Ben 9072

Will there be a fundamental incompatibility with .21 saves and .20 saves that renders them completely incompatible or would it be feasible for me to write a conversion script to convert the differences in the persistents file?

I haven't even gotten a mission yet....

I would make it in a 4:1 ratio at a size of at least 500x2000. then scale it down and upload it.

I accounted for the mass of the parachute ejector. To my knowledge, the program does not include kerbals' masses in the calculations until they go EVA, sort of "spawning" them rather than accurately calculating the mass. However, the mass of a Kerbal is .03125 (from this study), so the error it would provide would be minimal compared to the 1.1 mass of the pod and chute. I'll look into that, thanks!

That's an interesting thought, and it also lends credence to the idea that Kerbin's oceans are not made of water, since surface tension is a result of the chemical structure of water. I'll think about ways to test that, though I'm doubtful the programmers added surface tension into the game. I originally was planning on running the experiment by lowering a fuel tank via winches into the sea, but it kept destroying the tank. Cylindrical objects would have been easier to use, however, if they had not constantly been destroyed.

Sorry, I misread the data on who did what. I actually only used the Kerman Corp data, not the KAAST. XD

You need to find an image hosting service (I use imgur), then copy the url of the image you want to use. Then, contain it in {IMG}http:url.....{/IMG} tags, except use [ instead of {.

Hey everyone, As the thread instructed us to alert ISSO if we had any current scientific missions, I wanted to share a strange finding I found about the oceans of Kerbin. The density was found to be much lower than that of water, let alone salt water, leading to questions as to whether or not Kerbin's oceans are actually made of water. You can view the report HERE. EDIT: Also, thanks to ISSO and Kerman Corp for the data they made available regarding the average temperature of Kerbin.

Mission: Oceana I Mission Objective: Determine the density of Kerbin's oceans, and determine if the fluid comprising them is, in fact, water. Launch Vehicle: Oceana I Launcher Payload: Mk1 Command Pod and Mk16 Parachute Mission Summary: An experiment was carried out to measure the density of the fluid comprising Kerbin’s oceans, presumably water. This simple experiment consisted of a rocket with a droppable mass that was easy to find the volume of, namely, a Mk1 command pod and a parachute module. Images of this launch are attached. Device on Launch Pad: Payload deployed: To begin with, the density of water can be expressed as Where rho = density, m = mass of a floating object, and V = volume of water displaced. An experiment was run to determine the density of Kerbin’s oceans based on the height of a floating object. The object chosen for this task was a Mk1 Command Pod due to its simple design as a conical sphere segment. A single parachute was put on top to avoid casualties, though this was not submerged, so volume was unaffected. The combined mass of the command pod (m=800kg) and the parachute module (m=100kg) was 900kg. The task, then, is to find the volume of water displaced. Reading from the Mk1 Pod .cfg file, we obtain that the height of the pod (the distance between the two attachment points) as 1.047m. Since the attachment points are tiny and small, respectively, their diameters are .625m and 1.25m, so their radii are .3125m and .625m, respectively. Given this information, all needed information was solved for (see Fig. 1). Fig. 1: Dimensions of command pod. The only direct measurement taken was the 40 degree angle of the vertex of the cone, taken from the model file. Since the edge of the bottom of the pod very closely approximates a section of a sphere, it is near-orthogonal to the vector pointing to the convergence of all lines toward the center of the imaginary cone surrounding the command pod. Thus allows us to calculate the slant height from the arc containing the top attachment node to the edge of the bottom curve as equal to the height, namely, 1.047m. The vertical height from the top attachment node to the edge of the bottom curve, therefore, is 1.047cos(20) = .984m. Note that the 20 degree angle is used instead of the 40 degree angle, since the line of reference is the central axis. The height of the bottom curve to the edge of the bottom curve, then, is 1.047-1.047cos(20) = .0631m. Fig. 2: Pod at rest. We now attempt to express a cross section of a rotation of the command pod as two functions. Referring to Fig. 2 – an image taken after the lading pod had come to a complete rest, we visually calculate the slant height submerged to be .5467m by multiplying the slant height (1.047m) by the ratio of pixels submerged to total pixels on the pod. The height submerged, therefore, is the height of the bottom curve to the edge of the bottom curve plus the height submerged, which is .5467cos(20)+.0631 = .577m. Fig. 3: Cross section of floating pod. Now that we have obtained the height submerged, which will serve as our initial and final limits of integration, we must find the functions to express the cross section of the capsule. The slant from the bottom curve to the line of the water level will be very simple to solve for. But we examine the curve function first. As the curve on the bottom approximates a sphere, its cross-section is a circle. Thus, if expressed as a section of the circle tangent to the y axis (touching the origin), the whole function takes some form Since the section of the circle forming the edge of the pod encloses a 40 degree angle, the angle from the edge of the pod edge to the center is 40/2=20 degrees. Thus, the height of this, when rotated sideways, as shown in Fig. 4, is 1.25/2 m, as the base is a small attachment point. So, rsin(20)=.625m, so r=.625m/sin(20)= 1.827m. Therefore, the function takes the form Fig. 4: Cross section of area of revolution. Note that there will be some error/discontinuity in the circle function meeting the linear function, as the bottom of the pod does not perfectly approximate the sphere. However, since the vast majority of the volume is stored in the conical section, this will be attributed to an overall experimental error. The limits of integration on this function are from 0 (the bottom of the pod) to .0631 (the height intersection of the bottom of the pod to the edge of the bottom). For the second function, the calculation is much simpler. It is simply the slant starting at (.0631, .625) running horizontally for a distance of .5467cos(20) = .5137m with a slope of –tan(20). Equivalently, this is the function starting at (0, .625) running for .5137m. So, the function is equal to And the equivalent limits of integration will be from 0 to .5137. (The original limits were from .0631 to .577, but this is equivalent to the function shifted until it touches the origin, and will yield the same volume.) Thus, the volume will simply be Note that since the function describing the spherical estimate of the capsule is an underestimation and has an intersection point less than .625m, the volume displaced must be AT LEAST 1.429 cubic meters, and probably hovers around 1.6 or 1.7. Thus, returning to our original formula, we have: The density of water at 18.665 deg C – the average temperature of Kerbin (thanks to the International Space Science Organization for this data) is 998.5 kg/m^3. The density we have found for the fluid comprising Kerbin’s oceans is at most 629.5 kg/m^3, meaning the disparity between the densities of water is at least 369kg/m^3, a difference too large to easily be attributed to experimental or graphical error. This leads to an interesting disparity as to whether Kerbin’s oceans are actually made of water. Furthermore, note that the density of water increases as salinity increases, so the disparity would only grow if the oceans were salty on Kerbin. Further investigation is pending.

