medicdude

Also I changed the format of the Doc list so you only have to change the turn number in one place, and you can easily add/remove names to the autolist, hope you like.

Turn 80 is complete and uploaded as turn 81 https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B0eMT8zRijNmaEx6UkhkU2hScWM Kerbin LKO station now has a science lander ready for in-system deployment (also deflate 64 ultra gave me much improved file size, down to 6.5MB from 8.5)

Ho boy, ok I will try to be done within the hour.

So I have a design ready that uses 3 lander cans A,B,C. A&B go to the mun together, A is the mun lander which uses spark engine to land and return with FLT200 tank approx 65 liquid fuel, and I have enough spare fuel on the transit over to do that landing at least 3 times (which would be enough to go to minmus on the third one). B is the return to orbit lander that has just enough fuel to pull away from mun orbit and return to kerbin. C is the secondary launcher can that take off from launchpad and gets into mun orbit and docks back up with A for the second and third landings, and then would return to Kerbin for the final descent. I still have about 7 tons to spare (43 tons right now) for design changes or extra fuel in here. My only remaining hurdle is getting a precise re-entry with B so I can get get back inside the C-return vessel. I know I can use mods to do this, but it would be really neat if I could math out the ideal return path on stock using just transit time to periapsis as a baseline for re-entry timing. If anyone has any suggestions or experience in doing precision re-entry landings, I would very much appreciate it.

In order; Long loads, noodle rockets/SAS instability (somewhat fixed with autostruts), excrement (apparently you can't use the 4 letter word for excrement?!?) wheels, lack of auto-saving to restore broken or kracken'd ships, and breaking of mods between versions. The one big thing I'm looking forward to is the upcoming mission system improvements in making history, one thing I feel has been sorely lacking. Although I've never experienced it I'm also flabbergasted that there are issues with RAM ceiling and the year is almost 2018. I'll pay more money if I really have to, but plz squad, fix the broken things please, and provide a proper API for modders so you don't break their stuff with every patch, the ones literally providing your product additional value. And CKAN (or something very similar) should be the official tool for mods, and should be accessible from main menu.

I'm having a lot of trouble blowing up VAB with anything 2500 or cheaper, any suggestions?

@53miner53 Of course, it totally should be, I hadn't even considered that.

Nice, I'm totally doing this then, Mk1 Lander Cans to the max. And I won't be using any of those silly airbreathing engines either, real kerbals burn rocket fuel.

I'd like to submit a power and thermal module design for KSS2 (and any other stations in need of it). It has 3 jumbo 64 arms with 2x gigantor arrays and 1x large TCS each, normally 5 arrays are at 100% operation, drops to 4 arrays if the sun is directly behind an arm. Also any 4 arrays could be destroyed and still provide at least 1 array of full output. Each arm also has a senior docking port on the end, and one strut to another arm to prevent axial rotation wobble. The main vertical spire is a Mk3 Liquid and a mk3 Rocket Fuel Fuselage with a senior docking port on each end. Total part count is 17 (plus 5 senior docking ports). If needed to reduce part count you could remove 4 arrays and 2 TCS systems for 11 parts (plus 5 senior ports). You could remove the supporting struts as well, but triplet symmetry is a wobbly (expletive) without them. You could also hold a ton of liquid fuel and oxidizer in all the tanks. Screenie: https://i.imgur.com/a/HDZMg also uploaded a craft file to the KSS2 google drive here https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B0eMT8zRijNmLUw5REhDU284Z2c

I signed up for turn 81, I'm not exactly sure whose turn it is right now? It looks like the station is in need of scientific instruments, so I'm going to dock a small probe with science instruments wherever i can find a regular docking port to connect to.

I think the USSR could reconfigure some surplus solid rocket boosters to push payloads into orbit, instead of into the ocean. A ridiculously overpowered first stage will allow a much lighter second stage for pushing payloads into final orbit.

Are you allowed to undock a secondary launch vehicle at the launchpad for later use? I totally think I can do less than 50 tons rockets only, using lots of rendezvous. As long as I don't have to lug this secondary launcher into orbit. I might still be able to do it with orbiting the second launcher, but its going to be design heavy.

Thankyou for the welcome DAL59 I would like to sign up for USSR mission 6, munar impactor, I have a very cheap design ready to go for it.

USSR Mission number 5 is complete, but I could only make an orbit to 59km periapsis, I performed the EVA while in space past 70km, then got back inside the pod for the atmospheric re-entry. This also means we will need some other vehicle to rondevous for mission number 7. Hopefully that meets the mission requirements but I'll need DAL59 to adjudicate Here is VAB image of the craft https://imgur.com/a/k6sZi at 6651 Funds. Heres a twitch link to the video: https://go.twitch.tv/videos/188988397

Ok I intend to launch mission 5 for USSR in about 20 minutes (6:30PM EST), I will be streaming it on twitch. I'm going to be using KER for info instead of mechjeb, if that is ok? Here is a picture of design https://imgur.com/a/k6sZi, just a command pod with docking junior two radial chutes, FLT800 tank, swivel engine, and some hammer boosters with modified thrust profiles. Here's a link to my twitch https://go.twitch.tv/zerohourrct

I'd like to do a mission for USSR; is the manned EVA the next flight? I just have to get into orbit at 70km and do an EVA from command pod, right? My intention is to also fit a docking port on the design as a rondevous target for mission number 7.

