Kerbals_of_Steel

Sounds like that is all the production your mulch supply will allow. Check the available mulch storage, I bet it is 0.0. KoS

,Z

It just comes from having several different parts packs installed, each with their own slightly tweaked assortment of RCS pods. Now that they added 5 way and mini pods in vanilla, the only non-stock RCS part I really need is a multi port LFO thruster. I'm not skilled enough to make my own mods, I just hack together bits and bobs of other people's work to suit my own peculiar needs.

Not much playing today, so no fancy pictures, but I took advantage of being on the final update to streamline a bunch of my mods, cut out a bunch of redundant parts (like 37 different flavors of RCS pods...), and patch up some custom bits, like a retractable version of the new OX-10C solar panel and a 4 way LFO RCS pod.

Is something attached to the lower node? It won't deploy if there is anything attached to the pointy end, and/or the cylindrical shroud is still in place.

Made my first career mode interplanetary landing on Eve. First to arrive is an orbiter and comm-relay: And next, the probe itself: Retracting the antenna and closing up the fairing, ready for atmospheric braking (Which is no joke on Eve when going for a direct capture!!!) : Any native lifeforms were probably very confused when a second sun briefly flared to life: After a prolonged parachute ride down from ~35km up, everything redeployed perfectly and began sending that sweet science back to Kerbin: KoS

The simplest but least efficient way is: 1: Get into LKO with ~1000 m/s delta V left. 2: Set Minmus as a target in map mode, this will bring up an AN/DN marker on the map (Ascending Node/Descending Node) and a degree reading will show up on the marker if you hover over it. 3: Set up a maneuver node on one of the nodes (really doesn't matter which for this purpose), and use the or handles to match your inclination. The degree reading will approach zero, and when you get close you will see the nodes start to swing around on your orbit track 4: Make that burn, then set up another maneuver with the prograde handle that brings your AP out to Minmus orbit. 5: Grab the middle of the maneuver node (the grey/white part) and you will be able to swing the node around your existing orbit and see the new AP move around Minmus orbit until you get an encounter. 6:Execute the programmed burn 7: Profit??? KoS

I put a 22m radio telescope into a Kerbin-trailing solar orbit: Folded up, it fits comfortably in a 2.5m fairing. Now time to test the deployment sequence before doing the escape burn: The hinged and telescoping arms have science experiments on the ends, as well as deployable arms with RCS control pods on each end, allowing for quick pointing of the telescope and keeping everything free from the thruster blast. Now time for the main event: Time to fold everything back up and engage the arc-jet thrusters. They use monoprop and electricity to create a hybrid drive somewhere between a nuclear rocket and ion thrusters. Much lower ISP than xenon motors, but more efficient than the alternatives, and they allow for a single fuel on the telescope. Arriving on station, in an orbit that should stay clear of Kerbin's SOI for ~ 1700 years: Facing radial out from the sun, it should be able to search for deep space signals and possibly even signs of life outside of the Kerbol system...

I've been launching a lot of interplanetary missions lately, and while Linus understands that interplanetary missions come with interplanetary budgets, accountants gonna account... While perusing the latest LinuxGuruGamer catalog of orphaned and stray rocket parts, he had a eureka moment, and crashed into Werhner's office with a challenge. "Put this, into the obit of this, using nothing but that!" Thus was the Quark born, a 0.625m rocket so named because Werhner can't imagine anything smaller making it to orbit: Topped with a miniscule 0.35m cube sat with orbital imagery science and relatively potent relay capacity, it should be just the thing to fulfill some of those prestige satellite contracts that have been gathering dust because they just weren't profitable enough with a larger rocket. The first test launch went off without a hitch: Gus wasn't terribly happy about tying up the launch pad with a "silly little pop bottle rocket", though, so he came up with an alternative that will allow the launch pad to be used for bigger projects while still taking advantage of Linus's discount access program: Transporting and erecting the rocket is a piece of cake, all Theory had to do was push the big red button on the KAL. Fueling it once it's upright, however, is a different matter: And actually launching the darn thing is something else entirely: Mechjeb wants nothing at all to do with this contraption, so it's all eyeballs and skill to get it to orbit: But the first operational launch " Ear's Looking At You " was a resounding success: KoS

Nice ones!

I usually just custom build the lifters to match the payloads, it doesn't take long and I've got a decent eye for what any given payload will take. My preference for SRB's means that I can often build a booster with only a few clicks anyhow. The two exceptions are my smallest and largest multipurpose rockets, the Rapier 0.625m small sat launcher, and the Gromoboi (Thunderer) class ultra-heavy 5m launcher with 9 Mastodons. Each of them has enough discrete parts that I've just got them saved as a subassembly and make small tweaks as needed.

