Ali_J_101

UKSSDA: United Kerbalian Space Systems Development Agency After the sucessful launch of a Kerbal into orbit (Link:http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/46515-UKSSDA-Mission-1-To-Orbit!-IMAGE-HEAVY),the Agency decided that they should launch some satellites. After a short disscusion, it was decided that a pair of sats, packed with communication equipment would be launched to reasonably high orbits, one around the equator, one across the poles. The construction includes a test for the Kerbin Orbit Lifter (KOL) that is still under development (i.e. explodes a lot ), that is designed to return the majority of the equipment used intact to the surface, and an experiment in using customised fairings. The first, intended for a 500km equatorial orbit sits on the launch pad, controlled remotely from Mission Control. The Mission Controller gives the go order. All engines fire as intended, and the launcher lifts into the dusk light over the VAB. Several stages, and a successful gravity turn later, this monster is what gets into orbit: A jumbo and a 1/2-jumbo tank, Mainsail, plus the main orbit stage. Slightly too much delta-V perhaps... But that is never a problem. Utilising the Mainsail, the craft easily achieves the 500km target orbit. Mission Control decouple the Mainsail stage and deorbit it hard. Due to a lack of power generators (-facepalm- ) , the RC unit runs out of charge before it reaches the atmosphere, thus unable to activate parachutes. It is utterly destroyed by hitting the ocean at roughly 500m/s. (I was busy controling the decent of the orbit stage to watch it, so no screenshots) While this is happening, Mission Control deploy the satellite, and de-orbit the final stage. A successful parachute landing leaves the rocket intact. The satellite orbits around Kerbin, aiding communication to far-flung areas of the globe. The second satellite, destined for a polar orbit, is launched in the night, adding atmosphere to the launch. The controllers were worried about the lack of light, but no real space program is without risk. And anyway, the RCU doesn't need to look out the window! (I was flying the thing on instruments... I managed to crash it more than once. Three cheers for "Revert to Launch" buttons!) As the rocket left the lower atmosphere, Kerbol rose over the horizon, lighting up the ship from the side, and relieving those worried about dark-side manuvers. The ship goes directly to a 500km orbit, and drops the Mainsail and it's tank over the North Pole, and prepare for some precice burns. Meanwhile, the Mainsail burns all it's delta-V to de-orbit almost directly over the Pole. It re-enters in spectacular fashion. But the four parachutes are not enough, and it slams into the ground, destroyed in it's entirety. More parachutes required... Careful orbital manuvers bring the satellite to a near-perfect orbit. Then Mission Control de-orbit the final stage. It re-enters with a good lightshow. Gotta love re-entry at 2km/s It splashes down safely, and is swiftly recovered by the same ships that recovered Jebediah. Both satellites are in orbit and fully operational. What next for the UKSSDA? Only they know. Well, thinking about it, they probably don't either.

Ok... From my adventures in 0.20. MunShot Alpha fail: Looks fine here... Is that what I think it is? Oh crap. Yup. That's ending well... Wow... They survived... In conclusion: RULE 2 OF KERBAL SPACE PROGRAM: MOAR STRUTS

Does the ribbon generator work for IE8? I'm not getting to the generator at all. The mission flag one works... When I try to use it, it just ends up loading for eternity...

I only activate the RCS when I've left the atmosphere. Fins tend to work better at lower altitudes.

UKSSDA: United Kerbalian Space Systems Development Agency. This combined organisation was formed after the great Disaster of 0.21 wiped out the entirety of the fleets of both "Spacecraft Development Agency" and "Kerbalian Space Systems". UKSSDA shall go (and hopefully come back from) where no Kerbal has gone before. Eventually. First, they must re-accomplish what has been done before. To orbit, they must send a Kerbal. And bring him back alive. UKSSDA Mission 1: To Orbit! Orbiter 1 is a carefully constructed craft ( ). However, the design wasn't so careful (I messed up an asparagus and didn't realise until I staged). The daring Jebediah Kerman managed to survive the process, although nothing else of the craft did. Orbiter 1.1 has some modifications, including some optimistic landing legs, and re-arranged staging, to reduce explosions. It sits on the launch pad, Jebediah at the controls for this second attempt. MISSION CONTROL: Control to Orbiter 1.1. Jeb? Are you ready to fly? JEBEDIAH: Yup. It shouldn't explode this time. Jebediah punches the launch button. It launches, without exploding. Letting the computer control the rotation, Jeb watches the fuel gauges. The first boosters drain their fuel, and are dropped away. JEBEDIAH: YAHOOOOOOOOOO!!! Mission Control is understandably worried... MISSION CONTROL: Has anything exploded, Jeb? JEBEDIAH: Nope. Just the feeling of launch is AWESOME!!! Half a minute later, Jeb makes his gravity turn at 10,000m. The second boosters fuel burns away, and the engines are loosed. Soon, Jebediah is in the process of circularisation, a process he did countless times before the great 0.21 Disaster. But the stage runs out of fuel, and he uses the correction and de-orbit engine to complete circularisation. After a couple of orbits, and some tiny burns, Jebediah has achieved a near-perfect circular orbit, the first since 0.21. He celebrates this achievement with a Kerb-Bar. MISSION CONTROL: Control to Orbiter 1.1. Very nice orbit, Jeb. JEBEDIAH: -Muffled chewing- MISSION CONTROL: Jeb? JEBEDIAH: -Loud swallow- Thanks, Control. MISSION CONTROL: How did you manage to get a snack aboard that capsule? There's barely enough room for the equipment! JEBEDIAH: Skill. MISSION CONTROL: Never mind. Jeb is floating around a bit in the capsule, while he wizzes round on the 105km orbit, when he recognises the Kerbal Space Centre ahead of him. He ponders trying to land there. This thing has landing legs after all... Slamming the craft to full throttle, he powers into a de-orbit burn, trying to kill his orbital velocity before KSC passes by below him. He fails, and passes over at 99km. He keeps burning retrograde, trying to get as close as posssible, but after he drains the fuel, he decouples the engine, and re-enters the atmosphere. He shoots through the atmosphere, and pulls the parachute at 1000m. He looks out the window at a loud splash coming from below, but is too late to see anything. He thinks it was the engine splashing down hard, but it could have been a jumping whale. The chute fully opens at 500m above the ocean. A gentle splashdown, and Jeb is home safe. We'll pick him up. Eventually.

Awesome mod! Saves so much effort in launching stuff. Thanks!

Hello KSP community! I've played a bit, putting things in Kerbin orbit, landing on the Mun, built a station, but the 0.21 update broke my saves. I'll be posting mission reports (sucessful or not ), and stuff. One thing though... I can't find how to get signatures to work... Could I have some tips? Thanks.