Sights of Kidonia (Jool-5 Challenge Attempt 3) - on break pending Jool arrival

[Korbit]

Talk about aiming high!! Parameciumkid your technical competence and imaginative vessels made real (in KSP anyway) stagger the mind and give this newbie a level of excellence to strive for. Bravo!! Eagerly awaiting the next post!

[problemecium]

Part Eight: The Busy Day of Rapid-Fire Fueling Missions

Gah.

Today, as a result of imperfect planning, several of the fuel tankers I'd previously launched in succession all ended up encountering Kidonia only minutes apart, so close together that I literally got interrupted during EVERY docking maneuver by an alarm telling me it was time for the next one >.<

The sharp-eyed may notice that not all the tankers are the same. I've made minor variations to the design, and in one shot I was trying out a single-stage design. As anticipated it allowed me to transfer more fuel per run, but the FPS drop due to the high part counts involved has led to the decision to just stick with the smaller tankers from this point.

Oh, and they also coincided with the encounter for the rescue lander picking up Jane Kerman for a contract (who despite the name is apparently a dude), which ran out of fuel during a plane change and thus required me to rendezvous another ship (trusty old Space Tug Klaw Edition) to go tow it back to the return stage.

Here we can see her him planting a Kerbodyne flag instead of mine for some reason. I think he's going to need some extra training before I put him on any missions.

All this and Kidonia's still only half full, with the transfer window now only a day away. Did I mention it was huge?

P.S.: Yesterday one of my old Minmus probes finally made it home, netting me the remaining Science needed to unlock RTGs. Kidonia itself has already launched and thus won't benefit from this, but I may be able to include them in a few modules. ^^

Edited August 8, 2015 by parameciumkid
RTGs!

[Guest]

The whole ship looks nice no fantastic, I'm just wondering what's your average framerate with all the modules onboard?

I wanna try to build something similar when unity5 comes out with improved perf.

[problemecium]

Part Nine: Final (Hopefully) Cleanup Phase

In addition to launching refueling missions 18 through 21, today I finally got around to ejecting the empty fuel tanks left over from the first launch. These I intend to clean up in the next installment using another batch of bolt-on parachute modules.

As of today, the Jool transfer window is officially here, and with Kidonia still far from ready, the KSC staff have been scrambling day and night to rush the mission. Fortunately, upon ejecting the empty tanks I discovered that it was in fact more full than I'd previously realized, but it still needs a few more top-up runs as well as ALL of the mission components.

Currently, despite its massive bulk, Kidonia's part count is only a few hundred, leading to only mildly low framerates. However, this is unlikely to last as I start adding the various part-heavy landers and other modules. Based on some mock-ups made a while back in the VAB, the fully assembled mothership will have over 1000 parts, weigh over 1000 tons, and have a total price tag of over 1 million funds - more if I decide to include my new RTG-powered mining bot.

ADDENDUM

As detailed earlier, I proceeded to gather and recover the empty fuel tanks, although not everything went according to plans. First of all, I'd forgotten that the space tug attached to Kidonia was not, in fact, the Klaw Edition and therefore would be unable to gather the ejected fuel tanks. I thus went ahead with recovering the last booster rocket.

I then had to launch a new space tug and rendezvous it before the bolt-on parachutes arrived.

To avoid having too many vessels flying around at once, I had only ejected the smaller set of tanks, and while gathering them the space tug ended up running out of fuel and thus ended up having to ride down with them, without having distributed all of its parachutes. Thus it turns out I'll have to launch yet another one to go grab the rest of the empty tanks.

Meanwhile, three more fuel tankers arrived at Kidonia and with their contributions it is now about 80% full.

