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DunaManiac

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  1. Phase II: Further Surface Operations Four times the MGL flew to Foundation, each time transferring most of its fuel into Azimov's tanks, with a meager remainder being just enough to return to Citadel to top off its fuel tanks. By the end, Azimov's fuel tanks were at 49.6% capacity. This well satisfied concerns that Azimov would not have enough fuel to complete another round trip. Once it returns for Phase III, we will have a tanker to refuel it properly. However, with just a few days left for Azimov to stay, our mission still is not completed. The final objective of Phase II is to transfer our crew at Elysium Base, left by the last crew in Phase I. The new crew, Isalin and Lobas, take a shot at Citadel base with lander pilot Isapond Kerman. Counterintuitively, our first destination on the way to Elysium is Citadel base. The sole purpose is for us here to refuel the MGL after we used it to refuel Azimov for the final time. One of the most frustrating things about Citadel is its apparent bugginess. I think it's linked to the fact that I had to arrange the landing gear the way I did in order to allow the bottom section of the core. The game must not like how they are not technically attached to the node, they are attached to the lander can and offsetted somewhat so that they appear attached to the core. For some strange reason, if I engaged the USI ground-tethers on the landing legs, the parts would simply explode, or the base would be dragged by the cable as if they're being towed by a truck. The solution is to turn off ground-tethers on the landing gear on both vessels, then dock them together. If you try to re-engage the described problem will occur. This mostly works but then it causes both vessels to jump when timewarp is stopped, causing Citadel to constantly change position. Honestly, I appreciate that USI has the ground-tether feature but it makes more problems than it solves. After a couple hours spent filling up the fuel tanks onboard the Minmus General Lander, Isapond, Isalin, and Lobas set out for Elysium. Elyisum, our original base on Minmus, is designed to be occupy two kerbals for a grueling two year term. It is intended to be shut down after Phase III is completed, after having operated for 4 years. It currently has operated for a year and a half. Acting as our base of operations on Minmus' surface, it has living quarters for two kerbals, enough supplies to last them four years, various sample collection and analyzation experiments, a small science lab, and a rover to explore the nearby areas around the site. It's based in Flat Grande, not far from the very first manned landing on Minmus, Nova-E IV. Even though there is very poor ore content here, it was never intended to be a refinery base like Citadel, it is instead dedicated to analyzing the flats of Minmus: what they are, what they're made of, why they're perfectly smooth, and why they're here. Isalin and Lobas are here to replace our original crew at the site, Rovin and Lemore kerman. The crew stand for a portrait: the largest gathering of kerbals ever on Minmus' surface. Seen here, from left to right, is Lemore, Rovin, Lobas, Isapond and Isalin. Behind is the Wanderer, the first pressurized rover. Both of the new crew are veterans: Isalin was the first kerbal ever to set foot on the Mun, together with the legendary Jebediah Kerman in the Nova-E I mission. The new scientist and part-time geologist, is Lobas Kerman, one of the very few kerbonauts who flew on the original Merlin missions, and a veteran of the first crew onboard Cornerstone. Both were picked for their experience, and Lobas' experience in long-term isolation in a cramped space. Elysium, however, is far more remote than even Cornerstone is. As the crew explore their new surroundings (seen here is Lobas checking out Elysium's famous sky cupola), preparations are being made to transfer Lobas and Rovin onboard the MGL. We'll take the MGL to orbit, and not long after that, bring them back onboard IKS Azimov, and then bring them back to Kerbin for a well-deserved rest. With them goes various samples, equipment, data, and items they collected over their 18 month long stay at Elysium. Before we leave, we'll set up a couple of ground experiments (including a seismometer to monitor seismic activity even long after we abandon Elysium), say our goodbyes, and return to Foundation Station, where we'll finally be ready to leave Minmus and commence our long-awaited return to Kerbin.
  2. I disagree that radio silence is the best approach. It could've worked if the launch wasn't a disaster, and it may have worked in the past when expectations were sky-high, but all that would do now is just make people believe that they aren't communicating because they have nothing to show. So it wouldn't improve the attitude that the devs are incompetent and/or are making no progress or make it go away, it would just make it worse. Also, I do find it somewhat saddening that these days, a lot of defenses of KSP2 are by people who don't play it often, and are some variation of "you were stupid if you expected anything out of EA lol." I mean, if both sides agree that the game was a disaster, what are we arguing about?
  3. Ah, my apologies. I suppose I was mistaken but I think the broad point is still correct. But it also shows that there is another problem: a lot of information that is shared on both discord and the KSP forums just ends up getting buried. Even that nertea follow up, even though I appreciate it, was buried somewhat in the AMA and some could've easily missed it.
  4. That's a step in the right direction, but it isn't a panacea. It's good that some stuff ends up on there, but there's also a lot of important information that's left out: like that post @Snips linked. Ultimately it isn't really a substitute to the amount of dev engagement that discord gets as opposed to the forums.
