Mars-Bound Hokie

I could say the same thing about Tim C's car when I replaced the hinges with the M-12 servos and configured them as you did. In fact, I'd say there was some more flapping in my prototype than yours when I underwent the same maneuvers. Overall, thanks to your help and letting me look inside the Blackwood, I was able to get a stable prototype working. Unfortunately, Tim C's jet did not achieve anywhere near the velocity I was hoping for (1400 m/s or higher). In fact, when compared to the Blackwood's test run, it seems pretty lame. If you take a look at the performance stats below, you'll see why. For a bit of context, I tested the Blackwood's range flying at full throttle along the equator. More specifically, I was testing to see if it could fly around the planet's circumference (plus whatever ground would be added due to the planet's rotation) and I wanted to log a good cruising altitude and velocity. The Blackwood had flown almost 1,200 km away from the KSC before I was running on fumes and had to land. I also had to keep the engines running in dry mode to avoid the power going out during gliding, since it only has 50 charge capacity. That's exactly why I have batteries in all my (serious) aircraft, so the craft doesn't lose power and die during gliding. And why I had a 1,000 charge minimum rule in my Around the World in 80 Minutes challenge from years ago. I did the same to Tim C's Car. Though it has nearly triple the range as the Blackwood, it ultimately fell ~380 km short of the KSC. At least in the first test flight of the new prototype, which was before I put 156 Lf units back in the rear tanks. The second run was successful, albeit I was running on fumes near the end and had to glide. (UPDATED) Jet Cruise Stats Blackwood Tim C's Car Average Airspeed (m/s) 810 (W) 795 Average Altitude (km) 17.5 (W) 17 Range (km) ~ 1,200 ~ 4,712 (W) Tim C's stats have been replaced with the results from the second test run, which had the extra fuel added The range for Tim C's car was calculated as follows: The 1.5 part will be explained later. I was looking forward to building a jet that could match, or even surpass, Bill's Car in terms of speed while being able to complete the circumnavigation. Sure, my wings still have a bit of flapping (at least when the wings are out), and it's even more obvious in sharp maneuvers, but it's nowhere near as bad as it was before. As long as the plane is stable, there shouldn't be a problem. Plus, it's pretty "kerbal" of us to design a supersonic jet whose wings can "flap." Anyway, here are some pictures of Tim C's (second) test flight. Though the first run wasn't too bad, I figured I can do better. Takeoff went well. No (excessive) wiggling, and it got airborne at a reasonable speed. After I got airborne both times, I switched the afterburner to supersonic mode and swept the wings to begin the circumnavigation flight. Pretty neat sunset shot, huh. Would make for a beautiful desktop background, actually. This was taken during the first test run. Though I said I would take the stats for the second one, I'll leave pictures I think look cool. After the aircraft autopilot finally got its act together, it flew at a steady flight path along the equator at the speed and altitude mentioned in the above table. Took longer to figure out where in the first test flight than the second run. Another cool snapshot that was taken at the first test run. I had to cut off the engines when I noticed that I had 95 Lf left. I may not have been able to make it to the KSC in this case, but at least I can do an off-road landing test. Just like in the Blackwood test flight, I had to go into glide mode. This plane was very easy to control. However, I didn't have to keep the engine running continuously to preserve electric charge. (FIRST TEST RUN) Tim C standing in front of his prototype in the desert. Picture taken 393.8 km away from the KSC (so close). All pictures following this line will be from the second test run. Tim C's jet flying nose-first into the night. 100 km away from the KSC at over 17 km altitude. You can barely make out the lights beneath the horizon. I was at 100 units LF left when this shot was taken, so I cut the engines and extended the wings so I can glide. Surprisingly, I was able to glide all the way there without much of a hitch I did have to turn the engines on (but in regular mode) when I saw that I was flying off-center to the runway and soon before touchdown. Almost there. Tim C giving a salute after a successful circumnavigation flight around Kerbin. Rare footage of adult Tim C Kerman with a standard KSP haircut. Overall performance stats for this flight. As seen in the upper right corner of the screenshot, Tim C was almost out of gas. Like low enough to get a stern talking-to from the FSDO at the very least. Unlike his dad's personal supersonic jet, he was NOT able to make it around the world in less than 80 minutes. Rather, it took him nearly 90. That's why I included 1.5 hours in the range calculation. (Circumference of the planet) + (distance the KSC moved in the 1.5-hour period) = ground distance traveled = range His "uncle's" jet also beat his time and cruising altitude, but at great risk of exploding and his flight also ended with a nearly-empty tank. Jeb's not actually Tim C's uncle; he's just close friends with Bill, so that's why Bill's and Val's kids call him "Uncle Jeb." His mom's jet's circumnavigation time is unknown. So, anyway, that's it for Tim C's Car's test run. I'm welcome to suggestions on how to improve performance, if you all have any. Overall, thank you for your help - especially you, @swjr-swis. Craft file: https://kerbalx.com/Mars-Bound_Hokie/Tim-Cs-Car

