SiliconPyro

Try planning the maneuvers manually and having MechJeb execute them. Instead of using the transfer function, place a maneuver node that will get you a close Mun encounter and have MechJeb execute the node. When you reach the Mun's SOI, use the retrograde button and burn at your PE until you have orbit.

From the comments to C7's blog post on 25 June: The way I understand that, SAS is just a computer that lets you turn on a heading hold that will use whatever control mechanisms the craft has to maintain your heading. If you have RCS and it's on, it'll use that. Control surfaces in atmosphere, it'll use those. Any part, including a command pod or independent reaction wheel part, it'll use those.

I'm in the middle (beginning really) of a Grand Tour. I'm really hating the current SAS too, so I've sort of stalled and will probably return to Kerbin to wait out the solar flare. Then continue on afterward. So I guess the only thing I'm working on is a Moho landing and return, which I've never done.

Thank you, Ted, for your tireless work to make this forum a better, more welcoming place. I don't know KasperVld's influence on the forums as well as yours, but I do know he has some big shoes to fill. Congratulations to you, KasperVld and Odin, one your respective promotions.

It's hard to say without seeing what Squad has done, but I suspect there will be some sort of tier system, or research requirements. Certain parts are available at start, then you earn the others. If so, it'll be part of the part's .cfg file and thus a modder will be able to put a part into one of those requirement categories, or even create their own requirements.

GBU-39

First, rotate it so the landing gear is as close to right under those engines as possible. If you draw lines from landing gear to landing gear (in this case a square) you don't want anything outside that square. Of course this means parts in the engine wash of your nukes, which is not good. I would bring the engines in by about 50% if you don't want to rotate them. Do that and it should be much more stable. Any reason the engines are so high? The lower they are, the easier it'll be to balance when you touch down.

No, it's clearly a fake, real photo.

Clouds would be neat, but I can't imagine an implementation that wouldn't hurt my framerate in a big way, so sadly I would probably just turn them off.

By simple merit of being the engine I've used to reach the most interesting places, I have to vote the Nerva. I certainly could have done it without, but I love that efficiency.

If there is indeed a layer of water ice under the dusty surface of Ceres, then an impact crater may be the explanation. Considering its location in the asteroid belt, that makes it even more probable. A more interesting explanation would be the glare from an alien telescope that's pointed at Earth. And you thought you had to worry about the NSA.

Quick update. After sorting out some technical issues and a near disaster, the Lander Mk5 and Traveler interplanetary drive have reached Gilly orbit. My next step will be to EVA to Gilly's surface to plant the flag, then Jeb will deploy a small atmospheric probe (which hasn't arrived yet) that will descend to Eve's surface. Then I'll send a refueler that will top off the tanks and hold fuel for future missions to Eve's SOI.

I had a few minutes this morning so I adjusted my Eve orbit (I just barely got capture then had to head to bed last night) and got a Gilly capture. 10.2 x 10.5 km. Next step, EVA to the surface to plant flag number three in my Grand Tour.

One thing you should remember is to switch your nav ball to "Surface" as you begin your descent. That way if your retrograde marker is directly at 0 (middle of the blue) you are matching the orbital speed of the planet and will have zero lateral speed relative to the surface. In other words, if you're over your target and set it to surface, just keep the retrograde marker in the center of the blue and you're coming down on top of your target.

My buddy is an EE for an aerospace company. He sent me an email that started like this: My response: I don't think I even downloaded the demo and four hours later I felt like I could do anything after achieving an insanely eccentric orbit. Good times.

A dodecahadron cage around your lander that lets you just cut thrust an nail the surface at around 100m/s would be amazing.

This should definitely be a stock part. It's perfect for a STOL spaceplane.

I bought it in March of last year, pretty sure it was 0.14. My buddy is an EE for an aerospace company. He sent me an email that started like this: My response: I don't think I even downloaded the demo and four hours later I felt like I could do anything after achieving an insanely eccentric orbit. Good times.

I love seeing the challenges people have made for themselves, no matter how simple they may seem to others. Docking last night I recalled again how difficult my first was, but this time it was almost routing. Now my traveler is ready to embark on a journey to Moho.

How was it rendezvousing in Kerbol orbit? I haven't tried it but I imagine it would be a pain, depending on your orbit.

I definitely have to send a plane to Laythe now. No two ways about it.

In that graphic, orbit 1 is your starting orbit, say, Low Kerbin Orbit. Orbit 2 is the transfer orbit created by your first burn with a PE the same as your first orbit and an AP the same as your destination orbit. Orbit 3 on that graphic is your destination orbit, which is circularized by your second burn.

I've not been to Laythe yet, it's coming though as I'm competing in a grand tour race. That said, I would like to go there with a spaceplane, but I'm not particularly good at designing them. I mean I'm alright, but I have only landed on the island runway once. Otherwise, I need a big open space to land. So how different is Laythe? What do I need to change about a more or less successful Kerbin design? It doesn't have to SSTO, but it would be nice if it could be refueled somehow. Is it hard to SSTO from Laythe with a spaceplane?

Unfortunately, most terminally ill people are in no condition to be flying to other planets. If they suffered an episode of some sort, such as a seizure or vomiting. Then there's the problem of finding someone with a terminal illness who actually has the expertise to make a meaningful contribution.

I highly recommend putting an orbital maneuver trainer into orbit. Something with a bunch of fuel and RCS. Then pay close attention to where you are and where you're pointing and watch how your orbit changes. Try various types of burns at different points on your orbit, then try combining them. I promise you'll learn best that way and when you really need to know off the cuff how to get your orbit changed, you'll just point and burn instead of hopping over to the forums while your game is paused or using MechJeb. I'm not a MechJeb hater, I've used it a lot, but I play vanilla right now and I really feel more accomplished doing everything stock.