Ultimate Steve

I don't know if I'll make more soon, but I felt the PI bug recently. It has been something like a year since the last part... Sorry to keep you waiting. I've had this battle planned out for at least a year, though, and it will probably be at least one more part after this one. So without further delay, Chapter 55 - The Hangar

I got sidetracked and I will probably do some more but probably not today. That's pretty detailed! As long as it fits the module requirements and is at or under fifty parts, it's good!

Assuming Starship os online by 2028+, I would return all of the modules (or at least the ones that Russia isn't keeping) to Earth and reassemble the station as a museum, maybe somewhere with UN significance. Most of the modules are American, so if not there, if splitting the modules up can be avoided, KSC. This also allows ground scientists to inspect the modules and run tests to gather performance data.

Chapter 24 - Rescue Mission

To play the devil's advocate, they didn't deliver DragonLab, Falcon Heavy with fuel crossfeed, Falcon 1E, Falcon 5, propulsive landing for Dragon 2, 12m BFR, Carbon Fiber ITS/BFR, second stage reusability, and didn't do Red Dragon or Grey Dragon. I know that there are good reasons for this, including improved replacements for a lot of those, but the statement that they always deliver what they promise is definitely false. In the lead for the next SHLV remains to be seen. They have no launch pad, and no trace of the core stage besides the engine, and only a (likely) non orbital spec hopper (missing half of it due to a storm) and two empty hulls for the upper stage. To date they have only delivered six engines when the final vehicle needs around forty. As far as schedule, SpaceX might come out ahead due to the fact that in this case SpaceX has been moving pretty fast. However, the current target dates for the first full up orbital flight are around the same timeframe, both in 2020. There are doubts as to whether either vehicle will reach that. SLS is definitely ahead in hardware right now. The core stage, I believe, is mostly assembled. The CM and SM have been mated or are about to be mated. I'm pretty sure the ICPS has been done for a while but I am not sure. I have heard nothing about the boosters as of recent. They also have a launch pad. I still consider myself an optimist, though. Even if SpaceX can only accomplish what they have done with the Falcon 9 with Starship (just first stage reusability, no second stage reusability, days of turnaround) they still have a game changing rocket, one that can launch 150 tons to LEO for less than 200 million dollars (which is a pessimistic number).

Can ion engines gimbal? I have never heard of them being able to.

Going by their website, their goal is to 3d print the entire rocket.

A livestream? Color me surprised! I was pretty sure that they wouldn't do a stream!

In the last playthrough, the modset was a CKAN install of RP-0, with all of it's dependencies and recommendations. There were a few of its suggestions that were specifically required, and a few other ones that were required. Anything else from the suggested RP-0 mods was okay, though. Two of us ended up installing the RSS visual enhancement mod about halfway through. RP-1 installation is a bit more complicated than that, but it's well documented.

I've gone ahead and made a thread for a possible season 2. If you would like to add your input, or possibly join, the thread is here:

