Valley

1. What do I need? 2. What can I launch into space and can I place it where I need it? 3. Make it. 4. It explodes on the pad. 5. Rebuild it and add more boosters. 6. It explodes on the pad. 7. Go to the Internet and look at images, videos, and read postings about the same kind of craft you are creating. 8. Design new craft and replace the engines with engines that have a better ISP in the atmosphere. 9. It explodes on the pad. 10. Ask yourself why it can't fly - adjust its balance, see what Mech Jeb says about its Delta-V, replace parts with smaller parts, adjust balance, decease fuel. 11. It works. 12. Reward yourself with a toasted peanut butter and jam sandwich and post about it on the Kerbal Space Program Forum.

I don't make space planes, made one working shuttle once for a challenge, rarely fly planes, and find the new parts don't really fit the style of my craft or stations. It is easier for me - at my skill level - to delivery cargo and parts on the nose of a basic rocket then make a re-usable shuttle or space plane. Now, I have yet to make a interplanetary mother ship and can see where these parts could be useful in making one - but I plan to wait till 1.0 before trying that because at that point I could refuel it (easier). In other words - as of now - the Mk 3 parts (and most of the plane parts outside of some jet engines or parts for making SSTO craft) are not very useful (to me).

I have been using Mech Jeb 2 and just started using its DeltaV display during the building process and found it very useful. I can tell before even launching if my ship has a chance or not of reaching orbit. While I doubt I will ever NOT use Mech Jeb or mods, I can see what people who only use Stock may wish to have such a calculator - it could prove to be very helpful for those who have problems building ships. And help others improve on already working designs, making them more effective.

A camera would be cool - in real life they are always on the rovers.

Letters - Delivery Six To: B. V. Kerman Director of KSC From: Jebediah Kerman Senior Pilot of ISS C.J. Cherryh Subject: SSTO's Flaws So, while this thing takes me back down to the planet I figured I would use my portable notepad to type down a few things your engineers may have failed to understand before making this thing. But first, to be fair, it does look lovely. Truly. Makes the rest of our current ships, and most of our past craft design, look like junk. Okay, first big fail. No booze. Heck, if I can't pilot it at least give me something to do during the ride. But also the fact that you plan to make the Space Tugs, not just tugs and small fuel trucks but also shuttles. Now, that sounds great up to the point where three replacement crew use the SSTO to dock with a Space Rug carrying three crew returning to Kerbin. Somebody has to do a space walk. Here, let me spell it out for you. The trans-matter seats can't send somebody to a occupied seat. So somebody will have to leave one of the ships, let the rest of the people teleport, and then move to the other craft. Don't believe me? Draw two circles. Put three coins, head up, in circle A. Put three coins, tails up, in circle B. Take one coin out of circle B. Now, try to transfer the crew, the coins, between the two craft, or circles, without forcing that poor guy hanging onto the ladder outside to do a EVA to A other craft. Here, let me stop writing so you can try it. See? The SSTO is nice and small and very cute. But a bigger SSTO would have been better. True, it would have needed more fuel, and mass, and blah, blah, blah. I can see such craft as being useful on other planets but it needs to be perfected first. It still needs work. Maybe experimenting with the Fuel Trailer launch system? That uses the same engines and that's overpowered, right? Maybe the next SSTO should have a Hitchhiker? With a BAR! Now if you excuse me, the outside of the ship is starting to glow, so I better make sure my seat straps are tight and everything is secure. signed, Incoming! "Jeb" -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Nephews. Its your Uncle Macdrin "The Cosmic Engineer" Kerman! How are you guys doing? Did you hear - I am now the driver to one of the coolest ground Fuelers in the space program! I was waiting when the brand new, highly advanced, SSTO Kerbal Delivery Ship, named the Buzz, came down to a land. It was a beauty. All slim and powerful. Came down a tad off target but it's all good as long as you don't crash, right kids? And guess who was in it? Jebediah Kerman! Man, I felt honored to welcome him aboard once the link was made. He seemed excited about being teleported into the Hitchhiker. Checked out every draw and container. Now, as you know, the CLAW is a piece of equipment based off the same technology we use for our trans-matter seat cushions. So it can be used to transfer crew as while as fuel. Course, pipes and hose move fuel faster, so using the CLAW to fuel up a craft takes forever. And I have to be careful about which tanks I fill up first - a unbalanced craft could tip over in our gravity real easy. Once it was fuelled up I teleported over to the cabin. Not just to check it out but so I could pop out the hatch and pack up the parachutes. The job of an engineer never ends. The Fueler had at least three-fourths of its fuel left as we backed away. Jebediah seemed REALLY happy to be back on Kerbin. Still, I bet he can't wait to get back into space, like all the fly boys! Well, tell your Ma and Pa I said hello and I will be visiting in a few weeks. Maybe have an old fashion picnic in the park? signed, Best Uncle Ever, Macdrin Kerman PS - I think I might suggest they add headlights to the Fueler. And maybe move the CLAW arm to one side so I can see?