I made a replica of Boston's guitar-shaped spaceship and attempted to fly it. The craft five seconds after liftoff. If you look at Boston's iconic album cover, you can see the resemblance. Understandably, this craft was a pain to keep semi-stable. What really irked me was having to find a suitable thrust limit for the six Twitch engines at the headstock. RECOMMENDED THAT THIS CRAFT BE USED FOR SHOWCASING PURPOSES ONLY Craft file: https://kerbalx.com/Mars-Bound_Hokie/Boston-UFO

After @swjr-swis posted his replica of the Bell X-5 on the USAF Museum Replica Showcase, I decided to try and make my own variable sweep-wing aircraft. I then looked inside his plane, as seen in the screenshot below, and decided to mimic it in "Tim C's Car" - which would be based loosely on the F-14 Tomcat. The interior of @swjr-swis's Bell X-5 replica. I implemented the same angle limit and target angle (both in part settings and action groups) for my own aircraft. However, when I put the finished product on the runway, the wings started wobbling up and down. It stopped after a few seconds - and after I confirmed that the H and N keys were working as expected - but it started again when I hit 70 m/s during takeoff. After using up almost all the runway on wet mode (yes, I'm using Panther engines) to take off, the wings that remained on the plane look like they're flapping - hence causing a loss of control followed by a crash. I started with a Wing Connector B, D, and then a Small Delta Wing. The wings touched the runway and snapped off every time. When I removed the D connectors, the outcome remained the same as prior. I then replaced those wings with single swept wing parts, but still got wobbling wings - although there were way fewer instances of snapping off on the runway. Even when I tried autostrut - grandparent part and rigid attachment, it was no use. Before you ask, I doubt the takeoff length is due to bad aerodynamic design. I copied the prototype but kept the swept wings fixed (as in no variable sweep-wing mechanism), and the plane took off just fine. Tim C's personal supersonic jet - or "car," as named per family tradition - flapping its wings. How can I get my supersonic plane's wings to stop wiggling all the time? Here's the craft file of the latest variable sweep-wing prototype if you want to mess with it: https://mega.nz/file/LfxjSa7A#WBfQEUkCpdAAqCubWl1yiX9hiSczPHBxbdLd-QHLDoE Thank you all very much.

Yeah, how can we give an accurate answer on how to help you if we don't know exactly what we're working with? A screenshot of the contract would be nice as well, as well as how far into the tech tree you are. Is it explicitly required to have wheels? If so, what kind? If not, then why do you want a mobile base? Is it to gather science in various biomes and harvest science faster? Exactly what kind of transmission equipment is required? Specific antenna models? Relay vs direct? What kind of equipment do you have at hand? Here's my favorite Mun Base, a replica of the Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated building from Phineas and Ferb. That base won't pass your contract, but I have a mobile base that probably will (assuming the contract isn't too restrictive on the wheel type). Though the rocket is designed for a Duna landing, it can be easily modified for a Mun landing - or just straight-up launch it there as-is, wiggle the mobile base off the last rocket, and deal with the profit loss. The lab is stashed in the cargo area behind the cockpit. Hope this helps, and welcome aboard.

Alternatively, you could hit the blue "Space Center" button after hovering over the altimeter at the top of the screen.

