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CHAPTER FORTY-TWO: ALMOST THERE On the surface of Kerbin, the sun was setting on the Wynter Kerman Industrial Airfield outside of Owl City. Originally a small industrial town, it eventually expanded into a fully functioning city that included a few schools, several parks and community centers – including its own library system – and many businesses, both small and large. The city’s most prominent business, and the reason for the city’s very existence, was the WinterOwl Aircraft Emporium. It was founded long ago, in the early decades of aviation, by a rebellious engineer named Wynter Kerman. Her company was often laughed at due to its founder being a woman, but it soon earned a reputation for consistently producing quality propeller-driven planes. When jet-powered aircraft became popular on Kerbin, WinterOwl shifted its focus to delivering small civil jets, though it still produced props. Sometimes, it would assist other companies in their research and development projects; for example, it recently accepted a partnership with C7 Aerospace in building a spaceplane capable of landing on all five of Jool’s moons. Today, WinterOwl is the oldest aircraft manufacturing company that’s still operational. Wynter Kerman the Fourth, the current CEO of WinterOwl Aircraft Emporium, was sitting alone in the executive catwalk office of Hangar SP2. Many years ago, when WinterOwl accepted contracts for roles in spaceplane projects, the airfield underwent heavy renovation to accommodate the new spaceplanes, which included increasing the runway size and building some new hangars. This evening, Hangar SP2 – “SP” for “Spaceplane,” since it was one of the hangars that was built during the renovation – was housing the latest prototype of the T-6 Cannonball. It was a large spaceplane that could land on the surface of Minmus before refueling itself with its drills and ISRU equipment. According to the kerbalnauts who tested the T-6, it would have enough delta-V to blast off straight to Jool after leaving Minmus’ sphere of influence. Of course, they never actually sent it to Jool since the Kerbal Space Program wanted them to test re-entry and landing on Kerbin. The emergency cabin ejection system had already been tested before the mission, but the crew was able to return the spaceplane without any problems. Recently, Wynter had received an urgent message from Val that Misty Kerman would attempt to steal the T-6 Cannonball soon. Although Wynter was honored to get a direct communication from one of the Famous Four, she dismissed Val’s warning. In her reply, she restated the commonly held belief that nobody could have survived the capsule explosion from over a year ago. The inability of the recovery crews to find kerbal remains was to be expected, as Misty’s and Jeb’s Senior’s bodies most likely disintegrated during re-entry. Regarding Victor’s claim that he saw Misty, Wynter scoffed at the idea that Val “… took the word of a convicted war criminal that some random woman passing by was a ghost.” As for the spaceplane’s security, Wynter assured Val that stealing it and taking it to Jool was impossible – even if someone other than Misty was to attempt it. Since it was a brand-new aircraft, it would be difficult for a thief to figure out how to work all the complex controls before getting caught. Wynter even joked that a thief was more likely to detach the cabin before taking off. On the off-chance that someone did manage to achieve low-Kerbin orbit, however, not only would the aircraft be tracked, but the military would be scrambling to intercept it immediately. Furthermore, the farthest it could go was the surface of Minmus before it had to refuel, and even that would take days whereas soldiers stationed on Minmus would be able to reach it in hours at a maximum. Although the T-6 was capable of docking with other spacecraft – even though it shouldn’t have to for the mission it was designed for, which was landing on all five of Jool’s moons without outside help – orbital refueling stations would be on full alert. It would not be mistaken for a legitimate spacecraft in need of fuel, as its design was brand-new and hence recognizable. Wynter sighed as she leaned on the window, looking at the T-6. WinterOwl Aircraft Emporium had already made all sorts of iconic aircraft in the past, but its spotlight was slowly fading thanks to the prominence of larger jet-powered airliners, supersonic aircraft, and spacecraft. Should the T-6 prove successful in landing on and taking off from all five of Jool’s moons – especially Tylo – before returning to Kerbin, it would cement WinterOwl’s legacy in the space travel industry; C7 Aerospace was already famous for other contributions to the Kerbal Space Program. The two companies would also make a lot of money producing and selling more T-6 Cannonballs to anyone who dared travel to Jool’s moons, and with complete mission independence too – albeit at a higher price than usual. The companies would also profit from maintenance contracts when the spaceplanes returned to Kerbin, and WinterOwl was planning on training kerbalnauts bound for Jool to perform regular maintenance on the spaceplanes. The entire project was a long and risky endeavor, but the rewards for completing it were too great to ignore. “Turn around, and you’re dead,” a woman’s voice whispered behind her. “Who are…?” asked Wynter, but she felt something press hard against her back. “This is loaded,” the voice warned her. “If you scream or reach for your pockets, I’ll shoot.” “Okay,” said Wynter. “What do you want?” “I know you have a T-6 Cannonball in that hangar,” her assailant began. “We are going for a ride in that thing.” “That’s a pretty specific request,” Wynter observed. “Why THAT plane?” “Well, I have specific plans for that thing.” “What are they?” “All in good time,” her captor assured, “but first, you are going to do everything I say.” “Oh, no, Val was right,” sighed Wynter. “What? Val?” Wynter wanted to turn around to see her captor’s face, but she knew that she would end up with a bullet in her spine if she did. “Never mind that child. If you deviate from what I want, I will not hesitate to kill you.” “Then what do you want?” “First, you are going to order a full pre-flight check on your most successful T-6 Cannonball prototype. After that, you will order all runways cleared from now until the next day. Don’t even think about getting me a prototype that will FAIL, because you’re going down with it if it does.” “Okay, I understand,” sighed Wynter. “I’ll need my cell phone for this, though. It’s in my jacket pocket.” “Then get it out slowly. If I think you’re getting a weapon or calling for help, you’re dead.” Wynter obeyed, and carefully showed her captor her cell phone. “Hey, uh… Ray,” she stammered nervously. “Yes, boss?” a man replied. “Which prototype has had the highest success streak so far?” “Let me look… Version Eight, mam. We just need the okay to roll it out to the market.” “Is it in the hangar you’re in now?” the lady with the gun whispered, and Wynter repeated the question. “Yes.” “Good, then I want a complete pre-flight inspection of that thing done,” ordered Wynter. “Wait, now?” “Yes, now.” “Tell them you want that thing ready immediately,” the woman with the gun demanded, and Wynter complied. “Okay, then,” answered Ray, then he hung up. “Miss, it’s going to be a while before their inspection is finished,” said Wynter. “Does your airfield have a runway with a heading of 90 degrees?” the assailant asked her. “Yes, we do,” Wynter responded. “Then clear the runways now.” Wynter then dialed Air Traffic Control. “Yes, Mrs. Wynter.” “I want all runways cleared now,” she demanded. “Wait, all of them? Now?” The man at ATC responded. “Yes, now,” clarified Wynter before her captor leaned in closer. “Ask them how long and wide Runway 0-9 is,” she whispered. “Let me hear his answer.” “Oh… and one other thing,” said Wynter. “What is the length and width of Runway 0-9?” “The east-west runway is 3 kilometers long and 70 meters wide.” “Okay, then. Resume clearing the skies and runway.” ATC acknowledged her commands before disconnecting. “May I ask why you want me to do all this?” “I told you, all in good time. Now, Wynter, is the Cannonball REALLY capable of doing the Jool-5? Be honest.” “I don’t know, it’s never actually been done before.” “Then how promising were the test results? Be specific, and do not lie to me.” “I heard that it should have enough fuel to get to Jool on nuclear engines alone after getting off Minmus,” started Wynter. “In another test run, the fuel-and-oxidizer engines were said to have enough to land on Tylo.” “How about simulated runs for this model? Did you do any of those?” “Yes, but they said that they did the Tylo and Laythe landings ‘By the skin of their teeth.’ You still want it?” “Yes. Like I said earlier, you’d better not give me a dud or else you’re going down with it.” “Okay, I get it,” sighed Wynter. “Honey, you can come out now,” the assailant said calmly, then Wynter heard footsteps enter her office. “Wynter Kerman?” a man’s voice asked. “Be quiet,” the female assailant ordered. Wynter then gasped as she recognized the man’s voice. “What? But you’re dead.” A few days later, the kerbalnauts were having a rather uneventful time in Pod 5B31. Cassie and Marge were working out, Hadgan was asleep, Jeb had just finished cleaning up after finishing his own workout, Val was typing the mission log to send to Mission Control – this entry was short since nothing was happening – and Bill had just taken off his EVA suit after brushing space dust off the solar panels. Bob was on his kPad playing Cult Clash awaiting responses from Guscan and Rob. He had previously told them about Victor’s assault on the woman suspected to be Misty in the Scorcher Desert. While Rob had disagreed with the chance of Jeb Senior also being alive, he entertained the thought of Misty hiding after he recalled that someone in his cell block was – and still is – serving time for conspiracy to commit murder and insurance fraud after blowing up his own private jet to fake his death. Guscan had refused to talk to Victor since he didn’t trust him to tell the truth about anything, but he placed wanted posters and electronic advertisements in the towns in the Scorcher Desert with Misty’s photograph on them. So far, there was no sign of her. It would not be long before their pod would reach Kerbin’s sphere of influence. Val was upset that Wynter had dismissed her warning about Misty attempting to steal the T-6 Cannonball prototype. Her email correspondence with the KBI proved less than fruitful as they were also not willing to believe that Victor was not just delusional. On a brighter note, Minmus Command promised her that the T-6 would be spotted if it attempted to land, and that the military would reach the spacecraft well before it could synthesize enough fuel to leave. Hadgan was satisfied with that response, but Bill was not and had cited Misty’s history of slipping past security on a regular basis. Jeb assured him that he was just being paranoid and that Minmus’ military forces would be better prepared this time. “Wow, guys, take a look at this,” said Jeb, then he played a video on his kPad. “What is it?” wondered Bill, but he soon got his answer. “We have received a video message from a source within WinterOwl,” a man spoke. “Apparently, the company’s CEO herself, Wynter Kerman the Fourth, is taking on the Jool-5 challenge.” “The Jool-5?” gasped Val. “Let’s see the video,” the anchor requested, then the screen showed Wynter Kerman sitting inside what looked like a cockpit. “This is Wynter Kerman the Fourth, the CEO of WinterOwl,” she started with a blank expression on her face. “After seeing the results of the T-6 Cannonball tests, I am confident that it is ready for what it’s designed to do. Therefore, I am doing the Jool-5 challenge in this plane. In the event I do not return, I have already named a successor to the company.” She paused for five seconds before speaking again. “Wish me luck.” “There you have it, folks,” the news anchor said. “While many praised her for her bravery, others criticized her for being reckless. The most damning argument came from her personal physician, who said that she was not medically qualified…” “What?” gasped Val. “Not medically qualified?” “What’s the big deal?” asked Jeb. “Regulations FORBID interplanetary travel for anyone who does not possess a current appropriate medical certificate,” explained Val. “In other words, she’s not allowed to leave Kerbin’s sphere of influence.” “Aren’t there multiple classes of medical certificates for space travel?” questioned Bob. “Yes, but if she doesn’t have the right one, she can’t leave Kerbin’s sphere of influence,” clarified Val. “Heck, depending on how bad her health is, she may not be able to leave Kerbin’s ATMOSPHERE.” “Big deal,” Jeb scoffed. “Jeb, this is serious,” argued Val. “Not to me. I don’t wait for medical clearance to do anything,” replied Jeb. “First of all, of course you don’t,” sighed Val. “Second of all, it shouldn’t be too hard… well… it WASN’T hard for YOU to get medical clearance. You’re an athletic young man with no allergies, disabilities, or other health problems that would impact mission performance.” “Wynter could be feeling courageous today,” Jeb suggested. “And spontaneously deciding to take a trip that will take up a good chunk of her life – if not outright ending it,” said Bill. “Come on, dude. Why are you taking Miss Downer’s side?” Jeb asked his friend. “Because the Jool-5 takes a LONG TIME to plan,” said Bill, “and it takes EVEN LONGER for a solo mission. Besides, there are a few things I find weird about that announcement.” “Like what?” asked Bob. “According to the latest edition of Spaceplane Monthly,” started Bill, “the Cannonball had some trouble during the initial ascent. More specifically, during some of the test runs, it did not have enough delta-V to make it to Minmus after reaching LKO.” “Does it mean that she’ll crash or what?” sighed Val. “It said that the programmers worked on an autopilot program designed to ‘maximize propellant efficiency enough to have more than enough delta-V for the Minmus refueling stop. That way, the Cannonball can be completely independent of other spacecraft – aside from relays – during its intended voyage.’” Bill then showed his friends a picture of the spaceplane. “This is a pretty big deal to her, since that plane won’t be able to fly on rapiers alone once fully loaded. It’ll need the large fuel-and-oxidizer rocket engines as well.” “Does that article say whether or not that autopilot program works?” wondered Bob. “No, it doesn’t say,” said Bill. “Even if it did work, don’t you find it the LEAST bit strange that the WinterOwl CEO – who’s not even medically qualified for spaceflight – just decided to do the Jool-5 when there’s no record of her plane doing it FOR REAL?” “She could have FORGOTTEN the medical exam,” said Jeb. “Besides, couldn’t she just take it on Minmus while she refuels?” “Which brings me to the next subject,” continued Bill. “She has… ZERO training OR experience in spaceflight, and there have been no records of the Cannonball ever being used to successfully complete the Jool-5, yet she wants to fly the PROTOTYPE to all five of Jool’s moons. Wouldn’t it be a better idea to send a TRAINED CREW to do it first… which would include an ENGINEER and a PILOT to help with the planetary landings and refuelings?” “So? I was like that too,” Jeb replied. “Val, you said it yourself, Wynter’s great-grandma paved the way for women in the business world. Why should SHE not do the same thing with the Jool-5?” “Because something is wrong here,” Val told him. “Bill and I warned her that Misty could steal the T-6 Cannonball, but she doesn’t believe us. Now, she’s using that same prototype without THE LEAST bit of evidence that she prepared for it.” “I think it’s a GENIUS move,” argued Bob, getting confused looks from Bill and Val. “Misty and Jeb Senior can’t steal the plane if it’s not even on the surface.” “Thank you, Bob,” said Jeb, pointing at him. “Even so, you need a current medical certificate to pull that off,” Val told Bob. “Now, let me remind you that she needs THE HIGHEST-LEVEL clearance to leave the sphere of influence.” “Who said she was ACTUALLY doing that?” smirked Bob. “What do you mean?” asked Bill. “She could have SAID she’s doing the Jool-5,” explained Bob, “but she’s actually hiding it SOMEWHERE ELSE.” “Don’t be ridiculous,” sighed Val. “First of all, where EXACTLY would she put it?” “Duh, in orbit or on Minmus or something.” “You know, now that you mention it, someone did leak the fact that the T-6 Cannonball was docking-capable,” said Bill. “Even if hiding the plane was her intention, do you have any idea how much her stocks would tank if everyone finds out she’s not actually doing the Jool-5?” argued Val. “SOMEONE’S going to end up finding out, and her company’s reputation is ruined.” “Until she tells them that she’s just HIDING it from Misty,” said Bob. “Unfortunately, her customers aren’t going to believe that,” warned Val. “They’ll just think she chickened out or just did it as a publicity stunt or something like that… which brings us back to the ‘Why not have a crew do it?’ question.” “Then just TELL the world that she’s just hiding the Cannonball,” suggested Jeb, “or just doing the Jool-5 FOR REAL.” “On the off-chance that she’s not actually doing the Jool-5, by the time she may even reveal that fact, her company could be in shambles,” said Val. “Someone is BOUND to find the Cannonball being hidden – let’s just hope it’s not Misty – and spill the secrets to everyone. Worst-case scenario, she gets thrown out of her position for sabotaging her own stockholders and then maybe investigated for embezzlement.” “Can we get back to the medical question, please?” interrupted Bill. “CAN she even get to low-Kerbin orbit, let alone out of the sphere of influence?” “Dude, her doctor just said she’s not medically qualified to do the Jool-5,” sighed Jeb. “I thought you were all FOR her doing that,” said Bill. “Her medical certificate could have EXPIRED,” Jeb pointed out, “or she could just get the right exam on Minmus or something. Can she?” “Okay, now I’m curious,” Bob conceded. “Val, do you have access to Wynter’s medical files?” “You know, Jeb has that clearance level too,” reminded Val. “He’s an admiral now, remember?” “Oh, yeah,” smirked Jeb. “Stephen, access Wynter Kerman’s KSP file. Password: I hate passwords.” “Voice key approved… three matches to ‘Wynter Kerman’ found in database,” a male voice replied from the kPad, then the screen showed him the three names with general descriptions. Wynter Kerman III Wynter Kerman IV Wynter Kerman V Alias(es) Wynter Three Wynter Four Wynter Five Status (DECEASED) Alive Alive Cause of Death (If Deceased) Lung Cancer · History of smoking prior to death N/A N/A Gender Female Female Female Role/s (Chronological) · WinterOwl CEO (former) · WinterOwl CEO · Tourist · Tourist · Piloting Cadet (KSID #: 193-519-572) “Wynter Kerman has a daughter?” gasped Jeb. “With the exception of Wynter Kerman the Fifth, all ‘Wynter Kermans’ listed have daughters,” said the kPad’s automated assistant voice. “It’s… part of her family tradition,” stammered Val. “They name their firstborn daughters Wynter.” “Try Wynter Four,” ordered Jeb. “Affirmative,” replied Stephen, then the kPad displayed the first page of Wynter’s personnel file. “Again, why does the space program have a personnel file on WinterOwl’s CEO?” asked Bob. “I believe it’s protocol to have files on EVERYONE it does business with,” said Val. “I don’t know what it has on the third Wynter, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they had a file on the FOURTH since she was marked as a tourist. As for the FIFTH, she’s a cadet with a Kerbal Space ID number; they HAVE to have a file on her.” “That’s weird,” said Bill. “If Wynter the Fourth’s already a tourist, then why did her doctor say that she wasn’t medically qualified to do the Jool-5?” “Because she was REJECTED,” answered Jeb. “According to this, when she went to get her third-class medical certificate renewed a year ago, she applied for a first-class. HOWEVER, due to her heart condition as well as ‘family history of similar conditions,’ her first-class examination came back with a no-go.” “Doesn’t a heart condition automatically disqualify you from going into space AT ALL?” wondered Bill. “Well, they loosened up the restrictions recently,” explained Val. “Um, what exactly does a third-class medical certificate mean?” Bob questioned, and his friends looked at him awkwardly. “What? Since WE’RE obviously able to leave Kerbin’s sphere of influence, lower-class clearances weren’t really an issue for me.” “It means she can’t get higher than low-Kerbin orbit – or, more specifically, an orbit with an apoapsis of more than 200 kilometers,” answered Val. “Then odds are that she’ll croak before…,” started Bill, then he noticed Jeb typing on his kPad. “What are you doing?” “Maybe her daughter knows something,” said Jeb. “I’m gonna try to reach her.” “You might want to wait a few hours,” Val told him. “It’s midnight in Krakopolis.” “Yeah, so?” asked Jeb, and Val facepalmed herself. “Duh, she could be ASLEEP.” “Or she’s out taking the plane for a joyride,” said Jeb. “Where would you get an idea like that?” “I used to take the training jets out for night joyrides in Basic,” explained Jeb. “Well, that was until security caught me red-handed after the… seventh time. Huh, ironic that seven was my UN-lucky number.” “Hmm…,” said Val, scratching her chin. “What do you think she’ll know?” “Why her mom would do the Jool-5 all of a sudden when she’s not qualified,” answered Jeb as the kPad played a dial tone. “Kinda nice that her cadet file had her cell phone on it.” “Good luck getting a response,” sighed Val. “Hello,” a girl answered, surprising Jeb’s comrades. “Are you Wynter Kerman the Fifth?” asked Jeb. “I am,” she replied. “Who are you?” “This is Cap… I mean ADMIRAL Jebediah Kerman,” he told her. “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, it’s really you,” she cheered. “I’m Wynter Kerman the Fifth, but everybody just calls me either Wynter or Wynter Five. I just want to say it is an HONOR to talk to you, sir.” “Why, thank you,” said Jeb. “Are you sure you got the time right?” Bob whispered to Val. “She seems kind of excited for someone who’s supposed to be asleep.” “Yes, which is weird,” said Val, showing Bob a picture of the moon above a city labeled “Krakopolis” on her kPad. “I can’t believe I’m talking to Jebediah Kerman,” Wynter Five continued. “Could you calm down for a minute here?” sighed Bill. “Who said that?” asked Wynter Five. “Jeb’s lesser-known friend, Bill Kerman,” he answered, but that seemed to excite her more. “You mean just the COOLEST ENGINEER EVER!” “SHUT UP!” shouted Val. “Okay, okay, chill,” said Wynter Five. “Who was that, by the way.” “Elegail… uh, Kerman,” lied Val. “Yeah, I’m Admiral Elegail Kerman.” “Really, V…,” said Jeb, but she covered his mouth. “If she knew I was here, we’ll be stuck with introductions until we splash down,” she whispered. “Why’d you call me?” asked Wynter Five. “Are you aware that your mom is doing the Jool-5?” inquired Jeb. “WHAT?!” gasped Wynter Five. “Impossible!” “That’s weird, because she made a public announcement about it earlier,” said Jeb. “Well, this is the first time I heard about it.” “Hold up,” Val interjected, “are you saying your mom didn’t tell you?” “No, she didn’t,” answered Wynter Five. “She’s not allowed to leave low-Kerbin orbit, let alone THE SPHERE OF INFLUENCE – and for good reason. With HER heart condition, that’s practically SUICIDE.” “Thank you,” said Jeb. “Let me get this straight,” started Bill, “your mother, who has a serious medical issue, just decides to do the Jool-5 and NOT TELL YOU BEFOREHAND?” “Apparently,” confirmed Wynter Five. “Did she tell you anything else regarding the plane she’s using?” asked Jeb. “What plane?” inquired Wynter Five. “The T-6 Cannonball.” “Wait, so it was MOM’S company that made it?” gasped Wynter Five. “Well, hers and C7,” admitted Bill. “I saw some of the other kerbalnauts use some weird-looking plane a few months ago,” said Wynter Five, “but I heard that they were testing it. I had no idea Mom’s company actually MADE it.” “Could you hold on a bit, please?” Bill requested, then he muted Jeb’s kPad. “What kind of mom doesn’t tell her kid that she’s doing a suicide mission?” “Mine,” sighed Jeb, “only it was my DAD.” “No, since your dad emailed you before he went off into space,” reminded Bill. “Aside from that, he was obviously qualified to leave Kerbin. