SlamduncAZ

Is there any way to change the rate at which the contractor dock generates civilians and the amount of rent that civilians pay?

Quick question, for "grand tour" contracts (contracts that require you to flyby or land on multiple planets or moons using 1 vessel), are you allowed to use Apollo-style motherships, where the transfer stage stays in orbit, and the lander separates, lands, and returns to it in orbit (assuming both the lander and transfer stage were both launched in the same launch). Can I do this, or will it invalidate the contract? If so, it will make what I'm soon going to do a whole lot easier. If not, I have to figure out how to get a 100+ ton payload to the surface of Eve, back into orbit, and then to multiple other destinations.

Not to be confused with the Munar Gateway, which was built by KASA, whom we (my space program) do not associate with. Introduction After achieving the legendary accomplishment of interstellar travel (reading this thread is optional, it just provides some background information on my space program), Space D (Not to be confused with Space K, which was founded by Elon Kerman and we are not associated with) realized they had begun to fall behind in the somewhat new and exciting industry of advanced interplanetary travel. Now with the Revelation Colony (see link at the beginning) on Q'uq'umatz with full self-sufficiency, the space program could once again focus on this industry. The CEO envisioned a new ship, the Gateway, an advanced interplanetary cargo ship using the same propulsion methods as the Revelation which would open the door for a new era of space exploration and colonization. A picture of the Gateway approaching Duna How it works The Gateway is an advanced interplanetary cargo and explorational ship. Made using the same technologies as the Revelation, it is fit for any mission. Like the Revelation, it uses an Orion Drive (nuclear pulse propulsion) for a specific impulse upwards of 15,000 seconds, and fast acceleration. It comes with support for 3 crew along with a habitat for long missions (additional habitats have been attached for certain missions). Unlike the Revelation, however, food is not grown on-board. The Gateway comes with a reusable lander, the Gatekeeper. On most explorational missions, the Gatekeeper is used to land on celestial bodies. Additional landers for large celestial bodies (such as Eve) have also been sent up. During cargo missions the Gatekeeper is left in Kerbin orbit, usually at Station 2. The Gateway has been used for the following missions: Note: Most of these bodies have been landed on in previous missions, before the construction of the Revelation Kapollo 1 (first Mun mission in a very long time) RedPebble 1 (first mission to Duna and Ike in a very long time) CanyonBlazer 1 (mission to Dres) Joolius 1 (mission to Jool, first mission to land on all 5 moons in one mission) Hellion 1 (mission to Moho) Explodius 1 (mission to Eve) Glacian 1 (mission to Eeloo) Mintus 2 (mission to Minmus) Kapollo Base (Mun outpost) Mintus Base (Minmus outpost) RedPebble Colony (Duna colony) Explodius Colony (Eve colony) Atlantis Colony (Laythe colony) Glacian Base (Eeloo outpost) Station 2 Station 2 is an extremely large orbital construction facility. Built during the Gateway’s Colonization Program, Station 2 is used to build single-landing outposts or huge colony-building landers for the Gateway to transport to other celestial bodies. Station 2 remains in LKO and currently supports a crew of up to 20. Materials are launched to Station 2, which it then uses to construct whatever it’s building. Once the construction is done, the cargo is transported to the Gateway, also in LKO. The Gateway then transfers it to wherever it’s going. Afterwards, the Gateway returns to LKO. Station 2 in LKO, docked to it is a colony lander and an interplanetary habitat Full list of missions with pictures and descriptions Exploration Program Kapollo 1 Picture of the Gatekeeper on the surface of the Mun Kapollo 1 was the Gateway’s first mission to the Mun (note that this was not the first Mun landing ever). Manned by Adlvey, Chadlin, and Danry Kerman (who were the Gateway’s crew until the start of the Colonization Program), it was a success. The Gateway was not unveiled to the public until they actually landed on the Mun (details were still shared with other space programs beforehand for legal and safety reasons). Everything went as planned. The crew landed, launched, redocked with the Gateway, and got back to LKO safely. RedPebble 1 It was time for the Gateway to embark on its first interplanetary voyage. With an Orion Drive, the Gateway had well over 20 km/s of Delta V, so transfers were not a problem. The Gateway did experience some slight docking malfunctions, but the crew was able to work around them. They then returned to the Gateway, and went to Ike. The crew landed and returned to the Gateway successfully. They then headed home to LKO. CanyonBlazer 1 CanyonBlazer 1 was the Gateway’s first mission to Dres. Everything went as planned. Otherwise, Dres is just a naturally boring planet… They got home successfully… Joolius 1 Jool presented new challenges for the Gateway. To land on Tylo and Laythe, both of which are too large for the Gatekeeper to land on, specialized landers were sent up. The Tylo lander was extremely lightweight, lacking even pressurized interiors. The Laythe lander was also lightweight, but still decent. Some improvisation was required to land on Tylo, but the crew landed and returned