Tw1

This was my go a while back. Not as good as the others here. The Mun was almost in a perfect position. At about ten kilometers, I set my target as the Mun. No mucking around in orbit this time. I continued to burn until the last stage of the launch vehicle was used up, with Danfrod there thinking I'm crazy. After some small corrections, I had a trajectory straight for the Mun. I entered the Mun's SOI with more speed than I'd ever done before. I began cautiously slowing down. - no prize if you end up a splatter on the surface. Taking advantage of my high TWR, the main deceleration burn was undertaken a lot closer to the ground. And we've made it! This was a one way trip, so it doesn't matter that I didn't exactly land straight. One hour and 19 minuets. I did use mechjeb to hold things in the right direction, and for info.

Found out Spherical Fuel Tanks had been optimised, and I could have the full set for the same amount of memory as I currently used for just the Extraplanetary Launchpad ones. Perfect for a low part count utility station. First thing I did: Did one full orbit before landing. Landing this thing with just rockets reminded me of my first Mun landings, as I had too much TWR to make a smooth landing, and things broke off. Not very practical, but this is the first time I've landed something on Kerbin with just rockets. And it looks like the Omnidroid.

Echoing others, there are several things that get me buidling. Sometimes, I looking at the parts, I'll see a possibility, get inspired and do it. This thing would be an example of that. Other times, it's because I have, or find an idea. E.g. canon-(not-quite)-to-space. Sometimes, its to achieve a certain goal. For example, this thing was made and put into orbit to take something to Moho and back eventually. Basically a modified asparagus lifter without a payload, and a few other tweaks. Mostly, the three interact. Mainsail is pretty powerful. Idea: Mainsail plane! One up from SRB planes. Space shuttle has engines powerful enough to lift that big droptank. Lands like a plane, with the the lifting engines and other parts reusable. Tested and demonstrated space shuttle like thing, based on the mainsail plane. With improvements, the idea developed into something fairly capable. Takes Satellites to KSO, recovers Kerbals from spacestations. Way to achieve goals. Like all design processes, the parts don't necessary happen in that order.

Universe replacer just changes the textures, last time I checked. This makes it pretty limited. You can modify shadows to make a male face look more female in 2D, but this is not going to work as well in 3D. Modifying shape is more effective, (I've done this kind of thing with Photoshop) but not possible with Universe replacer, as far as I know. Alien biologies aside, I'd love to see more female looking kerbals, as I view them as human analogues, with some extra toughness for better gameplay/space exploration. Claira's kerbal avatar looks more feminine due to the effect the hair has on the look of shoulders, and the association of dresses and long hair with being female. (Though my hair is almost that long...). Closer inspection of the face looses the effect slightly, but it's not too bad, for just an avatar.

Have a pic of The Shtuule's latest launch. That is an awesome thing. Edit: Posting these as well. Obliterated the universe. Had to restart. Insert comment about camp-fire, smoke, baked beans etc, here.

Installed the first Kerbostationary satellite of my network. More or less above the continent where KSC is located, the super camera on board can be used to watch launches. A second one will be needed to watch circularisation burns. The Shtuule overshot KSC again, but felling confident after last time's 180 degree turn, I aimed for airstrip island. And actually made it. First successful landing there since we lost the nice wide beach. As you can see, runways don't like me. Speaking of runways, I sent a crew down the end of the KSC one to replace the marker. They should've been quicker.

Yes, but what he said was that, without budgets. I'd do some file editing, and turn my main save into a career mode save to do science, but not sure how sudenly having to pay for things would effect things already happening. I'm hoping set missions are never a thing, just a sensible achievement system, and budget and technical limitations that add realistic limits to what you can achieve at first.

I hope they do some things. It would be cool to do science even if you can't use the points you collect from it.

It is a very cool thing. I love the shapes the balloons and trusses form. BTW, where did you get those ladders from? They look useful.

