Atkara

I started using it out of curiosity and ended up sticking with it, as it lets me keep my hand on the mouse at all times (even mapped the toggles on the side-buttons). And when you have target tracking on a pilot/probe core, you can use it to let the system handle rotation for you, while you're focused on translation. Makes lining up a lot easier, since you don't have to do two things at once. You're basically docking/capturing with one hand.

Thought many times about moving to sandbox -after all, the need for steps and tutorials is long gone. But every time I step into one, it feels strange... empty. While I'm mainly focused into pursuing my own goals, I like taking the occasional contract (at least the ones that make sense to me), sending my crews to get their 3-5 stars, etc. I do keep a sandbox profile where I test things whenever I need to, but my main is always a career. Not trying to sell it to you or anything. Just voicing my thoughts

When I first got the game, I took a look at sandbox, got overwhelmed by the number of parts and figured I needed a step by step introduction. I could've gone with science mode but chose career instead. Lots of weird rocket designs, lots of trial and error, lots of rocket flips due to excessive drag, some staging errors and many, many good moments, as it was a playthrough of firsts. Mun, Minmus, Duna, Eve (probe), Gilly, Ike and Jool with touchdown on Bop. Docking ops, rescues on both surface and orbit, asteroid captures, mining, my first go at station assembly and my tries on docking with the said station (got it done, eventually) It was a good run and I remember most of it. It was a good run.

The worst thing I've faced in KSP, has been myself -specifically, my own ambition. Imagine prepping, sending off and managing multiple flights, while completing local and non-local contracts. This, through a system of 90% reusable infrastructure in the form of outposts, miners, rovers, landers, spaceplanes and other spacecraft -a system that eventually encompassed the whole solar system. And it was as taxing, as much as it was glorious.

We still haven't seen your craft, we have no info on it's fuel reserves/remaining dV and we don't have a save with the craft (ideally) halfway between Jool and Kerbin. Without these, all we can do is chit-chat

It's not just the craft. It's also the way he's trying to aerobrake. @Reinhart Mk.1 if your current aerobraking method is anything like what I saw in that recent video, that's not the way to do it. You don't go tail first and lock retrograde. Instead, you go nose first, pitch up to ~30 degrees and let those wings work.

I don't remember events in detail. What I do remember is that I wasn't getting them killed early on and that most deaths afterwards, happened either due to bugs, or during test flights.

Not if you intentionally burn towards the surface, especially if you're planning to refuel on the damn thing.

Replace the central panther with a rocket engine -and the central fuel tanks obviously, since you'll need oxidizer. Takeoff, pitch up to 45 degrees and engage afterburners on the panthers. You'll be climbing on the panthers alone. The rocket engine will be used later. As you climb, right click on either of the two panthers and monitor it's thrust. When it drops below 50KN, now is the time to stage the rocket engine. Monitor your apoapsis for engine cutoff. As far as my plane goes, after a few modifications and a number of test flights, it even reached a stable orbit. More pictures here, in case you think I'm trying to pull your leg or something. Once in orbit, it has barely enough fuel for a de-orbit burn -but hey, it can get up there. Haven't tried a re-entry yet, but I suspect it will be... not so nominal It re-enters like a champ and I should learn to have more faith in my designs

It isn't more precise, it IS precise. Try it -you'll see for yourself.

There you go. Read the description and the action group info (I suspect you might have to enable full action groups in the difficulty settings) Other than that, it uses parts you've already unlocked in your tech tree. So you're good to go Do what @Goody1981 told you and you'll see for yourself what angle snap is

Yep. Doing it all the time myself. But I also enable part purchases -makes me feel less "guilty" this way

I was going to send you the following craft I made in a hurry, but you got it done so, good job. Take a look at it though, grab some ideas for the future

Took your configuration (the one with the I-beams) for a spin. It remains stable at a max spring setting of 0.3. Dampers can be left to 1.0.

Set spring/damper setting to manual and crank the damper all the way to 2.0. Do this for both sets of wheels and the bouncing will go away.