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A 2.5m diameter solid-fuelled booster, not previously tested, and not likely to be ready for use for some time - what to do? Despite the risk of something like this being equivalent to detonating a large bomb on the launch pad, the temptation of easy money proved too strong for the Program's management. Fortunately, we've found a way round the problem... MISSION REPORT Crew: n/a Result: Success Status: Recovered Details: The contract never stated the booster even had to leave the pad, or even run for any length of time, just that it should be ignited and allowed to run. So, after removing as much propellant and reducing the thrust as much as possible (i.e. it would still, briefly, function) that's what we did. No-one thought to take any pictures, but it was one of our least interesting "flights".

Another commercial test mission, this time to evaluate the performance of the Skipper engine. The radial engines will get it to the correct altitude and speed before we light it up, recovery is expected to be uncomplicated. MISSION REPORT Crew: n/a Result: Success Status: Recovered Details: If Rockomax pays us to test its engines, so we can pay them to buy their engines, so they can make more engines and pay us to test... ...it's all just money going in circles, but we seem to be doing OK out of it - another successful test, with a very lucrative payout.

With budgetary constraints in mind, the new HICOM satellites are going up with their lower stages powered mostly by solid fuelled boosters; the new KD25ks we've got our hands on recently seem especially good value for money and simulations indicate the three Globe 1s provide enough extra thrust while still in the lower atmosphere. MISSION REPORT Crew: n/a Result: Success Status: Orbiting Kerbin Details: The satellite is on station and functioning, but the orientation of the fixed PV panels is sub-optimal - it's possible for the vehicle to be positioned side-on to the Sun such that no panels are lit - this wasn't an issue with the earlier HICOM satellites, which had three PV arrays. Anyway, it's working, which is the main thing.

I can report having this bug too, still loving the mod though. +1 for adding the remote tech configs so that we can use the new locations for comms. Also, can we get bonuses for recovering near a new base, like we do with KSC currently? (This could maybe vary on which base is being recovered to.) edit: can KAS pipes be attached to the new tanks to refuel from? Not at home right now, so can't check...

I just made a log file, here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B513MM_oKJuSQXRtYXFpZ1RkNzA/edit?usp=sharing Not sure about the version, I thought I had the most recent...

Is anyone else running Linux not seeing the drop-down menu? This is what I see after clicking it:

Disaster! All our communication relay satellites have, to all intents and purposes, disappeared! Investigations are ongoing, but there appears to be no signal, or even radar return, that would correspond to the satellites or their debris. Probably as a result, we are now subject to budgetary constraints, and are going to have to bid for commercial test contracts to keep the space program afloat. Therefore, we can expect to be constructing a lot more vehicles like this. The objectives are to test the BACC solid booster, the hydraulic detachment manifold, and the Mk25 drogue parachute. This will be an extremely simple mission - the rocket will fly straight upwards and deploy the 'chute at the target altitude and speed (to achieve this, fuel and thrust have been cut to about 15% of normal). We'll just fire the decoupler off the side of the tower before launch - seemingly a bit pointless, but that's what the contract says. MISSION REPORT Crew: n/a Result: Success Status: Recovered Details: A simple mission, with a simple outcome - after launch, the rocket ascended quickly to parachute deployment altitude then floated down to be recovered from the sea. Easy money!

Now I can add differential braking to symmetrically placed landing gear! My test pilots thank you.

It looks like something in 0.24 has killed the LOCOM and HICOM satellites (they're no longer communicating and when I switch to them they're uncontrollable even though they have adequate power and extended antennae, and Kerbin itself has disappeared, but with its atmosphere remaining...), I'm in the process of removing mods to figure out what's causing the problem (not any ones I thought were obvious culprits), but I suspect I'm going to have to do some savegame editing or a few more launches to restore comms. Not saying it will be needed, but if anyone who knows their way around a KSP save file is willing to look through it, please let me know. edit: so I decided to continue and just delete the satellites...