successfully. The landings on the other moons went as planned. A probe was also released into Jool’s atmosphere. The Gateway returned to Kerbin successfully. Hellion 1 Moho presented its own challenges. The Gateway had to overcome intense heat, as well as an extreme encounter velocity. However, both of these problems were solved, and the mission was successful. Explodius 1 Eve was the most challenging of the exploration missions. It took quite a while just to design a lander capable of descending to Eve and returning to orbit. The final product was a one-kerbal lander with so much asparagus staging it was wider than it was tall. But, Aldvey Kerman successfully landed on Eve and returned to the Gateway. This mission lead the way for future colonization efforts on Eve. The Gateway also went to Gilly (picture not shown). Glacian 1 Glacian 1 was a relatively easy mission. The only hard part was the very long transfer times. Otherwise, everything went as planned. Mintus 2 For the last mission of the Exploration Program, the Gateway went to Minmus, the only major celestial body in the Kerbol system which the Gateway had not landed on yet. Afterwards, Aldvery, Chadlin, and Danry returned to Kerbin and retired (all 3 of them are still alive today), and the Gatekeeper was retired, now being kept at Station 2 incase it is ever needed again. Now that the Kerbol system was explored, it was time for it to be colonized. Colonization Program Kapollo Base The Kapollo base, manned by 3 kerbals, was constructed at Station 2, and transported to the Mun by the Gateway. It uses a single-landing single-module base system for easy-to-build outposts. In terms of life support, it is fully self-sufficient, extracting water from subsurface ice. It lead the way for colonization. Mintus Base and Glacian Base also use the exact same design. Mintus Base The Mintus Base is identical to the Kapollo base, but it’s on Minmus. It works the same way and has a crew of 3 kerbals. RedPebble Colony RedPebble Colony is one of Kerbalkind’s greatest achievements. It currently sustains 50 kerbals and is being expanded to allow for population growth. It is completely self-sufficient, with the complete ability to stay running, expand itself, and construct ships with absolutely no help from kerbin. It uses a design very similar and functionally identical to that of the Revelation Colony. Hopefully, in an optimistic sense, it will even outlive civilisation on Kerbin, and make Duna a new home for Kerbalkind. It’s abilities of off-world construction even allow it to theoretically build an interstellar ark like the Revelation. By building the RedPebble Colony, the the space program further helped ensure the long-term survival of Kerbalkind. To construct RedPebble Colony, Station 2 built a lander that could bring 50 kerbals to the surface of Duna, along with the tools needed to build the colony entirely using in-situ resources. Explodius Colony and Atlantis Colony also used very similar designs and the same system. Explodius Colony Explodius Colony, like RedPebble Colony, will also hopefully carry on Kerbal civilization. Overall, it’s functionally identical but with a slightly modified lander design and a different layout. Atlantis Colony Atlantis Colony is basically the same as the Explodius Colony or RedPebble Colony, but on Laythe. Otherwise, same purpose, same function. Glacian Base Using the same design as Mintus Base and Kapollo Base, Glacian Base serves the same purpose. Glacian Base was the Gateway’s last project before being retired. The Gateway now lies in Eeloo orbit, awaiting return to Kerbin. Unfortunately, unlike the Mintus or Kapollo Bases, Glacian Base is not self-sufficient. The future of Kerbalkind Now with cities on Duna, Eve, Laythe, and even an exoplanet (see link at the beginning), Kerbalkind has a bright future, and will hopefully form a civilization lasting hundreds, thousands, possibly even millions, billions or even trillions of years, making advances previously never thought possible. Like the Revelation, I did this with technologies that humans will have within this century. Without going too far off-topic, I would like to state that humans currently face an uncertain future. If we are to survive, we must follow in the footsteps of the Kerbals, colonizing other planets and even other systems. Chances are, if we remain dedicated to the cause of our advancement, this will happen. Although I am proud of my achievements in KSP, possibly setting new records and pushing what was ever thought possible, I have grown weary. I simply have grown tired of the eternal cycle of cargo missions, transfers, landings, returns. I need to take, at the least, a very long break. I plan to return and once again make the impossible possible in KSP 2. I hope my accomplishments will inspire a new generation of aerospace engineers and space enthusiasts, help demonstrate how space colonization could be made a reality, and inspire other KSP players to also do missions on such a huge scale. I hope they live up to all of these purposes. As for the Kerbals, their story is just beginning. The space program will continue to do advanced interplanetary missions in the future, and eventually once again return to the frontier of interstellar spaceflight. But, for now, I need to take a long break. I would like to thank the makers of the countless mods that made this possible. I hope you, reading this, will someday also accomplish things even greater and more impressive. Feel free to leave and comments or ask any questions.