Before going to bed last night, I made a replica of the space station depicted in Blue Öyster Cult's Club Ninja album cover (see below) Source: Wikipedia Shuttles not included, although I won't be surprised if someone made spacecraft similar to those already Besides, I already have a couple of solid docking-capable spaceplane models for this Not the P-5 Olympian, since it would most likely end up colliding with the station The Club Ninja at 300 km altitude with a 45-degree inclination. The delivery rockets still had ~2700 m/s of delta-V left before detachment. A subsequent test run proved that the rockets would have at least 2,800 m/s left if launched at an orbit half that altitude and at 0 degrees inclination. Plenty of fuel to get to Ike. I installed support beams at the center of the curve so that it didn't wobble and break off during liftoff. Whoever drew that album cover must have rejected the idea of the entire station being sent in one launch - or was too drunk/high to remember supports. Honestly, I'm surprised nobody else built this already. Just like when I built Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated years ago; nobody else thought of making a replica on KSP. Craft file: https://kerbalx.com/Mars-Bound_Hokie/Club-Ninja I guess I'll see ya "Dancin' in the Ruins" tonight

I have recreated the space station depicted in the album cover of Blue Öyster Cult's Club Ninja (see image below), sent it to LKO after two failed attempts (and more boosters), and posted it on KerbalX. Source: Wikipedia Shuttles were not included in this test run. Now that you all know what I was aiming for, here's how it turned out. The Club Ninja at 300 km altitude with a 45-degree inclination. The delivery rockets still had ~2700 m/s of delta-V left before detachment. A subsequent test run proved that the rockets would have at least 2,800 m/s left if launched at an orbit half that altitude and at 0 degrees inclination. Plenty of fuel to get to Ike. I installed support beams at the center of the curve so that it didn't wobble and break off during liftoff. Whoever drew that album cover must have rejected the idea of the entire station being sent in one launch - or was too drunk/high to remember supports. Honestly, I'm surprised nobody else built this already. Just like when I built Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated years ago; nobody else thought of making a replica on KSP. Craft file: https://kerbalx.com/Mars-Bound_Hokie/Club-Ninja I guess I'll see ya "Dancin' in the Ruins" tonight

Wise men say only fools rush in, but I... Prepare yourselves for an awesome piece of history with the Lockheed VC-140B Jetstar. Also known as the L-1329 Jetstar, as the civilians know it. The aircraft and cargo itinerary on display in the SPH. I included the AKA part in the craft name in case anybody's looking for the civilian model as well as the Air Force One variant If they want to alter or remove the flags after downloading, they're more than welcome to do so. With all the fuel tanks loaded, the plane was so tail-heavy that it leaned backwards as soon as it was on the runway. As a result, I had to add another fuel tank and some oxidizer to the front as well as drain the rear tanks so that takeoff would be more balanced. In other words, I had to trade range for balance. Another problem I encountered was that the outer engines would flame out sooner due to their tanks not being connected to the rest of the them. I then installed fuel lines so that the plane would have consistent thrust throughout the entire flight - but at the cost of draining the fuel supply faster. In conclusion, the aircraft is at almost half capacity when you take off and expect a terrible range. We interrupt our scheduled aircraft showcase to bring you a short tidbit of history with a side of Kerbin lore. Now back to our feature presentation: The Jetstar taking off from the KSC. Immediately after this photo was taken, Jeb remembered to turn the cabin lights back on. The Jetstar getting airborne. "Houndog has left the building," Jeb said as he took off in the Jetstar. That saying was made popular to disperse lingering audiences, paparazzies, and other groups of fans at the end of Houndog Kerman's concerts. The jet being tested is not the same jet that Houndog Kerman himself used, but since Jeb recognized this plane as the same model, he decided to use that popular saying on the comms. He was flying an old military transport that was used only for high-ranking officers and immediate assistants. RIP, Though I was barely able to match its real-life counterpart’s cruising speed of ~250 m/s, I was not even close to its service ceiling of 13.7 km. This picture was taken at ~4 km altitude. After Jeb was directly over land, he decided to do a barrel roll in the Jetstar despite warnings that it was not designed to do aerial stunts. When ATC asked why on the radio, he answered, "Houndog died in the bathroom doing drugs, dude. What better way to honor his legacy by doing something crazy in his jet?" To which Bill immediately replied, "FOR THE HUNDREDTH TIME, YOU’RE NOT FLYING HOUNDOG KERMAN’S JET! One of his Jetstars is on display at his estate IN KEVINVILLE! His other Jetstar IS ROTTING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SCORCHER DESERT - and, need I remind you, DOESN’T HAVE ENGINES!" Jeb asked him to chill out and "Don't hate on Houndog, man." Soon after Jeb got the plane right-side up, he was given the green light to begin the landing test. After a couple of quicksaves and a lot of distance, I managed to pull off a successful landing. And finally the off-road takeoff test. I know that I put in a lot of Elvis references in a USAF aircraft discussion thread, but we can't ignore the fact that the (civilian) Jetstar was used by a cultural icon. Now that all that's out of the way, we can get back to building replicas of cool warplanes. Obviously, I can't do ALL of these on my own. Replicas Remaining: 240 REST IN PEACE, HOUNDOG KERMAN WE WERE ALL FATED TO LOVE YOU