  5. Phase II: Citadel Operations The final component of Phase II launches from Kerbin directly to minmus, left to find its own way to Minmus. Above is the Citadel Drilling Unit. This contains most of our power production, a low-gain antenna for routine computer commands, a radiator, and most importantly, a large drill. This drill will bore directly into the surface of Minmus to extract material, which will eventually be refined into liquid fuel to propel our Minmus operations. Once at Minmus the CDU rendezvous with Foundation-Azimov, still in Minmus orbit, for delivery to the surface via the Minmus General Lander. The crew supervising the deployment is Shelvan, chief scientist at Azimov, Isapond, our new dedicated lander pilot, and Jerry Kerman. Now the question you may be asking is this: what is Jerry doing here? Didn't I say I was going to bring down our dedicated drill specialist to supervise its deployment? Although the CDU-BAV had landed succcessfully, it didn't take long for the team to notice an alarming lean of the Citadel Core. Upon closer inspection it appears that some sort of Minmus seismographic event had caused it to lean over, coming close to completely falling over. It highlighted the need for more seismographic coverage on Minmus. However, the apparent seismic event that the Core had suffered must have been much larger than even the largest ones recorded by various unmanned seismometer stations and the crew at Elysium base. Could it be that for whatever reason, seismic events are more severe in the Minmus highlands as opposed to the flats. It would certainly explain why the flats had never cracked and broken due to seismic stresses and instead remained perfectly smooth. The team poses to commemorate the occasion next to the CDU-BAV. Under the careful supervision of the crew, the BAV drives the CDU to the appropriate docking port using its wheels. After several minutes, docking is achieved. The second base assembly has just occurred on another world. Jerry and Shelvan Kerman test the enormous drill unit for the first time,yielding over 100 kilograms of fuel-containing regolith in just a few minutes time. The crew maneuvers the MGL closer to Citadel to facillitate the first refueling to ever occur on another world. Although Citadel may consist of just the barebones at the moment, it does have all the components necessary to attempt a refueling operation for the MGL. It has a drill facility, power, radiators, a small pressurized cabin, and even a state-of-the-art ISRU unit, which will be able to sift out the rocks to access the fuel-containing compounds, purify them, and chemically synthesize liquid hydrogen, which our nuclear-powered MGL will be able to use. One of the most advanced machines ever built, it requires two kerbonauts to operate it, forcing them to sit in the tiny lander can no bigger than the crew cabins of the Nova-E missions, which brought the first kerbals to the Mun and Minmus 10 years ago. Also important is the fuel hose receptacle installed on both Citadel and the MGL to allow a transference of fuel. After several days, the team takes off to Foundation-Azimov. Jerry returns to the station, while Shelvan is left on the surface to monitor Citadel as well as watch for any potential seismographic disturbances. Unfortunately, this means he was left for several days on the surface alone, until the MGL can return with Girick and Isapond. However, a major concern remains on the organizers of the Program's minds: how much fuel the IKS Azimov has. It was originally planned that the IKS Azimov would have enough delta-v to conduct two round trips and a third trip to Minmus. Yet as of now fuel levels are looking dangerously low: at just 18.6%. With that much, it's below the margin of safety for a return mission, let alone another trip to Minmus fully-laden. Of course there is always the option of sending up more fuel to Azimov in LKO, but this was viewed as the absolute last resort. The entire Minmus Colonization Initiative was created with the promise that fuel would never have to be launched from Kerbin in large quantities, and all of it would come from self sufficient mining operations on Minmus. Along with more and more thorny questions about whether the entire program was worth the cost and whether IKS Azimov's duties could just be filled by advanced Kerbin-Minmus SSTOs, it was critical that the Program not renege on its promise of self sufficiency. As a result, the MGL was used for a purpose it was never intended to act as: a fuel tanker for IKS Azimov. Even though MGL's fuel is just a drop in the bucket for Azimov: just 8% of Azimov's total tank volume, if the MGL makes 4 round trips to Minmus' surface it will be able to fill the tanks of IKS Azimov to roughly 50%, more than enough for another trip to Minmus. Once Phase III is delivered to Minmus we will complete Citadel and bring along a tanker to refuel Azimov much more efficently. The first refueling mission brings along our recovered drill specialist Girick Kerman, and Isapond kerman to recover poor Shelvan Kerman at Citadel. One of the most important orders of business is to set up a small science station at Citadel to monitor surface conditions and seismic activity in the area. Due to the astonishingly rich concentration of the regolith in refinable compounds, refueling the entire MGL will take just a couple of Kerbin days. In the meantime, the crew settles in for the long Minmus night, waiting for the orbits to allign and we can bring our precious fuel to IKS Azimov. The first fuel-mining facility has been established on Minmus' surface, and in a few short years when we return, it will be expanded into a proper 4-kerbal center of surface exploration.
  6. Really there is quite a spectrum on the forums. Ranging from "their communication strategy is the best, I recommend this to people who want to know what good communication looks like" to "they've completely botched it!" Frankly I lean to the latter. It just doesn't make since to me to post certain things on discord, or Twitter, and just expect people to sign up to look at them (since now both require an account to view). And the vibe I get from a lot of these promos they do release (especially the devchat recently), is just very corporate. It's like they're trying to act like an indie team when in reality they're backed by an enormous conglomerate.
  7. Successfully transformed my Minmus Station from a small outpost into a proper gateway, with the help of the IKS Azimov seen docked to it.