Edited August 9, 2015 by parameciumkid
Addendum

[problemecium]

Part Ten: Actual Final Cleanup and Ring Assembly Phase 1

The first order of business today was beginning to equip Kidonia with the necessary modules for its voyage, starting with one of the two Portable Stations and the first half of the habitation ring. In order to make room in the primary cargo bays, the final pair of empty tank assemblies were ejected and recovered. Unfortunately, during this phase the Kraken seems to have finally taken notice of the project and attacked with infectious docking bugs, but thanks to my long series of backup quicksaves I was able to avoid a serious crisis.

Once that was over with, construction began on the habitation ring where the crew will live and work during most of the voyage. The ring is comprised of eight segments, which are being packed in fairings and brought to Kidonia in two batches of four.

[Geschosskopf]

More awesomeness. Good luck with the finishing touches and your voyage from there.

[problemecium]

Part Eleven: Ring Assembly Phase 2 and Accessory Fitting Phase 1

The last four segments of the habitation ring were launched and moved into place. As expected, attaching the individual segments demanded precision and patience, but things went smoothly overall.

One issue did end up occurring though: the individual segments are asymmetrical, as shown in the large diagram above - the docking port on one end is tilted more than the one on the other end. Thus they have a "polarity" that needs to be obeyed when inserting segments in order to complete the ring. Unfortunately, I overlooked this when attaching the first two segments and thus ended up attaching one upside-down relative to the one on the other side. As a result, when the time came to insert the last two segments and join the groups on opposite sides of Kidonia, I found that the wrong ends were pointed toward one another so that the last segments wouldn't fit. Thus an additional maneuver will be required to remove one side and turn it around so the ring can be completed. In the meantime, I simply attached the last two segments to the side of the ship.

Next, the first portable station and the first batch of accessory modules arrived, coincidentally at the same time. The batch of accessories included the first small rover and survey probe, which were attached to one of the side pods. Meanwhile, the portable station was gradually moved into place. Before final docking, its three passengers transferred into Kidonia's habitation ring and thereby became Kidonia's first crewmembers:

Jebediah - famous veteran pilot

Kimma - experienced engineer who helped save one of the early 1.0.2 Mun missions

Lola - scientist famous for an incident in which news media mistakenly published her having visited Pol (when in actuality it was merely the KSC flag pole)

Afterward, the portable station was inserted into the main cargo bay, which was another slow and careful maneuver due to the tight fit. Seeing the station up close next to the cargo bay once again reminded me just how big Kidonia is.

Kidonia's hull is less than 400 parts when empty, but at present the ship contains nearly 600 parts and once again weighs nearly 1100 tons, and it still has yet to receive the six engine blocks, second portable station, and several other components.

Finally, the second batch of accessory modules - a spare lander and survey probe - were sent en route to Kidonia.

Edited August 15, 2015 by parameciumkid

[Geschosskopf]

I sure hope this works. It's such a beautiful, mad creation

[problemecium]

Part Twelve: Accessory Fitting Phase 2

Three more components were sent to Kidonia during this phase, the first two of which were the second portable station and the Tylo lander.

Despite their markedly different sizes, they weighed nearly the same, hence the identical launch vehicle. While the station core contains comparatively light habitation modules, the Tylo lander consists almost entirely of full fuel tanks.

The Tylo lander was actually an even tighter fit than the portable station, and in fact was unable to fit within the cargo bay completely straight - it had to be rotated a few degrees around its axis so that its landing gear nestled into the corners of the bay. It also added nearly 100 more parts to the mothership, dramatically worsening the framerate during the docking maneuver.

Lastly, the habitation ring was adjusted to resolve the issue mentioned earlier (though I got tired and haven't closed it up quite yet) and the Laythe plane was launched.

Since the diagram was posted, the planned Laythe plane has been replaced with a superior version, which while somewhat heavier, is cheaper, sleeker, and able to reach orbit with a larger delta-V margin. It also is able to stow within a Mk3 cargo bay, but as mentioned in the diagram, since there is no cargo space left it will ride attached to the side of the mothership for most of the journey. It may later be moved to one of the main cargo bays after one of the portable stations has been dropped off.