And now for another lazy entry, the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15bis... I mean the STS Space Shuttle. My best STS orbiter replica - minus the ascent rockets, obviously Since the shuttle (model) on display at the museum is just the shuttle with the cargo bay opened, just the orbiter alone is satisfactory for this showcase Honestly, if it's not the real space shuttle and just a mock-up, why is it even on the list that I pulled off Wikipedia? JEBEDIAH, YOU IDIOT!!!!! One guess how that high-thrust hijink ended Replicas Remaining: 241 Help is always welcome

I think my heaviest launch is the Moho Ring Station at a launch mass of 4,024.08 tons. Yes, you read right. I can send a ring station to Moho. The station at the VAB. As you can imagine, I need all those SRBs if I want to save delta-V for the trip to Moho. I was going for a compressed version of the Jool ring station (see my KerbalX) to save weight and, by extension, increase my dV. Maybe I should have gone a little bit smaller and sacrificed some functions like ore conversion. We have liftoff. And here is the eventual result.

Behold, my fellow kerbalnauts, the North American F-86A Sabre. Boy, I sure am getting a lot of North American Aviation planes lately. Maybe I should make a separate showcase thread for them. The fighter on display in the SPH As you can see, this model does not have a probe core on it. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you only allow pilots to use it. Not that you'd let anyone other than qualified pilots fly one-man dogfighters anyway, right? I had to drain the rear fuel tank and move the wings back a bit since it was tail-heavy in earlier test runs, especially during takeoff. The cockpit comes loaded with four EVA repair kits Although I don't know if pilots can use those. Please let me know. The Sabre flying over the mountain range west of the KSC (I really need to name it) In afterburner mode, this baby can fly at well over twice its real-life counterpart's top speed. Maybe even thrice. This shot was taken at ~12.3 km altitude. The performance specs of the real-life F-86A Sabre on display in the museum. Maximum Speed: 685 mph --> 306.2 m/s Range: 1200 miles --> 1931.2 km Ceiling: 49,000 ft --> ~14.9 km Source: https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196118/north-american-f-86a-sabre/ Kenby Kerman doing a barrel roll in the desert mountain range minutes after crossing the ocean west of the peninsula where the KSC is. I then did a landing test after that, but ended up killing the pilot and had to revert to launch. It wasn't so much the design that caused the CATO so much as it was my landing technique - notably my attempt to slow down by A LOT before touchdown. So, I went further up north in another test flight. I was way too high and fast to land when I took this shot, so I switched the engine mode to "regular" and had to glide for a few minutes. Note to users: give yourself A LOT of time and distance to land. Another successful landing (after the failed one) Ready to shoot down MiG-15 (counterparts) another day And yet another successful off-road takeoff Though the default mode is regular (subsonic), you can switch to afterburner mode for a shorter takeoff distance I made sure to switch back to regular after starting to climb. A bit of lore if you're interested: According to my checklist, there are a few other F-86 variants on display in the museum - specifically, the Cold War section. Per the showcase rules, I'm leaving those jets to you all. The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15bis is fair game for everybody, including me, but honestly it's kind of a lazy job if you already have a working F-86 variant model. Just alter the rear stabilizers for a (working) T-tail and BA-BAM. 242 more replicas to go. I could use a little help here, please. And boy, do I suck at some of these replicas. After I made the Sabreliner, I tried to replicate the VC-137C (the fourth Air Force One). Each time, I ended up either skidding along the runway, getting nose-up before crashing into the ground again, just not taking off, struggling to keep the plane stable, or a combination of the above. I also tried making some other replicas months ago - most notably the quad-engine Air Force One models and the X-4 Bantam - but ended up with similar outcomes.

