loknar

If you're serious about aerodynamics, vanilla is no-no. Install FAR. http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/20451-0-21-Ferram-Aerospace-Research-v0-9-5-5-Aerodynamics-Fixes-For-Planes-Rockets

You, sir, are insane. LOL I opened a challenge to build something circular by bending straight docked sections in a circle, you can start with that.

Space centipede.

wait.. how do you restart a save? I only have 1 save I can't control and quicksaves.

Gorgeous. That doesn't look vanilla at all.. am I wrong? Here's my station - I am surprised I did not find anyone else doing multi-port joints on their stations. I very quickly started to use dual ports and squares/corners so I can expand and keep the thing stable.

Very nice!

Jeb does not like orbits higher than 200km because he can't constantly blurt out: "I can see my house from up here!"

What are the steps you follow to make a rendezvous? Here is the steps for me that use the least game time. No mods. Burns should be more and more precise, remember to calculate burn time (ignore the calculated on screen figure) and start burning before the manoeuvre time and adjust. example a 30 second burn starts at T-15 and ends T+15. 1) Launch and burn until you're in a very elliptical orbit that touch the target's orbit at the apoapsis. 2) Match inclination by burning north or south at the inclination nodes. Aim for 0.0º 3) Maintain orbit and wait a few rotations until you're relatively close <600km. Ideally, behind your craft. 4) calculate a burn with the add manoeuvre tool that will very closely match the orbit. Even if your burn was good, the predicted positions of the manoeuvre will be wrong unless you've been planning this too much and wasting time. So next step; Another manoeuvre should be made while both orbits are close to each other to ether catch up with your target or wait for it. 5) Add manoeuvre that will bring down any of the future intersects down to <5km at the other side of your orbit. Trial and error, camera angles... 6) Preparing for the <5km interception, repeat step 4 again, to perfectly match the orbit. This burn should be small and precisely done. This step is optional. Removing your manoeuvre after execution, check the results on the map and you should have a very close encounter in the next intersect or the one after that. 7) Approaching the new closest interception, burn close to retrograde so as to match the target's retrograde as well. The green indicator (you) should move closer to the blue (target). The details of this method depends on your speed relative to the target that should be displayed on top of the Navball by now. Don't reduce your speed too much or you'll never reach the target. If you understand the navball you should have a <150m interception in 5-8 minutes as I consistently do these days, and activate RCS for the final approach.

(images public on facebook - not sure if they work: link https://www.facebook.com/dr.julien/media_set?set=a.10151507056005566.1073741829.623630565&type=1) Preparing for duna... which will have quite a lot of docking involved. Single-port docking on simple parts has become routine and simple. However, I really have to make a quicksave before getting close to docking, sometimes the ports stop working and there is no way to get them to join. <citation needed> The SNM (Service Nuclear Module) is sent to the KSS to refuel. Easy single-port docking. The station however, was pretty insane docking ; Huge RCS-unstable modules that require 2, sometimes 4, simultaneous ports. I hope I can soon continue expanding the station when KSP or my CPU is faster.

(images public on facebook - not sure if they work: link https://www.facebook.com/dr.julien/media_set?set=a.10151507056005566.1073741829.623630565&type=1) The Duna Mission - because we can. Day #45: After a long voyage and detours, the ISP (Inner system probe) arrives at Duna and notices its strange moon. The periapsis was 23 km, enough to sample the thin atmosphere and take readings. No sand worms were spotted, so the manned mission will proceed! The SNM (Service Nuclear Module) is sent to the KSS to refuel. It's 3 nuclear rockets should easily send the mission to Duna and back. The SNM was piloted at headquarters by RCMP (Remote Control Mission Pilot) Sophia Kerman who later commented: "I'm happy to be part of the mission - this is the closest I can be to be a true astronaut, for obvious reasons!", she laughed. Docking was simple for the pilot who have built this station; Huge unstable modules that require 2, sometimes 4, simultaneous ports. SNM refueled and left the station for a lower obit, waiting for the other modules. Stuart Kerman of GB (Glorified Butlers) has embarked on the storage bay of SNM. He will take care of logistics during the mission. The Lander Module is launched, manned by the 3 famous cosmonauts of the USA (United Space of Astronauts). Fun fact: In their vanity the USA members call themselves "Astronauts" for short, even though astronauts may belong to other groups and making others furious. On launch day, fuel calculations could not be made; all mathematicians of Mission Control called in sick simultaneously (what are the odds?). Crew member Jebediah Kerman (USA) said: "Fill 'er up! - just to be sure." His teammate Bob wondered who made him in charge, but 'Jeb' continued: "We spare no expense. I would not be so stupid and be stingy on a space program.". Bill agreed: "Good point. And he's an idiot!". And they were off. Final Launch stage: The ABS (Abort Bailing Structure) tower is ejected after the initial dangerous stages. The ABS can save lives if something goes wrong by pulling the capsule away from the exploding rockets. After reaching space, the structure is ejected and flies towards the horizon. A reader asks on ‪#‎AskJeb‬ : "Where do the ABS towers end up after ejection?". Jebediah Kerman answers: "Simple! They are dumped in a parallel universe where all launch have a catastrophic failure and they can be useful and happy." Finally in orbit, we can see the lander has two rovers and various equipment. The crew take the time to address the media and present themselves on this important mission. Jebediah: "I am Jeb Kerman and I hope we find sand worms on Duna." Bob: "This is Bob Kerman, same name, but no relation with Jeb..." Bill: "Is this too late to call in sick like the mission control guys?" Thank you for your service, gentlemen! Stay tuned for more updates ~

