redteddy23

Just add it to your station by docking it on then undock and backup your save folder before you update if it is auto-removed then you just send up a new one. If everything is fine just redock. This is good practice for all experimental mod parts.

I thought that SAS will dampen any attitude change when you press t, that is any movement in yaw, pitch and rotation. This dampening is proportional to mass times the SAS torque of the all the SAS modules on your craft added together then divided by the total mass of the craft. ASAS, I think, acts as a PID Controller that will use all the control surfaces, RCS thrust, engine gimbaling and control pod rotational power to keep your craft pointing in a direction. The Avionics Package has different values from the standard ASAS that allow you to have a finer control of the change in attitude of your craft rather than simply trying to keep it pointed in the current direction. I may be wrong on all this. So I had a look at the cfg files and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PID_controller \GameData\Squad\Parts\Command ASAS --- SAS parameters --- Ki = 1 Kp = 0.6 Kd = 1 Avionics Package --- SAS parameters --- Ki = 0.0 Kp = 0.2 Kd = 0.2 SAS --- SAS parameters --- maxTorque = 20 Ki = 0 Kp = 5.0 Kd = 3.5 Mk2 Lander-can --- pod/rcs parameters --- rotPower = 15 linPower = 15 Kp = 1.0 Kd = 1.0 So SAS does act as a PID controller well a PD controller anyway with and integral value of 0 it doesn't correct for heading changes over time and with high values for P and D it will correct for changes from the direction and precisely and quickly, at least that's how I understand it, I was never very good at control theory. The Avionics package, I am guessing from these values, acts like a very gentle SAS but without its own torque, just using control surfaces (and presumably all the other stuff I mentioned above). So anyway to answer your actual question as the lander can shows it has rotPower to change rotation and linPower to change pitch and yaw, plus its a PD Controller. However, the SAS only has a maxTorque value that can only be used to stop changes in direction rather than help cause them. Sorry for rambling and please tell me where I'm wrong.

That's some nice flying. If thats a single tank exactly on the CoM it must keep it's balance even when low on fuel? About to test drive.

You might want to check this out http://www.fraps.com/ I believe there is a free version.

Yeah it is but I tend to waste loads during Mun landings. I like to come in very slowly and then hover about getting really close to my target. I'm always impressed by the more extreme and skillful landings I've seen videos of.

Sounds like all you need is some data to plan the rescue. When building a craft for a particular mission this excellent map gives you all the info you need. For a Mun rescue you add up the delta-v required for each stage and build backwards. Kerbin ascent/orbit 4550 Mun intercept 860 Mun orbit 210 Mun landing 640 Mun ascent/orbit 640 Back to Kerbin 1070 which comes to 7970 From these figures it's best to carry some extra fuel for pilot error and tricky landing sites that you need to change your orbit for. So i usually plan with. 5000 for take off 2000 to get to the Mun and land 2000 to get off and get back to Kerbin orbit 0 for landing with chutes (but hopefully we have enough for a nice deorbit) So a total of 9000 should safely get there and back but more is always better! To calculate all this for your ship use mechjeb or Kerbal Engineer Redux Here's and example craft and the delta-v numbers. It uses one of the excellent Zenith launchers and some drop tanks to bulk up it's fuel load so it has enough to land and takeoff without the use of a service module staying in orbit to get back home. Did a little test which was almost perfect just needed a few more chutes...

I like the design a lot it's quite pretty just not enough oomph on the final orbit stage like you said. I took your design and had a look I'm not sure I can keep the aesthetics while giving it enough power but I did do a mun mission while putting it on my falcon 9 style launch system which uses cross feed from the side boosters to the middle but isn't exactly asparagus. Each main booster has 8 LV-T30s and 1 LV-T45 in the middle and 2 orange tanks. The side 2 feed to the middle and once the middle is gone one skipper and the X200-32 tank push it into a 100km orbit. With MechJeb I started to circularize at 10km because a big double tank draining will raise the center of mass right up to the payload and make it difficult to control towards the end of the burn and you want the engine not having to make any sharp turns while its a bit unstable. This leaves enough fuel to start the munar injection and help the atomic rocket along. Here's the album http://imgur.com/a/PxW7R/all I also reduced the number of those overpowered radial HOME engines to 2 as you don't need 3.34Gs of thrust to land on the Mun

Well this is a very cute rocket. Destination Mun!

