The Flying Kerbal

Thanks for all the great answers guys, huge help as always! I didn't know that, good to know.

Thanks for clarifying that for me guys, very much appreciated. Yes indeed, but I try and figure out in advance how much Dv each stage of a vessel will need to complete its specific task, while still in the VAB. This means I don't send way too much fuel in the stage that will be used to get the vessel back to Kerbin, saving on weight.

I wonder could someone clear up a query I've had for quite some time now concerning calculating Delta V? I do like to try to do at least some of the maths when putting together a rocket, relying on Kerbal Engineer is very handy, but I do like to know how it does the calculations. I know the equation for calculating the Dv on Kerbin is Isp*9.81*ln(Mfuelled/Mempty). My head is telling me that to figure out the Dv required to return from - let's say - the Mun to Kerbin, this equation needs to be adjusted by replacing the 9.81 with the moon's gravity of 1.63. However somewhere, possibly a Youtube video, someone says this isn't right, 9.81 is the number needed to calculate the Dv on all the bodies in the Kerbol system, and the fact it just happens to be the same as Kerbin's gravity is a happy coincidence. Is this right? Thanks everyone.

Here's a little technique which I haven't seen before and I started using a couple of months ago. It'll get me applauded by some, slated by others, and now it's a little dated with the newly redesigned stack decouplers and separators in KSP 1.4. However as some people are still playing earlier versions, someone might like it and find it useful. Let's face it, before 1.4, our stack decouplers and separators weren't exactly built for looks, so I came up with a way which - to me - makes the rocket much cleaner and elegant. This is typical of a 1.25 decoupler attached to a Terrier engine. However, if you disable the shroud in the right click menu of the engine, and then downsize to the next smallest decoupler... ...by then using the offset tool you can slide the first tank of the next stage up to close the gap... ...like this! This is the little rocket I cobbled together for this post. You can see I used the same technique to attach the command pod. Before launch the fins were removed, but that isn't important. The empty second stage being jettisoned. In this launch the engine staging was set to ignite the Terrier after separation. A second launch was carried out with the staging set to light the Terrier at the same time as the spent stage is dropped, showing it works both ways. As I said it's something I started using a couple of months ago, it is a little dated now with 1.4, but hopefully it will be of some use to someone.

When using the offset tool in the VAB, sometimes the arrows align at an awkward angle depending on what angle the part you wish to offset is sitting at. Press the 'F' key on your keyboard and they will change to the correct angle to make it much easier to move the part properly. Just found that one out after about a year and a half of playing KSP...

I'm just clearing out some old stuff on my computer, when I found this one: Nothing special really, it was captured ages ago when I was playing the Demo game. A simple little lander - a prototype for a much larger mission actually - that I landed on the South Pole of Minmus. I really like the dim sunlight, the shadows, and Kerbin and Mun low down in the distance.

SIGH... sometimes you just have to throw up your hands and admit you're an idiot. Take me for example, shouting my mouth off and cursing all developers with pain and misery for the next ten generations of their offspring for messing up solar panels; I mean it couldn't be my fault, right? So it turns out that it was those danged fairings that were causing the problem, when I popped them they were slamming into the panels and ripping them apart as they were being jettisoned. In my defence, they weren't doing it when I tested them on the launchpad, they would fall harmlessly off and the panels would be left intact. And it was bad luck that I was always deploying them on the dark side of Kerbin, so it wasn't possible to see it happening in flight. Not until I timed a test launch so I could see the fairings being deployed on the light side of the planet was I finally able to suss out what the problem was. The fix was simply to up the ejection force, so now all's good! So thanks to everyone who tried to help with this and apologies for wasting all your time guys.

WOW!! Thanks very much, this is EXACTLY what I was looking for, really appreciate this!

I mentioned in another thread that extendable solar panels, even ones in their own cases, get broken in flight through Kerbins atmosphere and won't deploy properly in space. This seems to happen even if they're tucked up inside a fairing. It's very annoying and I hope it can be fixed soon.

There does seem to be something wrong with all panels that have to be extended to operate. I've just tried some which aren't retractable, and again they were broken during the flight through the atmosphere. I think you may be on to something here. Even though in this test flight, the panels weren't protected in their own case, they were still tucked inside a fairing, and when I went to deploy them, it looked to all intends and purposes like they had been damaged in a similar way as to what happens when they hit atmosphere. In this flight I flew straight up, and as slowly as possible so as to cut down any heating punching through the atmosphere to an absolute minimum. Not only did I not generate any heating effects, I didn't even create the white contrails which precedes these normally, yet still I had damaged panels behind the fairing when I reached space. I can't remember this happening in 1.2, I never played 1.3 so can't comment on it. I do hope the developers are aware of this issue and try to resolve it. Thanks for answering folks.