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have ended up kidnapped on Eve.” “Maybe she’s a negligent mother,” said Bob, “or she’s actually stashing the plane in LKO.” “Then wouldn’t she have at least told her daughter that, or at least told her SOMETHING?” asked Val. “I mean… if I was Wynter Four, I’d at least tell Wynter Five that I was doing the Jool-5 just in case Misty captured her.” “I’ll have to debunk your ‘hiding in LKO’ theories right there,” said Bill, “since a large plane such as the Cannonball can easily be tracked. If not a government-sponsored agency, someone else will and then tell everyone.” “Hmm… can someone other than Jeb pull up the video Wynter Four made?” said Val. “Can-do,” Bob acknowledged, then he found what Val was looking for. “There.” “Hey, Wynter Five,” a girl’s voice said on Jeb’s kPad, “whatcha doing?” “Oh my gosh, Jebediah Kerman’s talking to me,” Wynter Five replied. “What exactly is she doing this late at night?” Val asked herself. “Start the video.” “This is Wynter Kerman the Fourth, the CEO of WinterOwl. After seeing the results of the T-6 Cannonball tests, I am confident that it is ready for what it’s designed to do. Therefore, I am doing the Jool-5 challenge in this plane. In the event I do not return, I have already named a successor to the company. Wish me luck.” “Jeb, you keep talking to Wynter Five,” said Val. “The rest of you boys, let me ask you this: how would you feel if you were about to do the Jool-5?” “I’d either be totally stoked or scared out of my mind,” confessed Bill. “And in a plane that’s never actually done it before, I’d be leaning towards ‘scared’ myself,” added Val. “I can only imagine what an older businesswoman with a medical issue is going through.” “Maybe she’s trying to look calm for her viewers,” suggested Bob. “Perhaps,” said Val, then she replayed the video again. “Huh, she seems… hold it.” “What?” asked Bill. “I got it,” interrupted Bob, snapping his fingers. “Wynter Four is DYING.” “Dying?” inquired Val. “She’ll either die doing the Jool-5 or from whatever problem she’s got,” explained Bob. “Really?” sighed Val. “Well, if her condition involves eye twitching, that could be it.” “Eye twitching?” wondered Bill. “Look.” Val then pointed at Wynter Four, who kept looking to her left with her peripheral vision during her speech. “That’s weird,” said Bob. “What is she looking at?” “Come to think of it, she looks like she’s in a cockpit or something,” said Bill. “Why not do it in a studio, or at least somewhere more appropriate?” “Yeah. If I was going to tell the world that I was gonna do something that risky, I would do it in a fancy studio WAY in advance – and with teleprompters, camera crews, makeup, and everything,” agreed Val. “Why do it in a cockpit immediately… before… takeoff?” “When you’re likely to croak outside of a 200-kilometer orbit,” added Bill. “And in a plane still in the experimental phase,” said Bob, then Jeb hung up. “And not tell your daughter a thing.” “UH OH!” Val and Bill said together. “What do you mean uh oh?” wondered Jeb. “I forgot to run software diagnostics today,” said Bill. “Can it wait for ten minutes?” asked Val. “Yes.” “Bob, you said that Wynter Four could be lying and is just trying to HIDE the Cannonball,” said Val. “Is that right?” “Yes, but you said that someone could find it and the hoax would ruin her company,” reminded Bob. “Then why not tell US that?” Val pointed out. “Because if she told everyone that she stashed the Cannonball in LKO, Misty will know where to look,” answered Jeb. “I mean telling just Bill and I when we warned her,” clarified Val. “She blew us off, and then she suddenly decides to tell the world that she’s taking that thing to another planet days later – without even telling us that she’s fine.” “Which would support my ‘doing it because she’s dying’ theory,” argued Bob. “I would agree with you,” said Val, pointing at Bob, “but NOT from any medical conditions.” “Uhh… I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure that if Wynter Four WAS dying, then a medical condition is pretty much implied,” said Jeb. “Yeah, kinda like my mom,” agreed Bill. “What exactly do you think would kill Wynter Four?” “A gunshot,” answered Val, shocking the men. “GUNSHOT?” gasped Jeb. “Are you saying that Wynter Four was HIJACKED?” said Bill. “By none other than Misty herself,” finished Val. Inside Kerbin’s sphere of influence, a T-6 Cannonball was in a Hohmann transfer to Minmus. As Val and her friends had predicted, Misty had forced Wynter Four at gunpoint to film herself inside the spaceplane’s cockpit announcing her attempt to land on all five of Jool’s moons. Misty also made Wynter Four request a copy of the full report on the simulated Jool-5 the engineers performed, which included instructions on how it could be accomplished. After all the pre-flight checks were done – with Misty and her partner staying out of sight – the T-6 took off, ascended to low-Kerbin orbit, and made a Hohmann transfer burn to Minmus. Misty had explained to Wynter Four that she wanted the T-6 specifically because it should be able to get on and off Tylo completely on its own. Tylo was her focus because it was as large as Kerbin but without an atmosphere, which made ascent and descent extremely difficult for other spacecraft; they were also either multi-staged or dependent on Jool’s transport network. Few kerbalnauts dared set foot on the surface because of that, including level five veterans. This made Tylo the ideal place for Misty and her partner to spend the rest of their days at, and the T-6 was perfect in case they had to move. However, if the simulated Jool-5 mission report was an accurate prediction on how it would go, then the T-6 would have to land on Laythe first; it would then have to refuel and fly to Bop to refuel again before landing on Tylo. While this would slow down Misty’s plans for a Tylo getaway, her odds of getting arrested on Laythe were low thanks to Kerbin’s reduced military presence there. Political backlash from the Clivar Genocide had forced Kerbin’s central government to withdraw or decommission all their forces on that moon except for those necessary for base security, weather patrol, or light vehicle escort. The Fallout Zone surrounding Poseidon’s Palace also caused demand for tourism and kerbalnaut assignments there to drop, and since the T-6 Cannonball was designed for complete mission independence Misty did not have to worry about running into someone who would recognize her and ruin her plans. It also helped that she was presumed dead for over a year, which made Laythe a great romantic vacation spot for her and her partner while they weren’t on Tylo. That partner was someone else everyone assumed to be dead, Jebediah Kerman Senior. Unfortunately for all three of the occupants, Wynter Four suffered a heart attack a day after the spaceplane made its Hohmann transfer burn to Minmus. Despite Misty’s and Jeb Senior’s best efforts (short of calling for medical aid), they could not resuscitate her. On top of losing their best bet on knowing how to operate the T-6, Wynter Four’s corpse would become a health hazard if they left it in the crew cabin. At the same time, Misty did not want to risk sounding the alarm by ejecting the body there and leaving it for other kerbalnauts to find. Luckily, the engineers who built the T-6 included three body bags and some appropriately sized boxes in the cabin in the event of an occupant’s death; it was still an experimental spaceplane, so the risk of someone dying mid-mission was high. Misty was upset by this setback, but Jeb Senior argued that she was already planning to kill Wynter Four anyway. “Not yet,” Misty had told him. “We needed her to tell us everything she knows about this spaceplane, not to mention leverage in case some snoopy kerbalnauts form a paparazzi. Good thing we got her email and phone login, or else we’re toast for sure.” With Wynter Four’s body in a vacuum-sealed body bag, which was locked in a secured crate, the next few days were relatively quiet. Before they knew it, they were hours away from entering Minmus’ sphere of influence. “We should have enough fuel to land safely on Minmus before refueling,” Misty announced. “Once that happens, we shall be free at last to live our lives together.” “Looking forward to it,” said Jeb Senior, “but must we do it in this spacecraft?” “For the hundredth time, YES,” sighed Misty. “But if your intention is for us to live in isolation forever, then wouldn’t it be better to do it in a more LUXURIOUS spacecraft?” argued Jeb Senior. “At the very least, we should have taken a spacecraft whose performance has REPEATEDLY been proven.” “What do you mean by that?” asked Misty. “The T-6 is still technically an EXPERIMENTAL spacecraft,” explained Jeb Senior. “How do you know this thing will actually make it to Jool, or stay in one piece after landing? It’s never done the Jool-5 before.” “You can say the same about the first rockets that made it to the Mun before they pulled off that feat,” countered Misty, “or the first spaceplanes… or regular planes, for that matter. Besides, this thing had passed the simulated Jool-5 runs, so I’m pretty confident that it can do it for real.” “You bring a good point, but why must we use THIS plane? Why not just take a spacecraft that’s ALREADY done the Jool-5?” “Because everything else had to be done in pieces, like that one plane that sent multi-stage open-cockpit landers for Tylo. If we have to land there, then we can only do it ONCE.” She paused as she held Jeb Senior’s hand. “Also, we can’t use the KSP’s Jool transport network for obvious reasons – two of them being that they’re too slow for Tylo refuelings and that we’ll get captured. THAT, my love, is why we are taking a risk with the T-6 Cannonball.” “Sounds great,” Jeb Senior conceded. “On a related note, aren’t you concerned that our docking capability would be a problem?” “Well, Wynter told me that the monopropellant was mostly for fast maneuvering in case the reaction wheels didn’t cut it. The engineers then decided to add a docking port at the end in case ISRU refueling isn’t enough… and so that the plane can be used for more than just the Jool-5.” “Speaking of Wynter, wouldn’t peo…,” started Jeb Senior. “Alert: incoming vessel entering Kerbin’s sphere of influence,” a female computer voice interrupted. “Ooh, I wonder who that could be,” said Misty. “Computer, identify vessel.” “Vessel identified as Pod 5B31, coming in from Dres.” “Bill,” sighed Misty. “I had calculated that he would be home by now to intercept me. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he knew I was in this plane already.” “Then… I guess this means game over,” stammered Jeb Senior. “Not yet, it doesn’t,” argued Misty. “If you remember the news from last year, you would have known that they were taking my daughter’s killer back home from Dres. Therefore, Bill and his friends HAVE to splash down and hand over the prisoner before he could get airborne again. Besides that, they’ve been away from Kerbin for almost a decade by now. By the time Bill’s cleared to get back into action again, we would already be out of his reach.” “Bill and Val, maybe,” said Jeb Senior, “but not Jeb.” “Again, stop talking about your son,” Misty sighed in boredom. “BOTH our old families are GONE. Sure, Jeb is still alive, but he wants nothing to do with you. Furthermore, you were once rich before you ‘died.’ I’m sure you left him SOMETHING to satisfy his greed – not that you owe him anything.” “Jeb may be a knucklehead,” replied Jeb Senior, “but the only thing he IS greedy for is a high-risk thrill.” “As far as you know; you haven’t talked to your son much BEFORE I picked you up,” said Misty. “Besides, he is BOUND to spend his inheritance on doing whatever dumb acrobatics he would otherwise get arrested for.” “Would those ‘dumb acrobatics’ include flying to Minmus for me?” Jeb Senior pointed out, and Misty laughed. “Surely, with as long as JEB’S been on the program, Mission Control would have gotten wise to his antics. Besides, you remember how lousy you felt after landing on Kerbin; your so-callled son would WANT some time off.” “Good point,” agreed Jeb Senior, “but don’t expect him to take care of his own health before he does that. After all, he’s the kind to leap first and look later.” “Assuming he still cares about you,” said Misty as she embraced Jeb Senior. “Just remember: if you turn up alive, he’ll have no choice but to give back everything he inherited from you. If anything, he’ll benefit more if he LEFT you alone.” “Okay,” Jeb Senior conceded. “However, on the small chance that he DOES come for me – or if SOMEONE ELSE does – then shouldn’t we call for a fuel truck or an ore transport to meet us? It would speed up the refueling process.” “And risk someone doing Bill’s job FOR him?” reminded Misty. “First of all, someone operating the fueling vehicles could see us and kill us – if not radio for more men. Second of all, this spaceplane is designed to be the pinnacle of space travel; the one that can do the Jool-5 and return in one piece ALL BY ITSELF. If it can do that, then we don’t need any stinking help.” Since Misty had already told Jeb Senior that she had “taken care of” the possibility that the press would want to see their craft in person, he figured that nobody would come for him. “Misty,” said Jeb Senior, “I would like to send out another message… as Wynter Four.” “Everybody strapped in?” Bill asked his fellow crewmembers. “Dude, we’ve been strapped in for 20 MINUTES,” sighed Jeb. “Perfect,” said Bill. “As we all know, Misty Kerman is heading to Minmus to refuel her plane. If we don’t catch her before her tanks are full, we can kiss her good-bye. At the same time, we have orders from the top to splash down within 50 kilometers of the Kerbal Space Center so that the military can take us in.” “Yeah, yeah, we know they need to pick me up and debrief you guys,” said Hadgan. “Could you skip to the part where we… I dunno, DO SOMETHING?” “As I was saying – before Hadgan interrupted me – we currently do not have enough fuel to circularize our orbit before making a transfer burn to Minmus,” continued Bill. “You might want to ask me ‘why not just use ANOTHER spacecraft to chase her AFTER we land?’ Answer: by the time the higher-ups give us the green light to do so, it would be too late. However, you might also be asking ‘then how does Bill expect to get to Minmus if he doesn’t have enough delta-V?’” Everyone started looking at each other in confusion, then Bill got their attention again. “I’ll tell you how I expect to get to Minmus while conserving fuel: we’re going to AEROBRAKE.” “What?” gasped Bob. “Are you trying to blow us up?” “Uh… question,” said Maurge Kerman, the pod’s medic, “why are we even chasing Misty?” “She’s Irpond’s mother,” answered Val. “Yeah, so?” questioned Maurge. “She kidnapped my dad, blew him up while faking her own death, and now she’s trying to get away,” sighed Jeb. “Bill’s been out for her head for years.” “ANYWAY,” said Bill, “at our current trajectory, we’re at great risk of either blowing up or staying in a hyperbolic trajectory by the time we get through the atmosphere. Heck, we’re at great risk of losing one or more engines during said aerobrake. Therefore, I’ve DISABLED the navicomputer’s automated landing sequence and implemented a NEW program. If I did the math right – and assuming the repeated simulations were accurate – the resulting circularization burn should give us a 55-kilometer periapsis while having an apoapsis on Minmus’ orbit at the time that moon passes through that particular point in space.” “Can we get the TOO LONG, DIDN’T READ version, please?” Jeb requested. “We should be able to rendezvous with Minmus while saving fuel,” Bill summarized. “Um, excuse me,” said Cassie, “if this last-minute change in the mission is intended to intercept Misty Kerman, then how are we going to transport her back to Kerbin? We’re already at full capacity, not to mention we need to take ANOTHER prisoner too.” “Who said we’re taking her in ALIVE?” replied Bill, tightening his grip on a screwdriver. “When we catch up to Misty, I’ll KILL her and leave her body there.” “So, it’s a murder mission?” sighed Maurge. “Count me in,” Hadgan commented. “One problem: what about Wynter Four?” reminded Val. “What are we gonna do about HER?” “Who’s Wynter Four?” wondered Cassie. “CEO of WinterOwl,” said Val, “or at least she WAS. Now, we believe that Misty TOOK HER HOSTAGE as she made her escape in the Cannonball.” “Odds are Misty killed her already,” Bill guessed. “However, if Wynter Four is still alive when we find her, we’ll transport her to an outpost for a medical assessment and then have someone take her back.” “Why not just have one of us STAY on Minmus and have Wynter Four fly back with US?” questioned Jeb. “Given her heart condition, I don’t know if she’ll make it unharmed if she rides in this pod. At least Mission Control will know what to do with her,” answered Bill. “So, to recap,” started Bob, “we aerobrake, intercept Minmus, assassinate Misty and bury the body, and then leave Wynter Four there while we return to Kerbin.” “You forgot making our partial de-orbit burn before the aerobraking part,” said Bill, “not to mention we actually NEED to find Misty and/or Wynter Four. Even if we DO find Wynter Four – and assuming she’s still alive – we’ll take her to the nearest medical station for a full assessment. We’ll then radio Kerbin and have THEM deal with her while WE get back home.” “I’m in,” said Val. “Same here,” concurred Bob, and everyone except for Cassie agreed. “Why SHOULD we do this?” she argued. “You’re adding weeks to our mission time just so YOU can MURDER someone.” “Who murdered hundreds of innocent people, including Jeb’s dad,” countered Bill. “If we don’t stop her now, she’ll MULTIPLY her kill count.” “Then why not capture her?” said Cassie. “Killing a murderer is what got Hadgan in trouble with the law.” “Because the bureaucrats who charged him are corrupt, and Irpond was ALREADY imprisoned – and facing a death sentence, by the way,” spat Bill. “Besides, the last time the cops tried playing fair with Misty DIDN’T WORK. If she wants to play dirty, then so will I. Now, are there any OTHER questions?” All was silent for ten seconds. “No? Okay, then. Now, hold on to something. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.” Almost a minute later, Jeb’s kPad buzzed. “Ooh, an email,” he gasped. “Who’s it from?” asked Val. “Wynter Four,” answered Jeb. From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Your Dad Jeb, I know you were not on the best of terms with your father. If anything, I wouldn’t be surprised if you thought he deserved to get blown to bits. At least read what I have to say and don’t delete this. You won’t regret it. YOUR FATHER STILL LIVES – IN YOU Sincerely, Wynter Kerman the Fourth “That sounds so… fishy,” said Val. “You’re telling me,” agreed Jeb. “It’s been over a year since Dad got blown up, and NOW she says that ‘he still lives in me.’ A little late to tell me that now, isn’t it?” “Especially since Misty has Wynter Four held hostage in that plane,” reminded Val. “Why would Misty let her send YOU an email?” “I dunno, probably to throw us off,” suggested Jeb. “Then why email you SPECIFICALLY and not just… make it public?” countered Val. “Hmm… I wonder if BILL got an email from her too,” said Jeb. “Well, did she CC him?” asked Val. “Nope,” answered Jeb. “Hmm, that doesn’t mean she didn’t send him a SEPARATE email,” said Val. “Why would Misty let Wynter Four send BILL an email?” Jeb mentioned. “Better yet, you said it yourself, why would she let her contact anyone at all?” “Executing maneuver node in ten… nine… eight… seven,” the navicomputer started. “Brace yourselves!” ordered Val, and Jeb secured his kPad to the compartment under his seat. When the countdown was over, the pod fired up its engines while MechJeb kept it on Bill’s plotted maneuver node. The pod was about 150 kilometers above Kerbin’s surface when the engines stopped. “MJ, aim for the radial,” said Bill as he pressed some more buttons. “This should dissipate the heat while we aerobrake, but we need to spin the pod about it for a more even distribution. Jeb, you ready?” Jeb then flipped a transparent lever cover and pulled it from the center position closer to his own seat. “Manual override engaged,” said the navicomputer. “All ready, dude,” Jeb told Bill. “Just give the word.” “The pod will tell us when we get below 70 kilometers altitude, which should be any second now. When that happens, I need you to keep rolling and not stop until I say so.” “Should I roll left or right?” “Hmm… doesn’t matter, but pick one and stick with it,” Bill answered as he made sure that all the solar panels, antennae, and radiators had been retracted. “Got it.” “Alert: you are now within Kerbin’s atmosphere. Altitude: 70 kilomters.” “Hit it, Jeb.” Jeb began spinning the pod to the left as flames started forming around its exterior. A few minutes later, the flames subsided, and Bill told Jeb to stop and straighten out the spacecraft. He then checked their orbit with the navicomputer and gave a thumbs-up before entering some more commands into the MJ autopilot. “What are you doing?” asked Jeb. “I thought we were good.” “We still need a fine-tuning to get caught in Minmus’ sphere of influence,” explained Bill, “but this aerobrake saved us a lot of fuel.” “Hey, Bill,” said Bob, “better extend the panels and antennae now that we’re out of the atmosphere.” “Oh, right.” “Pod 5B31, this is Mission Control,” a man’s voice crackled on the radio. “Do you copy?” “We’re in trouble,” said Jeb. “Since when has that concerned you?” smirked Hadgan. “I’ll handle this,” said Val. “Affirmative, Mission Control. This is Admiral Valentina Kerman.” “You were supposed to be on a splashdown trajectory now,” said the man at Mission Control. “Explain your course change immediately.” “I knew this was a bad idea,” Cassie commented. “Relax. If there’s one thing she’s good at, it’s getting out of tight spots,” Bob assured her. “We’re talking MUTINY here. In the eyes of the law, we’d be pirates.” “Pirates? Cool,” said Jeb. “That doesn’t help.” “Quiet, guys,” ordered Val before responding to Mission Control. “Uh… we’re making a stop at Minmus to refuel.” “Good one,” whispered Bill, but Val gestured him to remain silent. “Why? You were ordered to jettison the engines during re-entry, and your previous trajectory would have had them land safely in the ocean.” “Right, but… why let this perfectly good spacecraft go to waste? I mean, can’t we use it again?” “Negative,” the man at Mission Control answered. “All Mark V interplanetary travel pods in active service have been mothballed.” “WHAT?! Mothballed!” Bill gasped in shock. “Any Mark V pods returning to Kerbin are considered decommissioned and are to re-enter immediately unless doing so would endanger kerbal life.” “You’re trashing…?” said Bill. “Tchhh… what’s tchhh… say again, shhh…!” Val responded. “Radio… wor…” She then disconnected the radio. “Did you just hang up on Mission Control?” asked Jeb. “I learned from the best,” Val replied, winking. “Misty’s caused us enough trouble already, and I don’t need Mission Control helping her.” “Just like when he ditched Jeb’s dad when we were kids,” Bill commented. “Dad…,” muttered Jeb, and suddenly his eyes widened. “Dad’s STILL ALIVE.” “What?” gasped Bill. “MY FATHER sent me that email,” explained Jeb. “We’d better get him fast.”