Hello - this may be similar to problems other people in the thread have been having, but I can't say for sure - I'd be grateful if anyone can suggest a fix though. I had a 0.23.5 save, where my comm network was functioning perfectly, and as soon as I tried 0.24 it stopped working. When I try to go to one of the satellites, I can't control it and the status in the top left of the screen says "N/A" (instead of something like "Local Control"); Kerbin is gone (apart from its atmosphere, so it just looks like a bright shiny ring) and right-clicking on antennae gives two statuses for each antenna (the comm idle status), as if the relevant module is loaded twice, although I don't think that's the case.

Orbital debris is a problem. We've known this for a while, and have recently tried to ensure that spent stages always impact a body (often by aerobraking in Kerbin's atmosphere), but there are still four spent stages in orbit around Kerbin, any one of which could destroy a spacecraft if they collided. The furthest out is in an orbit which crosses that of the LOCOM satellites. Fortunately, we now have the funding to actually do some things that the public has little to no interest in - debris management being relevant here. Several options appear available to us, roughly in ascending order of complexity, they are: Do Nothing! -- Not that crazy, it's a big sky, so the chances of any collision are remote, even if we never took any avoiding action. Pushing -- A simple probe could be launched, rendezvous with the debris, and physically push it into a decaying or intersecting orbit. Grabbing -- Similar to the above option, except the probe attaches to the debris so that they become locked together. Towing -- A kerbonaut attaches a cable from their spacecraft to the debris which is then towed into the desired orbit. 1. was quickly rejected, it may be workable at the moment, but with more debris it could lead to Kerbin orbit becoming too dangerous. 2. seemed plausible, but... With the Advanced Grabbing Unit (AGU), we can easily implement option 3. - we expect that it will give us practice for altering the orbit of an asteroid. Option 4. has been shelved until/unless the previous idea fails -- we don't want to risk kerbals on a mission like this unless it's obviously necessary. Apart from the AGU, this is nothing we haven't done before, so we're feeling optimistic. The design has turned out to be successful with the only problem being the difficulty in getting the AGU to attach to the spent booster (often, the claws would not engage properly with what they bumped into). After some manoeuvring to ensure thrust reasonably close to the combined CofG, the debris was successfully deorbited. So far, two spent boosters (the ones in the highest orbits) have been dealt with, requiring two separate Scarab missions - it is hoped that it may be possible to deorbit more than one piece of debris per mission in future.

We think our new design for a basic utility aircraft is now mature enough for extended use; noting crew reports after flying the Toucan 2, several changes have been made: Trimotor -- It was felt that speed and altitude could be improved, let's see what an extra 50% of power does. Wing Extensions -- Previous glide performance was disconcerting, to put it mildly, so more lift is called for. Drop Tanks -- Nobody ever made great claims about the efficiency of the radial engines, the addition of disposable tanks gives us more flexibility in mission planning. The fuel feed system ensures the outboard tanks will be depleted/jettisoned first. Enlarged Rudder -- After the above changes, yaw stability was slightly reduced, a larger rudder should rectify this. Crew Escape System -- It hasn't been needed so far, but an automatic ejection system has been fitted.

While the T1 has served its basic purpose, and provided our pilots with valuable experience, it was only ever a stopgap before something more useful could be made available. Capable of carrying three crew members, the T/U 2 (the 'U' indicates usefulness!) is the next aircraft in the "Toucan" series. From the start of the design process, versatility has been a major consideration -- some particular aspects of the design worth mentioning are: Flaperons and heavier gear should allow the use of short and/or rough landing strips, the inclusion of a small tail wheel should help avoid tail strikes during take-off and landing. Food and water supplies for up to 11 days are carried. Ventral and rear cameras cover blind spots. Batteries are capable of providing power for several hours of engine-off operation. Basic scientific instruments are included. Expected missions include: Flight Training -- multi-crew, multi-engine operations Search/Rescue/Recovery -- locating crew and capsules on Kerbin's surface, with the ability to land on reasonably level ground and recover one kerbal (two in emergency situations) Transport -- ferrying crew between airfields, supporting planetary science work Flight Research -- serving as a testbed for new aircraft technologies One flight has been made so far, with Seanfurt commanding and Philrick/Gerford serving as pilot/co-pilot respectively; after a (surprisingly) short take-off roll, the aircraft turned north, remaining in cloud for most of the flight, turning back to KSC after approximately 20 minutes. An altitude of 6000m was achieved fairly easily, and could be maintained. At all points, control response was crisp, visibility (before entering cloud) was good, and most aircraft systems performed effectively (once exception being making use of satellite-generated maps). On approach (by this time, in darkness), the new ILS system was tested and found to be helpful, if difficult to make use of its full capability. Despite this aircraft's greater size, landing was easier than in the T1. Possible future modifications to the design include: one or two small solar panels a third, nose-mounted, engine to increase cruise speed and altitude

