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Interesting. Looking at the CS motto, 'non lucror, exposita scientia, ad astra', what does that mean? 'not for money, for discovering knowledge, approach the heavens' ? Meaning they have the highest of motivations? Glad to hear it... I do hope they have science backing. Sorry DonLorenzo I dont quite understand, what about skin colour? Are you talking about the workmanlike patina of grime? An admirable sign in a dedicated engineer I am sure.

Yes.

Getting back is half the fun and more than half the satisfaction IMHO. I always try to keep my Kerbals alive, its more interesting that way, feels like you went somewhere and came home again. For myself I join in challenges that I think I can\'t easily do but which could be done and then I find a way to do them and improve my piloting and ship designs.

Props to JordanCox2 too for the Intrepid SLS model which really looks a treat in this vid.

Well I am not sure togfox, but importing the 14.1 version the frame rate on the pad was 1 in 14.3 (was 10+ in 14.1)! That is CPU bound, I dont have sandy yet :\'( using a 4x3GHz yorkfield. I had to shift it to the right a tad to stop the engines breaking, but then when they all (28) fired the ship would not lift off until two tanks were empty, then it was impossible to control at 1fps, so I think its either import conflict, sticky pad problem, or a physics change. I am working towards a rebuild but will have to beta test all the wrinkles out on the way so may take a while!

OK, btw it doesnt work in 14.3, I just tried it. If you go 14.1 then good luck with the gantry, just go slow and steer out a bit and all will be well.

sorry xzbobzx, its a space station, place where kerbals get bacon before landing! Thanks ukgaz and ferrit your appreciation is appreciated

Fair point Cepheus we do now... but it was upsized to 1440x1080 from 800x600 takes, in future I will use full screen capture. The titles and effects have the high res and the gameplay is clearer than 480p but is not native 1440, sorry. Thanks likk9922. togfox, I was thinking the same thing... (watch this space)

Sure wired2thenet, 'Station 02.craft' below. Its not as bad as it looks, I get about 10+ fps at lift off, but getting it to the launch pad without breaking the engines is tricky. You sometimes have to go via 'restart' once, that usually works. Gets better after you drop the lift stage. In case you need cheering up remember... Thanks mincespy and Xazas, I am glad you liked it. EDIT the craft below is the original built for KSPv14.1 and its not stable on launch for later versions, see OP for newer craft.

Guys, I made a space station for Mün orbit and then frapped the mission, on the way I got a bit carried away with and added some music (all nice and legal). I posted it in GD but then I realised you had this mission going... so I thought I would link it here as well, for your convenience. Hope that is OK. I am not sure how big the station is, big enough that I had to do a controlled drift at lift off to avoid hitting the gantry overhang! Enjoy... http://youtu.be/_OLuGzHlgp4

thought you might enjoy this, a mission to put a large stock parts station in orbit around the Mün the hover at the start is deliberate, a managed drift is the only way to lift off without hitting the gantry! http://youtu.be/_OLuGzHlgp4 EDIT added HD version upsized from 800x600, if full screen is too fuzzy then try right click 'watch on youtube' then go for the popout. Having read up on and understood © law now, the music (as attributed) is from Kevin McLeod at incompetech under creative commons license Attribution 3.0 with recommended donation made oh and I finally bought fraps. I think I am going to play the game for a bit now ! OK I have added a 14.4 version of the craft. 14.4 is a troubled release so the craft needs decouplers on the base to lift off and you can expect low FPS until the lift stage is jettisoned. It is a pig to fly! But you can get it up if are very careful about initial throttle setting and steer away from the gantry. I suggest its time to begin steering to orbit at 500m/s but you will be lucky if you make your target vector without corrections, though that is what the second stage is for. Good luck (you\'ll need it)!

A ship with radially connected parts is more likely to experience the Kraken\'s tender embrace, a single stack craft is often able to navigate near normally in deep space. Decoupling radial parts can get rid of the Kraken or at least reduce the effect to manageable proportions.

yup initial acceleration from standing start includes 0-100 m/s of low drag, once over 100m/s you are on the bottom of a parabolic curve of optimum speed / drag, this was explored in the 'max altitude with supplied spacecraft' challenge, the numbers are here.

mmm I am a total noob at this lark, guess its a case of schmoozing the rights holders I think this forum should have a videos sticky thread and this one should be at the top of the list. I like the assymetric shots, is it just me or does it have a curiously Homeworldy feel?

