Conarr

I totally stole the idea for a 4 docking port connection between two station parts. After a thousand tries I finally got them together right so all the ports actually docked. It's a beautiful thing, except now I can't get them apart again. So, if some nublette wanted to break apart said space station if he forgot, say the power core, how would one go about doing that. In theory, cause I totally wouldn't do something so colossally mindless as that. it shows a complete lack of planning. I've tried to undock each port, but they just reconnect when I get to the other side Conarr

I'm not sure how to tell if the drag is behind the CoM. How do you tell? I think you're on to something with the asymmetric fuel consumption. I wonder if I might have accidentally knocked off a fuel line while mucking about. I'll triple check that EDIT: You nailed it RoboRay. There is definitely a fuel imbalance. I nuked all the fuel lines and ran a new line from the outer tanks to the inner and it went straight as an arrow. I'll setup the lines properly now and continue with my testing. Thank you for your help.

The loss of control event starts around 1500m. I don't think there is an imbalance, at least the CoM seems to be centered when looking down on the crafts from above. As for wobble, it's rock steady.

If you have a launch vehicle flipping ass over tea kettle (end over end) is that an indication that the rocket is too tall and the center of mass is too high?

Oh, and sorry about the mistype. I get the difference between stages and action groups. My mind just went faster and / or slower then my typers

Actually, I don't usually allow MJ to stage, but I may have forgotten to turn it off in my fresh install. Thanks for the input - all of you. I'll look into it now.

I couldn't watch the video for long, it made me have a seizure and then throw up - or maybe it was the other way round

I've setup an abort sequence in the action groups that shuts down all the engines, decouples the command module and fires the separatrons to move the command module out of the area. I do not want the parachutes to deploy right then - they are on a separate action group. If they deploy immediately, there is a chance they will deploy below the command pod and then despawn. How can I stop the game from moving the chutes into the same group as the decoupler and deploying them prematurely? Ihave the chutes in a completely different stage at the start of the flight, but the stages seem to combine at some point during the flight.

Thanks Sovereign. I'll look into it. Also, sorry about your body in ME1. I really didn't mean to kill you twice, it just sorta worked out that way.

Thank you all. It seems to me there isn't a clear consensus on this. I will say that I've done some more testing tonight, after I had to re-install due to not being able to end any flights and with stock only parts at the moment, it seems pull is easier to pilot. I can't see a clear difference in efficiency either. Apparently it doesn't matter on your gas mileage if you push or pull. I guess it's a preference thing then. Again, thanks for the input.

I can imagine. You have to get all the maneuvers right to get the thing into orbit, but only one mistake and it's relaunch time.

Now I have to go read the book again! E-Book reader FTW

True story: I used to work in the F-16 and F-117 programs in the US Air Force. Once, early in my career, I was doing what's called fire guard. Basically you stand around near the rear of the aircraft watching for fire and maybe trying to put it out should a fire start. They give a great big fire bottle and everything. Anyway, on one launch while we were in Japan, a hundred quadra-zillion dragon flies were swarming around the base and our jets were ingesting them and spitting the flaming corpses out the back. It looked a little like that pic of the jet above. The powers that be decided maybe we should wait to fly another day.

Come on, admit it. You've had a few intended explosions as well haven't you?

Anything that worries Jeb needs to be shot using an orbital cannon

I know this was covered somewhere, even one of Scott Manley's videos apparently, but I can't find it. What I want to know is your opinion on having an interplanetary tug push a payload versus pulling a payload. In other words, put the tug behind the payload or in front of it? I'm testing with my space station now (well last night) and the only thing I've noticed so far is that it seems easier to keep it on course when you pull. Any thoughts about efficiency etc?

@ Ignition, how long did it take you to work out this launch procedure?

I have a question. I have two saves, Groom Lake where I test stuff and my real game where I do permadeath, economy, no quicksaves etc. Well, pilots died at groom lake and I wasn't aware Crew Manifest permadeath worked across multiple saves. No big deal, in my CMDR Jebediah save I just go into the persistent.whatever file and set the dead pilots back to state = 0 (I think). They're back in the game, but it seems they are still unavailable on the crew roster. It shows them in red text, meaning unavailable as I understand it. So my question is how do I make them available again in my real save since I was stupid and left permadeath on while testing? Thanks, Conarr

Besides space planes (which I have yet to master), docking manually was the most difficult thing I've done in the game. Feels good when you finally get it done.

Sweet liquid Hydrogen! This is uber. (Switching to forum grammar mode) stiky plz!\\ !!11

Bwahaha! I did something like this yesterday

Hey question for you, using the ISAT and Kethane mods together, do you get the lag during launch from the mapping mod? If not, how did you get around it? I'm just about to give up on the mapping mod because of the launch lag

How'd you talk Sandra into working on your space station?

Poor ponies. Poor blackjacks. Poor grumpy Mods.

Some of the first rockets I used when I started this game were your Zenith rocket family. They helped me learn a lot of what I think I know now. Looking forward to firing Jeb at something on top of this monster.