Oh these are the retractable ones, and in addition they're in behind a fairing until they leave Kerbin's atmosphere. I actually think this may be a bug.

I'm trying to put together a mission to Duna, but every time I try fitting either SP-L or SP-W photovoltaic panels to the vessel, when I get into orbit and try deploying them, I get a message that they're broken! When I test them on the launchpad they work OK, and I've never seen this before 1.4. Any ideas guys? Thanks.

Well yes, that's true. However if the thing was easier to control, it could be used for a more realistic game, landing unmanned probes on the Mun and Minmus for example, before risking a Kerbal on a manned mission. If I was knowledgeable enough on computer software, I'd try changing it so it would have SAS in Career, just as it has in Science. Just realised who you are, really enjoyed your KSP videos on Youtube! Well now, I've been playing KSP since about a week after 1.2 was first released, and while I can just about struggle with the Stayputnik and get it into orbit, I can't land it on Mun (for example).

Why do you think that? From what I can see, it really is pretty useless in its current form unless you have amazing flying skills (I don't), and it looks like I'm not the only one thinking this.

One little thing I would have liked to see was the Stayputnik being given SAS in Career mode. It's available with the addition of a reaction wheel in Science and - I presume - Sandbox, but not in Career, I wonder why? Oh well, maybe next time..?

Thanks!! The way it came across on Youtube, I thought it was part of this current download. I've been looking forward to this for a long time and will be eagerly waiting for it to go live on Tuesday.

OK... took your advice, and after checking the file again and it still refused to upgrade to 1.4, I uninstalled 1.2 and reloaded it from scratch. So 1.4 is now operating on my computer and initially I'm very impressed, (although I haven't really done anything other than launch a Mk1 on a Flea and then almost kill Jeb trying out the parachute. Now the only thing I'm missing seems to be the Mission Builder; could I pick your brains one more time and ask how do I get it? All I've got on the menu screen is a big blank space where "Mission Builder" appears on this screen in Youtube videos.

Just did this and Steam immediately started downloading something to do with KSP on to my computer. No idea what though, it doesn't seem to have changed the game. Would any new upgrade replace the game in the Common file in the steamapps folder automatically? Maybe it stores the new files in some folder I'm unaware off, and needs to be manually inserted into the steamapps folder? I could uninstall 1.2, then just buy a fresh 1.4, but it seems rather a clunky way of doing it? Still stuck on this one... However that was good advice you give me, I didn't know about that BETAS set to NONE. Yes I bought KSP through Steam originally.

Guys... I'm stuck! I've never updated KSP since first purchasing the game when it was 1.2, and now I want to try this 1.4 I don't know how to get it through Steam. I tried to purchase it but was told I can't as I already have elements of the game on my computer. I tried to verify the files, hoping it would then give me the option to go for 1.4, but nope, it just verified 1.2. So what do I do to get 1.4? Thanks everyone.

Hey Guys, A quick question before I set off to work: In the SETI Probe Parts mod for 1.2.2, there's a little power device called the "Alkaline Fuel Cell Mini". Try as I might, I can't figure out how to use it. I've attached it to the probe core, a fuel tank, you name it, I've tried it. I'm aware of the tweekables in the drop down menu for turning on the fuel cell, two of them, one for 1Kw, the other for 2Kw. I've toggled them in every possible combination, but still no joy. This unit comes with its own hydrogen and oxygen as fuel, so I can't see any additional fuel being necessary, so just how do I use this thing? Thanks in advance guys.

This is silly... who would launch a car into space??

I've been on the edge of my seat with anticipation of this since it was first announced, roll on March!!