Phew, it's been a long time. Looks like I'd better get my KSP hype warmed up before KSP2 comes out. But do not worry; I'll still be playing the classic game nevertheless. If nothing else, this is good practice for when I go interstellar. Hope my craft files from KSP are compatible with KSP2. Now, back to this. After failed attempts at building some models on the list - including the Air Force One variant that came with an elevator - I got a working replica of the North American T-39A Sabreliner in action. The aircraft on display in the SPH It doesn't exactly brag an impressive speed, range, cruising altitude, or... anything for that matter. Honestly, the only good thing about it is that it can fly and looks like its namesake. Between this and India Golf Niner Niner, I think I'd rather fly the latter. At least it's supersonic, and its model has a history of evading surface-to-air missile strikes. Sort of like its real-life counterpart, this could serve as a light trainer before students move on to supersonic aircraft. Jeb giving a salute before boarding the jet for a test flight. In KSP lore, former Prime Minister Lynson Kerman used this to travel from Dangerzone AFB to his ranch and vice versa from the end of his term in office until he died from a heart attack. Though there were theories of an assassination plot - seeing as how his predecessor, Kennedy Kerman, was killed in a sniper attack - they died down when it became known that Lynson Kerman was a chainsmoker and, unsurprisingly, had a history of heart attacks. That was when Ned Kerman, father of Jebediah Kerman Senior (and eventual grandfather of Jebediah Kerman II of the Famous Four) decided to quit smoking for good. The Sabreliner making a turn to the northwest after taking off from the KSC. Flying near the edge of the mountain range west of the space center. Like I said, not an impressive cruising altitude. But it does make for some nice shots for on-board photographers. Per my standard aircraft testing procedure, I did an off-road landing (and subsequent takeoff). I had to toggle the engines off even though I put the throttle all the way to 0%, otherwise I'd hear jets running all day. 10 relics of aviation history down, 243 to go. Any and all help in completing this checklist would be greatly appreciated. Oh, and one more thing:

How can I forget the day that started it all? December 17th, 1903 - Orville and Wilbur Wright successfully fly their Wright Flyer in Kill Devil Hills near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Orville at the controls while Wilbur running alongside the Flyer. P.S. The Wright Brothers were originally from Dayton, Ohio. That's why Ohio's called the "Birthplace of Aviation" (hence why you see it on a lot of Ohio license plates). Source: https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/17-december-1903/

@katateochi I would like to make a suggestion for KerbalX - a Cargo Slot Capacity Line. For two years, we have had cargo capacities in not only specialized parts such as the SEQ-24, but the passenger and command modules as well. We already have a crew capacity line on KerbalX, so why not one for how many cargo slots the craft has in total? For everybody else reading this, what do you think?

If my ITV was low on fuel when approaching Kerbin, aerobraking would seem like the logical option. However, I then run the risk of blowing something up in the atmosphere while aerobraking to lower my apoapsis. Worst-case scenario, I make a pit stop at Duna and send an ore transport to refuel the ship before going to Kerbin. I'm already in the process of removing the ISRU and science equipment from a P-5 Olympian while adding a SEQ-24 to it. Simple job, and I should be able to fly to Mun or Minmus orbit if the mission requires it. The modified SSTO may not carry enough spare fuel to give to the ship, but that's what mass ore transports and space stations are for. As of now, the single-use ITPs still carry 7 - and no extra cargo modules. That's why I turned to the ITV in the first place; to increase passenger and storage capacity in a streamlined spacecraft network.

@SkyFall2489 First of all, how do you know about the interplanetary travel pods that carry seven people? Did you come across one of my old reports/fanworks or something, because I can't find anybody else referencing such craft. Second of all, I built an ITV whose sole mission is interplanetary transport of kerbals and cargo and sent it into LKO as a test run (won't spoil anything with pictures and specific performance specs yet). After I established a stable orbit, I noticed that I had a seven-man pod on standby for years (both in-game and IRL) and decided to check the craft file for it. Turns out, I have some competition for the new ITV buried deep in my save file - even with the clipped fuel tanks removed. ITV Comparison Old Pod New Ship Crew Capacity 7 19 Cargo Slots 21 43 Re-entry Capable Yes No Without giving away specific information, I can tell you that the old pod (left) has at least several hundred m/s more dV than the new ship (right). Although the new ship has a lower dV capacity than the old one, it's still quite impressive. At the very least, it should make it to Laythe in one shot and make a refueling stop over one of the other moons before flying back to Kerbin. When comparing it to the old pod, I think it's a decent trade-off; sacrificing some dV for a higher passenger and cargo capacity. With the new transport network in place (albeit not officially streamlined yet), and since I have Breaking Ground, having a higher passenger and cargo capacity is necessary if I want to save time and money on separate spacecraft. It may not be able to return to Kerbin's surface, but that means it can be used again after the next passenger shuttle reaches it and loads it, hence saving hundreds of thousands of funds on launch costs PER MISSION.