Thanks for the feedback Joseph Kerman and Rocket In My Pocket, I have another very successful aero-capture entry at 5786m/sec with a 20km apoapsis This is without a mun boost, just burning a poodle with a full kerbodyne 7200. I tried out some wings on this design, they burned up pretty fast. There was some aerodynamic instability after the wings burned off, I managed to stabilize without burning up by opening the cargo bay doors, I might have to try some smaller fins that can fit behind the heatshield. Anyways, pics: https://imgur.com/dGSo5T7 and https://imgur.com/C40TyI7 (Insert other media still won't work for me, maybe its blocked for newbie accounts?)

A new survival at 5544 m/sec has been achieved, with significant slowing from the atmospheric entry. I did not realize the slowdown would be so significant XD. I will try bringing up a large heatshield with the next craft and place the survival modules behind the service module. I will have to add separate challenge categories for fastest 70km velocity and greatest atmospheric break performed based on initial and final velocity at 70km. Imgur screenshot of -0.1 sec to periapsis: https://imgur.com/a/wKcmS (Err, how do I embed the imgur picture so it actually displays inside the post?)

Second attempt ended in explosion at 64km, I will instead go for a 69km grazing with the next approach. Finally a success, going 5768 m/sec past kerbin, with a periapsis of a measly 69,380, resulting in a beautiful kerbin escape velocity of 5011 m/sec, enough to break the conic limit around the sun, for a kerbol eccentricity of 1.315, wooo-e!

So my first attempt has ended in glorious explosions at 56km going 4835 meters/sec, this is apparently far too low for the single heatshield; I will try again at a much higher periapsis of 62km.

All kerbals agree that going fast is a lot of fun. Kerbal scientists need you to find out exactly how much fun they can have by going really, REALLY fast around Kerbin. The challenge; push an 8.025ton (or more) payload through the atmosphere of Kerbin, and survive, using only intra-kerbin system maneuvering (mun and minmus flybys/bounces only). The details: Your final payload must include an MPL Mobile Processing Lab, Cupola Module, 2.5m service bay, full 2.5m heatshield, and an additional 1.1250 tons (or more) of discretionary mass (full FL-T200 tank for reference). Stock engines and fuel tanks only. Starting orbit around Kerbin is 80km apoapsis maximum, 70km periapsis minimum (ideally 75km circular if using orbit editing). All flight assistance mods are allowed, and any non-thrusting mod parts may be added to the payload. (EDIT: Because a 2.5m heatshield just doesn't cover enough, you will probably need at least a 3.75m heatshield) A 'bonus' refuel while landed on minmus is allowed, if desired, an independent refuel rover is allowed to dock and disconnect to starting craft. You could edit to landed on minmus if you really want, but that takes all the fun out. You may submit entries with a starting mass of 25, 51, and 100 tons (or less), payload included. The reference entry is simply the default payload plus Kerbodyne S3-7200 tank plus Poodle engine (50.275 tons), a good design should be able to squeeze more delta v than this. The ultimate goal of the challenge is re-enter kerbin OR skim kerbin's atmosphere with the fastest velocity, and survive (lower is faster, but also hotter). Any scoring or design recommendations are welcome.

Today was my first experience with the kraken, I was attempting a close flyby of the sun in sandbox mode. Then suddenly the Kraken took hold of my precious spacecraft, ripping everything to shreds, except the command pod. It's power was enough to fling me on a 1.48 GM/second escape velocity away from the sun.

It is very expensive tech-wise just to get a munar landar, I think the early-er tech nodes should be consolidated and/or made cheaper, so you can build a 1.25m craft that is lander and re-entry capable for a very low amount of science. The big hurdle science wise is landing on the mun, once you can do that you can generally just 'add more' to go anywhere you want. I also think the stock science tree branches out too fast, early nodes should really focus into 3 areas; building vertically bigger (higher thrust engines, vertical separators, and bigger short-form fuel tanks, fairings), building smaller (probe cores, smaller engines, more efficient engines, higher TWR engines), and building out-wards (radial decouplers, fuel lines, long-form fuel tanks, SRBs, lower TWR engines, docking). Maybe you could add additional tree branchs around flight, landers/rovers, and other utility items, but they could also be lumped into the other 3 core areas. A lot of the basic utility items are much too expensive I think, like electricity, parachutes, heat shields; you really should be able to unlock all of the 1.25m utility items almost right off the launch pad, or have a very cheap tree branch to do this very early. In stock once you can make it to the mun, you can pretty much farm enough science to purchase everything, especially if you go for the MPL; my personal strategy is generally to beeline thru probes to get to the MPL as soon as I can. Maybe science tree unlocks could be tied to intra-kerbol exploration to incentivize leaving the solar system; but I think that is really more of a problem with the mission system than with the science system. It's really not hard to land on the mun even with the really basic cave-man tech stuff, as long as you have radial decouplers and struts you can build capable landers. I think a big issue is newbie players THINK they need to unlock all that other stuff and they just get entirely overwhelmed, when really they just need to add more; boosters, stages, and build outwards.

Also I found out today why I had never seen the it before, in Esc -> Settings under Gameplay the 'Enhanced Tweakables' must be checked to view the hibernate in warp tweakable (among others). This is disabled by default options.

Some other thread I read stated you can use kopernicus to move KSC, never used it myself. I figure you could move ksc just slightly out to sea so it's in the water to the depth you want.