  8. Phase II: Foundation Operations Setting out from Minmus is the IKS Azimov, for its second mission to Minmus. It carries 9 modules in total: all to expand our little "Mir-esque" outpost into a proper gateway. Learning from the mistakes of the chaotic Phase I burn, the ejection time was planned in advance, and our Aquilae SSTO was able to quickly transport all 12 crew of IKS Azimov Mission 2 within a few days. After an arrival time of 9 days, IKS Azimov arrives at Minmus and successfully rendezvous with Foundation Station in Minmus Orbit. Foundation Station, originally set up by Phase I, will be the primary focus of Phase II. First to be undocked is the long, spindly truss module that will form the backbone of our station. It is quite long: nearly the same length as the already enormous IKS Azimov. However, several modules of IKS Azimov will be unloaded before it is able to dock with Foundation to simplify the reconfiguration process. In the meantime, the IKS Azimov will stay within a few hundred meters of Foundation. Now for the docking of the Autonomous node section: Which is quite difficult to attempt. Because the MROM module has no bottom node, it will be undocked and moved away to create a space for the autonomous node module, and then be reinserted to the station. As expected, a mission this complicated will always have a few small mistakes: I forgot to put reaction wheels on the two avionics pods. I could still steer with RCS thrusters but now it was going to be much harder to dock. After several minutes going back and forth, the Autonomous node was able to dock to Foundation, meaning that we can now insert the two extra science modules onto Foundation. Next up is the Agroponics module. It will carry a large avionics bay, which unlike the others, is not intended purely for science: it will feed the crew of 6 and supplement their rations. This will be critical for long duration space travel. It also contains the much-anticipated cryology lab, which will be able to study suspended animation technology. Not long after, the IKS Azimov is docked to the station via its main docking port, and the Utility module is maneuvered to its prescribed spot. After that, the tug is deployed to maneuver the three logistics modules to their designated locations on Foundation's truss module. Finally, the expanded science array and the rest of the station has been completed. Now for the ancillary operations: the autonomous avionics packages will be jettisoned as well as the remaining OMMs, the Minmus General Lander will be moved to its new permanent spot, various RCS thrusters, and remaining structural braces. After that, the new solar panels will be deployed and supply most of Foundation's power, and Azimov itself will be maneuvered to its new port. The dance of the two vessels is a long and complicated dance: the 70 meter long Azimov and 50 meter long Foundation slowly maneuvering into position. And with that, they ahve been docked. Foundation operations involving spacecraft are now mostly complete, all thats left is to start moving the new crew to their new stations, transferring new supplies to Foundation, removing samples collected by the MGL crew of Minmus' surface, and packing up the old crew and their belongings. The next part of the mission is two-fold: we will set up the new Citadel Minmus Surface Operations Center (M-SOC), and extracting the beleagured Rovin and Lenmore Kerman from Elysium surface base, and replace them with a new crew of two. Afterward, Phase II will be completed, and all that will be left is to bring the returning crew home.
  9. Phase II Overview The objectives of Phase II are simple. We expand Foundation Station in Minmus orbit. We set up the first two modules of our new surface base in the highlands of Minmus, Citadel. We relieve the current crew of Elysium Surface base and Foundation. We will replace Accipiter with our A-19 Aquilae SSTO as our primary method of conducting crew transfers. IKS Azimov Crew Manifest: IKS Azimov Operators: Mission Commander: Sherdon Kerman Senior Azimov Helmsman: Nelbro Kerman Azimov Engineering Specialist: Bill Kerman Foundation Crew II Minmus General Lander Operator: Isapond Kerman Foundation Engineer: Vermund Kerman Foundation Scientist: Dundock Kerman Foundation Scientist: Claugel Kerman Foundation Exobiologist and Agroponics Specialist: Jerry Kerman Chief Cryologist: Triburry Kerman Elysium Crew II Base Commander and Engineering Specialist: Isalin Kerman Science and Geology Specialist: Lobas Kerman Surface Operation Specialists: Drill Specialist: Girick Kerman Returning Crew Elysium Crew 1: Lemore Kerman Elysium Crew 2: Rovin Kerman Foundation Crew 1: Agamin Kerman Foundation Crew 2: Newory Kerman Foundation Crew 3: Shelvan Kerman Seen here is the final design for Foundation Station in Minmus orbit. A separated view shows its true complexity. The core module, delivered by the final mission in the Nova-E program (tasked with landing the first kerbonauts on the Mun and Minmus) and the MROM, Logistics, Fuel Storage module, Science Array, and General Quarters are already in place. Phase II is tasked with delivering most of the remaining modules, and laying down the groundwork for a self-sufficient fuel operation here at Minmus. To do this we will be fitting Foundation with the largest gravity wheel ever constructed to function as sleeping quarters, providing numerous docking receptacles, expanding the science array, and nearly doubling its crew capacity. The remaining modules, namely the 4 orange tanks, will be delivered during Phase III. What is the science array? The bottom port where the Minmus Reconnaissance Observation Module, containing most of our Minmus study array, will be occupied by a node, and the MROM itself beneath it. Since we have no bottom docking port on MROM we’ll have to do a complicated operation where the node inserts itself between the two modules, via two avionics and monopropellant packages attached to the sides. These will be ejected once the array is completed. Here, we will mount the Agroponics module, containing crops which will be grown in situ to supplement the crew’s rations, as well as a third science lab, containing a smaller Agroponics module, a larger scientific observatory, and most importantly: a cryo bay. This is where Triburry Kerman will test our cryogenic bay, allowing her to effectively place in suspended animation biological samples, small animals, even a kerbal. The second major component of Phase II is setting up the core modules of Citadel Base. In Phase III, it will be expanded even further. Although the core module has already been launched, the drill unit will be launched after Foundation finishes construction in Minmus orbit. This is where our drill specialist, Girick, will come in handy: she will help the drill unit be attached to the core module, and engage the drill for the first time. Last but not least, the final preparations. The last rocket launch is that of the Agroponics Module, as well as the science array node. Also necessary will be two SSTO flights, each carrying 6 kerbals to Azimov. This will be the first time our first full SSTO, the A-19 Aquilae will be used in an official capacity: including a crew transfer to our LKO station Cornerstone, it will make three flights in the next few days.
