MPDerksen

Closer. I'm upright, but popped the engine (so no way to get home). Seems "practice" is in order. Second try sank into the swamp, but the third one landed soft and stable. Thanks all.

Pretty sure it burned down, fell over and THEN sank into the swamp. However, the 4th one did NOT stay up, so other than, "get better at it", what is a recommended m/s as I'm coming in? I'm using my shadow to estimate the ground, since I seem to be landing around 3K, and don't see any other gauge of how far off the ground I really am.

This might be somewhere in the manual, but: I collected a bunch of science while on EVA with a scientist. This included the Science Jr., surface samples, and data from Goo, barometric and 2HOT units. I go to get back in the MK-1, and I get an alert, "Experiments you have collected cannot be stored on this MK1 Command Pod. Are you sure you want to continue?" Does this mean I lose everything I went outside to get? Michael

Thanks to the great responses to my first question(s). Now for #2.... I landed on Mun, but forgot that the science was all BELOW the heat shield. So I got the surface sample and the EVA etc, but missing all the rest. So I added a probe brain and boarded my Scientist, rather than a Pilot. I also had upgraded the landing legs! However, I've tried my final landing approach from 20K meters above the surface 6 times so far. half the time, I end up bouncing, but landing on my side (no, I can't launch that way, tried it....), or landing hard enough that I blow up the engine, and THEN fall onto my side. I have a list of questions, but at the point of my quicksave, I'm at 20K altitude, doing about 250m/s. My issues seem to come from the fact that I have a yellow "Limited Crew Control", which makes holding retrograde really tough. Remember as I ask my questions that I've only had the sim for about a week or so (in other words, use small words). Also, while there might be helpful mods, I'd like to get advice assuming I have none. 1. When I first launch and get into Kerbin orbit, I typically end up having to do a Normal/Anti-Normal burn, since my inclination relative to Mun is around 5 degrees. Not a big deal, but is this step a fuel waster? Or a wise practice? Current mission it took 25 seconds of burn to correct 4.7 degrees. 2. I try to end up leaving my Pe opposite of Mun, and then burn prograde from there to create my Mun intercept. When I create a maneuver point, all of a sudden the screen fills with lines and data that I can make little sense of. I have my regular Blue, current line, right? But there are Orange lines, and also Purple ones. They seem to intersect and change direction. Often, I end up dragging my Prograde/Retrograde and Normal/Anti-Normal bars on the marker, just trying to get something logical. But since I'm not sure why I'm off, I then have no solid idea what to change! On the last play, I needed 56 seconds of burn to get to a reasonable intersect with Mun. That seems like a large amount! Once I'm close, I can set myself into Mun orbit easy enough, but I do end up in a vastly different inclination. This becomes evident if I try to get back to Kerbin. 3. When I fly with a Pilot I get some additional SAS buttons, like "Prograde". I thought using a probe core was my "pilot replacement unit"..... lol. But since I'm over Mun now, and I have what I have, any advice for a softer landing? On this play, I was at 600m/s at 70K above the surface. I slowed to 250m/s at 20K and did a quicksave. Now, here I am. Michael

So I posted just 36 hours ago, and just look how much I’ve already learned!!! I thought I was enthusiastic before, but now I have a dozen flight plans buzzing around my head I want to try. Not sure how to control the box on re-entry, but maybe it’s time to stop asking, and start trying stuff. Don’t worry, I’ll be back with plenty more ways for you to show your brilliance. Cheers, Michael

Right, “Scientist”, not “Engineer”. Words matter here. What is the Experiment Storage Unit that I see in the build screen? The description is fairly vague, and it’s a different size then my Science Jr. so I’m not sure how I would implement it into a craft design. my brain miss-fired exactly the same as yours, and I was, indeed, referring to Mun and Minmus voyages, so I read what you had lined out!! My buildings are all level 2 at the moment, and I’ve played with the controls a bunch. I know the effects of Prograde, etc. but I still I’ve been lucky to end up in Mun Orbit. I’ve done it 3 for 3, but still don’t think it’s because I’m brilliant, or that the process is easy. I want to UNDERSTAND what I’m doing, not just click, get lucky and move on. Michael

It seems that the only reason for an Engineer is if i want to reset an experiment. And the only reason to reset it would be if I wanted to collect from same instrument, but from a second location. Pilots EVA as well as Engineers, yes? And the EVA report can be redone once I go back in the capsule, then EVA a second, (third, fourth...) time. That said, if I want 2 Goo experiments, I can simply carry 2 Goo instruments. Same cannot be said, reasonably, for the Science Jr. given its’ size. I got started by watching a bunch of Scott Manley’s YouTube videos, and he always did the Goo and 2HOT in pairs, which is why I was doing the same. I did a bit of reading on Hohmann transfers and while I am getting the idea, I’m still a bit confused on the various ways to set up an intersect. I think I need to get to orbit, try my best to set up my line, then post the screenshot. Clearly this is a friendly, and helpful forum, so thanks in advance. Michael