Letters - Delivery Five Travel Log by Matbo Karman Location: Waypoint Two Started off for Waypoint Two once Kerbol was behind the hills. The solar panels were getting some sunlight for part of the journey but even after it went totally dark there was no power issues. On the other hand, the A. I. unit does not need light to sense its way, so we didn't use the headlights. We got to the second Waypoint in less then an hour at 10 meters per second. Location 1 39' 51" North, 75 35' 13" West, about 404 meters above sea level. I walked about in the dark with my helmet light on to check the Buggy. No damage yet. Seems to be holding up well. I didn't hear any birds so left the gun in the cabin. It may be there are none around here or they return to their nests at night. Or should I say dens? I assume they live under the ground so I assume the proper term would be den. Before boarding I also collected a soil sample but the A. I. suggested I dump it back outside the cabin as it was the same as the first soil sample I took at Waypoint One. One soil sample from a "grassland" is the same as another. I did what he suggested - why take on more weight then we need? I had a green food cube for dinner and than went to sleep. Addition : Woke up early this morning to a beeping from the panels. It is still dark outside and I am sure it isn't the wake up I asked for. Seems the A. I. sensed something happening behind us, at KSC. When I asked what was happening he told me that "Buzz" was going up for the first time. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Memory File - 1001101011 Generated By A. I. Unit 1010011 - Known As Buzz It has been 23 years and 31 days since the Kerbal Space Center officially launched its first mission. My sensors tell me it is still dark and I wait for the time to launch. My systems are checked and rechecked by my eager but also nervous creators. They call me "Buzz" after the craft I will be piloting. The Single-Stage-To-Orbit Kerbal Delivery Craft named Buzz by the VAB staff. This will be my first "live" launch. I have done this flight a hundred times on the computers. I know what to do, when to do it. I don't understand why they seem so nervous. I was created to fly this craft. It was designed to do this. We are perfect together. The weather is perfect for launch - but Kerbin has very little in the way of any type of bad weather. Senior Pilot Jebediah Kerman has already moved the "Stephen Baxter" away from the station. I am to rendezvous with him and his craft. He is coming back to the surface. I am told he is very happy. I wonder if he understands he will likely be selected to launch the newly designed Orbital Tug back up to the station? It is time for launch. It is up to me - I control everything. I warm up my jet engines and after about ten seconds I lift off the pad. I pull in my landing gears. At around 6.9 Kilometers I start the gravity turn. At around 20 Kilometers I turn off the oxygen intakes. I have turned my jet engines into rockets. This is the point where my design must prove itself. I allow my engines, as programmed, to overheat. I must make it into orbit at all cost. I finally turn off my engines, letting them cool off, as I coast to the edge of the atmosphere and beyond. I check my systems and my fuel. It will be enough. When it is time I burn to create a stable orbit. It is done. I am in orbit. I have 174 units of Liquid Fuel left and 213 units of Oxidizer left. I alert KSC and the "Stephen Baxter" that Buzz is in a stable orbit. There are cheers from the ground crew. Senior Pilot Jebediah Kerman lets off a shout. The A.I. units of his Space Tug start moving the tug to dock with me. Their names, given to them by their creators, are "Lucy" and "Ricardo", but only one is functioning right now to save power. Also, no station or ship needs the processing power of two units. That would be, as the creators say, "overkill". The two ships dock and the returning Senior Pilot uses his seat's trans-matter cushions to move between the ships without having to do a "space walk". I believe they still have training courses for it in the KSC's swimming pool. Not sure why - only the veterans seem to carry out EVAs anymore. "Jeb", as the other creators call him starts to look for, what he calls "booze" as I take on fuel. Only my central tank will be topped off. I exchange data with "Lucy" and "Ricardo". I learn about the "C. J. Cherryh" from them and I update them about the events on the surface. It only takes a few seconds to exchange all the knowledge we all three hold. By then I am ready to return to the surface.

