Taki117

You have everything you need to build a decent heavy lifter. 8 of the grey tanks (X200-8) make up 1 large orange tank (And proportional from there) IF you add the Skipper engine to your center stage, and set up asparagus staging on your liquid boosters (Using clustered engines) then you should be able to get to orbit without much issue. Edit: Try adding RCS thrusters to the top and bottom of every stage, as well as the Inline reaction wheels and ASAS modules. Also make sure your RCS thruster blocks are on the same plane (if the ones up to pare 90 degrees from the front the ones on the bottom should be the same) Also, make sure your RCS are set to 4x symmetry. You don't need that much RCS fuel for docking, loose the roudified tanks and add some struts for the other stack. (Yes, moar struts). I have also included my Minmus Explorer design that uses the heavy lift system I described. (It is NOT set up for asparagus staging, though it requires it) https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzOU_F85Qj0YZzlYNVFza01WbWc/edit?usp=sharing Another Edit: There are multiple file upload sites, I use Google drive.

This post should be deleted (I don't know how to do it)

I'm curious as to why you are looking for it. If you want to add a modded part to the tech tree you need to edit that parts config file. (The code is around the forums somewhere, don't ask me where though) Edit: I found it! Check out this thread for info on editing parts to add to the tech tree http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/55070-Editing-the-tech-tree

It really doesn't matter if your ship is touching the ground or not (It is actually better for it NOT to touch the ground, less chance for damage) If you want your ship touching the ground but don't want damage to the engines, if you put a decoupler under your engine (If you have them, assuming career mode) followed by a structural support and then set the decoupler to fire at the same time the rockets do you are fine. IF you are using the Launch Stability enhancer, be sure to stage it so that it decouples at the same time your engines fire (Be sure your throttle is all the way up) this way as soon as you fire your engines you will decouple and rise skyward (Assuming you have a Thrust to weight ratio greater than 1)

Well, I figure I might as well make an intro. *Clears throat* Greetings and Salutations fellow Kerbalnaughts. I've been playing for a couple of months and have just now decided to join the forums and provide valuable insight to the newer generation (Those that have been playing less than I) I may not have left Kerbin SOI yet (Mostly due to my own personal limitation) but I am well on my way!

"Take me out, to the black, tell 'em I ain't coming back" -Firefly Themesong My kerbals tend to live by that. Some make it back, some don't, but I keep sending them up. Maybe eventually I'll leave Kerbin SOI (Currently building a prototype for interplanetary travel)

"Wee choose to go to the moon and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard." - President Kennedy I can't begin to count how many explosions on launch I've had, and even with rockets that seemed to work perfectly (While sitting still) would go to pieces on launch. Keep at it, and don't forget, If it' ain't blowing up at least once, you didn't kerbalize it enough.

I usually set up an action group just for science bits. (with the exception of EVA everything can be set to an action group) Then I just do it over and over again until eventually the science content reads 0.0, at which point I never do it again. (Anything from Launch to LKO is useless to me now) Also, whenever I visit a new body just before I decided to go back I perform one last experiment and gather EVA report and surface sample then head back to Kerbin, at which point I gather an EVA report and Surface sample from the surface before recovering the vessel.

Before I installed NavyFish's Docking port alignment indicator I would use my RCS thruster blocks to help with alignment. Since they were always at 90 degree intervals I would switch to chase mode, orient the camera to have it point with the RCS thruster I Wanted pointing "Up" and then rotate the ship so that the position of the stationed matched what I wanted. thought NavyFish's mod really helps.

Near as I can tell, if it doesn't encounter another bodies SOI on the flight path it never will. (I had a probe orbiting Kerbol for somewhere on the order of 238 in game days, never once encountered another planet) Planetary transfers have to be precisely timed and executed so that you end up in the SOI.

Try moving your pod decoupling to the bottom of the stack. If I am thinking correctly it goes in the order of the stack, so what's happening is your chute is deploying, your pod is popping off, and then none of the other commands are getting to the rest of your ship.

Here is my Newest Station Valhalla. It is a true space station, with a lounge, science lab (With observation port), and refueling facilities. In the above the Science and observation modules can be seen to the fart left (This also doubles as the command pod for orbit adjustments). Immediately behind that we have the first of two refueling stations, followed by crew lounge and sleeping areas. Next is the other refueling stations (With spaceplane attached, currently being refueled) and on the very end is the emergency escape pod, capable of carrying the entire crew back to kerbin. It is completely autonomous, requiring no input from the crew. (Though they can override it if necessary) And the Back: This image shows my interplanetary transport ship in the process of being assembled. (It is on the aft refuel station, also being refueled) Morning on Valhalla: The sun rises majestically over the horizon of Kerbin, providing much needed energy to the large solar arrays to be stored in the many On-board batteries. Giant solar arrays at work: In this image you can see several of the science experiments attached to the side of the observation module, as well as one of the four antennae used for communication with the KSC via a satellite network in Kerbo-synchronous orbit around the planet.

As a general rule of thumb you should always try to keep your TWR at, or just above, 1. This reduces the chance that you will not make it out of the atmosphere after the gravity turn (I've had it happen) and it will greatly increase the eficency of all future maneuvers.

I like the idea of a "Fire and forget" system, but the way I design all my "Science-y Ships" now is I have each science module attached to the command pod and placed in an Action Group so that I can do lots of science all at once (Useful when doing a gravity slingshot around the Mun) and then just before I get ready to leave I do one last Science gather, return to Kerbin, and land with enough chutes so that everything stays together so that when I recover the vessel I get all the science I had collected.

When I first started Career mode I made kind of a stand off for my rockets. I would place a strut under a decoupler under my engines and set that as stage one (With the engies ready to fire) This prevented any damage to the engines upon launch. As far as thing attaching properly, I use Angle Snap (the button next to Symmetry in the VAB and SPH) so that when I put my Radial Decouplers on they are in the correct spot, and when I attach my boosters I know that they are also on the decoupler.

Maneuver nodes help! After making your orbit circular (Eccentricity <2%) if you put a node (By left clicking) on your orbit you can then simulate acceleration out to your target point. Once your simulation is in the SOI (Sphere of Influence) Of the Mun you will get a Mun encounter (And probably Mun Escape) icon. Once you have set your node line up your Navball with the blue node indicator and fast forward time until you get close (You want to give yourself some lead time for your burn) after that Burn until your actual orbit matches your planned orbit, sit back, and enjoy the trip to the Mun. Once you are within the SOI of the mun Be sure to point retrograde and burn to slow down otherwise you will just be headed back to Kerbin.

I have accidentally stumbled across a Mun Arch and one of the infamous Kerbin Obelisks, With ISA Mapsat gone I kinda got lucky.

Is there any particular reason your landing legs are folded here? Seems like it would make the craft much more stable to extend them. Also, no solar panels?