  10. After some more time spent among the inner Joolian moons, JMC prepares to head out into far reaches of the Joolian system to get a glance at the last unexplored moon of Jool: the mysterious Bop. Several highlights are shown here: top image is an exceptional image of Laythe. JMC's mangetometer reports that Laythe does indeed have a signifcant magnetic field. The powerful aurorae are not caused by the solar wind, rather, by Laythe's magnetic field interacting with the charged particles captured by Jool's much more powerful magnetic field. Despite most of the inner regions being part of Jool's massive radiation belts, Laythe's magnetosphere creates a "safe harbor," screening out the charged particles absorbed by Jool. Combined with the atmosphere and possibly an ozone layer, radiation levels on Laythe's surface would not be extreme, and life may lurk in the deep oceans. Exemplary here is Laythe's clouds, their wispy effect being caused by extremely fast winds in the upper troposphere, a large extinct volcano, its mysterious glowing clouds, and its poles, which appear to be frozen water ice, not unlike Kerbin. Both bottom images are taken from Tylo, clear evidence of the age of Tylo's surface: craters identified here are Ida Planitia and Grissom Crater, respectively. Don't let the small size of the images confuse you, Grissom Crater alone is tens of kilometers wide! Bop, like Pol, is strangely colored and shaped for its size. Despite being larger than Pol, and indeed Minmus, since it is less dense it also sits at a similar point to Pol, right at the point where gravity is enough to coalesce the body into a sphere. Its surface appears to be quite featureless, and its apparently icy density doesn't explain its dark, almost charcoallike texture. Bop appears to be a large chondritic, rubble-pile asteroid: a term for a body composed of smaller boulders held together by their mutual gravity, and covered with a thin layer of dust. Its chondritic nature would appear to explain both its color and featureless terrain: this is merely a layer of dust. Hints of brighter ejecta seen in some images would appear to support this idea. Only one flaw: chondritic asteroids do not appear this far out in the solar system! How then, could Bop have reached the Joolian sytem? Back around Kerbin, Accipiter XIV has launched another Eve probe. The mission will deploy a lander to Eve's surface, rather than the ocean we sampled by EASO. The aim is to determine what Eve's surface is actually like: is it muddy or sandy, meaning we have to make sure our landing gear will not sink into the ground? Or is it rocky, and our chief worry will be whether our landing gear will be smashed by sharp rocks on touch down? It is the aim of the probe to find out. We intend to operate it on the surface for approximately a week, before the lander shuts down from our fuel cells running out. As for Phase II: I have not forgotten about it. A time table has been set for 45 days, which will be when the IKS Azimov will be the in the best position to leave. Crewing Azimov will be a coordinated affair: two SSTO flights carrying 6 kerbonauts each, full capacity for the A-19 Aquilae. Two launches remain before Phase II will be completed, and when our Minmus colony gains its first expansion. The next post will have more details.
  11. I'm really happy that we got this video; it definitely does inspire hope that the game will eventually get what it was promised. These effects definitely are better than the ones we saw last. Nice that it distinguishes itself from KSP1. However, I'm somewhat concerned that this doesn't appear to be in-game and the solar panels are not breaking. It looks like it'll be a couple of months before it'll be finished. It's a start, though, and glad to see we have something. Not sold on the whole "different atmospheres have different color effects" idea. I really like the detail that went into this part! If this is implemented I would love to use it on my crafts. Only one question... how will it be deployed! I would imagine that it would unfold somehow, probably not inflate due to the metallic appearance and the metal braces around it. Honestly this looks disturbingly like the KSP1 contract / science system. Perhaps this will be more of a suggestion rather than a necessity? This looks pretty nice, but again with the brightness! Unless it's designed to look like it has flashy crystals in the walls (which isn't something I'm opposed to), it is just way too high. Not a huge fan of the colors or the general texture either, combined with the incredibly bright specularity it looks like it's dirt that's been drenched in water.
  12. In the Kerbin system, Azimov has recieved the launch of two more components of Foundation Station. Beginning implementation is Citadel Base on Minmus, the first two being launched directly to Minmus via Harrier II rocket, and the other 5 modules being transported aboard Azimov during Phase III. The plan, as I have already stated, is for the core module to rendezvous with Foundation Station, detach the Minmus General Lander, and use it to transport the module to the surface in the proper location. However, when we attempted to dock the Citadel core module with the MGL, for whatever reason it couldn't fit inside. I had tested this and it had worked in testing. Whether I was wrong, or circumstances were bad, or the kraken insidiously altering my designs, I don't know. No matter how hard I tried, it seemed like the communications dish was just large enough to wedge the module with the fuel tanks. With really no other options, I had to send Agamin kerman on EVA to use Kerbal Inventory System to manually move the communications dish so that it could be docked. Not the height of realism, but I decided that it was better than simply giving up. Agamin and Shelvan pose in front of Citadel's core module. It contains the primary ISRU unit, secondary power, primary communciations, a small pressurized space, and will function as the center of Citadel. However, the hiccups weren't completely over. Once we arrived at the site and deployed our cargo, it was time to move the dish back to where it was before. This took a number of times because kerbals can only move things within a 3 meter radius, and repeatedly, trying to put the dish in place caused the explosion of the craft (Giving me flashbacks to when a single misplaced part via KIS destroyed an entire space station, killing its crew and taking out a long-range SSTO with it). But after everything was said and done, there is nagging problem. It appears that the base is oscillating ever-so-slightly from one side to the other, or perhaps sliding down the 0.6 degreee slope. It's not huge but it might be a source of general annoyance down the line. Meanwhile, JMC has relayed its first closeup images of Pol. After being swung into the far reaches of the Joolian system by a close encounter with Tylo, JMC was able to pass within 40 kilometers of Pol and map 8% of its surface in detail. Its colors appear to be predominantly yellow, with some darker orange areas and pale green mountain ranges. These colors are highly unusual: there are not many known chemicals that could be present past the snowline that could be capable of producing this coloration. The moon itself is unique, for it teeters right on the point of which gravity is enough to pull the moon together into a sphere rather than an irregular lump. As a result, the terrain on the moon is quite extreme, with enormous mountain ranges towering above the surface. A similar analogue would be Miranda in our own system, and perhaps a similar event happened to this moon that happened to Miranda in our own solar system, causing it to have some of the most extreme terrain in the Kerbol system.