With all the stations, ore transports, and landers I deployed over the years, that idea does sound fun. I won't have to drag all my ISRU and rapiers all the way to Laythe and back, though it is necessary if complete independence during the mission is the goal. I can send a shuttle spaceplane to the interplanetary transport vessel (let's call it the ITV to keep it simple) in LKO or Minmus, send the ITV to its destination/s, have it dock with the necessary space stations/refueling ports while sending landers (or in Laythe's case a docking-capable spaceplane), and have it return to Kerbin when everything's done. When I return, an empty shuttle can fly up to the ITV and collect everybody to return to the surface. And if I don't want to have so many stops and docking trips along the way, especially if my tourism contract involves landing. However, speaking from experience, there is a flaw in an orbitally-assembled interplanetary transport ship. The docking ports will wobble during the burns, increasing the chances of structural failures - hence increasing the chances of mission failure. Unless you know an easy trick to dock multiple large ports to the same part at once, I'm afraid the ITV would have to be launched in one stage fully assembled before it can be used. Furthermore, to minimize refueling trips, it would need as high a delta-V capacity as possible while carrying an optimal amount of occupants and cargo. Although I don't have a good design for an ITV as of yet, I cannot guarantee now that it can reach its target destination without having to make a refueling stop first. If you know of any good ships to reference that match this criteria, that would be very nice. So I can have full mission independence and not have to worry about so many moving parts in the middle. While I already have so many space stations and other craft on standby, it would be so much simpler if the craft was standalone. Fewer moving parts means fewer chances of failure (and the consequences of the ITV itself failing are more or less the same if a completely independent SSTO fails), so why invite them? The "moving parts" I am referring to are: Kerbin-to-orbit shuttles Space stations Including orbital refueling ports. Landers Laythe SSTOs Not that I'm going to completely reject your idea, @SkyFall2489. In fact, you've just given me an idea for the Neptune X. If you know of any ships that can do what you described, I can use them for inspiration for my own design. Thank you very much.

