Top8

Just checking to see if this is still going... Looks neat

This fellow with his YF-12 replica sets the bar for how good a stock replica can look. http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/67745-YF-12A-replica-NEW-VERSION Amazing!

It does not need to fly legit. However, I am thinking of a top mounted system with a slightly larger 1st rocket stage that is flyback. This would solve some logistical problems with landing gear and loading / unloading of the launcher from the mothership. It may even allow for a completely stock working version of all this - which would be the ideal thing. Making it a 3 stage to orbit craft that would have very reasonable costs and perhaps a slighlty larger orbiter. EDIT: It does not have to be stock or legit, but again if mods are used pls stick to the list above.

WOW. Aamazing job!

You could do a version of the Orion capsule NASA is working on. Or model the cool trans-hab you have posted there.

Posted Gateway Station in the exchange - this is the 1970 version of Hawking station. http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/22251-Showcase-SPACE-STATIONS%21-Post-your-pictures-here?p=1036803#post1036803

Gateway Station - This was the first test bed station built with a majority of bulk lunar components. Through the mid 1960's the Farside base and its satelite rover mines established a set of increasingly large mass drivers that were used to launch in-situ products to lunar orbit. The crude but serviceable bulk components and structural elements were accented with small shipments of more advanced parts produced on Terra. Linkback to Flickr Album - Want to see more? https://www.flickr.com/photos/51298849@N03/13335232815/ The station is composed of ultra-light fabric pressure shells produced on Terra, coated with a layer of sulphur-organic-sealant (aka forumla-S or 'goop') and then laminated with FLAMS (Foil Layered Aerogel-Metal Shielding). Structural elements are lunar alloy steel and sintered tituanium. Power is provided via several molten salt thorium reactors and a prototype solar-PV power satelite sitting in L5. A small amount of emergency power is provided by deployable solar arrays. Many of the systems are intended for use in other ships or stations. The radiators, for example, are designs suited for use on a nuclear ship with a shadow-shield architecture. The reactors on Gateway are fully shielded and do not use the shadow arrangement but these prototypes are effectivly in long term testing while spearate tests for neutron embrittlment are being conducted in chambers adjacent to a reactor. Gateway is shown circa early 1970, with the configuration recently updated to include greenhouses. Though the primary operation at Gateway is final assembly and construction of modular satelite, ship or station sections the increasing maintenance demands of a growing L2 operation nescessitated a larger station population. In early 1970 the station has a long term life support capacity of 50 but is intended to house upto 300 when life support technology matches the current configuration. Gateway is eventually intended to serve as a massive liner between Earth and Lunar orbits but is more valuable as a technology test bed and L2 base at the moment. The LANTR drive section is only partially fueled and more suited to short burns that stablize it at L2. Conditions aboard station are fitted for acceleration-deceleration gravity with a cieling-floor-swap and are unusually posh even compared to the permanent habs in the lava-tubes at Farside. This is literally window dressing for the video links and evenutal visit of government or military officials that keep the lunar effort alive. Though it must be kept above top secret, Gateway respresents that best hope of certain officials not having to worry as much about a mistake in the nuclear cold-war. As a driect consquence Gateway is very well armed and already able to detect and defeat hundred of missiles should they ever target a Lunar asset. XM1970: This is a key station in the history of the XM2070 setting http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/67002-Visions-of-2070