Bill was an aircraft mechanic during the War. He served as chief mechanic for Jeb's fighter and a couple of others. Jeb, a rich daring fighter pilot, was shot down near the end of the War flying a scouting mission near dusk. He bailed out wounded near the rocket factory of Von Braun. Val an aide to Von Braun discovered him badly wounded. She saved his life, treated his wounds, and captured him. A massive attack was planned against Von Braun's rocket complex. Jeb tried to talk Val against keeping him near the factory. She grew suspicious, after he insisted they needed to get out of there. She warned Von Braun and he arranged a trip for most of his staff the next day. Val and Von Braun brought Jeb with them instead of leaving him or turning him over to the MPs. The bombs came but most of Von Braun's team and a fair amount of his work was saved though the factory was destroyed. The alliance was clearly winning the War quickly. Jeb later was able to arrange protection for Von Braun's group from his friend Bob in miliary intelligence. Von Braun's group was able to surrender unharmed with most of their work. Jeb was rescued and War ended soon afterward. Jeb opened a sight seeing tourist air service on a tourist island. Bill ran a large aircraft shop near the Airport on the island. After the War, Bob was working in a research group with Gene Kerman. They had their successes and failures with unmanned rockets and craft, but mostly failures. Bob recruited Von Braun to assist under the table, as he couldn't bring Von Braun on to the team publicly. They realized they needed better parts. A secret operation was setup to build them. Bill was brought into create the parts from Von Braun's designs, and run the high tech research factory, nicknamed the "Junk Yard". That is when Bob talked a rich friend, Jeb, to open up a "Junk Yard" as cover. Jeb bought up some old junk for show, and Bill some War surplus aircraft and parts. But at the heart of the Junk Yard was its high tech research factory with the latest manufacturing equipment. Eventually a successful Mk1 capsule built and Bob was tasked with selecting a test pilot. Jeb had been giving private flight lessons to Val at the time. Val had passed her pilot license and was starting to give tours as Jeb's tourist business expanded. They were both invited to fly "just a test fight or two". From there, the rest is history.