I still want those peanuts. 25.1 ? I borrowed your periapsis Packled and added a Munar slingshot !

yeah! very nice, interesting use of alternative screen capture techniques! If you dont mind me asking, how did you go about the music? I discovered FRAPS about a week ago and the first effort I made with a random ancient music track, I got a DRM warning from youtube which kind of scared me off. Is it considered fair use or do people get permission for that kind of thing?

Not bad, not bad at all. *sigh* Guess I had better hand over the I.O.U. Last I heard Mary-Lou has her eye on Jebediah anyway, cant compete with that. :\'(

Well lets make it total craft weight. I make mine 33.6. Do your worst!

Packled, my efforts in stalking vying for the heart of Mary-Lou Kerman made it necessary to become the rightful trophy holder for the smallest craft prize. Hence I launched three unwitting Kerbals into the void with only ten full tanks (9 full and 2 halves) of fuel and 5.5 units weight of engines in the Sunbather 01 craft. http://youtu.be/dYKl926o8VA

Seems I have some catching up to do. Packled, that is quite an achievement, you deserve a medal! That is certainly the smallest v14 stock parts ship I have seen and a very efficient orbit too, I am in awe of your precision. Masterly use of aerobraking and a close landing to KSC terrain... just a bit closer... next time! You also have the fastest round trip I have seen in your earlier v13 mission @ 106:20:57. Hard to compare apples and oranges so its time to write off v11 achievements, they are remembered in italics but new honours are in order so you have the smallest v14 stock parts ship prize, which looking back at the previous award is an I.O.U. for one packet of peanuts from Mary-Lou Kerman, barmaid at The Dog and Booster. lol Also the fastest round trip prize was the engraved (and polished) hubcap of Bob Kermans Korris Kinor, but apparently it is in orbit now so you can have the bean bag in Pa Kerman\'s office instead, once the family dog has gotten off of it. Ma Kerman said she would wash it first. Nova what can I say, only in KSP ... looking at the MET is that some kind of TARDIS you are flying? Thanks for the screeny & proof of concept. For purposes of the challenge, landing on the sun is admissible imho and counts as an orbit at a very close periapsis. Good luck getting back to Kerbin

yes http://youtu.be/izzkqcYcJNg

Here is my entry, the 'Catcher in the Sky'. EDIT to add description etc. This design creates an openable and closable cage out of landing legs, tank stacks and fins which protect the Catcher\'s command capsule from damage ie being dislodged by impact with the payload. The funnel shape created by the internal radial array of fins also centralises the payload under acceleration. I found the tricoupler provided the optimum spacing for the stacks which make the outer wall of the ship\'s catching bay, relative to the length of lander legs. But the outer booster stacks are not coupled to it directly, they use radial decouplers and struts to prevent flexing and collision with the tricoupler. As you will see the Catcher can land the command capsule from any sized craft, by removing it.... forcibly! Fact is I could not decouple the pod or activate the chute on the target vehicle so I 'bit' off the pod plus a few extra items with the Catcher mechanism and landed both intact in the ocean. See movie. Also had a few problems with the second launch and had to reload from save which got me a duplicate crew. http://youtu.be/7V4kHLX_bqM PS here is the VAB screen, others are in the movie. Also the two ship\'s craft files.

Kudos to Jellycubes, that looks like the minimum. I tried 3 tanks in various configs but could never get back, the extra half tank would have done it no problem.

You can use the Mun to slingshot in KSP if you make an eccentric orbit with PE over 600km and AP past the Mun orbit you can use 10,000x warp and can watch many orbits in a few minutes. Where these intersect the Mun SOI you can see the effect. If you orbit to 90°, same orbit as Mun, then you can pass behind the Mun and get a pull from it and watch your AP increase. If you make a pass in front of the Mun you lose AP. I havent compared the magnitudes. They should be different in theory. I also havent tried the reverse orbit. IMHO in KSP its got a lot to do with the geometry of the place you enter and exit the Mun SOI relative to the Kerbin orbit. Your path is going to be defined by the point you enter the SOI and on what vector. Intuitively I reckon the biggest net velocity gain is going to be a pass which exits the outward side of Muns SOI on the line between Kerbin and Mun. But if you are going too fast to start with you will exit behind the Mun and miss some acceleration time and too slow you will exit ahead of it and lose some of the Kerbin relative speed you gain on the escape vector.

Tell the boys congratulations, they are Star Pilot Dudes and no mistake and are welcome in take their place on the back of the pickup truck as the parade tours Kerbalville shopping center. Also DeadlyPear, nivvydaskrl also said he would be working on some single orbit solutions. They do exist, at the very least you can raise the AP so that Kerbin catches up, but its got to be just right or you miss the rendezvous...