"Demo Sunday" saw me finally fly the largest mission I've ever attempted in the Demo version of KSP when Project Orthrus was launched. This is the one that had to be put on hold when my mouse broke down last week. Orthrus..: brother of Cerebus in Greek mythology, Orthrus was also a dog with more than one head, although unlike Cerebus which had three, he only had two. Also like his possibly more famous sibling, Orthrus would meet his fate at the hands of Heracles, killed as the latter completed his ten labours and resulting in him trying to stay one jump of the RSPCA ever since! Project Orthrus was a mission which would see two Kerbals - a pilot and scientist - planting flags on both Kerbin's moons, and then returning safely to Kerbin where tea and hot scones would be waiting for them at a discounted price! They had to take a materials bay and at least one goo canister to both moons, so that as much science as possible could be carried out during this historic flight. I suspect sensible people would go to Minmus first as I imagine it makes more sense to take the greater weight to the body with least gravity, but here at the KSA we don't do sensible!!! No, it would be the Mun first; actually there was a reason, but you'll find out what it was later! The lander was really two landers in one, and names were needed for each. Having decided on Orthrus as the overall name for the project, it was decided to try to come up with two more canine names that would generate a sense of pride throughout Kerbalkind... that would forever be associated with the task about to be undertaken, and that future generations of schoolkerbals would talk about in awe and wonder. Philosophers, historians, experts on the various cultures and myths of Kerbin... all were consulted to come up with suitable names, and after months of debate, argument and fisticuffs, the great decision was finally made: the Mun lander would be Scooby Doo, the Minmus lander Scrappy Doo, and the command pod would be Shaggy! Scooby, Scrappy & Shaggy. The next requirement was a rocket to lift all this. The old Cosmos was nowhere near powerful enough, although it was used to test "The Doos" in LKO. While these were being carried out, Wernher von Kerman put together an entirely new rocket with the Delta V required to carry this mission out. Called the "Galaxia", it turned out to be a monster! Sitting on the launchpad, it had thirteen LVT 13 "Reliant" engines as it's first stage. These were augmented for the first 17.02 seconds of flight by an additional twelve "Hammer" SRB's blasting away at full power, to give this enormous vehicle a chance to do its stuff! Ready For Liftoff! Initial test flights of the new rocket (but not the lander) were disastrous! It was after one of these flights that Jeb had flown, whenas he was recovered from the command pod he was heard saying "...an overweight pig would fly better than that thing". It was unfortunate, because with future modifications and adjustments most of the problems were ironed out, but "The Flying Pig" label had been indelibly stuck on the rocket's reputation, and it never really lived it down. The great day came; Val and Bob were tied into Shaggy and as Val prepared for launch, Bob lay there, silently staring into space... gripping the armrests... white with fear... The silence was shattered as the countdown hit zero! Almost - but not quite - drowned out by Bob's pitiful scream, the Reliants and SRB's roared into life, shattering windows for miles around, or at least they would have if there were any buildings with windows anywhere on Kerbin, never mind near the KSC. "AARAGHHHHH... This is maddness... MADDNESS!!!": Bob Kerman zero + 10 seconds. The launch was successful and in no time at all, Val and Bob found themselves in LKO In LKO And Ready For The Trans Munar Injection. As the vessel hurtled around Kerbin, systems were checked to insure everything had came through the launch and flight to orbit unscathed. The TMI was completed, and eight minutes later a slight course correction had to be carried out at the Ascending Node to make sure of hitting an equatorial orbit around the Mun. About a day later and the vessel successfully entered Munar orbit. In Munar Orbit. Shortly after this and the engine again fired, this time to begin the descent to the Munar surface. The last stage of The Flying Pig started this manoeuvre, and when it was out of fuel and jettisoned, Scooby's own engine finished the job. Scooby Firing Its Engine As It Descends Towards The Surface. Scooby On Final Approach. In next of no time Scooby Doo found itself at an altitude of three thousand meters above the Mun according to the radar altimeter. Val had been almost miserly in her use of the engine after the initial deorbit burn, but now she really slammed the throttle lever home! With its engine roaring furiously (as was Bob!), Scooby quickly shed of velocity as it approached the surface. With everything to her satisfaction, Val now eased back on the throttle and gingerly settled the large, top heavy vessel on the surface of Kerbin's largest moon as if she was landing on a box of eggs. They had a full day to spend on The Mun before Minmus would be in the correct position to make a transfer easy and economic, so our two heroes decided to have a little rest followed by a few snacks before venturing out onto the surface. As mission commander, Val had the honour of making the first footprint on this strange, barren world; she was in the middle of saying some deep and moving words when she realised she'd forgotten to hit the transmit button on her radio. The moment having passed, she decided to forego the speech and proceed with planting the flag. Bob then tried to sing the national anthem, but his mouth was still overloaded with snacks, and the result was a bit of a mess inside his helmet... Val Preparing To Erect The Flag Selected For The Mission. "Uumpf, Uumph, Cadomph Fah, Mahu, Cumpf, Haaonn..." Val Laughs As Bob Tries To Sing The National Anthem With A Mouth Full Of Snacks! A day after landing and our heroes are ready to leave the Mun and set off for Minmus. Hatches Sealed And Ready For Lift Off. Scrappy Doo Leaves "Uncle" Scooby On The Mun As It Sets Off For Minmus. After successfully making Munar orbit, Scrappy fired its engine to push it's AP out to meet the orbit of Minmus. Scrappy Doo Performing Its Trans Minmus Injection. Once this was complete, and a mid-course correction to align with Minmus' orbit negotiated, Val and Bob could chill out for the lengthy flight to that mysterious, green spot in the telescope. Seventeen days later and Scrappy Doo found itself fast approaching Minmus. Val busied herself getting the vessel ready to fire its engine retrograde to slow down so it would enter orbit, while Bob "encouraged" her by explaining what would happen if the engine failed to light and they were flung into space and what the chances were of the whole shebang blowing up when the engine was ignited! "Do you know just how likely it is that this thing'll explode when you start the engine?": Bob Kerman To Val - In Flight Over Minmus. Scrappy Performing Powered Descent Onto Minmus. Engine Shutdown! Val landed Scrappy on Minmus almost like a feather, indeed BoB was screaming five minutes after she'd shut the engine down, so convinced was he they were still flying! They knew they now had two days to complete all their tasks and set off back to Kerbin, before the Mun would come round and risk them having an encounter which would be disastrous. It was more than enough though, so it was decided to put off all EVA until a rest period followed by some refreshments (which had to be swallowed BEFORE putting helmets on this time...) were completed. Again as mission commander, it was Val's duty to be the first to step unto the alien surface. However she selflessly decided to offer Bob the opportunity to be the first this time, an offer Bob quickly rejected, preferring to play it safe by following in her footsteps. Val & Bob On Minmus. Another flag planting ceremony was next on the agenda, a job Val had to do because of the way both Kerbanauts equipment was arranged around their different duties. There had been "a few words" between Jeb and Val before she left Kerbin, and some Kerbals claim there might have been just the slightest hint of anger in her words as she placed the flag on Minmus... "I plant this flag on Minmus for all Kerbalkind, except Jeb who's a complete jerk - AND a lousy pilot!": Valentina Kerman Planting The Flag On Minmus. Now Bob set about conducting various science experiments, collecting surface samples, etc. all the time watching the oxygen level in his tanks. Once he had completed all his assignments, both Kerbanauts reentered Shaggy, and started powering up its systems in preparation for departure. "Two... one... ZERO!": Shaggy Detaches From Scrappy Doo As It Leaves Minmus. The RCS Propulsion System Is Sufficient To Take Shaggy To Kerbin From Minmus, But Not The Mun. Shaggy Coasting To Its Ap, Fifteen Kilometers Above Minmus. About Seven Days Later Shaggy Enters Kerbin's Atmosphere. "The Heroes Return": Shaggy After Landing In The Desert With The Crew Waiting For Recovery.