A 3t SSTO to get 1 ton in orbit? Impressive, what is it?

Took a break from my Career save to make a Kerbalized version of the Firefly Blue Ghost lunar lander: A stock + DLC version is up at KerbalX , it's got enough extra space and thrust to carry experiments from whatever your science mod of choice is. KoS

That's why the newest builds went away from having multiple bays on the drills. Stock thermal management is garbage. KoS

Trying my hand writing a MM patch to add stock cargo capacity to two parts from Suicidal Insanity's Project Orion mod. Here is the patch as written: It works, but TOO well. For some reason it adds two stock inventories to each part, each with the listed specs (12 slots/1500L for the small one, 24 slots/5000L for the larger.) Each one works fine, loading and unloading parts independently Pic: Now I could work around it just by halving the specs, but I can't figure out why it is giving me two separate inventories in the first place. I'm really new at writing MM patches, so please ELI5. KoS

Today the my first interplanetary cruiser left Kerbin's gravity behind en route to Duna: Tagaloa can carry 50 kerbals for 5 years with life support, built in fabrication and ISRU capability, a full featured science suite, and two Pulelehua class landers capable of putting 3 kerbals and a metric ton of equipment onto either Duna or Ike: Loading supplies and equipment in LKO: Arriving at Minmus after deploying all the farms and living space: Once in Minmus orbit, it was time to refuel, and dock with the intra-Kerbin ship Njord: We needed to meet up with the Njord to transfer some experienced crew, and offload a couple VIPs that wanted to be part of the first leg of the journey. The final burn into Duna transfer orbit: Fare Thee Well, brave sailors of the Tagaloa! Mechanics Mate 3rd Class: Tradorf Kerman Quartermaster: Tom Kerman Helmsman and Flight Control : Malcott Kerman Chief Engineer: Kathkas Kerman Science Officer: Mirlorf Kerman Sailing Master: Hellas Kerman Away Team Alpha : Jeb, Bill, and Bob Kerman Away Team Bravo: Kelry, Mildock, and Bildock Kerman Valentina Kerman, Captain.

You have USI Life Support installed, correct? KoS

The Constellation download is ALL of the USI mods, including MKS, USI life support, half a dozen different rovers, sounding rockets, and a whole heap of other parts. KoS

The Duna transfer window in my career save is finally starting to open, so it was time to finalize some designs in the simulator and start sending them out. First to arrive will be a survey sat for Duna (an identical one will show up later in the fleet for Ike): It does orbital science and survey, and functions as a close range relay, bouncing signals to the big RA-100 relay sat that will be put in a molinya orbit over the pole. Next will be a combination orbiter/lander for Ike: It splits in the middle, the fuel tanks and upper section turning into an orbiter, while the lower part with the relay antenna and survey instruments will be dropped onto the Duna side of the moon, turning Ike into an enormous geo-synch comm sat, and hopefully finding some easily extracted ore to refuel the follow-on manned mission. Each of Duna's polar regions will get a full featured lander/rover combination, equipped with all the surface science Kerbalkind can invent: And some cheap and cheerful scout rovers will be scattered across the lower latitudes to search for good landing spots for the away teams: Kos

One correction to my post above: Workshop modules also need an engineer in the part in order to perform automated maintenance. KoS

Pretty much everything, kinda the point of a colonization mod. I think the only ones that don't benefit from a crew specialty are the -A automated drills and the MPU converters. That being said, you generally don't need to crew each part separately, just one specialist per craft. The only exception that comes to mind is the new Konfabricator, which needs an engineer on the part itself before it can print other parts. KoS

It harvests just fine, simply an animation thing. I suspect it's on RD's long list of TODO's. KoS

I use that tether system on most of my big ships and stations. I am not the best pilot,lol, and it keeps me from having a man overboard situation.

Today was trials day for my first interplanetary colonization ship: Beginning the deployment sequence Capable of supporting 50 Kerbals for 5 years with full life support and ~4500 m/s DV, it has everything needed for exploration and science missions, including a small fleet of compact planetary probes in the garage behind the bridge: This is our first nuclear powered craft, so Bill had to go back and check the radiation levels on the engines after the circulization burn: I'm making a few refinements and will be launching the career version in the next couple days, which should leave about a month to fully kit out and supply it before the Duna transfer window. Also need to come up with a proper name for it. I usually name my big ships after various sea and sky gods, like Tagaloa or Tiamat, but the name that popped out to me was "So Much for Subtlety"...

As long as the craft has enough storage for them, they should go back into storage.