I'll make a flag and banner if you guys want me to.

Alright, I should be completely caught up on mission updating, so from here on out, all missions should be current.

Mission: SETH I/Topograph III Mission Objective: Launch a satellite to examine Laythe for possible habitation sites based on elevation, proximity to natural resources, and kethane content. Launch Vehicle: SETH I Launcher Payload: Laythe Orbital Observation Unit Mission Outcome: Mission was resoundingly successful and went without incident. The device made it from Kerbin to Jool with copious amounts of fuel remaining, so an aerobraking maneuver was unnecessary. However, to be conservative, a multiple-pass aerobraking maneuver was executed to bring the craft into a polar, low-level orbit around Laythe. Data collection subsequently commenced. Mission Highlights: Device and launcher on launch pad: Entering Jool's SOA: Aerobraking in reinforced aerodynamic pod: Sunrise over Laythe: Satellite in orbit: Data collection beginning:

Mission: Munbase III Mission Objective: Install a kethane to LFO conversion system on the Mun base established in the Munbase II mission. Launch Vehicle: Munbase III Launcher Payload: Mobile Kethane Conversion Unit Mission Outcome: The mission was successful. The original design was relatively complicated, as an oversight in the design phase of the Munbase II mission left docking ports at an arbitrary height that was hard to perfectly match for ground based docking. However, this did not prove to be a problem and the rover-like base segment successfully landed on Mun 400m away from the core for the Munar base, driving the remaining distance at low speeds due to the high center of mass and low base width on the module. Mission Highlights: Conversion unit and launcher on launch pad: Decelerating toward landing site: A relatively rough landing broke two of the engines off. However, this was not a problem, as they would be discarded anyway: Driving to base core: Docked, with panels deployed:

Mission: Munbase II Mission Objective: Deployment of a kethane drilling unit at a location previously identified as being kethane-rich in Munbase I Launch Vehicle: Munbase II Launch Vessel Payload: Kethane Heavy Drilling Unit Mission Outcome: The mission was successful - after a long deorbiting sequence to fine-tune the landing location, the drilling unit, which will function as the core for a future Munar refueling base, was deployed successfully. The original working design was a seven core drilling unit capable of massive rates of kethane extraction. However, this proved to be too heavy and unwieldy to launch properly, so a single core, dual-drilled unit was launched instead. Mission Highlights: Core with launcher on launch pad: Core deployed successfully on Mun. Drilling to commence:

I'm quite impressed, particularly by your Luna and Celestia missions. You seem to be planning your missions much like an actual real-world space program, and you keep up with the mission log really well. I'd love to see more!