I used to play this mod in a previous version of KSP (1.6.something I think), and I have recently started to play it again in 1.8.1, and I have noticed that there are no longer substrate containers or the Netherdyne University. Are those supposed to no longer be in this mod? If so, what are the new alternatives to them? Also, just making sure, those parts would usually be under Utility, right? EDIT: Reading the above comments, when will these issues be fixed? Take your time, although I am still on hold for building a station. Also, would it be safe to send up the components of the station that include parts from this mod that I can send up now?

I already tested it in-game. It works.

Okay guys, I know it has been a long time, but I have decided to return to KSP. Space D's (the space program that built the REVELATION) statement is as follows: While we were so busy and preoccupied on conquering another star system, we never conquered our own. But that will be for no longer, as we are excited to announce our Chapter 2 Megaproject, in which we will revolutionize interplanetary travel. We are introducing a new ship, The Gateway, an interplanetary mothership propelled by an Orion Drive, which will be used for most of our interplanetary operations. We plan on building colonies the size and capability of the ones built by the REVELATION on Duna, Laythe, and Eve; as well as setting up smaller outposts throughout the Kerbol System. But, do not fear, for our space program, the colonists on Q'uq'umatz, and all of kerbalkind will someday once again inevitably look up to the stars. -Space D CEO

Any word on when there will be a version for 1.8.1?

Does this mod work for 1.8.1?

Although it isn’t really related to this thread, if any of you were wondering, I did some research, and the “laser” engine in the KSP 2 trailer is apparently a Daedalus engine, another type of interstellar travel capable engine. It could get to Proxima Centauri in less than half the time of the Orion (around 40 years). Although in my opinion, in terms of technology and cost, the Orion is a lot more practical.

This should be the mod. The REVELATION BASE is capable of producing Orion Drives (as well as other spacecraft/spacecraft components/base modules) out of in-situ resources. The setup to produce Orion Drives off-world is very complicated, but I can explain it to you if you want. Also, it makes me more than glad to see others following in my footsteps.

I doubt my achievement had anything really to do with any new changes. Let’s not get too off-topic. But hey, it’s still very impressive.

I can see it now: PROJECT LITHIOS: The REVELATION’s bigger brother. Spanning over 600 meters long and housing over 80 kerbals. But, with the same basic technology. Space D (the space program that made the REVELATION) starts to die down, still receiving funding to assist the quickly growing and completely independent REVELATION BASE, and still doing advanced interplanetary missions, as a new competitor, Project Green, quickly rises superior. In a joint effort, they form Project LITHIOS, an attempt to send a much larger craft much, much further. Will they succeed at essentially doubling kerbalkind’s chances of survival? Will new experimental technologies help them in the long run? We will see for ourselves... Because Q’uq’umatz was only the beginning... I wonder if my “accomplishment” was any inspiration for the interstellar part of KSP 2?