  13. Of course, these are my general opinions, I am by no means trying to project this on everyone, but the reason why I call it style over substance is because of the overall art style of the game. I do think it's an improvement over the base game KSP1, but I don't like a lot of the aesthetics of the game. For instance, Eve's clouds: I've seen praise for them, but honestly I can't understand it. Its oversaturated, bright color and cotton-candy like texture make it look so... fake. Kerbin's clouds look better, but they still look like a caricature of clouds, like cotton balls in a fairy tale sort of clouds. The brightness on everything, the parts and the surfaces is just crazy high, like its made of glass. All the colors in general are very saturated, which looks good in some conditions but not all the time. The bright colors of spacecraft combined with the solar panels look...wrong to me. It's hard to really explain why. All this would be great if we had more content, but we don't have it right now and we probably won't for a while. It seems like more effort was put into making it look as bright and colorful as possible to draw in the sort of "fool around a couple times and never touch it again" buyers rather than the game mechanics itself. Even the engines we have right now are unbalanced: capsule + large spherical tank + swerv is capable of reaching most parts of the solar system and is easy to launch, which wasn't really the case in KSP1, unless you were willing to put up with 10 minute burn times.
  14. I agree with a lot of points here. However, I do have some objections. I know this is subjective, but I disagree on the tone and graphics. The graphics really grate on me because everything looks like it's style over substance. I think it could be improved, but that's issue number 137 on Intercept's list. What I like about KSP1 (and this isn't criticizing KSP2, I know it needs time to form a mod scene) is that the variety of mods allow everyone to play. The people who buy the game and smash stuff for 2 hours and never touch it again can buy the base game and leave it at that. For people who desire a more realistic style there's visual and parts mods. Even people who want an ultra-realistic experience can download RSS and RO. KSP2, on the other hand, is really not able to accommodate the way I like to play KSP1 until a similar mod scene exists or colonies get added. Also with the new graphics I almost feel like we've lost a bit of the KSP1 experience. Not everyone has graphics cards worth hundreds of dollars. Even on the worst Potato KSP1 could run, but KSP2 can't really do the same. I'm not intending this as a criticism, but I feel we've lost part of the culture of KSP1, but that was arguably unavoidable. I would agree that this is the case. But how do we know this is really the case? Do we actually have any material proof of this? If we do, great, but if not it's just a hypothesis.
  15. Honestly, my original opinion about the game remains unchanged. It's buggy, ultimately failed as a sequel, and there are times when I wonder whether players who share my strategy are even part of the intended audience. It feels like there's a weird mix between "haha kerbal go boom" reflected in the graphics and overall feel, and a realistic, methodical management game as reflected in the (unknown and unimplemented) colony gameplay. KSP1 has somewhat of the same problem but KSP2 exacerbates it by emphasizing the cartoonist aspect so much. Past is past, I believed we would've at least had science by now, and a much faster development. Part of me wonders whether things could ever have been different. But it seems like this entire project was flawed from the start, and even in an ideal world, we would've gotten the same result.
  16. Serenely floating, far away from the hectic launch schedule of the KSC, lies JMC, which is about to get its first good look at Tylo. Tylo is a rather interesting moon. Although not as mysterious as Laythe or Jool, it also has an air of mystery about it. Unlike most celestial bodies in the kerbol system, Tylo's surface appears to be old. Very old. Craters practically cover the surface, but unlike the Mun, there are also mountain ranges and canyons. However, its biggest mystery is its size: it is the size of kerbin! Unlike icy Vall and Laythe, multispectral scanners aboard JMC reveal it is relatively rocky, meaning it is not as dense as Kerbin. How it formed as well, is a mystery. It is far too massive to have ever realistically formed in the Joolian system. Along with its composition, it would appear that Tylo did not, in fact, form around Jool, but was instead a failed gas giant that formed a rocky-ice core, but for whatever reason, never attracted a gaseous cloud around it to become a true giant. That leads us to the second mystery of Tylo, the inverse of Laythe's situation: why does it not have an atmosphere? Surely a moon of this size would have attracted some form of atmosphere, and the fact that it does not even possess one is a question in itself. It also has several interesting features, such as a mountain range in the southern hemisphere, and a large crater in the northern hemisphere. All in all, the surface is filled with deep crags, canyons, and covered in craters. However, despite its potential scientific value, it's probably best viewed from afar. Its mass and punishing gravity makes it prohibitively expensive to attempt even an unmanned landing. However, Tylo's massive gravity is a boon for us: its gravitational pull is enough to swing us around Jool, and out towards Vall, the second moon from Jool. What's immediately clear about it is that it has a blue hue, coming from the ice that makes up its surface. Unlike the apparently geologically dead Tylo, Vall has enormous amounts of cryovolcanism, creating an exospheric "halo" around it, similar to the one around Minmus. The false color image on the right makes the halo much more clear. Vall is also quite a large moon, larger than the mun but smaller than its two neighbors. JMC was able to get within 300 kilometers of its surface, allowing us to make more detailed readings of its surface than we were able to gather around Tylo. The mass spectrometer reveals that Vall's halo contains significant amounts of ionic compounds such as sodium chloride, (salt), but predominately composed of water vapor. This appears to show that Vall is not frozen through, like Laythe, it may also have its own ocean, but merely submerged. However, the high salt concentration may indicate a mechanism for how Laythe has oceans: the freezing point would be lowered, allowing Laythe's frigid seas to stay liquid far past 0 degree centigrade. The Vall encounter is enough to give us two more Laythe encounters, which will kick up our orbit out to Tylo, which will allow us one more close flyby before we get slingshotted out into the totally unexplored outer regions of Jool's moons. However, these two flybys were much closer than the first, at 60 kilometers and 115 kilometers above datum (respectively). The angle of these images allows us to see the separate layers of Laythe's atmosphere, including its cloud formations and the clouds of glowing organic materials. The mass spectrometer is deployed to great effect during the brief moment that the sun directly shines through the atmosphere, allowing us the best-yet picture of the atmospheric composition. Yes there is oxygen, nitrogen, and traces of organic compounds, but we are able to gauge Laythe's atmospheric properties with a lesser margin of error. It appears the exosphere ends at approximately 50 kilometers above Laythe's sea level, and its atmosphere is correspondingly thinner than ours. Our second flyby is slightly farther out, but it allows us to use our radar, multispectral scanner, and composition scanner much more effectively. On this flyby, we uncover two major discoveries. The first, is a large, ominous storm. Based off its appearance, it resembles a familliar tropical storm on Kerbin. The thinner atmosphere, despite the high winds, would lessen the impact of any storm, but the discovery that these do happen is quite signifcant for a future colony. If we want to land kerbonauts here, we'll have to be ready for them. The other discovery is a large land-mass grouping, a boon for scientists, who based off the previous two flybys believed that Laythe was 90% water. However, this land-mass does suggest a much more violent past for Laythe. It appears to be an ancient volcano, stretching across 2% of Laythe's surface, that would have belched noxious gasses all across Laythe. Perhaps it is fortunate for us that most of Laythe's major volcanoes are inactive. Ultimately, the exploration of the three moons are revealing more and more about them. No longer are they enigmatic specks of light, they are now fully fledged worlds. But only one satellite cannot provide all the answers. If we want to learn more, and solve these mysteries, we'll have to send a fleet of landers, orbiters, aircraft, rovers, and perhaps one day, scientists.