It's possible that whoever bought PD didn't plan to keep all the IP that it has, but may have been negotiating a sale of some of them, to one or more interested parties. Of course that would make for pretty complicated negotiations and planning, but it's not out of the question. So, in theory at least, company X (not suggesting it would be RW) could buy up PD, with a sale of the KSP rights to company Y (again, not likely to be RW, but a publisher or other project financier) with RW lined up as the developer for to the work for company Y. All of that is wild speculation, but the wick seems to have been turned up regarding talk around KSA, a couple days before the news of the PD sale is confirmed. Might mean something or, it's just coincidence... and those things happen all the time. Either way, an attempt to revive the KSP franchise by RW, given the people involved, would (on the face of it at least) be a good thing... if it happened.

No, exact not, these are two completely different things. FireFox can't validate the certificate or can't talk with the server. But FF has an ip of the domain name to do that step. If DNSSEC would be broken, FF would not get an IP address, so no connection would be possible. 1. Browser gets a domain name 2. Browser must find minimal one ip address 3. Browser connects the ip via TCP / not encrypted 4. Browser upgrades the connection to SSL 5. If SSL is established, Browser sends the first http GET command to that ip ( GET /, Host spacedoc.info If DNSSEC is broken, step 2 doesn't work. The FF error message says: 4 is the problem, so 2 is resolved. Compare it with the really broken http://dnssec-failed.org/ - http fails. That's a (4) - problem while upgrading the TCP-connection to SSL - "while connecting" is different from "Server failed while finding the ip address". > nslookup dnssec-failed.org with a validating name server -> Server failed. If your internet provider standard name server doesn't validate DNSSEC, you will never see such a message. > nslookup spacedock.info Result: Two ip addresses, so the browser goes to step (3).

Same questions, then, just about Florida EPA, Florida State house staffers. I'm fine with regulation around this stuff, but having seen regulations for other areas... they tend to not make any sense. My wife lobbies Congress and State legislature for various issues around her surgical specialty—and the 20-somethings she gets to talk to about medical issues are completely clueless (can't talk to our own congress-critters in person unless she comes bearing a steamer trunk full of cash). I would imagine staffers contacted about aviation are equally clueless about that. It seems like a corollary to the Gell-Mann Amnesia Effect.

hi. JFA DEVELOPMENT UPDATE 5 I've been working on another mod for a different game and putting JFA off because... I got bored and frustrated setting up Aklin. I'm coming back to modding, but expect less frequent. Anyways, update will come out this November, but I wanted to talk about the development roadmap. 1.1 - SUNFLARE Released. Small update changing the sunflare textures. No bodies added. 1.2 - SARYN 50% Complete. (November 2024.) Adding 2 new moons and moving the wormhole to Saryn. This may seem minor, but is pretty major. Part of the originally proposed "Alpha 0.4.0" (LUNA), and than the planned version of the released update... I split it in two, those being SARYN and LUNA. Speaking of Luna... 1.3 - LUNA (Jan-Feb. 2025) Fully Planned. It's like Saryn, but for Jona. 3(?) Moons. 1.3.1 - LUNA+ (After LUNA.) In Planning. Polishing and stuff. Mostly unimportant. RELEASE CANDIDATES (No clue lol) Polishing, actual working EVE support, making the mod not suck... All those things. I'm not sure if I'll keep them private or publish them. (r1, r2, r3 r3.1...) Sorry for the lack of images! As stated, I was on break, so haven't really been... Developing.

