The Flying Kerbal

I've been playing KSP since 1.2.2. I've come back to Kerbin from the Mun, Minmus, other planets and their moons, and of course LKO times too numerous to count, and have always aimed to land at the KSC. And yet, in all those tries, I've only ever managed to touchdown in the vicinity of the base exactly two times. And remember, KSP2 won't just be for people who have played KSP1 for years, but for newbies too. So unless there's an auto button to have the landing perform by computer control, I for one won't be landing on pads or platforms.

What I would like to see in KSP2 as stock, are cameras which can be attached to spacecraft, and launched to photograph moons and planets, as happened - and still happens - in the real world. Related to this, I would also like celestial bodies to be hidden in general, obviously something like the Mun is kinda obvious, until they are discovered through exploration and research. In KSP1 there is a mod called Research Bodies which seems to do this, although I've never got it to work for me unfortunately.

That means you'd also need an SCE switch with an AUX setting!

Slightly off topic but I'm curious. What's the problem with Click Through Blocker and Toolbar? I have them on my modded install, and from what I can see they just sit there doing whatever they do in the background, without causing any problems but make some of my favourite mods work without any fuss.

Perfect idea, I can't get my head around having the author of KAC - who works for them - downgrade his fantastic mod to make it the pile of rubbish they now supply as stock. A little less time spent destroying mods, and a little more sorting out bugs might have made 1.12 a better release?

Yeah, KAC totally outperforms what was added to the game as stock in 1.12. I have no idea what the developers were thinking when they decided to add SAC, but to have the original developer of KAC downgrade his mod and give us this... it has to be a joke! I have really tried to get used to SAC, but I've now given up on it, and am more than happy to use the KAC we all know and love so well.

In the Demo, I once had to bail Val out of a capsule after the parachute exploded during reentry. In those days, Kerbals were Kerbals... none of these new fangled parachutes or any of this nonsense that makes things safer. No, she waited until the speed of the falling vessel had dropped below 300m/s, and then just jumped! Although she landed on her mouth and nose, after a few seconds she just got up, brushed off the dirt, and returned - by foot! - to the KSC. They don't make Kerbals like that anymore! I don't think this would work in the modern version of the game, but I've never really tried it again. Who knows, high altitude free falling might even become the Kerbin national sport! I can confirm this one works...

I've been playing KSP for years, and while I'm no Scott Manley, I do pull off most of my missions as long as they don't include getting into orbit from Eve - but we'll leave that one for another day. I have a very simple question concerning burning manoeuvres. So I set up a manoeuvre node but notice it's gonna take a long, long time to complete. I know it makes sense to complete such a manoeuvre over two, three or even more burns, but what I'm not sure of is do you delete the old node for a new one between each burn? My head says yes, after all while your spacecraft is doing its circuit back to the Pe. the target is moving along its own trajectory too. However I'm not sure if I'm missing something here, so maybe someone could clarify it for me? Thanks everyone.

All sorts of good ideas floating about, though I really do like this one. Have you seen the poll set up by Dr. Kerbal? Maybe you could pop over there and post your suggestion there.

Or if they based it on my games, just cover the whole planet with debris and wreckage!

Not really much of a contribution to gameplay or features, but what about a "concrete" monument at the KSC to KSP1? We already have such a tribute to the old Mk1 Command Pod outside the VAB in the current game, a similar thing to honour the game that sent us all into the stars would be fitting in its successor I think.

Sounds like fun! Good players like most of you guys would be able to record all those historic moments for posterity. For me, I'd be able to save all those launch failures and explosions for your entertainment!

For me it has to be 1.2 - Loud & Clear - which give us communications networks. Even though I screamed myself hoarse at times when I lost contact with some vessel because I hadn't allowed for maintaining communications, it was still a fine update. I also added mods to this version, and thanks to luck more than skill, those I added combined perfectly to make the game an absolute gem to play. Indeed I still play this one quite a lot, even though it's missing much of what's in the modern versions.

I think you're right! I just this minute discovered I put this in a KSP2 forum.

