corpsdog

I just had to share this. I dreamt that I started KSP and the load screen and music was different, and I looked at the bottom corner and it read something like "1.0.12". My KSP had auto-updated to "Release" version. I forgot it was a dream until I saw a Facebook post from KSP. Slightly disappointed.

I think you should make the challenge the way you want to. You're the one issuing it. If you want to bed more open about, you could keep your challenge as it is, and have some different accomplishments, kind of like the K prize kudos. For me, that would entice me to do your original challenge, and also do my planned mission - which would give me an additional accomplishment.

Yeah, I was wondering about the air resistance, as it has an effect on rockets - especially during lower altitudes. I didn't think 2 engines would double the speed of 1, but I would think at full throttle you should get significantly faster than a single engine at 1/3. But, full throttle could be the issue - the diminishing returns, as well as guzzling fuel. I could almost drop one of the fuel tanks off of mine, as it was still about 3/4 full at arrival. Since that would reduce weight and probably drag, it might just be fine without it. I just need to get the thing around and down successfully - first part isn't hard, but the last part takes a little piloting skill. I have a good design for simply accomplishing the task, then I can experiment to set personal bests. Would you mind sharing your .craft file?

So, my first attempt with a Kerbaled plane was successful... right up to the catastrophic pilot error on "landing." Hint for those new to flying - most planes don't like to land upside down and backwards. One or the other might be okay, but both at the same time is not good. But, hey, Jeb survived and was still smiling, so that's a Kerbal success, right?

Considering that I could do it under an hour with one engine, considerably less fuel (if I make out your design correctly) and averaging 1/3 throttle, you should be able to do it faster with 2. Again, if I'm making out your design correctly, I could see some optimization you could do. Primarily with the choice of fuel tanks and wings. I could definitely get you more lift for less weight. Now, you have me thinking of doing a different design in order to get a time goal (and perhaps speed goal) But, I want to submit first with my original design, minus piloting error on landing... I don't mean this like "Well of course you SHOULD be able to do it faster." I kept thinking it sounds like that. Just, you have double the potential engine power, and it looks like you were operating at 100% throttle - about 3 times what I was - so there must be some aspect of your design that was slowing you down. I'm thinking wings and fuel tanks (though I need to check those, they may not be the tanks I think they are) and yes, your intake layout. Depending on how you make your initial climb, you could probably get by with 2 or 3. Definitely shouldn't need more than five, and might be a more weight efficient method of attaching them.

Okay, well I completed it with the drone, but simple enough modification to make it carry a Kerbal (though I suppose I could just stick a seat on top of it ) and just another hour of playing... I didn't get the two screenshots anyway, just the flight results. So, I would need to redo it, manned or not.

So, the plane doesn't have to be manned (Kerbaled)?

I'm not sure if I'm up to attempting the challenge - though I have been trying to make an SSTO SP to carry modules into orbit, so this would be an extension of that. I was wondering about returning the SP and lander separately. I kind of like the idea of leaving the SP in orbit around Kerbin (or even use it to transfer to MUN orbit) and have it wait to redock with the returning lander and bring them in together. But, these would be different challenges. I definitely can see additional challenge in building a lander with everything it needs to make the transfer x2, the SP with the capability to carry that "dead weight" to Kerbin orbit, as well as having to make 2 successful Kerbin landings as opposed to just one. Right now I'm trying to find the circumnavigation challenge and if it's still open. I already have a drone that should be able to do it easily, even with the ceiling limit, and modifying it to be "manned" shouldn't be difficult.

Well, okay then. How about Major Anthony Nelson?

My next thought was Ziggy Stardust

I wonder if anyone else has created a Major Tom Kermin, or if I'm the first/only one?

It seems to me that Majiir (Kethane modder) could probably make a new mapping mod. You know, when he's finished updating Kethane and has the time, and if he felt so inclined. I imagine both mods use some of the same methodology, which would allow him to create a terrain mapping mod like ISA Mapsat without actually looking at its code.

Since he was carrying out a replication of a NASA plan, many of the part mods were necessary. How else could he build the rockets as proposed in the NASA plan, if the parts are not available in vanilla? When I first watched it (from another link) it was like watching one of those NASA animated demonstration films. If I hadn't known it was KSP, I would have thought it was from NASA. Someone didn't understand what the video was about.

Ah, I wondered if it would go with the map overlay. Thanks.

I've just completely scanned Kerbin and it doesn't show the 2nd KSC (.21.1 and Dev build of Mapsat.) I didn't delete the artifacts dat file when I installed. Is that the problem (as in the 2nd KSC location is in there and it's an old file)? Nope, it's not an old file, it was created after the Probe I made. Also, should just send my probe on to Mun now, or try to get those last specks..? Okay, I guess you can't really make out the missed spots on there. There are a few, as there as some unscanned hexes on the Kethane overlay - and both are scanning together... I think I'll just move the probe on...

Has anyone else got this:

That it wouldn't work as advertise makes it more Kerbal, doesn't it?

I'm not posting this to advertise the project. I just find it to be an interesting concept, and can see a Kerbalized version of it. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/391496725/the-slingatron-building-a-railroad-to-space?ref=home_popular

I can pretty much verify this with the Dev build. I turned on the scanner while climbing, and it just about brought the game to a halt. Just wanted to see what it would do (turn out, just one little square scanned for the entire launch.)

Thank you. I'll just retrieve him later, I think (maybe do a fuel run.)

So Jebediah is sitting in a jet nearly out of fuel, at the South Pole. If there's something for me to go find, I can send a refueling mission with a rover for him to use. If there's nothing there, I can send a simple refueling mission (for the practice) or just retrieve him from the Space Center and save myself some time. Any point of ending a rover to him? Thanks.

I wonder if the flag is planting on a North/South line, with flag faces to the East and West, so that each side is respectively lit by the rising and setting sun. If it's always planting in the same direction, it may simply be hard-coded.

I've been wondering this as well, what other people's experience is right now. I did the thing to update hilo.dat using the Dev build, then switched to the "unofficial" update (older) version. The thing is, with just Mapsat and Mechjeb installed, the Dev build ran more smoothly than the older version that a lot of people are saying to use because the Dev build will use more memory. I know I want (need) Mechjeb. I got this game wanting to build and launch rockets not actually fly them. I'd also like to have Kethane, Crewmanifest (since you still can't transfer crew between vessels in flight with vanilla KSP) and KAS. I'd like to try Hooligan's Airships, Chatterer, Romfarer's mods, and Firespitter's. I also think that Telemachus and KLF would add some nice fun and interactivity to the game (especially KLF, making it less lonely.) With my system, I'm more concerned about plugins using up memory, I have a feeling that simple parts are less of an issue. Considering I have 4GB max, no discrete video (that's right! And it still runs decently), memory usage is an issue. In fact, I ran into that problem this week, and took me awhile for me to figure out that it was an "Out of memory" problem and not specific mods hanging it up. I'd like to use Mapsat, because it adds something interesting to the game. I'm just not sure what the best choice is.

The updated hilo.dat file for mapsat shows the Mun as -500;7500. From my initial mapping of Kerbin and it's hilo.dat info, I take those numbers as the lowest point and highest point. Granted, if that's true (and I'm still guessing) that could be just one peak at some odd inclination with average safe distance being somewhat lower. But, I have a feeling that if you orbit at about 7550, you won't hit anything.

I keep trying to do that, too!