A rounding error that is doing better on SteamCharts than Sony's latest remake. Seriously, Sony "invested" some serious money on a high profile project that is doing less than a 13 years old space frogs game "disowned" by it's Publisher. So, yeah... It's a hell of a rounding error (and I'm not even mentioning Concorde). I wish I have a rounding error like than for me. Perhaps they should. There's still lots of smart people around here, some of them "predicting" the future with a pretty reasonable accuracy... You completely lost the point. Bethesda was acquired by Microsoft on a closed doors sell (ZeniMax). By a "meagle" 7.5B USD, essentially the TTWO net losses for May and June 2024. Two months of net losses**[twice the current net loss of TTWO], Microsoft bought ZeniMax (owner of Bethesda et all) by the money TTWO lost in only two months this year [by twice the current net loss of TTWO].** I think you are losing perspective. Essentially, you are saying "that's Ok, worst case scenario Microsoft will buy TTWO". For peanuts! Yes! Exactly! Steve the accountant, and some others like them, are the people I want to talk with. And the Shareholders, and everybody else that is going to get screwed by the current culture on TTWO. https://www.kiplinger.com/slideshow/business/t012-s001-15-ceos-who-started-on-the-ground-floor/index.html https://www.businessinsider.com/ceos-started-entry-level-at-company-2019-7 Some of these guys became CEOs from the biggest companies of all times. Chances are that these guys will be the ones working hard for recovering TTWO after all - they don't want to lose their jobs, and some of them love the company they work on. Capitalism 101: first lesson free. The later ones, however, may cost you dearly. I strongly suggest to anyone working on TTWO right now to take a close look on the VMWare buyout by Broadcom, and what happened (and still are) since them. Seriously, this scenario is not too far from what may happen to TTWO on the long run if things stays this way - and, guess who is beating VMWare to a pulp nowadays? Open Source. Thank you for mentioning Elite II: Frontier. Frontier Developments is one of my "heroes". They passed trough some really rough times and, granted, it's a pretty small company compared to the behemoth TTWO is. But, guess what, they have a positive net revenue. And a small positive net revenue beats huge net losses anytime. Interesting enough, this is the all time comparison between Elite Dangerous and KSP¹: They had a good start, got really big more or less in 2021. And, interesting enough, KSP (1 and later 2) managed to beat it sometimes - besides never reaching the success ED got at his peak. Great. And exactly what this have to do with Open Source at all? Well, Elite, Elite: Frontier and Elite: First Encounters are probably some of the most modded, reworked, recodified, and ported games of all times (perhaps losing, but not by too much, only to Doom). Someone in the 90's took the 68000 binary code from Atari ST IIRC, disassembled it, ported that code to C, and then everything and the kitchen's sink got a modern port for Elite II. Nice and naïve times, dissassembling binaries weren't yet a Copyright violation enforceable into the whole World by the Berne Convention - but since Frontier Developments is British, this is a problem that will never affect Frontier fans. Follows the original Frontier for Amiga (IMHO the best original port ever), the best IBM-PC port of the game (the sequel, First Encounters) and then a modern remake using open source code from 10 years ago: The original games are freely available nowadays: https://www.frontierastro.co.uk/Files/files.html . So you can download/fork/whatever the source code that was reverse engineered, change it if you want and recompile it and even distribute your fork, and the end user only needs to download one of the original ones from the last link and they will be able to run the game on whatever machine the source code could be targeted. And let me tell you something: Elite Dangerous probably would not had seen the light of day without all that open source work. Elite fans kept the flame alive for decades until Frontier Developments got big and bold enough to risk a Crowd Funding, and I can guarantee you that a lot (if not most) of the kickstarters never played the game in their original form on the original hardware. Elite Dangerous is one of the best (if not the best) case studies one will ever have about how Open Source can help the Game Industry to survive turbulent times. I'm proposing that Open Source can do the same for KSP¹ - and, with that, saving some jobs in the process by the way. === == = POST EDIT = == === ** I misinterpreted that chart. The chart depicts cumulative losses, not incremental!!!

The post I quoted from them reads So I take it they've taken XNA and 'looked at' their homework and built up from there. Blanket statements are always bad. You shouldn't get your hopes up if all you're shown is hype and not the technical background to make those work. With KSP2 it was always smoke and mirrors and they could never talk about anything technical, save for the heating blog, which the only thing they had to show for it was paint drawings. That was a huge red flag and it flew under a lot of people's radars. I think my skepticism comes from two places: 1. Icarus is hot garbage, and 2. Stationeers has been for the best part of a decade in Early Access and they never even bothered showing a roadmap, it feels like it's a forgotten project they throw some feature in when they remember about it. They're using Solar System data because it already exist and is apparently easy to import into their system for quick testing. You can clearly see they've also scaled it down to KSP neutron-star densities.

Well, I won't derail this thread with offtopic talk much more, if you want to discuss this further, please post in KSPCF thread. But shortly, yes, there are differences, either for specific parts where stock is producing utterly wrong drag cubes, or typically (very) small parts, as stock is accounting for the bump map (making those parts a little more draggy than what they should be) and KSPCF don't. KSPCF drag cube values will also have "floating point error" differences compared to stock ones, but this is the case in stock too when running the game on different machines/OS, the overall technique is numerically unstable anyway. Either way, apart from the very few parts where KSPCF is fixing actual bugs where stock is generating wrong drag cubes, the differences are tiny and indistinguishable in the final behavior, as there are *tons* of much larger approximations in the overall KSP aerodynamics implementation. For more in depth information on what KSPCF is doing, you can read https://github.com/KSPModdingLibs/KSPCommunityFixes/pull/139 and https://github.com/KSPModdingLibs/KSPCommunityFixes/issues/137

If you've followed my National Museum of the United States Air Force replica showcase, or are fortunate enough to have entered the museum itself, you might notice that a lot of the jet-powered aircraft on display are the same kind used in Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown. Even if you've never even heard of or set foot in any aviation museum, those who have played and/or watched AC7 as well as Kerbal Space Program are bound to have come across replicas of those aircraft at least once. Some of them look like they can be done with pure stock parts and no DLCs, while others need mods that come with more parts. So, I started this thread for everyone to showcase their replicas of craft that appear in AC7, both based on real life and original designs from the franchise. Just like my U.S. Air Force Museum replica thread, the guidelines for this showcase thread are simple: You are free to use any and all parts necessary, including ones that come in DLCs and mods. Vehicle has to be functional. Which means pictures/video of the craft in action. Similar performance stats are a plus, but not required. I'm positive everything on the checklist could move on their own. Vehicle has to look as close as possible to whatever craft you're trying to copy. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you have photographs to reference. Build something not yet claimed on the checklist (link below) first. EXCEPTION: for airframes that appear more than once in the game (such as the F-14 Tomcat, the F-15 Eagle, and the F/A-18 Super Hornet), you may only sign off on one of your craft's variants. Leave the rest of them for others to claim. Example: I only do one F-15; the F-15C in the Base Game subcategory. Someone else gets the F-15E that's also in the Base Game subcategory and claims it on the log. A third person will get the F-15J. Another example: I get the F-14D Super Tomcat in the Base Game, a second person gets the F-14A in the DLC subcategory, and a third gets the F-14A with the Top Gun: Maverick tag. If you want to show something that's already been showcased on this thread, fine - but you don't get credit for it. Just please don't hog all of the same airframe. I don't care if you built the craft 10 minutes or 10 years ago, so long as it's yours. If you have an old stash of aircraft replicas that you're willing to showcase (and can work), great. Weaponry (e.g. guns, bombs, missiles) not necessary, although I won't object to them either. If the original aircraft was manned, so is your replica. If the original aircraft was unmanned (especially the UAVs), so is your replica. I won't object to a probe core for your manned aircraft if it doesn't deviate too much from the aesthetic, so long as you include the appropriate crew module/s. You don't need to match the passenger/crew capacity of your original aircraft, so long as your replica comes close to looking like its real-life counterpart AND it's functional. Example: if you use Mk. 3 Passenger Modules for an A340 variant, as long as your aircraft makes a convincing replica I don't mind you exceeding or falling behind its real-life counterpart's passenger capacity. If whatever you're trying to copy is very large, such as the Arsenal Bird, functional scale models are acceptable. This is mainly to reduce someone's computer crashing whenever s/he's trying to operate the Arsenal Bird or something like that. Of course, if you want to fry your own CPU making a full-sized replica, I won't say no to that. I'd also think it's cute if you make a mini Arsenal Bird, for example. As long as the craft works and looks like whatever you're trying to copy, it's good. Craft files a plus. Below is the link for the replica checklist: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nJl2Ph5azsRydnpn97Kgn1SlAR7qBZLUXtigqkmRI3k/edit?usp=sharing Here are the instructions on how to use it: Pick an aircraft that has not already been built Like I said earlier, if you want to build something that's already been done here, don't steal credit from the original kerbalnaut. And for duplicates, you can only claim one of the type. Once you're done, write: Column D: Your KSP Forum name Column E: The link to the specific forum post showcasing your replica/s It is acceptable to put more than one craft in the same post. Just leave a link for everyone to find it. Column F: Whatever DLCs you used to make the replica If this doesn't apply to that specific craft, leave it blank Column G: Whatever (parts) mods you used to make the replica If this doesn't apply to that specific craft, leave it blank Column H: (IF YOU WANT TO) Additional notes that other readers may find interesting Please don't modify someone else's notes. If you want to debate/talk to someone about their craft, don't do it on the spreadsheet. Source for my list: https://acecombat.fandom.com/wiki/Ace_Combat_7:_Skies_Unknown/Aircraft Click here to see this thread's replicas assembled on KerbalX To kick off the showcase, I've already got 11 entries down since they were also used in my U.S. Air Force Museum thread. As I specified in the guidelines, I don't care how long ago you built the craft (or what it was used for), as long as it's yours and it works. So, here we go. Base Game: DLC: Unplayable: There you have it, folks. Have fun, and solitary, now I can't wait to see what you got.

Peppa pig gets destroyed by a rocket in a ... gruesome way that i would not like to talk about. @Kimera Industries wins! Rock-paper-scissors-shoot, anything you want to do!