Hello. Been reading your mission and not done yet, but just wondered if you were still having issues with Rover Autopilot with the Mech Jeb? Because, I have been testing it and, after some mistakes, have learned how to use it - outside of the mystery explosions....*cough* If you still need help with it I will place some advice in a spoiler. If not - or you still prefer to drive the Rovers, never mind. Using a Fueler I need to get into position anyway. And it has a nice Rover already in the area to help it. But what if you have no craft to target? I mean "M" to get the map. Of course, always make sure you have the "Front" you want selected to "Control From Here" and be careful about IVA - unless you are using Jet Cockpits the "Front" may become "Up" and Mech Jeb becomes confused. And thank you for such a wonderful universe to visit! PS - Excuse any spelling mistakes or grammar as I am American and proper English is not our language. We use improper English.

Letters - Delivery Four Travel Log by Matbo Karman Location: Waypoint One Reached the first Waypoint with the A. I. Controlled Buggy. Only took about 22 minutes. I am not sure why the folks in charge picked such a close location to KSC - I guess they want me to move in small amounts. Waypoint One is 216 meters above sea level, at Latitude 0 45' 29" North and Longitude 284 13' 19" East. We moved at 10 meters per second. As we were in the shore area and then glass lands there are only some small hills - nothing to really worry about. Yeah, we. I am counting the A. I. as a person as it gives me somebody to talk to. Being a Artificial Intelligence at least means it can understand half the stuff I am talking about. The Buggy is all function - the only science I get to do is pick up soil samples. I guess that is why they sent a scientist. I wonder if I could repair a wheel if I need too? The cabin has snacks, a food and drink recycler, and just enough room to let me sleep sitting up. I guess it is a good thing I can get out and walk around. This would seem to be good training if I ever go to the Mun or another planet. And yes, I did pick up a soil sample. Frankly, I am amazed anything lives out here at all. The so-called "grass" looks more like moss or some form of lichen to me. The Buggy has a battery bank, with enough reactors and solar panels to keep it going. I think I will wait for nightfall before heading out for the next leg of the journey to see how well it does without Kerbol helping it along. I know it is only a short distance but I can no longer see the space center. I better make sure the pellet gun they gave me is in working order. I never trusted those ugly birds. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- To: All KSC staff From: B. V. Kerman Director of KSC Subject: FYI Okay folks, just a little run down on how the different departments are doing - their projects and such. First off, the first few rover tests with A. I. units were not failures. No test is a failure unless WE fail to learn from them. We already have two A. I. mobile units at work on Kerbin. One manned Buggy heading north - testing out how well a portable unit can handle a Buggy with a crew member in it. We also have another version of the A. I. controlled rover, this time shielded, exploring the land south of KSC. It's assignment is to find a safe, flat area for the future SSTO to land for servicing and refueling. We also reopened the airfield hanger - had to clean out all the rusting aircraft and a colony of terror birds - so we could have a work space for our project of making a ground truck to refuel the SSTO. The CLAW system will be used. Section 9 is doing a wonderful job and I all hope you send a letter to encourage them to keep up the good work. The SSTO should be ready for a live test any day now. The computer simulations show it reaching orbit, where it will need refueling, and being able to land near KSC, well within range of our ground crew to transfer crew and fuel it up. The drop tank was replaced with a permanent tank with the same fuel set up. So it is truly a Single Stage To Orbit craft that can carry three passengers. Yes, we'll send up a replacement for Jebediah Kerman so he stops sending you all whining letters. The Orbital Tug has had a slight change made to it. When Jebediah pointed out how much mono he used in docking just a few times we realized that the Orbital Tug will be doing a lot more docking then the Space Tug as it will be helping in space not just to move cargo but also in future orbital construction. We doubled the mono it carries. We doubt this will effect the launch in anyway as it is using the same launch assembly as the Space Tug. We also noticed that while the Space Tug costs $183,432.4 the Orbital Tug only costs $171,784. As the Orbital Tug can likely also carry cargo and parts to Kerbin’s moons we feel, strongly, that instead of one Orbital Tug and two Space Tugs we should have two Orbital Tugs and one Space Tug. A small savings but every pence counts. For comparison one Portable A. I. unit costs $44,840 and the SSTO costs $41,177.2. Remember that ships or stations with Portable A. I. units will have two so you would want to add $89,680 to the cost of each Tug. The SSTO will have a built-in A. I. unit, which costs $750. Now, as we have learned a great deal about using jet engines, and in fact have be using them for the first stage of the launch system for the Fuel Trailers, our costs may start going down as we apply this knowledge to future launches of the Tugs and payloads. The large cost of the Tugs comes mostly from the fuel and the launch system. Once we perfect the launch system and, we hope, start producing fuel outside the gravity well, costs should drop greatly. In fact Fuel Trailer Four was launched, after some issues, with a new improved launch system. One that the A. I. unit found easier to handle. In fact, after replacing the de-coupler on the last booster stage with a senior docking port, to allow for fuel cross feeding, it was pointed out that this would also be a way to recycle rocket engines for future use in orbit. As plans for interplanetary missions are drawn up, and distances become as important as cargo, we may increase the number of Space Tugs (if needed). As our methods and designs improve the choices for future growth increase. signed, Keep up the good work, B. V. Kerman