Are you great at aircarft in KSP? I would greatly appreicated your help. The project: Project Blackstar is an ongoing attempt to build a historical (fictional) version of the Blackstar launch system that some conspiracy theorists and even a few orthodox sources in the avaiation world think exist. My version of Blackstar, the one I am using in some fiction, uses a modified Valkyrie bomber and a civillian version that has been created from it as a "mothership" to bring it up to 70,000 feet to launch at Mach 3.2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_XB-70_Valkyrie I am looking for a very detailed (as close to photo real as possible) B-70 replica capable of air-drop launching the Blackstar launcher from an internal half-bay at high alititude at Mach 2-3: This is a showpiece, so it doesn't have to work legitamately but it has to look amazing for video. I am comfortable with the idea of hacking gravity for the video capture. Also note that the bay does not need a door since the bottom of the launcher needs to sit flush with the half-bay sides. The launcher is Pegasus-II-like but employs no farings and has one completely recoverable stage. EDIT: As soon as I get to a better connection I will post more pics and craft files for orbital hardware and an L2 station, all set in an alternate version of 1970! Note that the blackstar hardware I have designed to date (launcher, payload variants, etc.) are all stock. However, for the plane I need photo realism so the following list of mods is acceptable:  Near Future Propulsion (http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/52042-0-23-Near-Future-Propulsion-Pack-0-33-1-(updated-24-01-14-balance-changes))  KSP Interstellar (http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/43839-0-23-KSP-Interstellar-(Tweakables-New-ISRU-Preecoolers)-Version-0-9-2-(Beta))  Deep Space Mission Pack (http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/deep-space-mission-pack/)  Habitat Pack (http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/64442-0-23-Habitat-Pack-v0-2-new-hab%21)  Large Scale Structural Parts (http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/34664-Large-Structural-Station-Components-20-Compatible-Release-Thread)  Hyperedit (http://www.KerbaltekAerospace.com)  Kethane (http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/23979-Kethane-Pack-0-8-4-Find-it-mine-it-burn-it!-Now-w-Toolbar-Critical-bug-fixed)  Kerbpaint (http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/50008-0-23-KerbPaint-Paint-layering-for-parts-%28September-23rd%29-%28Same-Old-Still-Works%21%29) note: delete old module manager Note that this mod list is from my Visions of 2070 project on the Fanworks thread. The 1970s fiction is background for setting up a future where we are much farther along in space than we likely will be.

Great work! Keep it up. This weekend I will have some updates here. Hawking Station, pictured previously as the huge cake tin, is going to be the focus of my creative energies.

Tetsuuuuoooo!!!!!

Looking for Interesting Corp Names If you have an idea for a corporation name that might be interesting in the 2070s we are looking for ideas. Interesting mergers like Ikea-Krupp as a Eurasian Industrial megacorp for example, plus backstory as to how it could have happened. Either send them to me or post them directly - please do not plagiarize others work. EDIT: Also added Kethane to the mods list. Yay Kethane!

That is a big ship. Too bad they don't have a larger stock panel to work with - something to cut down part count.

Action groups work well for me. I have in general found weird things go on with staging - but I also strain the game in other ways too.

Work In Progress: The carrier + six fighters below are stock and work very well. As a unit they have single thrust or combined thrust modes and instead of armor this carrier depends on sensors / comms to stay at range (note the good level of thrust, large amount of delta-v for outmaneuvering the enemy and the numerous electronic warfare gear plus a Combat Information Center to allow unit coordination fed by all that sensor info / jamming). Note that the forward transit shield is less armor and more a navigational deflector shield. The fighters themselves work like a charm (lots of delta-v, lots of EW, maunverable and capable of strafing with 8 devastating shots). The ordinance may not look impressive until you think about how relative velocity between fighter and target can be huge). The carrier has one ordinance reload for each fighter and carries more than enough fuel for resupply. .... Mr. Jeb! Scamble Kobras and get Mr. Bill to the CIC! ... EDIT: When this is ready I will post on my project thread: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/67002-Visions-of-2070 The carrier itself is modular so more fuel stack or another Hab might be in order given the crew of 10 currently needs to share bunks (since the CIC doesn't count as a proper place to live). I am starting all my desgins from stock but some mods will come in an optional config. Likely mods are using inflatable habitats, non-standard drives and of course adding thermal radiators.

These are great patches! What software do you use to make them?

Wow, without welding what is the part count on a 2.2km ship?

Great work! Especially the "Helical Wheat Noodle" desgination - awesome!