A Youtube video I watched recently raised this question, how do you say Duna? Does it sound like "Juna", or - as I say it - more like "Doona" I'm really curious and interested in this and will be eagerly awaiting any responses you guys post. Thanks all.

Yeah... I haven't played very much with this feature, but so far I much prefer the old mod. Much easier to use, much "cleaner", and much better implemented than what they added to 1.12. I really can't think of a single reason why they didn't just copy a mod that was danged close to perfect, instead of messing it up this badly. I may be wrong, maybe I haven't figured out all this new feature's capabilities, and if I am I apologise in advance, but right now I think it's pretty useless.

First I'm not sure if this is the right place for this post, apologies if I should have posted somewhere else. I've just received a notification informing me about the new features coming with Windows 11, and Microsoft's intention to release it "later this year". I don't pretend to be knowledgeable about computers, but I know a lot of you guys are, so the obvious question is, will KSP still run on the new system?

Me too, that would not be an upgrade by any stretch. What I'm saying is before you upgrade the tracking station and mission control, when you launch your rocket, the still grey trajectory line won't have any markers for the Ap. or Pe. showing on it.

I think I found a bug. In the very early stages of a career, before the tracking station and mission control have received their first upgrade, there Ap and Pe markers are missing on the grey orbit line around Kerbin. As I still use these in the early days of my space program, this is a bit of an inconvenience.

For me it has to be the same goal I've had from first downloading KSP (in 2017). I still have to figure out a way of getting back into orbit from the surface of Eve! This is one I think I'm never going to pull off. I've tried to design vessels myself to do this and failed miserably. I've even downloaded craft files I know can do it as I've watched them on Youtube, and STILL I fluff it. I think I'm just not an accurate/precise enough pilot to do this, but will obviously continue trying. Apart from that, I'm not making any resolutions this year. I intend to remain the mean-spirited, sarcastic, foul-mouthed lout you've all come to know and love so well! Happy New Year everyone!

For me it's the stock strategies. Absolutely pointless waste of time.

Rusty Star Rockets had a very quiet day today, with only one "real" launch a couple of launches to get various pieces of equipment into the water for testing, and a number of tests done sitting on the launch pad. The real launch to space was a scheduled crew rotation, Martrude (pilot), Adry (scientist), and Eddun (engineer), relieving Dondo (p), Geneald (s) and Josy (e). The Space Ferry On The Pad With The Access Arm And Ladders Still Extended. As usual a King Rat-B3 Launch Vehicle carried the Space Ferry into orbit, with all propulsion and manoeuvring being carried out by RCS once a stable circular orbit had been achieved and the LOX stage jettisoned. The Space Ferry In A 100K Orbit. Rendezvous with Monstrosity was completed within three orbits, thanks to the piloting skills of mission commander Martrude Kerman. Approaching The Monstrosity Space Station. Final Approach... Because Sergei's too mean and miserable to invest in proper docking technology, claiming advanced grabbing units are much more versatile than a more specialised docking port, RSR pilots have to learn to us Klaws to link up with the space station. Docking Complete. The two crews quickly swapped places, Martrude's 'D' Team settling in to begin their 150 day tour while Dondo's 'C' Team safely undocked and returned to Kerbin for some well earned rest.

Thanks for the post @hemeac. I read about this myself a short time back, and all very interesting. I was unaware that LADEE instruments detected the increase in gas as the number of impacts increased.

I think the idea was for it to represent the dust kicked up by the lander's engines. Maybe some people like it, but like just like you, it isn't for me.