I was looking over how much my ships and launch systems cost in my VAB and realized a few things - such as how cheap my new SSTO was when compared to my other spacecraft which needed launch systems - but I also realized how much it cost just to get fuel into space. I am looking forward to playing my sandbox game with resources but I also realized how much it may help those player who play career mode. I don't play career mode much but I was wondering if players who do are looking forward to resources and do you think it will make things cheaper or a HECK of a lot cheaper?

Love the KAS - used it before. But I like to keep my mods down if I can and right now only use Mech Jeb. Now that I have an idea about how to use the KLAW I just have to figure out how to use it on the moons and other planets. Though, yeah, KAS is better. You can create ships that carry spare parts and everything.

Function - Function - Function. Maybe it is the fact that I prefer my science fiction hard or that I love the movies like Outland, Alien, and Moon Zero Two. I want spaceships that look worn, that look like they have been through heck and back, that look like they get the job done.

Today, I did three things. 1. Last few days have been working on a SSTO for my story in Fan Fiction. Never really made one before. I finally finished working on it today. Can take three crew into a stable orbit (at which point it needs refueling because it is as close as you can get to empty). 2. I have figured out a lot of the Rover Functions of the current Mech Jeb 2 - allowing me to scout out a spot near KSC with a unmanned rover for the new SSTO to land at. 3. Using my new skill I then made a Mech Jeb 2 controlled fuel tanker (which did all the driving and even stopped before reaching the "Target - in other words it did not smash into the ship) and after a couple of hours trying different sets up (I wish there was a way to measure distance in the assembly phase), trying to use either a docking port from above or the KLAW, I finally got to refuel the returned SSTO and take off the crew (and repack the chutes). I truly have a reusable transport from the surface to orbit. I feel weird.... Oh, and used RAPIER engines in the design. First time also.