  17. The A-19 Aquilae, fresh from two test flights, is now ready for its first expedition: a mission to Azimov. There were some difficulties, such as learning the action group for the elevon-airbrake system was reversed, but the A-19 bore the crew of three well. The purpose for our visiting here is threefold: the first, to see whether it could be done safely, the second, to make necessary maintenance to Azimov and conducting inspections, and the third, to supervise the docking of the next Foundation module, the Utility Module. After an unexpected delay of about a week, the module, which will store the bulk of Foundation's electrical supplies and monopropellant, has to dock in a quite tight space. Therefore it was decided that it was safest for kerbals to supervise the docking. As the A-19 is sitting in a hangar, ready to launch (as always), it was the best fit for the job to conduct this mission. It also glimphses a new future: where space travel is not an incredibly laborious and well-planned affair, rather, kerbonauts are the go-to for solving difficult problems in low orbit. Under the watchful eye of Kimny the Radiologist and a crewmen on EVA, the module is carefully slid into position. Once success is achieved, the crewmen put Azimov back into hibernation, seal the airlock and prepare to leave. Finally, the three land back on the KSC, the first official expedition complete. Meanwhile, to fit in with the theme of "mundane matters," they are being attended to elsewhere in the Kerbin system. A scheduled resupply mission, the third such mission, arrived at Cornerstone in LKO to refill its food sources. At Minmus, Shelvan and Newory are sent down to the surface to check out the premier landing site of our future mining base on Minmus: Citadel. It was selected both for its sky-high ore content (11%), and its flatness. Surface conditions are nearly perfect for a base: they confirm the high ore concentration, as well as the nearly flat surface, with only a 0.6 degree slope downward. There are several clearings among the large boulders that litter Minmus' hills that could be good spots for a base, and the smooth, icy surface is ideal for landing legs to have full purchase on the ground. Their mission completed, the general lander rejoins Agamin at Foundation Station.
  18. I understand, but it's very strange to post an update announcing a delay only on Twitter, link it to Discord, then wait 4 days for to make an announcement on the KSP forums with no new information aside from the new target date.
  19. The Mun, our nearest neighbor, has secrets of its own as well. The mystery began with Merlin VIII, which delivered one of the first landers to the Mun. It discovered a strange, "geological formation" as termed by the Program. The lander, the ATLT was sent not just to prepare for an eventual munar landing, but also to investigate a strange rock formation due just northeast of the (then-planned) landing site of the first manned munar landing, Sharp Crater. Its discovery left even the chattering braniacs at the KSC speechless. The picture revealed an Arch, utterly inexplicably standing there under its own weight. Scientists and Geologists immediately began rushing to find an answer. Scrutiny of previous images taken by the MASS probes revealed several more of these arches scattered around the Mun. Theories abounded: frozen lava flows, primordial "bubbles" floating up to the surface while the Mun was still molten, exposed rock formations, even perhaps the Mun having a thick, primordial atmosphere that sculpted these strange features before being lost to space. But, these theories either don't explain the arches, or why there aren't more of them. The Distant Whispers program was created to rebuild our completely defunct Munar mapping operation. Although numerous probes have been sent there in the past, not even a single operational probe remains in orbit today. Launched onboard Accipiter, Distant Whispers 1 and 2 consist of both an orbiting satellite and a rover equipped with robotic arms, a drill, and a chemical analysis lab. DW1 is designed to visit these arches for the first time, and sample material directly from them, the holy grail of Munar Science. After Accipiter returns to the KSC, the probes set out on their mission to explore the Mun. They begin by inserting themselves into low orbit around the Mun, allowing the rover to attempt a landing under its own power. However, due to the tight fuel budget onboard the lander, we are forced to land around 15 kilometers away from the target site. However, this isn't a problem because of our rover wheels, which will enable us to drive the distance. After testing the robotic arm and drill on a nearby crater, the rover sets out for the Arch. Finally, after several hours of driving, the rover reaches the Arch. Here, its true scale is revealed. Standing on a ridge overlooking one of the eastern nearside crater, as well as the nearby Sharp Crater, where kerbals first walked on another world. Now, for the main mission of DW1: sampling the arch. Strangely, as we approach the arch, the robotic arm inexplicably fails to recognize the enormous arch ahead of it. However, it was just used several times - why was it unable to recognize anything to commence the analyzation sequence? Could it be magnetic material within the rock causing it to go haywire? A few minutes checking a nearby confirms the robotic arm is working. However, the scientists are still able to deploy the drill, which successfully drills into the arch, and collecting nearly half a kilogram of material for the onboard chemical lab to dissect. However, if we really want to analyze it further, we'll need to return this material to Kerbin. Whether that's by kerbals or by a robotic mission, we don't know. However, the DW1 mission was incredibly valuable because we were able to finally able to see the Arch up close and even sample it, but as for data, it opened up more questions than it answered. The mystery of the arch, it seems, will continue to baffle kerbalkind.
