Francesco

Hi, are you playing on a Mac? It seems to me that the 1.2.1 patch has changed the default zoom modifier key - used to be left shift, now it's left cmd. You can change it in the input settings. Now I can zoom inside the VAB again.

J2-X has been cancelled.

1. Load craft on launchpad 2. Hyperedit to 100 km Eve circular orbit 3. Autolander with saved coordinates at an altitude that lies outside of the atmosphere (100km) 4. Use reaction wheels/whatever you've got on board to turn the craft upright 5. Autolander with saved coordinates again, this time at a convenient altitude for landing (100m above ground)

Just going on EVA from the runway or the launchpad counts as one flight on Kerbin. (Maybe even just placing the capsule there, I'm not sure.) Are you sure they haven't done that before?

Since you're using Kerbal Engineer, you can simply check the engine's performance on a atmospheric body without even leaving the VAB/SPH, by using the altitude slider displayed by the 'atmospheric' button

I have returned from Eve sea level in 1.0.2 and I can confirm that the figure of 8500-8600 m/s in vacuum is correct.

SanderB, how do you build fairings as wide as the fairing base part? The game won't let me do that :/ it forces me to place a wider cross section:

You make your own roleplay. It's a nice little challenge you give to yourself, to keep LKO debris-free.

Thanks, very interesting! So does that tell us if there's an altitude on Kerbin where it's "better" to cross the sound barrier? You know, to push past 300+ m/s while not stressing the rocket too much and risk losing control?

What is the relationship between speed and drag? Equations/pretty graphs...?

Aerospikes at sea level on Eve have almost the same ISP as the Mainsail. The problem is their low TWR. Has someone built a return ship with 'spikes in the first stage?

So how do rocket without fins and aerodynamic surfaces manage to fly? Just by gimballing the engines, and by "keeping within the prograde marker"?

Something that could be useful - also, this is in defense of the 909 This small chart tells you the altitude needed on Kerbin to get a certain amount of delta-v out of a 909-powered rocket stage. (Roughly.) It associates an altitude with a multiplier, which goes from ~0.246 (sea level delta-v, 85s/345s) to 1.0 (max vacuum delta-v). Done with Kerbal Engineer. multiplier km 0.246 0.0 0.4 2.0 0.5 3.3 0.6 4.6 0.7 6.2 0.8 8.3 0.85 9.7 0.9 11.7 0.95 15.2 1.0 ~50 So at ~12km, a 909 runs at 90% of its max ISP.

I don't get why the 909 gets outclassed, given its high ISP... it just needs a first stage to push it past 10km or so... at least that's how I've used it for a small Kerbin orbiter, in career mode. What am I missing?

I don't think it's found in Survivability, but rather in a 45/90 science node.

No, I actually think it's ok - I dislike the fairings, in fact. Yellow stripes?

Battery management? Radio?? Could you explain this?

Well, to be fair towards the LV-N, its ISP is low, but at ~1500m it already becomes on par with the other engines. Still, low TWR.

With 1.0 it seems important to keep the angle of attack low while flying through the atmosphere. Below 20 km, I try to keep the AoA below 10°, actually more like 5° - which means staying inside or on the edge of the prograde vector's circle. I begin the turn at 5/6/7 km. And yes, a lower TWR is okay now, compared to the past.

Basic science package, mounted on top instead of below the pod. Re-enters like a sir - no manual input needed. May increase drag during ascent.

Were you always using the same exact ship, returning from Mun and Minmus? Having different parts attached may dissipate heat in different ways.

I say keep the RT-5, and yes add a 0.625m SRB in 1.01. 300s vacuum ISP is too high though. On a second thought, aren't all the new solids' ISP's a bit too low, in general?

The distance has been increased to 22.5 km now

It's like loading a subassembly, it seems.

This is nuts. But some pods have a crash tolerance of 50-60 m/s, so aerobrakes + pancaking parts as shock absorbers should work. Most of the time.