Letters - Delivery Three To: B. V. Kerman Director of KSC From: N. V. Kerman Section 9 Subject: Special A. I. Projects Dude! How's it hanging? I have some news for you from the research and development front of our little machine guys. First, all the math says our SSTO (Single Stage To Orbit) craft, named "Buzz" can make it to stable orbit with a few drops of fuel still in the tanks. We just don't know how well it can come down. I mean, a Space Tug would have to meet it, take off the passengers and refuel some of the tanks, in order for it to reenter the atmosphere. But while we worked long and hard to make a small craft able to get into the vacuum of icy, deadly, harsh space, we only put on some heavy duty landing gears and some chutes. We don't know if Buzz, that's the name we gave the machine intelligence attached to the hull (don't you think the term artificial intelligence is mean?), can bring it down safely. So, I suggest when you use it the first time, only send up two Kerbals, no pilot, so when it comes we don't lose anybody. You dig? Not that you can send anybody else up, I hear the station already has eight people. Unless you have people sleeping in the command cabins, that's the limit. Also, even if "Buzz" (the SSTO not the A.I. unit) works now, we don't know what future solar activity will, like, do to our atmosphere. Like, every time we get hit by the big bright guy in the sky, our planet reacts with the ocean releasing all kinds of isotopes and all kinds of chemical reactions. What do they call it - the "flower shed" effect or something? I forgot. The problem is things will get worse and we may have to start thinking about protecting returning craft from the massive heat build up during reentry. The other project, the A. I. controlled Rover program, was doing badly at first. We inserted one of those portable A. I. units and it worked up to the point where it started just driving in circles. That kind of spooked us, to be honest, and we had to retire it. It seemed a slight slope freaked it out or something. It was sad really. So we made a simple rover, you now, with a low, wide body, reactors, a probe body, rechargeable bank, and a docking port in front. It gives the A. I. unit a sense of direction. Then we mapped out a path for it to follow and let it go! We, of course, made sure the route selected went around any big mountains - even a crewed buggy has problems with those big boys. So we watched its progress, took some photos. At two hours, twelve minutes, and fourteen seconds, on the way to its second waypoint, it exploded. Have no idea why - can't even find any pieces. Total mystery. It's if the planet itself was trying to kill us or everything we make. Does explain why most Kerbals stay inside when off duty. But we now know WHY the first one freaked out. We were telling it go somewhere without telling it where to go. Like, it got confused and had a nervous breakdown. Oh, that Mun ranger has been sending us data about the two cars he has up there. I think one is a T-Rover (though not sure why it is called a rover) and the other one is a Mun Buggy. Seems the Rover handles a tad better and has a longer charge. Somebody forgot to give the Buggy solar panels. But both seem to handle well as long as you keep it around 4 meters per second. Kind of slow but, hey, low gravity, you dig? Our Rover was doing a nice 10 meters per second. Course...it exploded. So it was doing badly at second too. HA! In return for his data we gave him some advice on piloting the ship. No, don't worry, he didn't do anything outside his skill level. He just moved it about three meters, so the flag could get some of that light from the lamps. Looks a tad better, don't you think? Hey, well, I have to test out some new ways to use our friendly little metal minds, so try to chill. lovingly, DUDE! N. V. Kerman

Any tutorial on how to use Mech Jeb's Rover Controls? I have figured out a few things by working with it on the ground at KSC - have it going the right direction for one - but can't figure out how to keep it under a certain speed. On the Mun it will end up just flipping or crashing. I also hear it is not very good with going down hill.