Chapter 5 "I'm not here to talk to you, to write about my hopes, my dreams. I'm here to show you. I'm here to inspire you. And like a snake-oil salesman, I'm here to ask for your money. But, I'll also take the oil. Thank you. Keep the snake." Wernher von Kerman, towards the UKSA President, 1951. They say, a Kerbal can succeed in a thousand dreams, but it is those who open their eyes and learn from failure, who will forever shape Kerbalkind. Mortimer, was the exact opposite. A Kerbal from a rich family, appointed as Finance Director for KASA as a favour from the current Administration to his family, for supporting their election campaign. He wanted nothing more, than to sit in his office, sipping on expensive cocktails and watch media on his computer. It didn't matter to him whether KASA was defunct tomorrow. Heck, it might as well had been. Who cared about the Space Program except conspiracy theorists? Garnering those click-bait titles on social media. Who cared about the Space Program, except, herr Dr. Wernher. Who was sitting to his right, on his side of the desk, looking at the first sign that things have changed. Candidates. "State your name, age, kountry of origin, and current role." "Carillo Hernandez, 28, born in Kexico, UKSA Airforce pilot." "Mr. Hernandez, can you tell me why you offered to join our Space Program? Heaven's sake, there's not much to do here... " "Yet." Wernher smiled. "Well, misters, I've been a pilot for experimental jets for a long time. To tell you the truth, as time passes, after I ejected from the last experimental jet, limited my options quite a bit. But I -- " "Why did you eject?" "I felt I was gonna die, Mr. Wernher, sir." "It's Doctor. Doctor Wernher." "Sorry. My apologies." "How did you feel, after ejecting?" "Uhh... " The Kerbal scratched his head, "Pretty stupid. In hindsight. But happy, the jet landed on its own." "Mr. Hernandez, what do you feel you bring to our Space Program? Why do you deserve to be a Kastronaut?" "To tell you the truth, I don't. After that mistake. But, I don't want to give up, misters -- er, Doctors." Wernher tilted his head towards Mortimer. "He's not a Doctor. You can call him Mr." "Superficial titles notwithstanding, you already risked losing one expensive toy, Mr. Hernandez. So convince me why we should let you join our program, to risk our own toys?" "Ignorant nicknaming of boundary pushing designs notwithstanding." "Potato, tomato." Carillo looked lost in his trail of thought. But, he refocused. His eyes moved from Mortimer to Wernher. "I have two Masters degrees, one in Engineering and another in Astrophysics. I love challenges and... I want to prove that a Kerbal is not defined by one mistake. But by getting back up. Mister and Doctor. Let me show you what I can do." "Thank you, Mr. Hernandez." "No, no. Thank you, sirs and Doctor..s..." He got up from his seat and left. "Not sure of this one." "Tsk, tsk, Mr. Mortimer. Du knows I get last say." "I presume you don't even want outside advice on these matters? Why am I even here?" "Ah, but I do want you in these interviews. Aber, shall I say, I want to present a united front for our future employees." Mortimer laid back in his chair and crossed his arms, "A united front means a joint understanding and decision making." "Sehr gutt, herr Mortimer. How about this. I will listen to your critiques and accept them if appropriate, but in return, I desire one favor from you." "Favor? For what? Money?" "Nein. You shall see when ze time comes." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "State your name, age, kountry of origin, and current role." "Francois Dubois. 35. Franke. Nuclear Physicist." "Ah, a fellow Eurokerbal! Tell me, why should KASA hire you as its next future Kastronaut?" "Oui, ehh, I am, I mean, I always wanted to help design the future of Nuclear technology, to be used in vacuum, in space." "Mr. Dubois, it says here you were fired at your last job, at the National Nuclear Program in Franke." "Oui, ehh, you see, mistakes happened. I forgot to double-check the control rods, my mistake. I admit." "And why should we allow you access to our experimental Nuclear equipment designed for vacuum environments?" "Monsieur Docteur, je have no argument, except perhaps a curiosity? For the unknown." "Curiosity is not enough, Mr. Dubois. We need competent Pilots, Engineers and Scientists. With a pedigree." "Monsieur Mortimer, allow me to show you what I can do for your Space Program. At the first hint of mistake, I personally will quit." "No." "Pardon?" "At the first hint of a mistake, you will document it. And then continue your work." "Monsieur Docteur, je not understand?" "If I gave up after the first mistake, the second crash, or the third detonation, the Koviets would've won the Space Race. You will document it. Und continue your work." Francois nodded in agreement. "So convince us, why we should let you make mistakes, Mr. Dubois." "Oui, ehh, I have a Doctorate in Nuclear Physics, and am working on my Masters for Astrophysics, monsieur Mortimer. I am able to perform well in high-stress situations. And I speak Khinese." "Thank you, Mr. Dubois. That will be all." "Non, merci boucoup monsieur et Docteur." He got up from his chair and left the office. "Well. This ist sehr interesting, ja." "How is he speaking Khinese, going to help us?" "You never know when a translator on the Moon or Europa could come in handy." "I think your ego is surfacing again, herr Wernher." Wernher smiled, "It never dipped." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Outside the office, a row of candidates looked nervous, one by one, they entered the office under heavy breathing. And at the last row, was Carillo, talking to his sister. "I think it went alright, sis." "Did they say what they expect us to say?" "I mean, not really. They just asked my name and why I wanted to join." "Oh my... " She propped her chin up with one fist, "What if my reason isn't good enough, Carillo?" "Don't worry Maria. It's going to be fine. Remember Elsa Silvestri? Your hero? What would she do in this situation?" "Take control." "Exactly. So don't worry lil' sister. Take control like Elsa did in Moon Attack 3." "Or during the Moon landing." Carillo and Maria turned their heads to the man sitting on the last available chair. "Right, Moon landing. She was the first." "Indeedio! She was. I walk past her photos every day." "What? Wait, you work here?" "Yeppers." Maria leaned in to see his barely visible ID, but Dominik shifted against her. "Oh my apologies. I'm a bit stressed." "Don't stress about it. Happy to meet y'all!" "Name's Carillo, likewise, man." "Maria." She nodded, but said nothing else. "So you've already been through the interview? They hired you?" "Oh yeah, a long time ago, actually." "What? You're an actual Kastronaut?" "Woah." At Maria's words, several candidates turned their heads towards them. "I mean, I fly rocket....s. But just for helping the good Doctor, you know?" "You know Doctor Wernher? How is he? Oh my goodness, he designed the rocket that went to the Moon!!" "Yeah, hah, Maria has action figures of him." "He's a bit jumpy, needy and quite arrogant. But he's incredibly smart. And rude." "What? How dare you say that! That man's a hero!" "Woah, lady. Take it easy. You asked for my opinion." "Yeah, Maria. This man's a Kastronaut." Dominik raised both his hands. "I mean... " "How did it go? Your interview?" "Oh, well." He looked at the ceiling, "I just sent my CV and they messaged me online saying I'm hired." Maria widened her eyes, and in a whisper said "What?!" "Dude. Who are you?" "You can call me Dominik."

And you make it sound like it was fixed already. You see, shifting to 64 bits was what allowed the problem to grow bigger, as it allowed more textures to be loaded exacerbating the symptom. This is the expected behaviour of a long standing problems that are not solved (for a reason or another - some problems can't be solved at all): new people came, became experienced and then detect (again) a problem, talk about it, veterans explains the situation, new people gets acceptance and became eventually veterans. And then new new people came and the cycle continues with the new veterans taking the torch. Yelling "old news" to new people will not help to solve the problem, neither help on keeping them around so they would eventually became veterans. But you could had helped by linking the posts you had read about, so the "new veterans" like me could get new glimpses of the problem, instead of relying only on my own results as well the posts from other people that talked about on my time. There're at least 168.673 visible threads on this Forum (as on Oct 1st early morning). No one (including you, I bet) had read them all - and the Forum's Search engine, besides useful, is not Google and it's lately imposing delays of many seconds between an search and another, bittering the process. Relying on the experience of people like me and you (and yes, I'm pretty sure you have some knowledge to contribute to this discussion) is still our best way to feed a good and constructive discussion. As a matter of fact, it used to be this way since our times living in caves...

Is this seriously all your here for. Your not contributing to this post and making an argument out of peoples communication issues disguising it as development talk. Please stop your not cool because of it and it doesn't solve the thing you clearly have a problem with, people that talk differently. I made a upset earlier about semantics for a really bare minimum case but seriously this is now the extreme excrements so I'm gunna say it screw off with the semantics YOUR arguing about what you most likely see as idk "Basic negativity" but there's constructive arguments being made. All your doing is making negative statements about what you see wrong based on (from what I can see) a basic surface level computer sciences understanding which I am guilty of to but you should hold yourself accountable if your gunna distinctly rat on peoples ability to talk to one another, and on a post specifically telling you not to do this. Anyways back to the discussion distractions aside if you are confused about the fundamentals of how computers operate or the history of coding and the difficulties involved and what hasn't change in over 13 years and how it applies to the programming of this game and its indie roots just ask someone. P.S. No Unity as a game engine does stem a portion of the issues its not a great engine.

Resurrecting this topic to talk about monopropellants, spurred by this article talking about a company getting money to develop 'green' monopropellants for satellites: https://payloadspace.com/benchmark-wins-4-9m-afrl-ascent-award/ But to talk about it and why they're 'green', I want to go over the classic and lesser-used monopropellants first. (Monopropellants for thermal and electric thrusters are a different use-case as they take energy from external sources, though they're fascinating nonetheless.) Generally, a monopropellant used as a fuel is fed over a catalyst bed, exothermically decomposing it and using that heat energy to accelerate it through a nozzle. It makes throttling as simple as turning a valve on and off while being an improvement on cold-gas thrusters, which lose energy as they continue to operate. Nearly all monopropellants are used in RCS thrusters, so performance is less desired than storability Hydrazine: With the chemical formula N2H4, it's one of the most popular monopropellants for a number of reasons. First is performance. There's a lot of energy bound up in that nitrogen bond, there's all that light hydrogen for exhaust velocity (vacuum specific impulse of 220 seconds) and it's a tiny bit denser than water, liquid in between 2 deg. C and 114 deg. C Second, storability. The USAF drove the bulk of the research here (because ballistic missiles) and it has a long history as a storable liquid propellant. Not that it's perfect in that regard. Even back in the Apollo era, it was known to slowly decompose in the tank; the tank pressure in Mariner IV rose from 20 psi (1.38 bar) when it completed its flyby of Mars to 80 psi (5.51 bar) two years later when they re-established contact. (Source: "The Status of Monopropellant Hydrazine Technology", JPL, 1968.) The toxicity issues, carcinogenic attributes and the contamination issues are both well-understood and well-known. The images of people in positive-pressure suits working around the Space Shuttle on landing, which used it in its (bipropellant) RCS thrusters are fairly widespread. It's also why the European Union wanted to phase it out entirely under the REACH act, but eventually left in an exemption for spaceflight use. It is still the monopropellant of choice from a performance standpoint. Its derivatives monomethylhydrazine (MMH) and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UMDH) are also used as either mixtures with hydrazine, or additives in hypergolic bipropellant engines. ------ Green propellants mitigate the cost and risk associated with the transport and storage, cleanup of accidental releases, and human exposure to traditional propellants. Hydrogen peroxide: Always the bridesmaid, never the bride in US rocketry, H2O2 has a long and storied history. The earliest ICBMs and the current Soyuz 1st and 2nd stages (but I repeat myself) still use monopropellant peroxide turbines to power the turbopumps in the RD107/106. Thrusters that use it for RCS are rare, but available off-the-shelf. Indeed, the Vega-C uses H2O2 thrusters as RCS on its upper stage. The performance is OK, with 160s vacuum specific impulse and roughly the same density as water, depending on the concentration. This is the key. Peroxide is a strong oxidiser, and decomposes exothermically and releases oxygen, which means it will react with a wide variety of substances. It decomposes slowly and spontaneously as the temperature rises, which means tanks have to have a vent to equalise pressure. This may be a larger ask on a satellite than on a disposable upper stage. The higher the concentration, the more reactive it becomes. The linked RCS thrusters use 87.5%, which is no joke but relatively easy to ship and handle, as long as you keep the equipment and tanks clean. It can be handled with protective gloves, overalls, boots and eye protection as opposed to full environment suits. 95-98% peroxide, popularly called "high-test peroxide" or HTP, is trickier. Most of the hopes and dreams of the SSTO efforts hinged on it and kerosene, and the British space program were experts at it. As high-energy oxidisers go, it's almost benign but it's still not safe, with splashes on organic materials liable to flare up quickly with a few sparks or even explode. (LOX has the same issue, but something soaked in peroxide looks merely bleached/wet, not visibly smoking with frost.) Further, the stabilisers it is usually shipped with to stop it decomposing in the tank also stop it decomposing when passed over a catalyst, which precludes its use in both certain illegal chemical reactions and perfectly legal rocketry. You have to secure a supplier willing and able to provide it unstabilised at 98%. ------ Dinitrogen monoxide: AKA "nitrous" or "nitrous oxide" or "NOx" or "laughing gas", with the chemical symbol N2O. This is an oxidising gas at room temperature, that can be liquefied, is self-pressurising and can be encouraged to decompose when passed over a heated catalyst bed, or simply heated at sufficient pressure. Its specific impulse can be up to 180s. It is also safe enough to be sold in low-pressure canisters to the public for whipped cream. (Round where I live, it also is used as a recreational drug. :-/) For these properties, it is seeing increasing interest in both monopropellant and bipropellant systems (usually with butane), as it does not decompose, but simply sits there in the tank. ------ Mixed cryogenic oxygen/methane: Only mentioned in Ignition! once, because it's a very, very bad idea. We've said before that a relatively small amount of oxidiser can turn organic material explosive. This is worse. Bright light can make it explode. ------ Energetic Ionic Liquids: This consists of oxidizer salts dissolved in aqueous solutions, called Ionic Liquids (ILs), mixed with Ionic Fuel (IF) or Molecular Fuel (MF), forming a premixed propellant. The propellant blend performances are increased by the addition of other fuel components. The EILs can be further categorized into HAN-based (Hydroxyl Ammonium Nitrate) and ADN-based (Ammonium DiNitramide). They stretch the definition of a monopropellant, but as it's technically all in one tank, it counts. Rocket Labs uses an unknown EIL in its Proton kick stage. This takes us to the header article. ASCENT is actually AF-M315E, which was first developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory way back in 2010. It's a mixture of hydroxyethylhydrazinium nitrate (HEHN) and hydroxylammonium nitrate (HEN), water and an unknown amount of other stuff, including methanol. On first glimpse it's great. It can be handled in the open, without respirators, and only eye protection and rubber gloves. It has a prospective ISP of 235s, better than hydrazine. It has a lower freezing point so the tanks need to be heated less. You can use plastic like polypropylene or PTFE with it (for bladders), You can tip this potent pink propellant into a wood fire with only a "mild burning reaction". It's perfect. Except it's a little finicky about metal tanks, requiring titanium-aluminium-vanadium alloy or platinum/iridium or gold plating for long-term storage and burns hotter than hydrazine. Only now has this company gotten money to redesign the thrusters to cope with the much higher temperatures and eliminate the expensive catalyst bed.