1 week later... *Sees KSP 2 trailer* ”Aww crap, here we go again...” I now know when and how I will return.

Here are some low quality pictures (taken from my iPad): At the very, very front of the ship is the Eeloo lander. The module just after that with the radiator panels is the nuclear reactor, after that is the education center, behind that is the main crew module, then there is the greenhouse, then LS storage, then that huge truss structure contains the lander, behind that is the water storage and comms array, behind that are the centrifuge gravity rings, then at the very end is the orion. All resources on-board get recycled. The nuclear reactor provides energy, it's pretty straightforward. Feel free to ask me any more questions. Also, don't worry, I will return someday.

CHAPTER I: Introduction The kerbals have always dreamed of reaching the stars. Some said it was impossible. We said it was inevitable. Behold the REVELATION, the largest craft ever built by kerbals. Spanning over 400 meters long, weighing over 2000 tons, this behemoth can carry 50 kerbals, enough life support for the several decade long transit, and the supplies to set up a colony. It served one purpose: transporting the kerbals to another star system. It took around 4 years to build including contracts and recruitment. After years of construction, it was ready to set sail. Destination: Q'uq'umatz, in the Ascension system. The REVELATION in LKO CHAPTER II: How it Works What makes the REVELATION so impressive compared to interstellar craft other players have built in KSP, is that this one is plausible in real life. It only uses technology that humans already have or will have in the very near future (5-15 years). It uses an orion drive for propulsion, which could, in real life, reach Proxima Centauri in around 100 years. And, we have the technology for orion drives. The REVELATION runs on a nuclear reactor, uses a closed life-support system (with loss over time), simulates gravity through centrifuge rings, and uses other concepts often seen in interstellar ark proposals. The only technologies really missing are better 3D printing, and radiation protection. Both of which we can expect within the next 2 decades. The REVELATION is a generation ship, meaning that if the transit is long enough, new generations will be born on-board. The lander is one of the ship’s largest components. It is made to land on an exoplanet with up to Kerbin’s atmosphere and gravity. It can harvest resources from the environment, and build entire colonies out of in-situ resources. It can support 50 kerbals for 300 days, enough to set up a basic farm. From there, they continue building a huge colony to support them all. Basically, this is a scaled down version of what a real interstellar ark would be. Feel free to ask me any questions regarding this. CHAPTER III: Construction Ever since I began my space program, my goal has been a plausible interstellar ark. I even wrote an interstellar ark proposal for real life. After my space program’s mission to Jool, and Jeb’s retirement, we decided it was time. The first module to be sent up was the nuclear reactor. We utilized our Mun base for some of the larger modules, such as the greenhouse. We had the crew of our Mun base build the large modules we wanted to send up (the Mun base did have full in-situ construction capabilities). They were then launched from the Mun using nuclear engines (nuclear thermal, not nuclear pulse), and intercepted with the REVELATION in LKO. After the ship was 90% complete, we started sending crew and subcontracting civilians to the REVELATION. Soon, it was complete. The final module to be sent up was the crowning jewel: the orion drive. CHAPTER IV: What is Q’uq’umatz? Q’uq’umatz (I don’t know how to pronounce it either) is a habitable super-kerbin in the Ascension system, a small binary red dwarf system in the Dawn Cluster. Q’uq’umatz has gravity similar to Kerbin’s, and is 900 kilometers in diameter. It’s atmosphere is 4 times as thick as Kerbin’s, but is only 45 kilometers in height. It’s atmosphere does contain oxygen, and is safe to breathe. It is covered in hills and swamp-like land-forms. It has oceans, and has steep coastal cliffs. Upon arrival (which will be covered later in this post), they confirmed the presence of life on the surface, in the form of alien vegetation, much resembling Kerbin’s. They have not yet discovered any forms of mobile or intelligent life. The kerbals are not allowed to expose themselves to any vegetation or the atmosphere, due to risk of alien pathogens. CHAPTER V: Departure from Kerbin Before construction even began, it was decided they would visit Eeloo on the way. This is because it would be a perfect opportunity, and we had not landed there yet. The REVELATION included a second, 3 kerbal, very small lander for this purpose. After all inspections were done, including a test pulse on the orion, they plotted a maneuver that would take them to Eeloo. The transit time to Eeloo was 2 years. They