Snark, all that is SUPER helpful. The bottom line, for me, is that there would be decreasing returns for me at this point, to go hunting all the various biomes. Instead, I’ll practice trying to land somewhere new after each mission to get what I can from the ground after the bigger missions (Alt-F5 is my friend before re-entry). I’m also not going to get really stressed about predicting the perfect launch physics. I’ve come back from the Mun 3 times, and each was almost NO fuel left, so I’m cutting it really close. I’ll try and find some lander examples to model and go get me some surface samples. Above there was mention of a forum of such examples???? Cheers, Michael

Right, so let’s not wait to be a “space program” then. Looking up the various biomes in the Wiki, and realized there are a few I didn’t hit with my rover around KSC last time. Plus, I now have the barometric one. I’ll do that, then get an enginer on the surface of Mun (and Minmus). I’ll start a fresh thread about better understanding intersecting orbits, but perhaps a last question here: When building a rocket, how do I know what dV it has before I test it? I have been fairly much guessing if 2 vs 4 SRB are needed etc. Indeed I’m excited. My nephew gave me this for my 50th birthday, knowing a was a long time SimCity fan. It’s brilliant.

WOW!!! I never saw the “archives” tab. That’s genius!!! Unlike me, apparently. Tonight I did 3 contracts in a single launch, but it took a few try’s to time it all. Looking at my archives, I can tell there is a LOT of science to do just on Kerbin before I do my first Mun landing. I’ve done 3 trips there so far, but I’m pretty much randomly clicking the maneuver arrows for an intersect. I need to do more homework on how to incline my orbits etc. Focusing just on Kerbin science then, make an orbital craft with: 2 Goo, 2 2HOT, 2 barometric, and a science Jr.? Use a scientist, get into a hight orbit, EVA and collect as many biomes as possible. Reset everything and store after each one. Then, lower my orbit (how low?) and repeat. If I can incline my orbit to fly over the poles, that’s probably a second flight. Do I have all that right? Finally, repeat this over Mun and Minmus? Looking at “Situations”, I have I have 6 for Kerbin: Surface Landed, Surface Spashed, Flying Low, Flying High, In Space Low, & In Space High. Looking at Biomes, and specifically “Grasslands”, should I be able to collect Goo, temp etc. from each of landed, flying low, flying high, and both Space levels? Seems that would add up a LOT. Then we add Surface samples at each location. It seems like I moved on to the Mun long before I really needed to (other than it was a fun challenge). Can I put a MK1 with a scientist right above a probe “pilot” so I can have SAS? As far as rotation, I realized I can use “Q” and “E”.... Sorry for the extra noob-ness. I’ll spend the next few days of game time to explore Kerbin and the Mun biomes, then come back for some landing advice. I will need to learn to post pics at some point, but I do appreciate the helpful advice I’ve gotten so far.

Thanks for that. Is there a way to check my history and see what science I’ve already gotten so I can fill in the gaps? For example, I know I’ve gotten grassland, and upper atmosphere temps over the grasslands, or have I? I don’t want to miss anything, but also don’t want to waste time redoing things.

New Player here. I’ve successfully orbited, and returned from Mun a few times with probes (no live Kerbals or landings there just yet. That’s next). So I’m good on orbits, as well as setting up my target burns. Obviously still need practice on picking landing sites. I have collected various science with the Goo and Too-Hot, high, low, water, grasslands. I even built a rover and drove around collecting all the “biomes” at the KSC. Thanks Scott Manley for that idea. But I forgot all about the barometric instrument. I have no idea what biomes are still not mined. How do I find that out? I want to make efficient use of my Mun trips, which I’m about to try my first landing there. Second, when I go to the Mun, should I take a Scientist? Or just use a pilot and beam the science back? Last, if I create a Mun lander with a Science Experiment “box” below the engine, will my Kerbal be able to get back into the cockpit for return? Do I add ladders? (I haven’t unlocked those yet). I have 183 science, but want to use that for my fuel lines so I can asparagus my first stage. And last, again: I seem to have rotate issues at launch. This makes it a bit harder to lean over due East and I end up in inclined orbits. No big deal for Mun, but I think that’s going to create some issues when I shoot for Minmus (which is next). If this is best broken into multiple parts, I’m happy to repost. I’m truly new to the game, but having some success.