Letters - Delivery Two To: B. V. Kerman Director of KSC From Jebediah Kerman Senior Pilot of ISS C.J. Cherryh Subject: Status Report Greetings, After filing a official complaint against your first set of orders I have followed them. The “Escape†Pod has been undocked after we took anything of value from it. Yes, yes, I know the proper term is unberthed. I don‘t care. Once again I protest this action. You know, as while as much of the staff, that is was not just an escape pod but a delivery system for the station’s crew. When it was time for the three crew members to leave they would use the pod. And the three new crew to Kerbal the station would come up with the new pod. As for it being worthless, that is your fault. You shipped up more staff then the pod could handle. We have eight Kerbals up here! Three Pilots, three Scientists, and two Engineers. And ONE spaceship. ONE! Why three pilots? Yes, I know we need the docking ports. And yes, I know one is occupied forever by the additional habitation module. But surely one of the three docking ports could have a craft of some kind ready for returning to Kerbin if need be. Enough of that. Your other order - to remove the unneeded extensions have been carried out. They are now ready for future unneeded extensions. I left Gilcott Kerman in command while I did the piloting myself. Didn’t have to turn on the Tug’s nuclear engines, not that anybody wants those on so close to the station, and even saved some of the fuel from the discarded tanks. BUT used up about three-fourths of my RCS fuel and that’s no joke. After all, when you think about, I docked three times in a row. I think the only reason I have any monopropellant left is because the two A.I. units came with some. I also think their probes are helping a tad with handling. Anyway, I know the station has a huge tank of the stuff but send more anyway. From now one I would suggest that the Space Tug, and future Space Tugs, be only used for Kerbin-Moon hauling. Bob and Bill are both doing well. Of course they are - I’m the one that has been in command of this station for the past SEVEN years! Oh, and we need more of the red food cubes. It was a real hit with the crew the last few weeks and now we’re out of them. Right now we’re living on the brown paste we get from the food recycler and we’re all just a tad sick of it. I even miss the green gel in a tube we use to eat on the Mun visits. signed, I didn’t know she was you wife! “Jeb†-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Mom and Dad, Well, you asked about life on the Mun. Not much to say. I man the Ranger Station here at the Historical landing site, where Bill Kerman, the first Kerbal to walk on the Mun, landed. Funny, we sometimes use man or Kerbal. Sorry, I always get off track. So here I am, watching over the flag and an old T-Rover from the time period. It looks small compared to my T-Buggy but they both handle badly on the Mun. They have a habit of not wishing to turn, even when you turn the SAS off. I’ve been told it is the tires they both use. No reason to drive anywhere anyway, nothing to see. I mean, if I was a scientist and the base has science stuff, I might drive about and collect samples. But I’m an engineer. I’m here to make sure the equipment is kept in order and that visitors don’t break it. The site is in the Mun Highlands. I guess it is better then being on one of the flat boring plains. But landing here can be a tad dangerous. Slopes all over the place. They say there may be mining on the Mun in the future and I am not sure but it may happen near me. While I am in the Highlands I also seem to be in a crater - maybe the hills around me were created when a large asteroid hit the Mun? Either way, it could be the material needed for the creation of fuel may be all around me. The Ranger Station is really just a lander with a two-crew command cabin. It gives me more room to relax or move around than some of the other command modules. The A.I. unit was decoupled and the engines turned off. It is now a base for the rest of its life. Funny, in a few years it will be the only space craft of its kind. All others will have ports for A.I. units. It was a model very much like it that landed the Buggy and will likely be used in future landings. But those will all have A.I. units to help direct their operations and senior ports to carry cargo. I wonder if they are fun to chat with? The A.I. units, I mean. I have a small library of music I like, audio books I enjoy, and of course can send you letters when the Mun is facing Kerbin or when the station is in the proper position. Stocked up with all the food cubes, tubes of paste, and packets of flavored drinks a person could ever want. Don’t worry Mom, I watch my weight and don’t over do it. Of course, the day and night cycle is a tad weird. I have to use an alarm clock to tell me when it is time to get up or go to bed and I have a blanket I sometimes put over the viewing window. I like to keep active when I can - the low gravity forces you to keep exercising. I jog in place, do push ups and twists, and all kinds of other weird zero-gravity moves to help keep my muscles healthy. I don’t get much in the way of visitors, to be honest. Kerbin-Mun traffic happens more now that the station is in place but rarely do people land on the Mun anymore. The station above me does not even have a lander right now. Maybe they will get one for scouting out the surface? Well, I look forward to you writing back. love, Your son Jedgan Kerman Senior (and only) Engineer of the Mun Ranger Station