The Shtuule was given extra (recoverable) boosters, and with the extra delta V, I delivered a three satellite network to the Mun. Had barely enough to make it home though. Looked like I was going to overshoot KSC and end up in the ocean. But, fortunately, I managed to turn around. It glided, completely empty, down to a safe landing between the SPH and the VAB. It lives to fly another day. Also, Kerbals don't get stuck when they fall in the cargo bay any more.

Visited that one to test a Mohole explorer, and found the anomaly is underground. I'm happy with Minmus how it its, its smooth hills contrast nicely to the more jagged Mun's surface, it's a very different formation. But it would be nice to have the Mun a bit brighter.

I was trimming down parts- to save memory, then found hull segments would not load. Worked out they use the same model as some fuel tanks, so re added those. Basically, be careful what you delete people.

Do you reckon you'll be able to make the Thor probe's instruments, collect science points when they get added to the game?

Agreed. That would be a good little improvement.

I'm not entirely sure why it will be save breaking. It is possible to get the connector off the cable, so as long as you unplug everything, and remove all connectors and disconnect-able attachment ports, then do the same for your saved crafts, why would anything break? None of the features talked about so far seem to need the winch itself to change much, and re-naming parts seems unnecessary. As long as you prepare before updating, everything should be fine. Things that need KAS to stay in place, like hanging bases, will have problems, but otherwise, I don't see why there is a problem. Unless I'm missing something?

I am also looking forward to optimisation, as I've been getting more crashes lately. Sure, I've had things running in the background more lately, but it's always nice. But mostly, science. I'm putting of a few missions until then.

Good luck! You may have beaten me to some of the things I was hoping to do with the railway mod. I will be interested to see how you've done this, and if it shows better potential than the ideas I've been testing. Just wondering... you wouldn't happen to live in Sydney somewhere would you? With our city monorail being taken down an everything...

Sounds like he might be related to Kirrim... I like this one. He almost looks contemplative, after surviving a plane crash, after a failed experiment. And have a shiny picture of The Shtuule over Kerbin.

This is the reason I keep a few superstrut mods around. Vessels that land like that just don't hold on to engines happily. Today, inspired by watching a bird land on our TV aerial, grabing on with its feet, I attempted to land a plane on the VAB the same way, with KAS grappling hooks. Didn't work. If I had better flying skills, something like it may be feasible. Instead: I took Shtuule for its second flight. The mission was to put a spy communication and TV satellite into a tundra Orbit. First one I've attempted. Not sure if these kinds of vessels are practical for satellites launches really, it depends on the prices of engines vs fuel and fuel tanks. "Technicians" helping set up the equipment in space is one argument for this shuttle. Then, I decided to catch the kerbals in the cargo bay. Rescue practise, I guess. Landed several Km north of KSC. While climbing over the ship, two kerbals got stuck in the bay. Added "ladder" to the improvements for next time. Even if it's not cheaper in the long run, a shuttle like this might be good publicity. Kerbals would look up as it returns from doing whatever and say to each other- "That's what gave us satellite tv and satellite phones!" So far, I haven't bothered setting up any satellites to give them the benefits of the space age. Maybe I will with this.

I did something like this with my Curiosity replication. The trick was a biggish burn soon after I entered they SOI, with lots of mechjeb data for fine tuning, as you can see. I recommend moving the trajectory so that you aren't going to be going straight down, but still have a fair bit if horizontal velocity when you get close, as Duna's atmosphere is so thin. If you want ideas, this was the whole mission. http://imgur.com/a/FAJCJ#OpRQHiz

Truer words are not often said.

I finished my space shuttle. It now can place small payloads into useful orbits, or take crew to stations, and everything except the droptanks is re-usable. I made an album of the flight here: I think the "Shtuule" will be one I use regularly. (That is the only way something like this would be cost effective, after all.)

I like the feel of KSC 2. Without the grass thing around the launchpad, it has a similar atmosphere to old bits of equipment you find out in the country. The old VAB in all its piranha plant-esque glory. And the scenery here is enough to make the main KSC jealous.

Female Kerbals is something I'd like to see added, so it'd be as if they'd always been there. But, I kinda like the idea of finding them on Eve. Perhaps that could be an idea for a promotional video.