Mission: Leviathan Project II Mission Objective: Design a capital ship capable of containing several smaller ships and drones and launch said vessel into orbit. Launch Vehicle: Titan Class: Leviathan (Leviathan Mk2) Payload: None Mission Outcome: Mission successful. A redesign of the original Leviathan Mk1 focusing on more precise and symmetrical part placement, part count reduction, and fuel efficiency, combined with the utilization of hybrid jet-rocket engines from the B9 pack allowed for low-velocity launches to minimize atmospheric damage, and, after several failed attempts, balancing the ship, and adding additional fuel, LKO was achieved, after spending almost all fuel during the launch. Due to this, this makes the Leviathan Mk2 the largest SSTO Kertech has developed to date. Mission Highlights: The ship in the SPH (it launches vertically) Side view Looking down the hangar entrance Unsuccessful orbit attempt, re-entry In orbit Panels deployed

Mission: Munbase I Mission Objective: Launch a Kethane Location Satellite into Munar Orbit Launch Vehicle: Munbase I launcher Payload: Munar Kethane Location Satellite Mission Outcome: Mission successful. The satellite was equipped with an ion engine to correct any changes decoupling may have on its orbit and was established in an almost perfectly polar low-munar orbit. Mission Highlights: Satellite and launcher on launch pad: Probe in orbit around Mun:

Mission: Leviathan Project I Mission Objective: Design a capital ship capable of containing several smaller ships and drones and launch said vessel into orbit. Launch Vehicle: Leviathan Mk1 Payload: None Mission Outcome: Mission failed. Reasons for this were numerous, but the largest reason was the obscenely large part count (793 parts) causing too much lag to successfully launch the vessel. Furthermore, upon gaining any appreciable speed in the atmosphere, the large number of wing parts on the vessel cause unstable rotation to begin, generally resulting in the destruction of the craft. Furthermore, without overly-large boosters, the craft lacked sufficient delta-V to get to orbit. Mission Highlights: Ship design with visible boosters: Hangar entrance: Side view: Failed launch: Aerodynamics causing ship to disintegrate in atmosphere: Ship after exiting the atmosphere successfully, but not reaching orbit: Beginning of launch, before atmospheric effects tore ship apart:

Mission: IKOS VII Mission Objective: Install the Communications Relay module on IKOS Launch Vehicle: IKOS VII Launcher Payload: Communications Relay Mission Outcome: Mission was successful. A docking attempt was made using the previously installed robotic arms on the Robotics Bay module, though this proved to be unsuccessful. However, docking was sufficiently easier given the comparatively small size of the module. Mission Highlights: Module and launcher on launch pad: IKOS after installation:

Thanks! I modeled it loosely off of the star destroyers from Star Wars. XD

Thanks! As of right now, I use: KW Rocketry B9 Aerospace Robotic Arms Pack Quantum Struts ISA Mapsat Kethane Mod Kerbal Attachment System I stayed on stock parts for a while, but I eventually got tired of how much they limited your options when in the real world, other options are available. I don't like using mods that make the game any easier though, so I try and keep it as realistic as possible.

Mission: Topograph II Mission Objective: Launch a topographical data collection satellite into a stable, polar munar orbit. Launch Vehicle: Munar Topograph Satellite Launcher Payload: Munar Topography Satellite Mission Outcome: The mission was successful. Learning from previous missions, once a polar orbit was established, the burn continued until the periapsis was about 50km lower than the apoapsis, to compensate for probe separation and the decreased gravitational pull of Mun. However, the probe was pointed the incorrect direction (retrograde) for this compensation during ejection at apoapsis, effectively doubling the variation between apoapsis and periapsis. However, once again, mapping functionality was not sufficiently impaired. Mission Highlights: Launcher with probe inside: Probe in Munar Orbit (picture taken retroactively): Orbital trajectory (picture taken retroactively):

Mission: IKOS VI Mission Objective: Launch a robotics bay for rendezvous and docking with IKOS. Launch Vehicle: IKOS VI Hybrid Launcher Payload: IKOS Robotics Bay Mission Outcome: The mission was successful. As always, the large size of the parts made docking difficult, and framerate begins to drop at this point, but the docking was completed. Mission Highlights: Robotics Bay and Launcher on launch pad: Robotics Bay immediately after docking with IKOS. Robotic arms are extended and docking bay doors opened. Full station as of the IKOS VI mission:

Mission: Topograph I Mission Objective: Launch mapping satellite in polar Kerbin orbit at an altitude of 300km Launch Vehicle: Topograph I Launcher Payload: ISA MapSat Kerbin Probe I Mission Outcome: The mission was successful in establishing an almost perfectly polar orbit around Kerbin at an altitude of 300km. However, the stage separation between the rocket and the probe was not accounted for, and ended up raising the apoapsis of the orbit by about 20km, due to the light nature of the probe. As no engine was included on the probe, it was forced to stay in the orbit. However, mapping functionality was not impaired by this error. Mission Highlights: Probe with launcher exiting atmosphere: Probe in orbit: Orbital trajectory of probe (picture taken retroactively):

Mission: IKOS V Mission Objective: Launch a solar farm and dock it with IKOS, providing more than sufficient power for the foreseeable future Launch Vehicle: IKOS V Launcher Payload: IKOS Solar Array Mission Outcome: The mission was a success. While the solar farm was incredibly hard to maneuver to dock, docking contact was made, and at just the right time, as very little RCS fuel remained. Mission Highlights: Solar array on launcher: Station with solar array: Station with solar array (Kerbol in background):