Letters - Delivery One To: All Confederation Directors, Managers, and Governors From: F.D. Kerman Head Counsel of the Confederation Subject: Survival of the Space Program My fellow citizens, As you all know, over five hundred years ago our forefathers, many diehard environmentalists, decided that the best thing for the planet was to live underground. Vast underground cities were dug out, super-fast underground transportation systems were developed, thermoelectric generators were created which used the very warmth of the planet to keep our civilization going. Our meat animals, pets, domesticated flora were brought into underground barns and farms. We learned to live, work, and love deep under the surface believing that by doing so we were helping our dear planet, Kerbin, and while away from Kerbol’s loving sunshine we thought we were doing the right thing. Over 30 years ago it was decided to send a surface team to check out how lovely and rich the new biosphere of the planet had become. And they found a waste. Without us much of the animal life on the surface had died out. The wild creatures had lived off our trash, they had sheltered in our buildings during the coldest of months and the hottest of seasons, and millions lived off our very bodies. When we buried ourselves we doomed them all to die out. The soil had been destroyed by our chemicals and farming methods even while we retreated to the caverns. Only a few plants were found to have survived here and there. The oceans were lifeless. Our waste, which we had dumped into the waters, had fed many of the bottom feeders and one-cell animals. They were the roots of the food chain. When we cut off their food we cut down the tree of life within the oceans. The very air was so bad that we now have to wear spacesuits on the surface of our own planet. And those birds you hear are mostly scavengers. In order to understand what had happened, we created the Kerbal Space Center to carry out a study of our planet and the other nearby worlds. We have explored Kerbin and placed stations around it and Mun. We have flown to the North Pole and scouted out the ruins of our past. We have gained much knowledge and great glory. But two weeks ago new laws were passed, against my will, designed to limit our impact on the surface of Kerbin and other planets. One of these laws will be effecting the industry dealing with fuel production. It will force them to decrease it over the next few months. I need the KSC staff and those involved with the Kerbal Space Program in general to do their best to deal with these troubling times. We need to find new methods, new designs, and new equipment to overcome the barriers that have been put in front of us. Thank you, signed with respect, F. D. Kerman -------------------------------------------------------------------------- To: All KSC staff From: B. V. Kerman Director of KSC Subject: Our short-term objectives Okay folks, you have all seen the copy of the message from the Head-Banana of the Confederation. Well, there is more bad news, not just the laws that hurt our fuel tanks. It has been detected that our own sun, Kerbol, will be having increase solar activity soon. As you know, this sometimes causes quakes on Mun and causes all kinds of havoc with our equipment. Our A.I units always, ALWAYS, go off line and need to be replaced. But the fuel problem MAY be overcome soon. Our Science guys and those other nerds, the engineers, have found that many planets and their moons have material that can, if properly processed, can give us the fuel we need. Lately, most of our craft have been launching with half empty tanks anyway, to decrease their mass, so a shortage in fuel may not hurt us until later. Now, we are soon to be getting more hands to help in our labor in the form of female crewmembers. Yes, girls, so start shaving and using deodorant. They are still in training but I want you to start acting normal NOW. Think of it as your training. No more shirtless video calls. What I need from you guys are four things: 1. Find ways to make craft that can be used multiply times in multiply ways - no more decommissioning a craft just because you don’t need it for the next few weeks. The Fuel Trailers and the program to develop the Space Tugs as the “Mule†of space are a good start. We also have a Orbital Tug that is being tested as I write this. 2. The Science Station around Kerbin, the ISS C.J.Cherryh, must be reconfigured to be used as a high traffic Fueling Station and Base of Operations for Kerbin orbit. That means that some modules may have to be removed or replaced. I want a careful study on all choices - we can’t waste any material or any fuel. 3. We have a small base on the Mun and a orbiting Science Station. We will have to search for spots on the Mun where we can find the material we need for the processing of fuel. Mining Craft, Transport Craft and other craft will need to be designed and created for this. The Science Station, the ISS Lisanne Norman, must be used as a Base of operations and a Fueling Station. I want it ready. 4. As we will only launch craft and fuel when we NEED to, we must do our best, with every launch, to deliver skilled crew to our station and bases. I want engineers on the spot to repair equipment and trained pilots to do the flying. I want our scientists to record and study and give the KSC feedback on everything we do - so as to improve on it. See Point 1. As you also may know, the Stephen Baxter, our working Space Tug, had two A.I units attacked to it with ports. The idea is damaged units can be replaced when needed. Or even moved to second ship if not needed by the first one. No more wielding the things to the hulls of the ship and having to destroy half the craft just to get them off. So let’s get on it! Move, move, move! I want reports and suggestions on my desk by tomorrow. signed, I said MOVE! B. V. Kerman

Today I landed a Ranger Station on a Historical Site. Again and again and again till I figured, "That's good enough for government work." Now, for the Guided Tour! Yeah, bare bones really. Hey, I have a Flag on Ike but...we don't talk about that mission in the KSC. People cry.

