The KABOOM Kapollo Program Mission Report Thread

[Norcalplanner]

I've tried experimenting with this with my own design, but it seems what I've adopted depends too much on positive control to maintain a controllable turn rate, so I just end up leaving all engines firing throughout (when I center-cutoff it also drops gimbals, it seems).

The SpaceY M-5 engine definitely loses its gimbal when you cut off the center engine, but I find that it's generally not a problem. I'm definitely getting lots of practice with my gravity turns in this challenge.

What's your initial atmospheric TWR? I'm having mine around 1.25 to 1.3, and then beginning the gravity turn at 70 m/s seems to work well.

[Norcalplanner]

The expanded Munar Base project is under way, with four Saturn V-MLV Block II and Block III craft having been launched from KSC. Two have landed their cargoes on the Mun, with all modules and craft touching down within 500 meters of each other. One is in a holding pattern in Munar orbit, and the last one is still in Kerbin orbit getting ready for its TMI burn. I may end up having to locate the refinery and refueling tanker trucks a few kilometers away from the main base to reduce lag - we'll see once we have more modules on the ground.

[Norcalplanner]

It is done. The Mun base has been shipped to the Mun, landed, and assembled. Although there were unexpected challenges, and the loss of one of the modules, the interlocking design means that the main base functions can continue as intended. With room for 42 Kerbals in a short term configuration, or 24 for a longer term mission, this is the biggest surface base that KABOOM's engineers have ever brought to completion. The associated refinery ship and fuel trucks means that we now have the ability to refuel ships with ISRU-sourced fuel, so long as the ships have a docking port in approximately the right spot. Long term, we'll need to create a dedicated Munar orbital station with fuel storage and a dedicated tanker, so larger craft can top off their tanks in orbitwithout having to land. We'll also need a small crew/cargo shuttle for going between the station and the surface. However, all this will have to wait for a bit. RL is going to be very busy for the next week, so it may be some time before any further AAP missions are flown. In the mean time, the fueling ability nets me 20 more points, bring up the total to 177. I hope you enjoy the photos.

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[B-STRK]

The SpaceY M-5 engine definitely loses its gimbal when you cut off the center engine, but I find that it's generally not a problem. I'm definitely getting lots of practice with my gravity turns in this challenge.

What's your initial atmospheric TWR? I'm having mine around 1.25 to 1.3, and then beginning the gravity turn at 70 m/s seems to work well.

I go higher, about 1.7-.8 off the pad (although KER in the VAB keeps sayig 1.8) for a full Saturn V. I'll bet that the higher TWR is part of the issue, but I made the higher TWR part of the profile in order to "square off" the ascent past 10km, so that by the time the weaker (TWR) SII kicks in, all she has to work with is the horizontal. I may try lowering the TWR as an experiment to see the hands-off control effects, and also see if it may affect how much I have to use the SIVB for circularization.