Did you try turning off the :useHollywoodMovie-style_physics: option?

I thought it would be cool to keep my station at 1000km orbit because it looks nice at this altitude. That was a dumb waste of fuel - I imagine interplanetary craft after refueling @ 1000km can't benefit from swinging around kerbal for velocity - correct my if I'm wrong.

I am a vanilla man but your mod is simply unavoidable. Thank you. What will you do if future updates start improving aerodynamics?

Use a parachute if you don't want any accidents

Thanks, masterchief! Why? Leave your stuff orbiting for 10 years. Nothing changes. "Problem" ? You're so negative! The "problem" is you want more stuff to explore, right? Binary star would give you that. Did the devs give their vision about science-fiction and how far from reality they would be ready to bring KSP? Didn't find any official position on this.

How many docking ports do you dock simultaneously? I did 12 docking's with dual ports 2 dockings with dual ports in 2 positions around the craft all instances were on craft with very bad RCS directional exactness:'(

Harguinxx is saying he wants... a single key that can thrust in a vector that matches the navball's retrograde direction, even if craft is not pointing in pro or retrograde. Now you must mash your keyboard like the phantom of the opera to acheive this (or rotate orientation to retrograde point and press H)

Short answer is no because the physics only use 1 thread. Depends on the core optimisations and clockspeed, more than 2 cores has no impact.

sorry I misunderstood. You want a shortcut that would make things a bit too easy, IMHO! But you're right IRL the docking pilots have a lot of cheating available to them. The navball improvement that you explained is indeed something that needs to be done soon. IRL the navballs must have this or better.

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.urlesque.com/media/2010/10/5.jpg

30% CPU means you probably have a quad-core or something. KSP only uses 1 thread for physics. Check out this thread for performance issues around stations: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/43153-Low-FPS-at-Space-Stations

I wanna know too if others use analog joystick to help docking. I have a logitech rumblepad2 but feel comfortable with my keyboard - terrified that the wireless joystick suddently stops working during a maneuver and I smash into a station's solar panels!

Also disqualified because it has a center. Although both of your designs are pretty sweet. The curvature should be caused by forcing an angle on the joints that want to be straight. But I'm open to other options as long as no structural components are in the center and it is close to a perfect circle thin line. I'd be curious to see that thing float in space.

You can launch it whole if you want but there is nothing in the center PS: Anyone has an overclocked Liquid-nitrogen cooled i7 Extreme CPU I can borrow?

I'd like to try making a space wheel. Searched the forum and did not find anyone talking about this... Using the flexibility/bending of docking ports, a series of station modules can fold on itself using a side thrust motion then adding a final part that connects both ends. Details: 1) Join straight portions of station in space, 10+ sections probably. Ideally, they use dual docking ports (so they're more flexible in one direction) 2) Use a craft on one end of the long string and thrust the sections so they start folding on themselves forming a circle. The vectoring to acheive this is probably variable and very hard to do. 3) When the circle is almost complete, undock/eject the station from the craft (2) and use some trick (?) so the station's physics are frozen (not sure) 4) bring last section of space station to the station and dock simultaneously on both ends, completing the circle! Should be easy, now go!!