  20. Good to know. My one question is how come this post was released today, rather than on the day that the delay was announced on twitter?
  21. In the darkness of space, lies the Jool Moon Clipper, hurtling towards its target, Jool and its five moons. We have elected to conduct a direct orbital insertion rather than a Tylo intercept to capture, as we just don't have enough information about Tylo's orbit or position to attempt a gravity assist properly, as well as the fact we have the delta V to conduct an orbital insertion. The orbital insertion proves to us a valuable lesson: even with two "Gigantor" solar arrays, at Jool, the Ion engine sucks up more power than we can replace. This can translates to about 10 minutes of thrust before we must recharge. Our first order of business after insertion is to conduct two short correction burns, one to increase our periapsis and the second to match planes with the moons. The plan is to first encounter Laythe, which will give us an encounter with Tylo 1 month later, from which we'll be able to get much closer looks at the inner two moons. In the meantime, we'll be able to make extremely close passes of Jool, allowing us to learn everything we can about the enigmatic giant. If Laythe is the most intriguing mystery of the Joolian system, Jool itself is not far behind. JMC confirmed ground telescope's findings of a strong green spectral line in the visible spectrum - It's green. How it's so vibrantly green, however, is unknown. Chlorine could cause that sort of coloration, but it's not feasible it could have been amassed in such concentrations. Another proposal is copper oxide (with the same problem), even microscopic life-forms floating in Jool's atmosphere. However, to truly confirm those suspicions, we will need a mission to find out. Orbiting deep within Jool's gravity well, Laythe is by far the most intriguing moon of Jool. Scientists using ground based telescopes have always suspected Laythe had an oxygen rich atmosphere, even an ocean, but these reports from JMC were unbelievable, in every sense of the world. Eagerly watching as Laythe grew from a few pixels to a world of its own, Laythe has an atmosphere, 20% Oxygen, 80% nitrogen, just like back home. It has oceans: not glorified lakes or ponds, but oceans covering the entire planet, a good deal more even than on Kerbin. As we approach, the moon becomes even more tantalizing. Scientists leap at the chance to finally study Laythe up close, however briefly, as we pass within 500 kilometers of Laythe's cloudtops. Too far for most of our instruments, but enough to snap detailed images of Laythe's surface. There are clouds: white water vapor clouds, and islands within the deep sea. JMC uncovers evidence of plate tectonics and abundant cryovolcanism, as well as hints of a more violent past: the crater in the top right of the image. It's almost too good to be true, and the questions begin popping up. How can Laythe have watery seas and an oxygen atmosphere, this far from the sun? Wouldn't radiation from Jool's enormous magnetic field fry any life on the surface? Does the required energy come from tidal activity from Jool, and how is it disseminated into the environment? On the left is a typical cloud formation on Laythe: white vapor clouds like our won, apparently high up and thin, swept by apparent strong winds in Laythe's atmosphere. On the right is a far, far more interesting feature. First apparent even from the first observations, were strange signatures in the spectrograph, as if Laythe was emitting light. These soon proved to be too large for a simple anomaly, and answering this question was a priority for JMC. The answer was phenomenal. These are seemingly clouds high up in the atmosphere, distinct from the bright water vapor clouds. These are comprised of organic material, glowing in the dark of Laythe's night side. Whether these are just chemical reactions activated by Jool's radiation in the upper atmosphere, enormous auroras, or something else is an open question. A daring new theory based off these observations is that these are in fact, enormous colonies of bioluminescent bacteria floating in the atmosphere, a tantalizing possibility too interesting to discount. If anything has been learned from this mission, it's that another is paramount. Second from Jool is Vall, an enigmatic, icy moon. From the thin halo clinging to the moon, there is also quite strong cryovolcanism, but it is not close enough to experience the same tidal forces to melt the surface as Laythe. Instead, volcanoes belch icy gasses into space, forming a small "atmosphere" out of nitrogen, ammonia, and methane gas and ice particles. Vall would most likely be quite similar to Laythe in composition, and perhaps if Laythe and Vall were to simply switch places, not much would be different. In terms of size, it's smaller than Laythe and Tylo, but still much larger than our own Mun. It's icier composition, however, means that it is less dense than rocky Tylo. Last but not least, we now have our best yet image of Pol, a mere four pixels! However, this in itself is interesting: Pol is small, and quite strongly colored. A minor, but important, discovery indeed. To close, we are left with this image of Laythe's night side as we leave. A picture speaks a thousand words.
