Drunkrobot

I had previously done a manned Duna mission. I landed successfully, and I knew I had enough fuel to get back, but the whole design was so much for my little laptop to run, that I gave up. Now, I'm forming a new mission, one that this time will get back home.

If you didn't know, the knowledge base is an in-development portion of the game. It's primary focus is to provide data to the player (some data you will need to collect yourself in future career mode) and reduce the need to alt-tab to the KSP wiki. Some portions of the knowledge base is already implemented, some of the most visible portions being the on-board resources tab at the top-right and planetary/craft data on the right of the map view. What extra parts of the base do you want to have focus on (i.e. added to the game in .22, .23 etc)? My dream addition is topographical data (height maps), ala the MapSat plugin. Sending out a probe to another world to chart the map sounds like an interesting task to do. One improvement I would add to it would be the ability to see on the height map where you will hit the ground, based on your current trajectory. This would be an insanely handy feature, as the non-atmospheric landing technique I use involves travelling a few hundred meters above the ground at orbital velocity, so knowing whether or not I will hit the ground is useful to know.

Boy, do I love teeny tiny landers. A question-are the toroidal tanks there because the T100s add almost, but not quite enough fuel, or are they there for the sexyness? I like to think I'm good at efficient non-atmospheric landings, so would it be possible to ditch the toroidals or is the safety margin tight enough as it is? Yes, I could do the maths myself, but it is very, VERY early where I am, and the mathematician that lives in my head is asleep.

6/10 I have seen you more than a couple of times.

Do you mean modern geopolitics sent back to the 1940s in terms of technology, or the other way round, today's tech in the hands of the 1940s world order?

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin are two of the most famous men of the 20th century, and possibly of all time. Being the first human explorers on another world have put them into the history books forever. But, they were only allowed to be extraterrestrial explorers for 2 hours, 31 minutes and 40 seconds. Imagine training for so long, travelling so far, just to spend such little time where you wanted to go. Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt have spent more time on the Moon than anybody else-22 hours, 3 minutes and 57 seconds on EVA, spread across three Moonwalks, each lasting over 7 hours. These two men weren't camping like Neil and Buzz-setting up, a brief walk, a nap, then back home again. They had a house-in which they lived for 3 days-a job, a car, even their suits where better and more flexible. But nobody knows who they are. How many times, you think, were they recognised in public, or asked for an autograph? Imagine training for so long, travelling so far, and nobody not even knowing your name? My question to you is this: if you were given the chance to be one of the Apollo astronauts, what would you rather be-one of the first, entering the history books, at the cost of less time actually on the Moon, or one of the later missions, experiencing more of the Lunar surface, but face obscurity back on Earth? EDIT: When I say "famous", I don't mean celebrity famous, I mean history books famous, the sort of famous that makes you immortal. Just saying, cause the results were a bit one-sided Personally, I would pick time on the Moon, to be honest.

Everyone reading this, check your Steam page. There should be a new early access game called "Take On Mars". I'm installing it right now! Basically, you are the driver of a robotic probe (most notably rover) on the Martian surface. Explore accurate Martian locations, perform scientific experiment, deal with equipment failures, and all that good stuff! Why am I telling you this? So we can get the word out! Who else here would love to see their favourite member of the media group playing this game? I would like to see Scot do it most of all, probably because he would be competent at it. XD If there is any Nerdfighters here, help me bug Hank Green to play it on Hankgames! You know how much he loves Mars!

Two posts, and already you have contributed something more awesome to the forums than I have spawned in my entire time as a KSP player. If you managed to set that up in vanilla KSP (especially GALILEO), then I want a behind the scenes video more than a fat kid wants cake.

I think we would change our way of thinking of ourselves. If we discovered evidence of another intelligent civilisation, we can make a few assumptions. 1. There is nothing totally "unique" about Earth's ability to sustain life, like how the discovery of exoplanets show that the solar system isn't unique in having planets. 2. If life, especially complex life, can exist somewhere else, then life is probably abundant, given the vast number of stars in our one galaxy. 3. Of these many civilisations, it is reasonable to suggest that at least a few of them are malevolent. 4. Given the military-industrial complexes' ability to accelerate technological growth here on Earth, it's likely said malevolent aliens are more advanced than we are. After first contact, no matter if it is a simple radio message, a salvaged alien space probe, or underground ruins on Mars, it is no longer "you" and "me", more "us" and "them". Nothing unites people together like a common threat (Hitler united the USSR in a way Stalin never could). The entire human race would mobilise it's resources and advance it's technology so we could start our role on the galactic stage.

Nice! Loved the nod to that piece of science-fiction loveliness in the intro.

I remember at some point maxmaps (the PR guy at squad) stating that the devs would like to have 0.21 out by the 31st. Who else thinks there is a mob laying siege to his house to make sure they keep to his word? SRSLY, i'm loving what the update is shaping up to be, and they can release it when it's ready.

I shouldn't really do this, but... nope.

Quantum phiyics, b*tches!

Probably a manned Mün mission, Apollo-style, of course . Such a mission gives a good "crash-course" (pardon the pun) of what systems are in the game, how they have changed per update etc, without taking too long. Landing near the rim of one of those new craters should test my precision landing skillz. Should be easier with that lovely new ASAS system. Any new parts (I noticed that HECS probe core in the released photos, so it is rather likely at least a few parts will be added) must be assimilated into my designs. And of course, that new KSC to stare at for hours.

The whole design philosophy of each update is "if the next update is to be the last, which it isn't, would the final game be worthy of being a finished game, with respect to it's price?" This is what makes the Minecraft-style development process work, as you get many ore hours of people playing the game when ideas and feedback are needed most. £18 for 108 hours and counting? Already a better deal than most games I own.

I'm sure most of you are aware of this equation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsiolkovsky_rocket_equation Effective exhaust velocity is equal to specific impulse multiplied by acceleration due to gravity. However, all the examples of the equation I have seen takes gravity (Fg) to be 9.81, the gravity on Earth (or Kerbin) at sea level. While I know that it won't be 9.81 on the Moon, for example (My probe on the Mun reads 1.6 m/s2), I what to know if it is true at an altitude in the SOI of Earth (or Kerbin). I want to know because I'm trying to design a transfer stage on my Mun rocket with the minimum fuel needed. Do I use 9.81 to equal Fg, or 7.78 (the gravity my probe in a 70 km orbit reads.) Thanks!

...well. That is a very impressive score, but unfortunately, I can't allow it. Personally, I wouldn't consider any activity a success if I lost a leg while doing it.

If I was only allowed to spend one day of my life in the US, I would defiantly spend it at one of these places. Either there or Kennedy Space Centre for an actual rocket launch! I hope you had an awesome holiday!

In Britain the KSPTV marathon begins on the 20th, I'll be watching that.

And the crowd goes wild!

For know, 1st place is a tie. Keep it up!

I thought it was going to be very morbid, Jeb being left behind. Then I remembered, this was Jeb we are talking about. XD

Here is what I don't quite understand-Voyager 1 got it's last gravity assist from Titan during the fly-by through the Saturn(ien?) system. Voyager 2 got further assists from Neptune and... the seventh planet. Shouldn't Voyager 2 be faster?

Well, already I'm knocked from first place! Putting in a leader board.

Thanks, I'll make a quick edit to the OP.