WOW!! That one is truly awesome!

Some handlin (Northern Irish term, that one! ) round at the KSC today. A probe that has been scouting for potential landing sites for the Project Orthrus mission had sent back hundreds... thousands even of photos, and the one in question was almost filed away as unsuitable until... As it was been scooped up to be put into a folder, a sharp eyed photo-interpreter spotted something unusual. She put it under a magnifier, and after studying it intensely for a few moments, added a red circle and arrow to draw attention to something. She then passed it to her supervisor, who also studied the image closely. Grabbing a white marker, he added: "What is this??", and pushed it up to senior management. For once the KSA seems to be stuck for an answer. Positioned on the northern rim of the Mun's Eastern Crater, there appears to be an arch shaped structure or rock formation, and just how it could be there has the scientists and geologists scratching their heads. The Photo. Conspiracy theorists are having a field day. Claims range from signs of ancient alien civilisations right up to the KSA having made actual contact with modern day and highly advanced (aren't they always?) aliens who live under the surface of the airless, bone dry Mun. In a press release today, the KSA said that although the Project Orthrus launch, previously delayed because of "instrument failure" (a broken computer mouse), was too far advanced to not take place on Sunday, the next launch would be an unmanned probe which would land close to this"arch" to conduct surveys and scientific analysis of this object and its surrounding area. In the meantime, the probe which took the original photo is to be put into a much lower orbit, hoping to get a much closer and more detailed image of whatever this thing is.