  22. It's hard to begin Phase II without first describing where we're going. The purpose of Phase II will be to create the beginnings of our self sufficent ISRU operation. If you remember this diagram, our base will be sustained by periodic resupply missions, which will be in turn sustained by fuel mined on Minmus. This requires both a surface facility to mine and process the fuel as well as a large station to store and refuel our resupply vessels. The second mission to Minmus aims to mostly complete Foundation, our station in low Minmus Orbit. The primary goal will be to add the gravity wheel and docking center, as well as expand the science array by moving the MSRM and adding a hydroponics module and more general science module. Another implication of a state of the art cryonics laboratory: allowing various biological samples, animals, even kerbals to enter cryosleep for a short amount of time. These cryonics experiments will perhaps prove important for eventual missions to Jool. Another highlight is the largest gravity wheel ever designed, which will function as primary living and sleeping quarters for the crew. However, the fuel tank array (capable of storing 80% of Azimov's entire fuel capacity) will have to wait until Phase III, because the 7 modules we will already be transporting is close to Azimov's limit. The modules will be deployed onboard Azimov in this manner. It will carry a crew of 12: 3 Azimov pilots, 6 fresh crewmen for Foundation, 2 fresh crew for Elysium, and a drill specialist. Where does a drill specialist fit in here? A second priority (conceptualized here) is the first two modules of Citadel base: the eventual replacement to our current base, Elysium. Seen here is the core module and a drilling unit, containing most of the power and radiator equipment of the future base. In Phase III we will be deploying the rest of the 5 modules. Even with this bare mininmum, estimates point to be able to mine and process enough ore to fill an entire Jumbo-64 tank in the span of 5 hours. However, these will not be able to fit on Azimov. Instead, our plan is to launch these separately, but they are simply too heavy to bring along a whole separate skycrane. Rather, we'll deploy the modules to low Minmus orbit, and use the General Lander deployed by Phase I to deliver them to the surface. Once Azimov arrives, we'll bring a substantial team down to the surface, including the drill specialist, and mate the two modules together, and use the fuel to refill the General Lander. However, the tanker that will link the base to Foundation will have to wait until Phase III. Meanwhile, the Program barely rested before beginning production of Phase II in full force. Already we have launched two of the seven modules for transport to Minmus. Our engineers are confident Phase II will be completed in just two years: and then we'll be able to set our eyes on a target yet higher than Minmus: the interplanetary frontier.
  23. Back in Minmus orbit, at the end of a two month stay assisting the Foundation crew in setting up the station for permanent habitation, the Azimov is finally ready to leave. Substantial preparations must be made before it can though. The first order of business: regrettably, the Kestrel lander simply cannot be accommodated by Foundation at this time. It was deorbited and destroyed autonomously, perhaps an unceremonious end for the last mission of the Nova-E program. Next order of business is to retrieve the fuel storage module. This was done by emptying the fuel out into the main Azimov tanks in order to make it much easier to maneuver with the tug, and once the docking was completed, the fuel was transferred back into the module. The General Lander was also manuevered over. And with that: we are ready for separation. With that, we have completed Foundation. Commanded by Agamin Kerman, along with Newory and Shelvan Kerman, the three man outpost will provide a base of operations for all Minmus operations henceforth. However, Azimov, having completed its mission, is ready to return to LKO. Sherdon, Maxlie, and Nelbro, the remaining crew, are simply there to pilot Azimov back to a parking orbit, and subsequently be extracted by Accipiter XII. After several days and two 3 and a half deceleration burns, Azimov has finally arrived back in LKO. With Tedfred and Vasya Kerman piloting, Accipiter XII launches from the KSC in the early morning to extract the crew, and finally return them to Kerbin after their long mission. After a night docking, Accipiter has successfully docked to the vessel, and the Azimov crew finally say goodbye to the vessel they've called home for the past 6 months. And with its successful landing, Phase I is officially completed. Foundation has been set up, as well as Elysium. Now, the planners at the KSC behind the program finally allow their minds to turn to the next step: Phase II.
  24. First order of business: deploying the Elysium surface base. First down is the primary module. How do we bring the mdoules down to the ground, given the fact they have no propulsion of their own? They will be brought down by the Advanced Lander. The crew, Agamin, Nelbro, and Sherdon Kerman, stand together for a group shot. Next module coming down is the logistics module, which is quite heavy due to the sheer amount of fuel contained onboard. After everything is landed, we are now ready to commence the construction of the base. Both modules will be docked to each other, via the Base Assembly Vehicle (BAV) shipped together with the logistics module. This will hopefully allow us to simply drive the module and dock them together without any shenanigans. However, I found that whether due to the kraken insidiously altering my designs after being docked to a 200+ part vessel or due to the reinstallation, I was having problems with clipping meaning I could not drive it whatsoever. Instead, I decided to try and drive the primary module instead. After an extremely difficult driving session that can hardly be called "driving," (I was forced to use the reaction wheels to drag the front heavy module into position), Elysium was finally docked. Advanced Lander and Azimov pilot Sherdon, Scientist Rovin, and Mission Specialist Lemore Kerman pose for a victory shot next to Kerbalkind's first outpost on another world. Meanwhile, the next order of business is to deploy the rover. For some reason it was missing a landing leg, but it did not seriously affect our task. Rather than force them to walk, Sherdon kindly maneuvered the Advanced lander over rather than forcing the kerbonauts to walk 800 meters over to initiate deployment. With Lemore as the driver, the rover was maneuvered and parked next to the Elysium base. Getting in is merely a short spacewalk from the airlock. Finally, after we take one last look at our burgeoning outpost, (regrettably no deployable experiments, I should have brought some to give the base a little more character), Sherdon leaves Rovin and Lemore to their 2 year stay at the outpost, while he takes the Advanced lander back to Azimov. They will remain there for the next 2 months, before Azimov will leave Foundation Station to its work, and finally returns to Kerbin. However, as all of this happened, there were also a few minor events that occured as well. The Duna Advanced Exploratory lander, a much upgraded lander compared to the original DICE lander, was deployed to Duna's polar region with the aim of sampling its surface for water ice. Equipped with a scan arm, it was able to take a 3 dimensional picture of its surroundings. The poles, a rather baren place, appear to be quite hilly, and with relatively few boulders around. Also news swallowed up by the breathless headlines of kerbonauts walking on Minmus, the Program's first ever full SSTO, the A-19 Aquilae, launched not long after the crew wrapped up at Elysium. For its first test flight, it was launched fully autonomously, for fear that the aircraft would not be stable during reentry. I quite like its novel aerobraking system, and that it preserves the passenger's lovely view of their surroundings. Overall, I believe that it's quite a unique SSTO. However, there's something about its look that just grates on me, so perhaps this will not be the last descendant of the A-4 suborbital vehicle. However, this vehicle is quite capable of totally replacing LKO crew rotations to Cornerstone, a significant cost-saver for the program. Landing proves to be uneventful, and in true computer fashion: practically right on the western edge of the runway.
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