someone had given me various parts of an old used laptop so we used the screen for a launch pad.

So... I was watching the launch during chemistry class while we were doing a lab on chemical reactions. My lab partner and I decided to light some magnesium on fire at the exact moment the rocket launched.

Many thanks! T-24

If I was going to space I'd specifically time the launch to The Final Countdown. Anyone got a non-youtube stream link?