Not sure whether this belongs in discussion, mission reports, or challenges, so if it needs to be moved, move it. A bit over a year ago I started the first Space Race. You can look at it here if you want. How it worked was that three players would install nearly identical modsets and play through RP-0, posting updates every three ingame months, in order, in a race to put the first people on the Lunar surface. Unfortunately, it ended with a gradual loss of interest and fizzled completely towards the end. Now that it's confirmed dead and over, and has been for some time, I believe the dust has settled enough for another try. This is the recruiting and ideas thread for Space Race season 2, or whatever we are going to call it. I'm going to ping @qzgy and @NSEP here. I doubt that they want to go another round, but since they were in the race, I would like to ask them on their input, what they would change going in another round. CHANGES FROM SEASON 1: The end goal of season 2 is most likely going to be the same as season 1, successfully landing someone on the moon and returning him/her safely to Earth. I considered making this more difficult, but given the fact that I would like more players, and the loss of interest in season 1, I think it's best to keep the Moon as the goal. It's also independent of transfer windows. Speaking of more people, I would like five people to play for this season, up from the three of last time. If more sign up, that's fine. If we have four, I can go with that too. I want to be as accepting to people as possible for this challenge. If you wish to join, yay! Here are some things you should do: Say that you want to join in a comment below. Choose a launch site. This will be your site for the rest of the game unless you really want to change it. Two people cannot have the same launch site. I recommend something low inclination. Post your flag, or design one if you haven't already. A stock flag is also fine. Don't install the modpack until we are ready to start, I will compile instructions on how to install everything once we have the mod set finalized. Keep in mind that this is a long challenge that may involve a lot of on and off playing (hopefully reduced now because of the rule changes). Participants: @Ultimate Steve, of the Notebook Space Program. Launch site: Choosing last because I had one of the best low inclination launch sites last season. @ResonantWaves, launch site not chosen yet. @Yeet_TheDinosaur, launch site not chosen yet. @Johnster_Space_Program, of the Johnster Space Agency, launching from Cape Canaveral. Once we have four participants, I will create a private message group where we will finalize everything. We will start hopefully soon, and it will be in a new thread. This one is just for recruiting and discussion. If you want me to clarify anything, just ask! I can guarantee that I forgot something.

Yo guys! These props might make Eve SSTOs practical!

My first two deaths were one snafu with the end flight button during an experiment to see if a rocket with a Kerbal in it flew slower than an identical rocket without, but that didn't really count in my eyes because it wasn't really my fault. The second fatality was me putting an SRB on a rocket without first engaging symmetry. Due to the really laggy computer I was playing on, I didn't bother moving the camera to check. RIP Bill.

Also I think people are talking about docking and using tugs, and whether or not it would be safe to use the tug engine if the astronauts were seated eyeballs out. It has happened before, on Apollo 13 I believe, unless all three astronauts managed to cram into the LEM for that burn.

The thing is, these rockets (well not these specific rockets but this design) will hopefully eventually have to spend a year or two out in the open, exposed to the Martian environment, so it's good practice.

Looks like 5, for a grand total of 20 flights, although the first flight of Vega C is supposed to be after the next two Vega flights. They are going to operate them together for a while. Of course, those plans could easily change now. This is still a 93 percent success rate for Vega, though.

That's looking a bit like stage two didn't ignite.

Liftoff!

So, because this is dead, I'm going to go ahead and post the last two months of what I had done before the over 6 month long hiatus. Ultimate Steve - May-June 1956 (Cycle 23) Notebook Space Program: Footprints on the Moon

Wow, I didn't realize it was that bad. Now, if the wind was moving uniformly in the same direction, it would be easier, but if it was turbulent, well... Would wind be any less extreme on the night side due to lack of differential solar heating? Night there is pretty long.

Good question. I guess I am just too uses to KSP, which doesn't simulate weather. In real life, there has been a few experiments with deploying fighters from airships and reconnecting them. This is a step up from that, as it would be docking two airships instead of a plane to an airship... Maybe large nets could be used if wind was an issue? Then reeling the craft in? Remember, there was a semi serious NASA proposal to send a crewed airship to Venus, although not all the way to the surface, so the winds probably aren't too crazy. Granted, that's without atmospheric docking, but many of the elements are there.

If we go to Venus, I would imagine that the ascent would not be rocket only. I would imagine a partial balloon/Zeppelin or propellor ascent until the atmospheric pressure gets down to something more reasonable. Maybe you could have a large floating base station at 1 or so atm and base the rockets from there with lighter capsules and have heavier balloon like Landers to transfer crew and equipment to and from the surface.

Good news, I'm back from vacation and work for the next chapter has started! There is one element that, if I decide to do, may take a while, but I may not do it as it doesn't add much, really. Anyways, to pass the time, here's me with a rocket engine I saw on vacation:

I accidentally voted for entertaining personalities when I meant mixing those and community members. Just so ya know.

Chapter 14A - Minimal stuff, but didn't fit the pacing