Tw1

Not so much rovers, but replacing suborbital vehicles for resource collection and transporting kerbals over reasonable distances. I imagine using something like this with Kethane, and the like. With a special path that holds the vehicle in place, you could accelerate to speeds much higher than what rovers do. The idea would be each 2.5 K.m section would be a single part that you must deliver to the right location, aim, then anchor down. The line itself is the (physics-free?) extendible ladder. This would result in only a few parts per Km2. Kerbtown was my first thought when it came to this, but I wasn't sure about how things were placed in it. Having a closer look, seems it has a GUI that lets you place things. That seems bit easy though, a lot goes into making a railway. If they were parts, construction could be done with EL, where you have to mine the ore to make the part, and then get it somewhere. This would make building a rail line a fair task, for the benefits it brings. Though if they were done as parts, you'd have a lot of vessels in the map view list just making up the railway. Edit: That's an interesting thought. I wonder if something could be made to work like kerbtown, but spawn from a part. The part could be one use only, then be deleted, leaving the map clear.

Now that is very clever. I think I just worked out how my Moho Mohole expedition will work...

I am working on a simple railway mod. The plan is to have track pieces that you put together, like a model railway, placed using the kerbtown plugin. Train wheels grip a central, T shaped bar. Currently, I have a working bogie part, which still needs refinement before I move on to track making. Your ideas, or offers to help are most welcome. The original idea (discussed in the first few pages) was a system inspired by the kerbals' ladders. Kerbals lock on to the ladders, move straight from one to another, even at a slight angle. A similar system could be employed to make a train wheels jump from one rail segment to another. These segments will be placed via kerbtown, with the possibility of adding a resource-using construction system later. A radially place able train bogie (wheel frame) part will enable your creations to use the track. This "ladder" based concept was superseded by the current idea, which is based on monorail. The other issue with creating a rail system is terrain. Real life railway engineers can modify terrain to make a better path, but obviously we can't in KSP. A solution could be to make every segment a viaduct. Model for demonstration only. The supports here are 500m tall, so they should be enough to cross reasonable changes in terrain. When not needed, they will be hidden underground, giving the impression of a smaller structure. Current planed parts: (I forgot to include a label for the incline piece) (Specifics of each are still under discussion.) The early version of the bogie. T-shape proved more reliable than V shape in testing. A coupler part to let you join train parts together, featuring a hinge, and a docking port like end for convenient assembling of trains will also be included eventually. Track dimensions: Note that this has been tweaked a little from the last post. First post will be edited now and then, to show any big news, or changes in the plan.

Sent up something to scan the Mun, to investigate Kethane and Ore locations, to consider the logistics for my new base. Not one to do things by halves, I made a ship that could scan for Ore, Kethane, perform a Mapsat scan, as well as visual examination. Werhwin Kerman spent five days above the Mun, making observations, taking measurements, and monitoring the systems. He changed orbits several times, to accommodate the different scanner properties. As I neglected to include return systems, and used up all most all the fuel, Werhwin had to be picked up. My Mun rescue/canyon investigation mission rendezvoused with him on their way home, giving him the last seat. Did you know you can push kerbals up a ladder? I also "simulated" something near the site for the base... Without great success.. Then, it was time to start landing important things. Fairings look funny. I had mechjeb land whackjob-esque wheel shape module right on top of a pre-placed marker. Hopefully it will be able to store enough parts to build something useful when that part of the mod gets updated. And that looks like plenty for one post.

Good to hear. I brought lots of tanks, but still can only make little things.. Something tells me I may need to make more anyway.

Tip: If you areobrak right at Jool, you can just wait until Laythe comes close, then tweak the orbit to get an intercept.

I suspect it's time to learn to rendezvous. Getting them back is not going to be simple. You don't have enough to circularise, which would make rendezvous easier. You could to it with a kerbal's jetpack, (using the Mun's terrain to orientate yourself) but then you'd end up with four things that you need to rendezvous with. Make something light, with lots of spare delta V, incase you make a mistake. Rendezvous is a very useful skill to have, but takes a little practice. If you bring RCS, you can use that to refine the close approach.

It's fun to have spaceship-grade reaction wheel systems on little rovers. Somewhere along the line while making a Curiosity reenactment, I decided to center it on a SAS module. This worked well in flight, and now, I can pull interesting stunts with the rover. I also made something that flips itself over with SAS to climb the VAB. Reaction wheels are cool.

Agreed. This would be awesome.

Just looking triggers the KSP theme in my head. A good sign.

Looks.. interesting. Part of me is saying too sci-fi and not enough yellow. Part of me is saying this will make sure people know that's not a stock part being used. But I haven't used an ion engine since 0.20, so we'll see.

He escaped! Check the room you're in!

Wow, this mod just keeps getting better and better. I don't expect the number of people in the pictures thread who ask: "How did you do that?" to drop any time soon.

Constructive criticism: While it's a good demonstration, it's not really a tutorial, you haven't given much methodology, for example, the height you should make your Kerbin apoapsis before circularising orbit, when to burn to reach Mun, using a retrograde burn to capture into orbit, etc. But it was a good example of the simplest landing method. Cool choice of music too.

Density. Different amounts, I believe. Ioncross life support has a part that recycles CO2 into oxygen. But that would be an extra level of mod interaction to worry about.

From what I've heard, you're pretty much correct. There was someone who even calculated the ideal orbits to put tanks in, for trips to each planet.

Been awhile since I've looked here. New parts? Cool. Looking forward to it. Any plans for IVAs for your window corridors? Or have I missed something? (them, and the radial windows are my favourite.)

I've noticed that they don't show up dead in the flight log either. Perhaps this could be fixed, in an update.

Yep, help from rockets are the way to go. Unless you use a lot of chutes. To maximise drag, you want to come in low, and horizontal, as said. Here's a "hard mode" landing: Straight from hyperbolic orbit: Hit stage at just the right point: I can see why nasa uses autopilots for this kind of thing. Skycrane! Time to explore. Got to get timing just right. Without Mechjeb, I'd need more chutes. And to aerobrake before landing.

Yes, but I let MJ2 help aim.

That would be a problem. I currently only have two kerbals off kerbin, in a lander on the far side of the Mun. Perhaps if some others are lucky, they can leave the planet quickly, and go sit around the flags that mark the sites for components of my planned base...

Wow. Definitely impressive. You're making the whole thing? I've been working on a story about the construction and opening of the new center It's going slowly, due to issues IRL. Would I be able to use your images for illustration? Are you able to do other angles easily once you've got the whole thing? If not, I've already got screenshots, so DW. Also, isn't the VAB's smaller hall on the other side?

The reason I always add a bonus probe core to rovers now.

Interesting. Does this mean a craft with not-yet unlocked parts would be loaded if copied into a career mode save? What about if loaded in the editors?

Now this looks like a cool challenge. May have a go when I'm feeling better.