This looks excellent! I'll be trying it the next time I play. (I'll be the annoying guy that keeps saying "More!" -- any chance of some other navaids? The VAB could do with having TACAN, NDB, etc. etc. antennae on its roof. )

There were a couple of reasons for doing the docking manoeuvre in Kerbin orbit - if I screwed up and destroyed something vital (or it didn't work for whatever reason), it wouldn't be as difficult to send up a rescue mission, or if the CM was still functional I could just deorbit from there. Also, this allowed jettisoning the interconnector so I didn't have to take its mass along to Minmus. As it turned out, there was no noticeable wobbliness, although that may just have been luck - there wasn't that much acceleration when using the Poodle engine anyway. (Can't remember for sure, but I think I pumped some fuel to the larger tank as well.)

First time I used the updated Radish (not the just-released update, but still) and everything went perfectly! (Well, apart from needing more monopropellant during Minmus orbit rendezvous.) In case it's not obvious, the other HGR parts here are the Spud serving as the lander capsule, the medium fuel tank, the small engine, and some adaptors.

The T1 Toucan is a result of our need for a cheap(ish...), simple, aircraft suitable for training aviation test pilots in the basics of horizontal take-off and landing. Designed with extensive pilot input, it is hoped this aircraft will be easily (and enjoyably) flown. Also, given the affordability of most of the components, it will not be a financial catastrophe if we lose a few; pilots have been reminded they are issued with parachutes. A total of four flights have been made with this aircraft (there would have been more, but Gerford wrecked it on his landing), with Seanfurt, Philrick, Rory, and Gerford all having completed one flight. As intended, pilots have described it as a pleasure to fly, with the controls being responsive during all phases of flight, Gerford's experience notwithstanding. Despite the positive reception, more will probably not be built -- to improve safety and increase versatility, a twin-engine, multi-crew aircraft is now being designed to serve in both the trainer and utility role.