then slowed down into low orbit, and sent the small lander down. The landing was perfect. They spent around 3 hours on the surface, taking pictures and bouncing around. Once done, they ascended back to the REVELATION. The small lander and the 3 kerbals on the surface of Eeloo They then plotted a maneuver that would allow them to do a slingshot maneuver off of Kerbol. They had a Jool flyby as a bonus. They passed very, very close to Kerbol, and accelerated to very high speeds. After a very long burn, (or boom, since it was an orion drive), they were on-course for the Ascension system. The transit time would be 27 years, roughly a 4th of what it would be in real life. But, as I said, this is scaled down. The life support could support a 100 year journey if required. They quickly entered the pitch, inky blackness of interstellar space. Never to return to Kerbin. CHAPTER VI: Arrival As they got closer and closer to Ascension, a dim light began to shine on the ship. Soon they could very easily see Ascension, and it’s twin, Eternal, in the sky. Soon, it was blindingly close. They came very, very close to Ascension, using the oberth effect to it’s very extreme to slow down. They were taking on a lot of heat, but they could handle it. After a very long burn, they were in orbit. CHAPTER VII: The End of a Long Journey Kerbol, from where they were at, looked like just another star in the sky. ~150 days after they reached orbit of Ascension, they arrived at Q’uq’umatz. They verified the presence of alien vegetation on the surface (which I already went over). They slowed down into orbit. They did a scan and selected a landing site with all of the resources they needed. They loaded up the main lander. Once the full checklist was complete, the lander separated, leaving the REVELATION, which was now empty and inactive, behind. They hit the upper atmosphere hard. It was a very bumpy ride. They took on a lot of heat from re-entry. The lander used an inflatable heat shield. Once they were travelling under 250 m/s, they ejected the heat shield. They burned retrograde full thrust to propel it away. The landing gear then deployed. They quickly slowed down to landing speeds, and, in a nerve-racking moment, touched down. That moment represented everything kerbals had ever worked for. Tansby Kerman, pilot and elected leader, descended down the ladder, and became the first kerbal to ever walk on an exoplanet. Tansby Kerman standing on Q’uq’umatz. CHAPTER VIII: Making a home It took them 200 days to build the colony. Pany Kerman, chief engineer, felt proud as she finally connected the lander to the finished base, using a utility pipe. It took only a few days to fully move into the colony. They had done their work, and now they could rest. The colony. CHAPTER IX: Closing It was truly sad that Jebediah Kerman, Bob Kerman, and Bill Kerman, or the crew of the Mun Base could not live to see that day. All of them would be over 100 years old. All of them had died of old age. But, that was inevitable. The crew of the REVELATION BASE built a memorial for Jeb, Bill, Bob, and the Mun base crew. As for the REVELATION BASE, they thrived. They quickly grew in population and size. It soon became a city. A city that will hopefully last for billions of years to come, and will be the first step in kerbalkind surviving for trillions. CHAPTER X: Me and KSP As for me, I have, in almost every sense, “completed” Kerbal Space Program. After I finished the colony, I held a closing ceremony, and logged off for the last time. This is the end of my story in KSP, but only the first step of the kerbals’ journey through the universe. I still think Kerbal Space Program is a great game, and I owe it everything. Someday I want to work at SpaceX, and help make this, or at least something like it, a reality. I believe humanity also has a future in the stars. I wish to make that a reality. If I had never played Kerbal Space Program, I may never have become interested in space. Now, I want to dedicate my life to space. Because of that, I owe KSP everything. It has changed my life forever. However, don't worry. I plan on returning to KSP someday. I am just taking a long break from KSP so that when I return I can regain the excitement I had when I played the game for the very first time. Credits I would like to thank the creators of KSP for allowing this journey to be possible. I would like to thank the creator of The World Beyond, the planet pack that adds several star systems and over 100 beautiful celestial bodies. I would like to thank the creator of the Orion mod. I would like to thank the creator of Civilian Population. This would not have been possible without Civilian Population. I would like to thank the creator of TAC Life Support. This would not be possible without KIS or KAS. I would like to thank everyone else who helped make this possible. For now, I am saying goodbye. I hope all of you someday achieve feats as great as mine. Feel free to ask me any questions or give any feedback. -SlamduncAZ