Just a shout out - I liked your Medusa so much it inspired me in this desgin: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/67002-Visions-of-2070/page5

Presenting the EES Class A - The Engineering Expedition System is a small fleet of ships designed in a Grand Tour configuration that provides construction and engineering services to distant outposts. The class A configuration consists of: - 2 x RHC3 Ruggedized High Capacity Communications Capsule - not only do hardy comm sats serve as a mobile comm net to supplement the medium range gear on most of the other EES fleet assets they also supplement the forward transit and aerobreaking shield functions with their robust cone hulls. - 6 x MSS Modular Shield Segments - six moduleshield panels snap together via orbital construction and allow a high degree of safety during transit and aerobraking. Failure of one or two segments still allows a skilled pilot to safely aerobrake provided atmospheric interface angles are carefully controlled. - 1 x EEC Engineering Expedition Core - A mothership inspired by the Medusa Grand Tour architecture this robust vessel knits together the fleet in a 2x3 configuration. Three of the docking arms are designed to tow senior scale module stacks such as the fuel or station modules in the class A configuration. The other three arms integrate the three propulsion modules. - 3 x SPM Shielded Propulsion Modules - The shielded propulsion modules are NERVA thrusters with long duration radiation shielding that prevent neutron embrittlement and negative environmental effects, radiate reactor waste heat and serve to provide a rad-shielded EVA zone in the core of the fleet (directly behind the EEC). - 6 x FSU Fuel Stack Units - Six of these standard jumbo fuel tanks set in a modular configuration are the normal load out for a Class A fleet configuration. - 1 x LMH Low Mass Habitat - The LMH is an lightly shielded habitat module, capacity 4, that is only viable for long term use in deep space because it is docked in the rad-safe zone behind the EEC. This is a backup habitat and lifeboat. - 1 x RCD Rugged Construction Drone - The RCD is typical of the simple, reliable, and capable construction drones used for orbital assembly of the EEC fleet. Though other ships in standard fleet configurations can also perform RCD duties this is an expendable low cost unit. It is centrally docked aft of the LMH on the border of the rad-safe zone. - 3 x WPS Work Pod Stations - Work Pod Stations are part workshop, part sceince lab and indpendant long duration habitats suitable for a crew of two. They are typically docked aft of the fuel stacks and provide a place for the PTUs to dock. These stations can be left in place on missions and incorporate the same powerful comm systems as the forward mounted sats. - 3 x PTU Pony Tug units - The Pony ships are directly inspired by the groundbreaking S5 Industries desgin of the Pony Alpha with some simplification of systems for increased reliability. They are versaitle space tugs with capable landers and can also be operated by remote. Though the crew compartments are lightly shielded these can serve as able life boats in case of emergency. The Class A EES has changed little since the early 2060s when the design was new. Individual modules and systems have been improved as new technology and more economical supply chain options became available but the overal 'classic' EES configuration is a common sight across the system. Craft File: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9qbgEKOAvlpcDdLYjBpZ2c1U2M/edit?usp=sharing STOCK DESIGN Edit: Full Disclosure - though I have launched versions of all these components / ships and docked many of them ... this particular design is put together in one file for real life time savings. My redevous and docking skills are terrible so I would probably cluster some of the smaller bits here in a series of multi-part payloads which are then taken apart and put together by tugs ... the farings would be fat but it would be straight forward. As it, I just need ships in orbit so hyperedit is my friend. I did do some aerobraking trials and it works pretty well. The fleet does not turn well but it does turn very safely given patience (no structural isues at all).

What an amazing SSTO!

Some sort of gas core nuclear rocket for thrusters, a LFTR for power and perferably a microwave sail so that transit times aren't so long http://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1112/1112.3016.pdf Talking future tech that would probably work out? swap out some sort of *fusion torch* for the gas core nuclear thruster. I would still keep the LFTR for power, probably a few of them in a redundnat network around the ship since you don't want to feel the cold of space.

Good stuff! Photoshop?

There is an interesting twist on their idea of dark sky stations: they may be economically viable for low altitude sats. A system of their stations and supply ships could be very interesting.

Very nice! If it is OK I will use her in my projects

I will test it out today and let you know if it works in .23