Director_Valle

Ad Astra per aspera!

But what about the monkeys?, had they not went through this evolutionary path we wouldn’t have this mess!.

For sure, it is a must have for KSP2 1.0, but while on EA I’m willing to call it optional (as long as the docking ports are structurally viable). I meant the way KSP2 contracts work. And sure, on KSP1 there is no need to go beyond the Kerbin system science-wise, but I do so anyway for exploration/roleplaying.

I like to role play my own space agency, so I set my own goals, contracts to me are just a way to gain some science and a feel that there are more actors (other than myself) in Kerbin. I build orbital infrastructure, I do not launch huge behemoths, if I need a large ship, I split it into multiple modules and assemble it in orbit. So what do I need before switching to KSP2: - The precision maneouver tool. - Data more handily available (inclination, period, eccentricity, etc.). - Orbital construction. Last one is optional, as docking can be good enough for starters, but some stuff you need to assemble in orbit… but I guess an orbital colony (shipyard) will fix this too.

I’m currently building a station, and I use trusses to keep the refueling tanks away from the habitation modules… you know… just in case. I’ve also used them to build “sky cranes”, or as part of engineering sections, etc.

Not exactly the same, but I have a whole category of experimental crafts where I test concepts/principles/parts/etc, these see testing until I’m comfortable enough to build a more “refined” production version, which becomes the vehicle I do actively use. Some of them although successfully demonstrating the capability see no further development, so you could consider them somewhat “abandoned”.

... It wasn't safe yet. The Mun could still alter the asteroid's orbit, so a series of maneuvers were planed, firstly to lower its orbit so that it would become stable, than to change its plane to an equatorial one, and then to obtain a 500 kilometers circular orbit. This of course could not be achieved on "just a couple burns", and it had to be carefully choreographed to also consider the thermal needs of the drilling and refinement components. The first objective didn't took long to achieve, after a couple of burns the asteroid's apoapsis was lowered enough so that it would never be altered by the mun, then the plane changes started. Since the S.A.R.C.O. spacecraft was fully operational again, it was decided that plane changes were to be executed by both spacecraft, so as to reduce the structural stresses suffered when changing orientation. Finally the equatorial orbit was achieved, but ... it wasn't safe yet. The asteroid crossed the orbits of several other spacecraft, the KST space telescope, and the KSS Alpha space station among others, in fact, near passes had started to occur already, KSS Alpha was once already within 70km; and as further burns were conducted the close approaches became more regular, all of these had to be taken into account when planning. Then the closest ever approach was calculated, less than 800 meters from KSS Alpha, and it would happen in a handful of orbits. The crews on both spacecraft were warned, the station's crew were ready to perform an avoidance burn if required, but the S.A.R.C.O.P.H.A.G.U.S. mission "should" be able to prevent it, but it required forcing the ISRU equipment. Fingers were crossed. Thankfully the craft was able to handle it. Just a couple of burns later the asteroid had reached its final orbit, but there was work still to be done. The S.A.R.C.O. craft was detached from the asteroid, it had become stuck on the dark side, therefore its solar panels were ineffective, it was reoriented. Afterwards, a spacewalk was needed to "unsafe" the crew command Module, struts were removed, even a small container was removed from the command module securing it to the asteroid itself, some tools were left behind there, as these were no longer required, but future visitors might find them useful. Finally, after more than 28 days in space, the crew was going home. Back on the United Nations of Kerbin, the voice of the space program's critics drowned in the applause when Werner (once back again called to present the status of the mission) announced that Kerbalkind had been able to acquire a 3rd natural satellite, and placed it in a stable orbit. Back at KSC Gene Kerman sipped its 4th cup of coffee, it was a long night, his workstation already littered with several snacks; but it wasn't the overdose of caffeine that made him nervous. At long last contact with the capsule was reestablished after the heated plasma dissipated, but they had missed the designated splash zone by nearly a hundred kilometers, they were landing near the KSC, but instead of the warm water it would be the cold highlands ... "at least they missed the mountains" he thought.

Hello Nate, thanks for all your efforts and those of the team. Will there be a tool/interface to fine tune a maneuver node?.

I knew from day -1 that I wouldn’t be leaving KSP1, I have tried KSP2 but will wait until it gets more mature, I’ll keep an eye on KSP2 with every patch, but will remain in KSP1 until at least science and colonies get added (and after I get a hardware upgrade), then I’ll probably move to KSP2.