1. It's not like the devs were all roaming the site freely commenting on user generated content during development either. The vast majority of communication we got here from IG were from their official communications such as updates, dev diaries, AMA's, etc. Most devs didn't come to the forum and contribute organically besides the CM's so we shouldn't expect engagement to continue pace or even improve after development stopped. 2. These staff members were unexpectedly laid off less than 6 months ago. A good chunk still have no job, it seems. They likely are desperate to move on and find work. Hanging out here in such little time since a painful job transition is likely not constructive for most. 3. In my personal experience I have never had a desire to contribute to or follow the social channels of my former employers. A job is a job, even if you are passionate about it. It is healthy to have some degree of separation. Dakota has been pretty active in the forums in the last week liking several posts and commenting in a few different threads. They also have been popping in and out of the official Discord with brief messages since the layoffs. Just providing further context here. You feel insulted because the devs are not speaking about "what happened, or why"? I think you answered it yourself when you said: My point, in short, is that these former employees individually owe us nothing. They were recently laid off by one of the biggest corporations in their industry and are under NDA. To expect them to come to our niche forum and explain things beyond what we already know seems beyond unrealistic to me for so many reasons. Come on. We saw what happened when one of them even attempted to start an AMA and got shut down before saying anything of substance. Do you think other staff see situations like that and feel encouraged to talk (or even visit) this forum? Don't get me wrong, I blame this dev team as much as I blame the rest of T2 for the demise of KSP2. I am not trying to protect them in any way, but I also won't stand for our community placing unreasonable expectations on how they conduct their personal lives and then becoming upset when those made up expectations aren't met.

Chapter 12 - Part 1 This is Walter Kerman reporting. Today a Kerbal leaves Kerbin for the Mun. Not just to fly past and observe, but to land on and touch. Valentina Kerbin is currently sitting in the command pod of an updated Arethusa class B rocket, named the Sparrow, sitting on the launch pad. The updated Arethusa class B includes an extra fuel tank to keep the LV-T30 engine burning longer while lifting the upper stage into orbit. This greater fuel capacity is needed to provide sufficient fuel to deorbit the rocket and touch down gently on the Mun, then be able to return back to Kerbin. One thing current technology is lacking is proper landing gear. Bob says this is a priority for the science gained from traveling to the Mun, but for now, Valentina will be landing very gently on the Mun, and on her LV-909 engine bell.* And we have liftoff! Valentina Kerbal has started her trip. Valentina sent a message to KSC as she ascended, “KSC the MechJeb is operating really smoothly. Almost like Jeb is flying the rocket for me and I just have to tell him which way to point the nose!”. With that, we will report again during the landing of the first Kerbal on the Mun! Until next time, this was a Walter Kerman report. Valentina Chronicles - Day 323 I’m heading for the Mun, I can’t believe it! The trans-munar injection burn just completed and I am now bound for the Mun! The new Arethusa rocket technology is revolutionary. Between the winglets for better control during ascent, and the radial decouplers for a significant boost in thrust on the pad, we now have rockets with nearly unlimited capabilities. On top of that the MechJeb almost lets me just sit back and watch the rocket lift into space. I’ll need to make sure I keep up with manual flight practice at times or I’m liable to forget how to fly a rocket. I’m heading for the Mun now, but I can already feel the pull to explore the rest of the system! I just hope I can safely land the upper stage on the Mun. If I make a mistake in landing, well I only have the one engine to land with and bring me home. I hope all the sim time I put in was enough. Bob says if we can get through the next couple of missions, he will be able to design a lander with proper landing gear, as well as space for a second Kerbal to join the trip. All that is worry for later though. Kerbin is behind me and the Mun is ahead of me. I’ll be watching the Mun the whole way to orbit. Maybe Bob will have time to talk about what the experience was like for him. - Val * OK so the Micro Landing Strut is available. This part of the story is kind of a reflection back to my first KSP Mun landing when the struts were not available at that stage of the career.

Perhaps he meant to clip 37:30? Fraser Cain: "Personally I'm not convinced they have demonstrated full reusability." Scott Manley: "No" (in agreement) Fraser Cain: proceeds to talk about Starship reusability Fraser Cain: "And that's fine" Scott: Talks about the flap for a bit Fraser Cain: "They've proven that it can be solved, now it is a matter of solving it, but that could take years" And then more discussion about the new 2 layer heat shield. I don't think I heard a single thing about Raptor in the general timeframe of that clip, I watched until the 41 minute mark or so. And yeah, they have not demonstrated full reusability, they won't have done so until they refly a Starship. It is bonkers to say that they've demonstrated operational full reusability, I'm not aware of anyone who is claiming that.

Chapter 3 "Space is big, yes, but I've yet to see something bigger than the Doctor's ego." Gene Kerman, consoling Elsa Silvestri before the Pegasus-IV launch to the Moon. The rain droplets produced a constant, soothing, cacophony of sounds as they hit the metal of the observation cupola. A cacophony that lasted, almost close to an hour. Dominik didn't want to lose his mind so he started listening to music on his phone, when the Doctor interrupted him. STATIC / "Herr Mancer, can you hear me?" "Doctor? Yes! I can!" STATIC / "Gutt. Hope you're strapped in." "I am. Wait, I can still hear the rain outside!" STATIC / "No worry, herr Mancer. The wind isn't that bad... " A moment of eerie silence followed. "Doctor?" STATIC / "Ja." "What if it doesn't work out?" STATIC / "Then you'll go down as the last Kastronaut." *Gulp* "You know, on second thought, maybe I need more training!" STATIC / "Nonsense, you're a redundancy. You can do your job hands tied behind your back. In fact, now that I've said it... " "Yes, let's call it quits for today. Tomorrow we can continue with my hands tied, if it's safer for the mission, of course." STATIC / "Can't, we'd miss our window, and we need to get to the government before an amateur astronomer spills the beans. If it was after me, I'd have them all arrested!" "I'm having second thoughts, herr Doctor." . .. ... "Herr Doctor?" STATIC / "T-5... 4... 3... 2... " "Oh golly me, wait. We can talk about this ~~ "And as he finished his sentence, a mountain fell on Dominik Mancer's chest, pushing him further into the cupola's seat and causing him to black out. As darkness faded, he could see a streak of light splashed across his metal sealed cupola. But in his ear, a repeating sound kept coming back. STATIC / "Hello? Do you read me? Herr Mancer, please answer. Please. Hello? Do you read me?!" "I'm... I'm here." He coughed, "I fell asleep?" STATIC / "He's alive! Eureka!" "How long was I out of it?" STATIC / "The longest 4 minutes of my life." "Only four? Did we do it? Did we complete the mission?" STATIC / "Nein, mein overambitious Janitor. You, are above ze clouds." The Doctor flicked a few switches and the Kastronaut saw the most beautiful thing he could ever witness. "Oh my Gods, I'm in space!!!" He looked left and right, admiring the view of the Earth from above. STATIC / "You are now en route to rendezvous with Starwise-I. ETA 15 minutes." Von Kerman could've told him an ETA of a few days, and Dominik wouldn't mind. If he could, he'd stay up here forever... "Man, this is so beautiful." He could see the antenna protruding from the side of the cupola. His only means of communication back home. So naturally, he moved with his phone closer to it, to catch a signal. "Doctor, I'm not getting any signal on my phone." After a few long seconds, Wernher answered. STATIC / "Right. Ich forgot. You are ein civilian. Apologies if I will forget this in the future, herr Mancer. No, antennae don't give you signals for your phone, they are a direct link to KASA Command & Control." "Oh, so that means, I can't phone my parents to tell them the good news?" STATIC / "Yes... Precisely so." Over the course of the next few minutes, the maintenance ship maneuvered, giving Dominik an almost 360 degree view of outer space. "Ooooh!" "Aaaaah!" The small blip he noticed, was getting closer. "I think, I think I can see it, herr Doctor!" STATIC / "Think is not good enough, I need precise confirmatio -- Sorry, sorry. Yes, I am glad you can, herr Mancer!" "My apologies, herr Doctor. I will try to be more concise." STATIC / "No worry. I can see it also through my screens." "Man, it's so much bigger here." "Oh, woah, the ship's pushing me back and forth!" STATIC / "No worry. It is me. Trying to get a better view on the docking port." "If I may ask, herr Doctor. Why are we moving further away?" STATIC / "Usually we have enough time to maneuver when closer, but we have to hurry now. You'll be on the dark side of the planet soon." "Woah! The dark side!" STATIC / "Not as enticing as it sounds. It will mean you're blind." And so, the pod maneuvered here and there, pushing Dominik in every direction. The RCS jets were firing aggresively, compensating for the Doctor's rash moves. STATIC / "Not good. Hold tight." "What's wrong?" STATIC / "We're too late." And just like that, the station vanished. Replaced by a curtain of darkness. "Doctor? I can't see anything anymore." STATIC / "I know!" "Doctor, I'm scared!" But he got no more replies. "Come on, Doctor. You can do it." Though, in hindsight, what Dominik hadn't realized was, that the Doctor hadn't performed a remote docking procedure for over 50 years. Not that he'd admit any mistakes, of course. A few seconds, then minutes passed. The RCS jets weren't firing anymore. Was that good or bad? He couldn't tell. And his heart wasn't doing him any favors. Hyperventilating inside a controlled environment wasn't bad, unless the air was limited. And his was. "Calm down, Dominik. Calm down. Breathe in, breathe out. Just like on those internet videos you watched late at night, while pretending to mop the floor." STATIC / "I heard that!" "Doctor!" And as he said it, he could hear metallic clamps reverberating throughout the ship, thump, thump, thump. One after the other, and then, a small beep. STATIC / "It's not aligned properly, but should be good enough. ETA 14 minutes until sunrise." "Surprisingly good state after 50 years of no maintenance. If Ich hadn't known any better, I'd say radiation isn't real! Hah!" "Herr Mancer, you can detach your safety belt, and head down to the depressurization compartment. There is a pressure suit there, please know you'll have a very limited window to perform any action. So don't depressurize until absolutely necessary! And don't forget to lock in ze helmet. I've increased your ship's floodlight range as much as I could. But your suit has lights of its own when you put it on." "Understood, herr Doctor." As he moved down into the compartment, the young Kerbal was also learning to move in zero gravity. "I found the suit. Putting it on. And the helmet." After it clicked, he pushed himself towards the outer lock door. "Herr Doctor. I'm ready." STATIC / "Gutt. Because over 50 years of missed software updates made remote download not that convenient it seems. Your suit has a cable and you have to attach it to the databank of the station. Inside the station." "Got it! I'm ready for depressurization." STATIC / "Not yet, mein overzealous young Kerbal. We need to wait for the light side of the planet first." "Got it, got it." He clenched his fists. He was ready. Dominik Mancer was about to go EVA for the first time in his life, when just yesterday he was a mere janitor working for KASA. And as the minutes passed, he was becoming more and more impatient... Through the porthole window, he could see, a glimpse more like, of the city lights back on Earth. And how they had no idea a Kerbal was above them. And just like that, a new dawn approached Dominik and subsequently, the KASA/ESA space programs. But they didn't know this yet. STATIC / "Alright! You're now on the light side, ETA 14 minutes until dark side." "Alright, opening!" And he did, helmet lights on. With one step forward, he leaped out of his small ship and quickly grabbed a metal girder. "Ooooooooh, myyyyy, Gooooooooooooodddsss" STATIC / "Is everything alright?" "Yes, yes. I'm alright. Trying to move in this suit is hard. But I'm doing it! Mom! Dad! I'm in space!!" STATIC / "Focus! You should have some metal bars you can use to move around on the outside. From your position, you have to move towards the station, and then take a right towards the sunrise." "Right to the sunrise, got it." "It's so much bigger close-up!" STATIC / "You should have some built-in ladders going to the Intraplanetary ship once you reach the end section." "Aye, I'm climbing them right now... Climbing, haha!" STATIC / "Keep your jokes for when we are finished." He reached one of the cross-sections of the station, and jumped a bit forward. "Weeeeee!" "Oh no, frick!!" STATIC / "Stop playing around!!" "I'm trying! Ok, I clinged myself to the second cross-section of the station." STATIC / "Gutt. Now, move down patiently. There should be a door to the lab." "Yep, found it!" "What's the pass -- " STATIC / "Zero." "Okay, I think someone needs to redo security checks on these crafts." STATIC / "You can complain when you're back down. Now focus!" "Alright, entering!" "Oh man! Ok, now, where do I go?" STATIC / "You should go up! Press the lever on each door between the compartments and they should open. Should." "Roger that, Kouston!" STATIC / "Stop it." "Roger." "Alright, go up. Press the lever, and voila!" "Next door, next lever!" "Woah!" STATIC / "Focus!" "Sorry!" "Okay, I think I'm on a dead end." STATIC / "What du mean, dead-end?" "You said to go up." STATIC / "The other up!!" "Alright! Jeez!" "Man this station is huge." "Go other up... There are no ups in space... Oh, what's this?" "Looks like someone's heroes. Maybe they were Kastronauts too?" "Okay, I think I found it!" "Woah ho hoo!" He rubbed his small hands together, "I made it, Doctor! Doctor?" STATIC / "Ja, ja, a bit busy trying to downplay the recent rocket launch." "I'm strapped in to the command post, Doctor!" "And I've got to say, Earth is looking mighty blue today." STATIC / "When you're done with your 'astute' observations, activate the mission log screen and insert your data cable into the port under the screen itself." "Alright. Mission... Log." "Nope." "Not this one." "Got it. Okay! Cable inserted." STATIC / "Gutt! Ja! Sehr gutt, herr Mancer. You made this old Doctor proud." "Now I just need to get it back to Earth!" STATIC / "No need, your suit's connection to the maintenance ship is sufficient to download the data. Mein Gott! Those sneaky Khinese! They tried hacking our databanks! My databanks! The audacity." "Yeah!" He shook a fist in the air, "How rude of them!" He looked left and right, unsure whether he used the correct volume for his voice. STATIC / "Indeed. And now we have undeniable proof." "Okay, now what?" STATIC / "Now I bring you back home. I would recommend you find a bag and vomit into it." "What? Why?