FROM THE OFFICE OF WERNHER VON KERMAN Regarding the Anubis I / Neptune VI and Neptune VII missions, there isn't much to announce other than they are set to return home to Kerbin. We have made some great progress exploring Laythe, from the orbital reconnaissance missions to the interactions with the natives there. In the process, we have also established strong network coverage around that moon and set up a couple of space stations there (granted, one of them had its construction halted after the fourth module). Though we have gained a lot from our Neptune missions, we at the Kerbal Space Center believe that we aren't done yet. Most of Mission Control is not fond of climate activists - and given their recent activity defacing museums, I can see why - but you cannot deny that some of the more competent members may be on to something. More specifically, they want us to reduce our emissions on Laythe by using electric vehicles for our surface reconnaissance. Fortunately, Kerbal Motion LLC and WinterOwl Aircraft Emporium were more than willing to sell us parts to make an electric drone. As a true test of its capabilities, we set it to circumnavigate Kerbin without stopping. While Mortimer Kerman was negotiating the pricing for the parts, Gus Kerman let slip that he had recently sent a few of our engineers to design an electric aerial drone for Eve exploration before sending Kerbals. Since Eve's atmosphere is not suitable for air intakes, it would make sense to want a sustainable propulsion source and rocket fuel for powerful rocket engines (on account of Eve's increased gravity) would not last long on one tank. Therefore, once this prototype's capabilities are proven on Kerbin, these drones will be sent to Eve as well as Laythe. Previous test runs had proven that this prototype could not hit 175 meters per second, which was the velocity of Kerbin's rotation about its polar axis. So, to maximize time exposed to the sun, it went retrograde (west) early sunrise. I must say that we were very impressed with the aircraft's stability, even when our pilot (who will remain anonymous) left to pick up his teenage daughter after she was dumped in the middle of a date. Normally, leaving during a test run would be acceptable so long as the pilot-in-command (PIC) either activated the autopilot and ensured it was flying smoothly or found someone to fill in for him in his absence. However, neither of which happened in this case. As soon as we realized that nobody was flying the plane (either man or autopilot), we rushed to the control room and were surprised to find that it was still flying. While the project manager was scolding the original PIC for risking a lot of money with his blatant breach in protocol, the substitute PIC kept her hands off the controls and talked with her coworkers - while ensuring the plane didn't crash, of course. Almost one-and-a-half days later, the drone returned to the KSC after a nonstop flight across the equator. The drone was slower than we had hoped, but at least it was stable and had passed the off-runway landing tests. Besides, to save electricity, it was optimal to only fly when there's daylight in your takeoff and landing spots - even if that means having to fly in intervals. Now that we have proven that this prototype can fly reliably on electric power alone, we just need to send this to Laythe and we can explore the moon whenever we want without having to wait for kerbalnauts to arrive or ISRU converters to finish refueling. It may be slower than the supersonic remote-controlled planes, plus it may have a shorter range due to being so far away from the sun, but we'll reduce the rate that we're using the moon's ore so that future settlements can utilize it. Speaking of future settlements, we have designed a multi-launch surface base for Laythe. Although we already have two single-launch bases on the surface, we decided that we needed a warehouse to store all our cargo there - mostly our deployable science station equipment made by Probodobodyne Incorporated. Below is a photograph of the four individual modules all docked together, with the center piece with the relay on top arriving first. DISCLAIMER: more lights and parachutes were added after this photo was taken. That way, it would be easier to find for kerbalnauts - especially those who are lost. In order, these pieces will arrive: (Center piece) Primary entrance, communications array, and primary storage area (Right) The mobile science lab (Left) Additional storage modules and seats (Behind) More seats with a small docking port at the end May be used later to dock with rovers that would carry cargo. The next time the Laythe transfer window opens, we'll send the drone prototype there. Some in Mission Control are contemplating sending the first piece of the Laythe Warehouse as well, while others want to send a new ring station designed specifically to hold a lot of cargo (and have many docking ports open for future expansion). Its latest design had passed the simulated test run, so real-life results seem promising so far. The arguments for "yes" are: The cost of launching this station, although quite expensive, may be less than the total cost of launching all four Laythe Warehouse modules. Both in terms of time and money. This station can hold nearly three times as many people as the completed Laythe Warehouse. Any docking-capable spacecraft that takes in cargo on the station can send it anywhere on the moon. Once launched, we won't have to worry about continuing construction in future launches. While there are plenty of docking ports open in anticipation of expansion, we currently have no such plans. They may appear later on, but right now the station is fully ready for action as-is after deployment. The arguments for "no" are: Launching this station would cost more than a third of what we have in our budget. This station holds less cargo than a completed Laythe Warehouse. On the other hand, some argue that only the first and second modules are important. While it may save overall costs and ensure that only essential elements are used for the base, shutting down construction before the third launch would bring the cargo capacity to less than that of this station's. If anyone in surface operations want equipment, they'll have to take time, fuel, and great risk to fly to Laythe orbit in a docking-capable spaceplane (most likely the P-5 Olympian) with somewhat limited cargo space and send it back down to the staging area. We already have two stations orbiting Laythe (granted, one of them is getting close to being declared defunct), so what purpose would a third one serve besides keeping scientific instruments that can only be used on the surface in orbit? We in Mission Control have 370 days to make a decision, but we welcome outside input for what we should send. In the meantime, we are attempting to redo a solo mission to Laythe after our first attempt was aborted seven years ago. Engineer Agaford Kerman is currently in orbit of Minmus overseeing a P-5 Olympian fuel for Dres orbit, awaiting a Laythe speeder to arrive at the moon's sphere of influence. Once that arrives and rendezvous with her, she will board the smaller plane and refuel it in preparation for the Neptune VIII mission. If anyone wishes to enter their input or ask any questions about our ever-expanding presence on Laythe, please do not hesitate to reply. It was such a long wait, but now things are warming up again. Wernher Von Kerman Y66D147 1H00M

Kirk was just walking on the streets of Woomerang when suddenly, high above the city, a cargo plane carrying explosive substances was starting to crash. One of the crewmembers' kPhone 5c slipped out through the hole and fell to the ground. It landed on Kirk's head, forcing him to the ground where he snapped his neck on the curb. Jenny Kerman will die after snorting hot tea through her nose.