Thanks! That worked. I took 2/3 of the fuel out of the Tug and set it so the nuclear engines fired with the last stage. The TWR changed to 2 or greater on all the stages. Mech Jeb was able to handle it, easy. In fact it kept the last stage, which I drained of its fuel before decoupling, leaving me with a space Tug which had tanks that were almost full again. Funny how less fuel and/or engines seems to be the answer to my overbuilding. Hmmm... Thanks again!

Okay, having a weird Mech Jeb problem, which seems to happen on and off and I forgot how to fix it. Last night was having issues getting a Fuel Trailer into space. This morning realized that it wasn't Mech Jeb but the design. Once it was corrected Mech Jeb was able to place two into orbit, one after the other, no problem. Now, I also decided to see if I could place my new Zero-G Shuttle/Tug into space again. Did it once, by the skin of my teeth, with Mech Jeb, and wanted to see if I could do it again. It is a wonderful, and simple, design that seems very common among players but mine is as heavy as heck and even needs to use its own nuclear engines near the end to help get into orbit. Tried. Failed. Tried. Failed. Most of the failures were engineering and design issues and I finally got one out of the atmosphere....but Mech Jeb not only continued to try to gravity turn but pointed at the planet. So I figured, okay, my design is the problem..let me look it over, add some more SAS, some duct tape, so on. Make it stable, give Mech Jeb more torque and so on. Maybe it is too sluggish or something? Maybe too much fuel in the craft? Nothing seems to work and after a few hours of watching it get out of the atmosphere only to watch it dive right back in....I'm looking to see if this is just a try, try again problem, a reboot problem (turn off the game and turn it back on), or something else.

I wanted to test my 3-Crew Zero-G Shuttle/Space Tug (the "Stephen Baxter") with a "Fuel Trailer". In other words I put a empty trailer in space, a orange tank with a senior port on on end and a normal docking port on the other (with a built-in probe, solar panels on the sides and other equipment so that once part of a space craft it acts like part of the ship and isn't dead weight). The "Stephen Baxter" left the ISS "C.J. Cherryh" and linked up with the trailer. I then sent it to the Mun, figuring to dock it with the ISS "Lisanne Norman" but messed up trying to figure out how to make a stable orbit close enough to the Mun's station. In other words I left the time warp on too long and ended up heading right back to Kerbin. So I had it dock with the "C.J. Cherryh" instead - it was well balanced and the docking was easy as pie for Mech Jeb (who pilots all my stuff). So the test worked, kind of. I dumped all the fuel from the tug into the trailer and the other storage tanks of the station and then decommissioned it. It had a Mech Jeb on it and would not survive the switch to 1.0 anyway. Oh, if I need it before that I can launch another into space and try to perfect its delivery system - I barely got the "Baxter" into orbit as it was. And yes, I name my stations and craft after sci-fi authors. Even the rovers.

I just finished designing, building, and launching a one-crew delivery system and I am surprised how little fuel the first stage used and how long it lasted before the lack of oxygen forced me to release it and go to the second stage. Why don't more YouTubers' use jet engine first stages? I am AMAZED on how effective it seems to be. It could have easily of climbed four or five times the height (or more) with the fuel it had. I am shocked I have never tried this before. Thanks for the advice folks - I learned to warm up the engines before releasing the clamps.

Thanks folks. I think I am trying to life too much with too little. I am going to go test out some designs. (I was thinking of using jets to help delivery fuel into orbit but I am thinking I should switch to transporting crew but let me try a few more designs).

Tried using jet engines as my first stage and not going well. I was wondering if it is possible or if I should just give up (or maybe use them to HELP the first stage - replacing the solid fuel rockets). My idea was that the fuel was lighter and lasted longer but the engines don't seem to be powerful enough to help launch a payload (at least not at the tons I need). They don't even get off the ground.

I tried to use the claw on the surface once and the test totally failed - the two rovers could not attach to each other. Could the claw be used like that? Do I have to ram the other craft? On a low gravity moon that might be an issue....

I got 1.1 - I spend much of my time near Kebin or the moons, have only gotten to Ike by accident. Was heading towards Duna with a ship and the moon got in the way. I don't play with space planes but did a shuttle challenge once, and made one that worked, so think both space planes and shuttles should be added to the poll - they take their own set of skills to create and use. Its not hard but you do have to kind of switch gears.