I have two design processes. The Ideal Approach 1. Think of mission (Deploy a small base on the mun with a nice rover and a small robot mun hopping scout to find interesting stuff, then return crew home.) 2. Build components and test them. (Design rover and test at Kerbin weight then work out if it will be controllable at Mun weight and so on.) 3. Build rocket for all the stages carefully calculating for delta/v requirements and T/W ratio for the gravity of each body visited. 4. Check for essential components. (Power, landing gear that actually reaches the ground, just enough RCS for each docking and maneuver of non-kerballed craft etc). 5. A cycle of refining craft to minimize weight and part count. What actually happens 1. Chuck something together that looks cool. 2. Reach orbit. 3. Check how much fuel I have left. 4. Think of somewhere to go. 5. Go there! 5b. Possibly come back...

Obviously doing it wrong. Try lightly steamed, so it still has a little bite and serve with mayonnaise!

Awesome engines. managed to make a successful vertical takeoff shuttle last night. The solid booster version. Very controllable with just a light touch on the action keys.

That would be awesome. Not very elegant but if the mission cannot be ended from inside the plugin there is a more.. explosive way of forcing missions to end.

Yeah it would be for anything that is manually landed, so main ship and anything that gets into at least sub-orbit and has a probe body (or the part it self could act as one). Like you said, most likely the only way to record the recovery of early stages is to have the plugin estimate the recovery of each stage as it is separated, perhaps by making a quick calculation based on its sub-orbit trajectory and likely touchdown speed considering deployed chutes and any atmospheric delta-v it has left.

Really impressive mod. I was planning on making something very similar but was delayed due to exams. One thing I was planning on doing for my implementation would be to add a small add on part that allowed for recovery. It would calculate the cost of the parts and fuel of a ship that is landed back on kerbin and add that back to your budget when the mission is ended. Perhaps only a fraction based on the distance to the KSC, so you are rewarded for an accurate landing.

Wow those launches are interesting...

As already suggested: If they are close enough send a minimal rover with KAS or romfarer robot arm package to the landing site and use it to connect them. If they are not close enough put a small tank and ferry the fuel back and forth. These ideas may not work or be extremely time consuming but you will have tried!

Nice work nyrath! Looking forward to future updates.

I was trying to work it out for myself but this is exam week so I had to put it on the back burner... I did make a little collection of links to the githubs for some of the best mods by the best modders though, so have a look. https://github.com/MuMech/MechJeb2 https://github.com/r4m0n/KSP_DeadlyReentry https://github.com/vXSovereignXv/CrewManifest https://github.com/taraniselsu?tab=repositories

Like this? Without using a subassembly mod rotate each part using the WSAD keys and build a lander upside down. Looking at your rocket the first two stages are getting there just follow the great advice in the thread and you will make it no problem

Are you doing a very early gravity turn with low thrust engines? Try turning later, perhaps at 15km and try and design your rocket so that you have a enough thrust to really pick up speed as you rise above 20km.

To get into a very rough apoapsis near Laythe I usually aim for about 116km around Jool.

First the VAB then all the worlds.

Nice! Even better than how I remember. Plus those legs acts as a hand brake.

Very nice guide. Any advice on making super efficient craft is very interesting.

I can't find any pics but with a large rover that has a reasonably balanced center of mass I have used a land on its bottom with individually placed landing legs that are tied to control groups so that the legs on the wheel side can be raised letting the rover pivot down on to its wheels. One advantage is this can all be done with stock parts. This will only work in low G unless you have one tough rover. Will see if I can get some good pictures of this in operation.