Inspired by many Community Space Station challenges (such as this one by @Jeb-head-mug kerman from two years ago), I decided to give it a try myself. Only THIS TIME, the challenge is to assemble a station... OVER LAYTHE. The objective is simple: build one large space station over Laythe using one save file (link below). Feel free to add as many different modules as you want. Game save HERE The rules are as follows: PURE STOCK No DLCs No Mods If you have to use MJ, use MechJeb2 Embedded as well so that the program is automatically embedded in the control modules and you won't have to use the modded part. You must use KSP version 1.12.4 No cheats One module per mission Leave a docking port open for others to use Post pictures and/or video When you're all done, post a link to the new game save in your post so that the person after you can use it (just like in previous community challenges). To prevent confusion due to two (or more) kerbalnauts posting different, non-sequential game save files, please "claim" the save file so that everyone knows you're flying with it before posting the new one. HOWEVER, once you claim it, you have a maximum of 24 hours to respond with the new station save file (and pictures of what to expect, of course). I highly suggest you test your delivery rocket in a separate Sandbox mode save before deploying it in this one e.g. Johnny sends his battery to Laythe in "Johnny's Test Sandbox" and, once confirming its success, claims the "Kerbalnational Laythe Station" save file and sends the battery module to the already-assembled station. He then posts the new save file and pictures within 24 hours of claiming. If you have any questions about the rules or if the link's not working, let me know at once. All you have to do is download the game file and put in your game's saves folder. When you start "Kerbalnational Laythe Station," design your module and send it to Laythe. After that, upload the new save file to whatever file sharing service you're using (mega, Google Drive, etc) so that the next person can use it with the expanded station. I have already built the first module, and boy was it a doozy to make. All worth the time and effort in the end, though, and I have several docking ports ready - including a big one. Here are the orbital characteristics of the final product, which I know you all will need when you rendezvous with the station. But before I show you my pictures, here are the action groups I set up. Keep all this in mind for when you make your modules. Gigantor panels DO NOT DEPLOY until you ditch the delivery rocket. Ladders Start research Stop research Collect all science for lab 1x6 panels Handy for the trip there. Science Kerbnet (from the probe core) - EMPTY - Communotron 88-88 (100G direct antenna) ABSOLUTELY DEPLOY before leaving Kerbin. And now, our feature presentation. Have fun, everybody. The finished product in orbit of Laythe. I decided to do a different ring station design from my tried-and-true Jool ring station for the challenge. The assembled product in the VAB 9,228 m/s delta-V 71 crew capacity Four or five of the cargo slots already come filled (EVA kits, repair kits, jetpack fuel), but you'll be amazed at the cargo capacity. I have plans to post this craft file separately when the challenge dies out or from popular demand (whichever comes first), so you can transport several collections of Breaking Ground DLC science gear for future Laythe missions. At the very least, it can serve as an orbital storage facility. The station blasting off. To save dV while maintaining structural integrity (preventing wobbling-related damage), I set the angle-of-attack limit in the ascent guidance to 60 degrees. Throughout the course of the ascent, whenever the craft seemed to fly in a stable manner, I decreased the limit in 10-degree increments until finally reaching 20 degrees. I don't know what setting it at 20 degrees from the start will do, but I'm guessing that you need to reach certain speeds before getting a low AoA so that the station doesn't wobble so easily. The nuclear rockets making their burn to Jool. As a dV-saving measure, two of the rockets had their tanks drain first. Once that was over, they were basically dead weight and could be ditched. Once I reached Jool's SOI, I set a "fine tune approach to target" maneuver so I can go directly to Laythe (as opposed to setting up a parking orbit around Jool before making a Hohmann transfer to Laythe). This is the craft approaching the planet. Setting up my orbit with plenty of dV to spare. Poor Sherbart, cast away to spend his life alone in that large station. But a pilot was necessary in the event that the CommNet signal was lost. You can send him friends in subsequent missions. While the space station is enjoying its time in stable orbit, the remote-controlled delivery rocket is making a suborbital trajectory for self-destruction on Laythe. It had fulfilled its purpose, and it was nothing but space junk at this point. "SEE YOU ALL ON LAYTHE!" (Sherbart Kerman)

I see a lot of future entries where this is used - or at least used as a starting point for further research.

Well, that worked. And in the process of getting my new version back online, I took the time to install the latest versions of my mods.

It's pretty self-explanatory. Longer version: whenever I try to add the TVR adapters to my craft in either the SPH or VAB, they disappear - but the price still increases as if the adapter was there. To make matters worse, I also can't launch anything until the disappearing part is truly removed - and apparently the only way to do that is Ctrl-Z. How do I fix this? Another part that vanishes during the assembly and causes problems is the FL-T400 fuel tank. I'm sure that there are other parts that are affected by this as well.

Wow, 1947 seems to be the year of aviation milestones. What's next?