I’m trying to find a good place for setting up a Colony on Q’uq’umatz (which I will probably never figure out how to pronounce), and I was wondering. Is there any metal ore for use with Extraplanetary Launchpads on Q’uq’umatz? To make a Colony I need a place with substrate, water, ore, and metal ore (I’m not sure if metal ore and metallic ore are the same thing). Is there any places that match those requirements? If Q’uq’umatz doesn’t have those things, does Harmony? Also, amazing mod by the way. I personally think the planets are beautiful. Edit: I found a place with all of the requirements. The biome name is something involving grasslands, I can’t remember it off the top of my head.

I have found what might be a bug. I use this mod with TAC Life Support. For some reason, my kerbals are not producing enough waste to produce enough fertilizer to produce enough food. There is nothing else on board that consumes waste. Is this normal or is this a bug?

I might try it later. Currently my philosophy is: “quicksaves are the equivalent to actually having the time to plan it beforehand.”

Sure. So I tried OSE, and with a little experimentation developed this system: The Orion mod I use is https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/121597-13-project-orion-nuclear-pulse-engine-030/&tab=comments#comment-2195755 With Extraplanetary Launchpads, magazines with an Orion unit (full on Ablative Oil and NPU), it requires Enriched Uranium, Specialized Parts, Rocket Parts, and Material Kits. (No extra materials required) I can get Rocket Parts from EL. I can get Material Kits from OSE. I can get Enriched Uranium from Planetary Base Systems. And I can get Specialized parts using Ground Construction, consuming Material Kits. That gives me all need materials to construct Orion drives and magazines, along with NPU and Ablative Oil, all completely off-world. I have yet to test this system, and I will update this thread with the results. I will leave this thread open indefinitely.

I agree with my life’s dedication, except for one thing: Alpha Centauri is the star system. Is Proxima Centauri b (an exoplanet orbiting Proxima Centauri) what you’re looking for?

Welp, I figured out a way. I will leave this thread open for a bit longer in case any more problems arise. When I finish the ship, I’ll start a separate thread for it.

Anyone?

I tried OSE. Doesn’t look like I can use it to build an Orion with my current mod, but, it can get me “material kits”, which are required in the Extraplanetary Launchpads recipe. Now I need “specialized parts”. Know any mods that can produce those?

I tried that using ExtraPlanetary Launchpads. With the current mod I have, it says I need “material kits” and “specialized parts”. I know those have something to do with USI, which when I attempted to install it caused my game to crash in load up. Do you know any way to obtain material kits and specialized materials? I will check out that mod you suggested on OSE. The current mod I have is: https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/121597-13-project-orion-nuclear-pulse-engine-030/&tab=comments#comment-2195755

I am building an interstellar generation ship in low kerbin orbit, and it will use an Orion Drive. Yes, this sounds very ambitious, but it proves that interstellar travel is practical, as it will use current or near future technology. Once I finish it I may make a separate thread for it. But here’s the catch, I need a good Orion Drive mod. I already have one installed, but it does not fully meet my needs. My main requirement is: I need to be able to make it off world. I know, that sounds even more insane, but it can be done, and I need my generation ship to have a self replication factor. I need to be able to create Orion drives, with its fuel type, completely off world. In the current mod I have, I don’t know how to do it, if I even can do it. Also, I am in KSP 1.6. So, recap, I need an Orion Drive mod in which I can manufacture Orion Drives and its fuel off world. Any suggestions? Know any mods? Also, I need it to be compatible with the following mods: TAC LS, Civilian Population, and Extraplanetary Launchpads. The other mods I have should effect anything. I am in late career mode so I can’t have an huge changes. And yes, I am being very very ambitious. Any suggestions? Leave them in the comment section!