We're going back to Minmus, this time (thanks to new components from the HGR factory) with a craft capable of landing. The lander is constructed around the Spud capsule, with the main spacecraft (here referred to as the "CSM" - command/service module) consisting of a Radish command module (CM), which also serves as a re-entry vehicle, atop a service module (SM) containing fuel, power and life support systems, and scientific/communication components. While the mission profile is the most complex yet, requiring the use of several new techniques and components, an outline is as follows: Ascent to circular parking orbit at 70-100km altitude involving the separation of SRBs, then the aerodynamic fairings, and finally stage 1 separation. Lander pilot (LP) transfer to lander, activation and checking of lander systems. Separation of lander from interconnector to CSM. Docking of lander to CSM. LP transfer to CM. Apoapsis lowered into atmosphere, interconnector jettisoned. Minmus transfer burn using remaining stage 2 fuel. Insertion into equatorial Minmus orbit and circularisation at ~20km altitude. Surface observations to identify landing site, ideally one of the equatorial flats. LP transfer to lander. Initial descent burn from SM engine. Separation. CSM burn to recircularise orbit. Lander uses RCS for braking and landing. Surface study and EVA. Lander ascent to orbital rendezvous and docking. LP transfer to CM. Apoapsis lowered below surface, lander undocked, orbit recircularised. Minmus escape burn. Kerbin transfer burn, apoapsis just within atmosphere. Re-entry, retrograde burn at apoapsis until fuel exhaustion. Separation of CM/SM. Aerobreaking, parachute descent, recovery. James has been selected as CM pilot with Mildred as commander and lander pilot. MISSION REPORT Crew: Mildred Kerman, James Kerman Result: Success Status: Recovered Details: Funding: SECURED -- at the time of writing, freshly recovered parts of another world are being studied in our laboratories, the media is praising us 6 hours a day and morale has probably never been higher. The initial launch to an inclined orbit was as planned, apart from reaching a higher altitude than intended. Separation and docking were also achieved without problems. A minor issue was noted during Minmus transfer burn - the crew stated that using the second stage engine to burn in "reverse" was uncomfortable and slightly disorienting and admitted to being worried the spacecraft would suffer from wobbling at the docking port. Despite encountering no problems in this case, it has been decided to avoid this spacecraft configuration in future, where practicable. During Minmus transfer, communication was maintained via the HICOM satellites, an improvement over Athena 2b in combating crew boredom. On arrival in a circular low Minmus orbit, a landing site was identified on an area of equatorial flats between two areas of high ground to the east/west. The plan for the landing sequence did not specify when stage II would be jettisoned; on this occasion the crew chose to do this just after de-orbit burn (from the CSM). Post-mission analysis has determined that using the (unexpectedly) remaining fuel in stage II for de-orbit (and possibly for terminal descent) would have been the better option as it would not have required the CSM to enter a sub-orbital trajectory. In the event, the lander's monopropellant was sufficient to ensure a safe landing, with the four RCS jets having adequate acceleration in Minmus's gravity. The final stages of landing were affected by significantly reduced visibility caused by the clouds which appear to blanket the flats of Minmus, threatening a mission abort; Mildred however considered that the radio altimeter allowed a safe descent until the last few hundred metres, when the surface could be directly observed. Mildred's stay on Minmus, despite having sufficient supplies for several days, was not intended to last more than an hour or so; once a flag had been planted, basic observations made, and samples had been collected from the various points between the flats and nearby slopes, the scientific work was considered complete. Unfortunately, Mildred was distracted by events, and forgot to take any photographs while on the surface, and nobody else thought to remind her. Due to the low gravity, EVA on Minmus required very little effort, but could barely be considered walking or running as on Kerbin; using the EVA pack to make long hops was quite easy, despite a couple of low-speed tumbles. When the CSM was in a suitable position, the ascent to orbit was started and initial rendezvous easily achieved but monopropellant was exhausted during docking manoeuvres. With difficulty, the CSM used its engine to complete the final rendezvous and docking. This issue will require resolving before any similar flights. After docking, and transfer of samples and data, Mildred returning to the CM before a de-orbit burn to jettison the lander. Shortly afterwards, the Kerbin transfer burn was made; the transfer itself was uneventful, and by chance, atmospheric entry was made at a point where the landing would be approximately at KSC's longitude. It was attempted to use the last of the CSM's fuel to de-incline the trajectory to give a touchdown as near KSC as possible, but by this point altitude had reduced to where CM separation seemed advisable. Once able to descend on its own, the CM's much improved aerodynamics were demonstrated, orienting its heat shield to the airflow without any crew input. After a smooth parachute descent, touchdown was made far north of KSC and capsule/crew recovery quickly followed.

This is what I'm working on for the next Minmus mission - it's Apollo inspired but using two crew members. The service module and capsule are based on the 1.875m parts and the single kerbal lander is a Spud with some RCS capability. Once I've got the design finalised, I'll launch and report back. One minor point - when radially attaching parts to the medium fuel tank, they hover a few cm from its surface.

This may be related - I had decouplers trying to fire in the VAB when I had the previous version of Tweakable Everything installed, upgrading to the latest version solved it though.

This can be disregarded - 1.2 fixes whatever caused this problem.

I think I'm getting the problem JeffreyCor had as well (the puffs of smoke from decouplers in the VAB, plus other weirdness). I'll try to isolate it to a minimum set of mods and get some useful logs over the weekend...

Unless the devs are planning on replacing "revert" with "rewind"!

O Lawd, OP's username... On a serious note, given that KSP is quite sensitive to single-thread performance, would it make sense to disable hyper-threading if using an Intel CPU? (I realise this is no use to those with AMD CPUs.)

With the only change being halving the RCS fuel tankage, 1b and 1c are ready to launch. MISSION REPORT Crew: n/a Result: Success Status: Orbiting Kerbin Details: The HICOM constellation is now complete, able to support communication with any spacecraft in the Kerbin system; it may, however, still be necessary to augment the satellites' battery capacity.