YEAR 1, DAY 78 - BOB AND KATHORY “KATHY” Just two days after recruiting Valentina Kerman, Jeff and Shearer boarded a train, bound for the great metropolis of Pittskerb. On the outskirts of the city lies a little warehouse, owned by none other than the scientists Bob and Kathory Kerman, the top minds of the Flooyd Dynamics-Experimental Engineering Conglomerate. While always big names in the scientific community, Bob and Kathory had recently become household names with the discovery of a mysterious specimen called the “Mystery Goo”. The two found the strange substance in the mountains during a materials study, around a meteorite. When they announced their discovery of the Mystery Goo to the public, the world suddenly focused its attention on the scientists. Some believed it to be a brand new, alien species. Others believed it to be more grounded, like some new strange chemical or compound. Whatever the case, they had made a groundbreaking discovery in material sciences, and science in general, becoming huge public names. Both factors are quite eye-catching to Beyond. On the day the agents arrived, Bob and Kathory were busy working on another materials study. “Bob and Kathy, you two have some visitors,” their secretary said over an intercom. “They’ve come to ask you a few questions.” “Send them in,” Kathory replied. “Wonder who they might be,” Bob said. “Probably press or something.” Kathory responded. As Jeff and Shearer entered the lab, they were astonished by all of the technology! This tiny lab was full of some of the most cutting-edge machines and doohickeys Kerbalkind could offer! Off to the left, they saw Bob and Kathory, hard at work with a machine they dubbed the “Science Jr.”. “Welcome to the lab!” Bob said. “What might you two be here for?” “We’re to ask you two a few questions,” Jeff said. “That is, of course, if you have the time.” “Oh, we can talk,” Kathory said. “I’d rather do that than stare at this box all day.” “You two don’t look like any press I’ve seen,” Bob said. “Are you one of those local, independent outlets?” “We’re not press at all,” Shearer chuckled. “No, we’re here to discuss a new… job opportunity for you two.” “So what are you then?” Kathory asked. “Rival scientists? Spies?” “What? Rival scien- no, we’re here from the goverment,” Shearer said. “Oh, I see. You’re here to take our equipment?” Kathory replied leerily. “No, we’re fascinated by your equipment. That’s partly why we’re here. Mind if we can perhaps take a look at the mystery goo?” “Sure!” Bob said. “Bob, they might be trying to take it,” Kathory whispered. “You have a smart brain, try and use it!” “Kathy, I don’t think they mean any harm,” Bob whispered back. “Stop being so suspicious of everyone who enters the lab.” “Fine,” Kathy sighed. “Alright, you two, stand back about two meters. Kathy, get us our helmets.” “Wait, stand back?” Shearer said, a little worried. “Exposure to the goo can sometimes cause Kerbals to go insane,” Bob explained. “We found that standing just far enough away will at least mitigate the reaction. We wear helmets to stay safe.” The two recruiters took a few steps back, and Bob and Kathory opened up the mystery goo. Inside was a mysterious purple substance, bubbling and moving, almost like it was alive. “The goo, while inorganic, seems to react to stimuli in its environments.” Bob informed them. “And, even if it’s encased in glass like this, it can still find a way to react to light and temperature. It seems to observe us as much as we observe it.” “Interesting. I’m sure you could bring this experiment up with you.” Jeff said. “Wha?” Bob asked, confused by what ‘up with you’ meant. “Finish up whatever you have to do with the goo, and we’ll discuss.” Once the workstation was cleaned up and their helmets were put away, Bob Kathory made their way back over to the two agents. “The main reason we’re here,” Jeff explained, “is to propose to you the job of a lifetime. How would you like to perform experiments in the greatest laboratory ever? How would you like to put your names into the history books forever? How would you two like to become Kerbonauts?” “I’m in!” Kathory exclaimed. “100%! Hell, you should’ve just led with the Kerbonaut thing!” “Well, I’m not quite so sure…” Bob said. “I watched Moonhicky-1, and I know about many of the failures of the earlier rocket program.” Come on, Bob.” Kathory said. “You’ve got to expand your horizons. You’re always complaining about how you’re tired of lab work, and how you want to see the world. Now’s your chance!” “Yes, but, I mean… It's dangerous.” “Bob, are you going to chicken out live your life regretting missing the opportunity of a lifetime? Or are you going to stop being such a sissy, and do it!” “It’s now or never, Bob,” Jeff said. “You’ve made a wise choice Bob,” Jeff said. “I think you should listen to Kathy more often.” “That’s what I’ve been telling him!” Kathy joked. “Yeah, yeah whatever,” Bob said, annoyed. “When are we leaving?” he asked. “Right now,” Jeff replied. With both Kerbals convinced, the four of them made their way out of the lab, and Beyond had finally gotten all the Kerbonauts they needed. Now the fun part can begin…

YEAR 1, DAY 76 - VALENTINA KERMAN Always an early bird, Valentina was the first to arrive at the airfield in the morning when Jeff and Shearer Kerman arrived to talk to her. Her shoddy homemade flight suit was quite common among pilots in the Rusiya Region. Superstition states that, “Any pilot with the rich man’s suit will be cursed by ye Kracken”. Kerbals up here aren’t all too fond of the wealthy, as rich oil businesses immediately abandoned the region when larger reserves were found in the desert. Therefore, the rich government agents who drove up the runway to talk weren't all too welcoming of a sight to her. They better not be here to take my plane, she thought to herself. Meanwhile, in the car, the agents weren’t all too eager to talk to her either. “I’m not sure about Ms. Valentina, Jeff,” Shearer Kerman said. “She has quite the reputation among the aviation community. Many have said she’s close to impossible to work with.” “She’s one of the best pilots we can get,” Jeff replied. “Sure, her stubbornness may be annoying to some, but I mean the agency wanted Jeb, so…” “Still, are you sure she’ll want to hop onboard the program?” “She’s a pilot, Shearer. When pilots are asked if they want to fly fast and high, they will most definitely say yes.” As the men exited the car, Val tensed up. People have approached her in suits before, saying bizarre things like Your lisence has expired, or Please, PLEASE pay your taxes. “Good morning Val!” Jeff said to her. “What do you want?” Val quipped. “Money? A ride? My plane only has one seat, so you two are gonna have to strap onto the tail.” “No, we’re here to talk to you about a new opportunity, one that’s just up your alley. Tell her, Shearer.” “How would you like to fly higher, further, and faster than any Kerbal has flown before?” asked Shearer. “The UKA has taken notice of your flyign abilities. Your hours astound them, and your… creative ways of landing a plane and walking away without harm are a skill that we think could be valuable to our goals.” “Oh I see,” Valentina said matter of factly. “You two want me to become one of your Kosmonauts. Not happening” “Why not?” Jeff asked. “Because I fly planes, sir. Not missiles. Planes. I know for fact your sissy scientists and engineers wouldn’t let me fly a single one of those rockets.” “Not even to one up Jeb?” “Please, I know you guys approached him about all that already. He was probably your first pick, wasn’t he? He and his dimwit friend Bill? Why would I join your program if all the flights would be handed to him anyways?” “Beyond wouldn’t ‘hand’ flights to anyone.” Shearer said. “You’d have to work for them, earn them.” “Yeah, I’m sure you’d believe that. This is going to be nothing more than a popularity contest. All the cameras are going to be focused on him, and I’ll just be on the sidelines. No thanks, buddy.” “Oh, alright.” Jeff said defeated. “I mean, we were gonna pay you handsomely and all, but…” “Wait, wait, wait, pay me? How much?” Valentina asked, suddenly interested. “Around $300,000 dollars or so, but I understand if you aren’t inter-” “Screw that, I’m in!” Valentina yelled. “Alright then. Hop in the backseat!” “How did you do that?” Shearer whispered to Jeff. “Well I forgot to tell you the one other thing pilots jump for.” Jeff whispered back. “Money.”

From: Wernher von Kerman, Minister of Space Affairs To: Nijn Kerman, Commander of the Space Fleet Date: 28th of October 1948 Commander Nijn, I have been pondering the recent events involving the alien bio-robots. The more I think about it, the more peculiar it becomes. I mentioned before that I would speak with mr. Prefect, an old friend of mine. He is a man of great knowledge and experience, and he advises us to go to Minmus, to meet the aliens there. If I may quote him: "I understand you've been having some... interesting encounters with extrakerbal life. Now, there's this Daneel fellow on Minmus, which is a rather inhospitable place, if I recall correctly. He's there hiding from you lot because for some reason, he's very worried about something, and he may want to blow up your planet. You should go there and talk to him, and maybe at the same time you can give me a lift off this planet? There's this really wild party on Fregulon IV that I need to get to." Isn't that quite something? It seems we may be dealing with a race of aliens who are more scared of us than we are of them! I believe it is imperative that we investigate this matter further before we cease to exist. As soon as we have the capability to reach Minmus, we should send a mission there to speak with this Daneel. Until then, we must remain vigilant and prepared for any further incidents. Yours sincerely, Wernher von Kerman Minister of Space Affairs

Why is it bad form to disclose the exact questions? Had an teacher at university who used the same 7 questions on exams , just using random 3 of them. Field was electromagnetism shielding and antennas. A bit relevant as in the 1990's computers tend to run at 100 MHz or the FM sweet spot so have fun with radios next to the pc. But the 7 questions got well known and the teacher more important things to do, might even be related to stealth so he could not talk about it. Anyway poor guy died who was an obvious tragedy for him and his relatives But they got an new teacher with now questions and most failed.

Aren't you lot presuming to know what the bureaucrats are thinking, with all this criticism of the regulatoty process and related talk of the relative impacts of thunder vs. sonic booms? Or is it open knowledge what's behind the delays? Don't get me wrong. That's what internet forums are for (i.e. presuming to know what others are thinking and responding accordingly), but I feel the need to point it out in light of some of the discussion up thread.

They always were quick to tell us whatever positive the new game had. They talked about HDRP and the PQS rework (though that never ever showed up), they talked about multiplayer which also wasn't a thing (and had been soft cancelled in 2022). They talked about a lot of huge things that were for sure coming. In fact their whole 4 years of delays just added more hype through promised stuff (yes, I know they never used that word, get lost). Yet they -never- gave a proper tech talk about part number targets, active flights per save targets, or specifics about how many parts their shown creations had. Every technical detail was either drawings and dreams (like the heating blog), or hazy non-details. The game had no technical base, and even the most staunch defenders of "this codebase had more potential" have long lost that fight and have been talking about what can be done with KSP1 vs 2. For what you wanted to to have happened, the game would've needed massive reworks in a lot of things. Performance wasn't bad because "muh optimization", performance was bad because the codebase is amateurly done, and you can't really build on top of that, which is why a year later the only thing the game has is a tech tree and a points system. Now, I'm not saying it was a cash-grab, just a very amateur project where they ended up being completely unable to build anything on top of their base and whatever idea they had had to be cut down harshly to fit: Heating? had to be simplified. Career? Had to be reduced to a single currency, they couldn't even balance it properly. Ship construction? Had to be hacked together with all-in-1 parts to not make it so obvious the game was bursting at the seams. Thrust during warp? They couldn't solve the problem, so they just made everything be simulated at all times, and completely exploded performance and the saving system. Interstellar? Never arrived, but hinted at being literally the same hack as KSP1 mods were, with solar systems orbiting a magic point. Orbital construction? Never shown in motion, they showed parts... again all of them were all-in-1s Colonies? Never shown past unity editor videos and a "colony ship" made of all-in-1s. Logistics? Excel simulator without physical vessels. Multiplayer? They didn't even tell us work on it was stopped. They never showed anything past that one screenshot which now we know was probably hacked together. There was no game, and even when they were dreaming up features, they came up with the most basic, puddle depth stuff.