The former S.A.R.C.O. mission was somewhat of a legal mess, by law no space junk was allowed, and some politicians tried to describe it as an uncontrollable spaceship (junk), but the scientific community rebutted that its status was "landed", in any case, while there was no more fuel on it of any kind, there was still energy and communications with it, in fact onboard cameras could detect P.H.A.G.U.S. as it approached. Once P.H.A.G.U.S. arrived Jeb could finally rest (for a while), his job in the meantime was done, it was time for Bill and Bob to shine (although the engineer had already a couple of space walks to prepare the spacecraft). They both went on spacewalks, both to secure the vessel to the asteroid in preparation for the mining operation, as well as to extend fuel lines to the S.A.R.C.O. spacecraft, also samples were taken and other experiments were conducted. The S.A.R.C.O. spacecraft was refueled, and became fully controllable once more, it was aligned to the the same axis as P.H.A.G.U.S., and with both vessels operational the mission was renamed: S.A.R.C.O.P.H.A.G.U.S. The asteroids ore could indeed be mined, and refined into fuel and oxidizer, the first burn was at the next apoapsis, lowering the orbits inclination to a more accessible 3.7 degrees, then plan was to put it in an equatorial orbit, but that was a secondary objective. The main task was to prevent the asteroid's from being altered by the moon, such an encounter would take place in less than 70 days, but after the first retrograde burn it would happen in approximately 20 days... it wasn't safe yet.

Most people on Kerbin were still celebrating the deviation of the asteroid bound to impact the northern hemisphere, but the more aware knew that as long as its trajectory intersected the Mun's orbit there was a chance... After all components of the P.H.A.G.U.S. mission were delivered into orbit... A series of maneuvers were made to dock them all together, fuel was transferred by the Tanker ships into the main vessel: Surprisingly one of the AVI-01 upper stages made it into orbit with enough fuel so as not to deorbit it immediately. One of the tankers was completely drained of fuel (other than the one needed for deorbit, quickly the minds at KSC came with an idea to cannibalize some components from it in order for the main P.H.A.G.U.S. vessel to carry a bit more fuel. Afterwards the Tankers separated, one of them deorbited immediately (the one with the AVI-01 upper stage still attached), the other began a series of maneuvers to adjust its plane to match that of the KSS Alpha station. Meanwhile a spacewalk was conducted to reinforce the joint between the Command and Refinery modules. Finally the intercept burn was conducted, and after a few hours a small correction burn was performed. P.H.A.G.U.S. is now bound to intercept asteroid JKE-380.

Could it be the “precursors” home planet?, originally verdant, but gone quiet?

If you bought KSP from steam you can simply buy the expansion and it will be added to your base KSP. Not sure about the other vendors.

Have you checked that the process isn’t running? It could be minimized. Have you tried running the EXE directly?

Following the success of the S.A.R.C.O. mission: Werner wasn't at all surprised when the results came in, but still he hoped to have more time. He put the folder inside the briefcase next to his favorite snacks. Asteroid JKE-380 had been deviated, avoiding a crash course into Kerbin's northern hemisphere, and was captured into an eccentric high orbit. "Gene is going to love this" "A Mun encounter!", Gene shouted, the asteroid was going to suffer an orbital change after the encounter, it would become harder for the plans that were already in development to study it, and to build an orbital outpost on it. "But we still have some time" Werner replied. An immediate meeting was held, the kind of meeting that lasted all night. Out of that meeting a new mission was planned: P.H.A.G.U.S. The "Potentially Harmful Asteroid Guidance Unlimited System" will seek to rendezvous with the asteroid and further alter its course, but it was clear that moving a 177.281t asteroid was going to take a lot of fuel, more than could realistically be shipped to it, furthermore, aerobraking had been ruled out for fear of contaminating it (and Kerbin) with foreign material; but the good news was that early observations of the space rock suggest a high percentage of Ore (may be up to 80% of its mass) that could be converted into fuel. But the early figures of building an orbital mobile refinery made it clear that it couldn't be single launched, there was simply no rocket capable enough to do it (launch providers were already working on the next generation of rockets, but none will be available on time). "What if we add moar boosters?" someone asked, but this time that wasn't going to solve the issue. So it was decided to separate the mission into several launches, an extraction/refinement section, a crewed command module, and two tankers to resupply the firsts modules. The sections had such a mass that they could not be taken into orbit with their tanks full. The rockets took off from several launch sites around Kerbin, two from KSC, one from the Crater Rim launch facility, and one from the Dessert spaceport into a 18.1 inclination: The plan was for the Command Module (nicknamed "P.H.A.G.U.S. Crew") to dock with the refinery module, then the tankers will follow to resupply the vessel, afterwards the intercept burn will take place. Command Module Refinery Module Tanker "I just hope they made it in time"...