Today saw a very rare contract come up for RSR, a rescue mission! Most Kerbals stranded in space after some in flight catastrophe would much prefer to take their chances drifting helplessly through the Cosmos, than risk their lives by getting into a Rusty Star Rockets vessel, but occasionally exceptions do crop up! The Mayday came from an engineer named Tomoly Kerman - immediately and forever to be given the nickname Major Tom - who, while he may be a very good engineer, couldn't fly a paper plane if the predicament he got himself into on the surface of the Mun is anything to go by. But his luck was in, RSR CEO Sergei Kerman had personally been working on a special rescue lander in his garden shed, so when the call went out he reckoned this would be the perfect opportunity to see if the thing could actually fly! Quickly getting his wife to pop it unto the back of the pickup, he had it whisked over to RSR for it to be hoisted on top of a rocket and readied for flight. It was a masterpiece of rusty simplicity... basically a flying fuel tank with a tiny little capsule, just big enough to hold half a Kerbal if it didn't suffer from claustrophobia, it was obvious from the start that even by RSR standards, this thing wasn't built for style or comfort. However, that big tank give it over 3000 Dv after commencing its descent to the surface of the Mun, giving it plenty of time to hover and loiter as it searched out a safe landing site close to any stranded Kerbal who happened to be in the area. No Creature Comforts Here! Sergei's Rescue Lander In The VAB. A few gallon of superglue later and it was perched on top of a Rust Box-LB2 booster, on the launch pad and raring to go! On The Launch Pad, Raring To Go! Although RSR has never managed to shake off the reputation of being shoddy and incapable of launching a rocket in any way close to being safe, this isn't really true anymore, with a success rate and safety record which today at the very least equals and - some would say - might even surpass that of their bitter rivals at the Kerbal Space Agency. This record would once again not be endangered by the flight of this rocket, as it powered off the launch pad, delivering its payload into a stable 72K orbit without incident. RSR has always had accusing fingers pointed at it, claiming all they've achieved was possible only because they use stolen technology from the KSA and other, smaller, private space companies. Sergei has always maintained his total innocence of such accusations, saying they come from the mouths of the envious and should be taken with a pinch of salt. Unfortunately it has to be said, the selfie Tomoly managed to somehow take of himself on the Mun doesn't do Sergei's cause any favours... Incriminating Evidence..? That selfie has caused uproar, threats of legal action from the KSA, and raises more questions than answers. What was a KSA capsule doing proudly wearing an RSR logo? Exactly who is "Major Tom", he wasn't on the official roister of RSR Kerbanauts when he sent his distress message yet seems to be flying for the company. How did he end up on the Mun? All launches can be accounted for, and none have landed on the Mun in months. Why was Sergei so determined to rescue him before the KSA? And let's not ignore that logo, while it's clearly RSR it's one that nobody in the company has ever seen before. All very strange... However I'm sure the press will be fit to come up with all sorts of conspiracies to explain all this, you can join in too if you like! The rescue itself went better than expected with the lander setting down just 24.5 meters from the stranded Tomoly (I'm pretty proud of that, my precision landings can be a bit chancy at times!). Grabbing his equipment, Tomoly quickly jetted his way over to the rescue ship, hopped in, and blasted off into a 15K orbit. Back at Mission Control a flight plan was being quickly stitched together, one that would see the rescue craft plunge into Kerbin's atmosphere to a depth of 35K. However Sergei "happened" to walk in to see how things were proceeding, took one look at what was being devised, then casually said, "Oh I forgot to tell you, Tomoly will be practicing his rendezvous technique by meeting up with the Monstrosity Space Station". More puzzled looks but Sergei turned and left, seemingly unaware of the stares penetrating the back of his head, and giving no time for awkward questions... So the Pe was set to 45K instead, dropping the Ap to just over 900K, A few short burns and an inclination change later saw Tomoly successfully meet up with the RSR space station in its 100K orbit. And here again, another mystery: Major Tom didn't just meet up with the Monstrosity, he went on EVA to deliver a sealed cannister over to the science module, even as Sergei sent a message up the station, warning the Kerbals onboard they weren't to open or interfere with it under any circumstances! If Tomoly was expecting a warm welcome back after getting stuck on the Mun, Kerbin's atmosphere didn't fail to deliver. Upon departing Monstrosity, he set his Pe at -200K, which absolutely guaranteed fireworks would be provided as he tore through the atmosphere, landing in the water close to RSR Headquarters, for a particularly lengthy debriefing carried out by Sergei himself! Major Tom's Homecoming Creating Some Fireworks. The medical review after his ordeal concluded that he is basically fit and healthy, with the effects of sitting in the small capsule with his knees tucked up under his chin wearing off in about a week to ten days, enabling him straighten his back again.