[problemecium]

Part Thirteen: Accessory Fitting and Ring Assembly Phase 3

The second portable station was delivered and inserted into Kidonia's second main cargo bay. As luck would have it, both stations ended up arriving while Kidonia was oriented with the empty cargo bay in shadow. Fortunately both the stations and the cargo bays had guidance lights.

Next, the habitation ring was finally completed. Now that everything is oriented properly, the final pair of segments have been inserted, closing and completing the ring. This will also enable Kidonia to turn itself so that future docking operations needn't be performed in the dark (unless they occur at night).

Kidonia is now almost fully equipped. It still requires the Ore Bot, a few more small accessories, and 24,217 units of LiquidFuel (which should take roughly three tanker runs).

[lajoswinkler]

What will be the part count once it's assembled?

[Thegamer211]

What will be the part count once it's assembled?

Over 9000.

[problemecium]

Part Fourteen: Accessory Fitting Phase 4

Kidonia is almost ready to go, but it's not going very far without any engines. Thus the first of six engine blocks was launched and delivered to Kidonia. I tried using a direct rendezvous this time in an effort to reduce turnaround times for missions, so there was no real delay between orbital insertion and docking.

Delivering these required me to develop a new lift rocket, as at about 12.5 tons they're too heavy for my 10-ton vehicle and a bit of a waste for my 30-ton vehicle. Thus a new one with a capacity of 15 tons was developed and is visible at the bottom of the image.

The Laythe plane being used for the mission is a slightly modified version of the one available via my signature - a docking port has been added to the bottom enabling it to attach to the side of the mothership while the cargo bays are full. There once again ended up being very little clearance, as the tail end of the plane came within mere millimeters of the solar panel behind it.

In order to make space for the Laythe plane, the Monopropellant tanker had to be moved from the side docking port to one of the auxiliary ports.

ADDENDUM

Two small rovers and skycranes are being brought along for the journey. While only one set is needed, a spare of each is being included in case of any catastrophes. They were delivered to Kidonia and stored in the main cargo bays in the small spaces behind the portable stations.

Edited August 22, 2015 by parameciumkid
Addendum

[Geschosskopf]

This thing continues to amaze. I'm so hoping all goes well with it.

[problemecium]

Part Fifteen: Final Preparation Phase 1

Once the first three engine pods were attached, Kidonia was finally able to adjust its own orbit. For performance reasons, it was moved from its initial altitude of 80km up to 325km, above the altitude at which Kerbin's PQS terrain system shuts off. This will also allow it to perform longer continuous burns on its way to escape (possibly only a single burn) without fear of dropping into Kerbin's atmosphere.

Following the orbit adjustment, assembly continued with the addition of the fourth engine pod. Note that while every assembly mission is being documented, not all are being published here to avoid an excessively long and repetitive thread.

Edited August 27, 2015 by parameciumkid
typo

[March Unto Torment]

This is actually really cool! I really like the look of Kidonia - it's way more aesthetically pleasing than most ships.

Can't wait to see more!

[Mikki]

Hey Parameciumkid

You... you have build a kerbal cathedral of utter crazyness... holy Mohole... i just can`t believe my eyes... wha.. what partcount does it have...? I really fear the answer, better keep it secret... OMG! Good luck to you ! You have my rep for sure!

[problemecium]

Status update: no progress has been made for the last few days on account of busywork IRL, including getting back to work on my indie game project, StarBlast. And this coming week there's a big convention coming up, so Kidonia's voyage is on a small hiatus. Hopefully 1.1 will either not come out in the meantime or at least not break saves ^^;

And Kidonia is currently at roughly 750 parts... and counting. Fully loaded it's projected to somewhere around 1200.

P.S. I forgot to post it before, but I did send up a few ion probes aboard my new cargo spaceplane:

Not really enough for a whole "real" update though.

Edited September 2, 2015 by parameciumkid
P.S.

[March Unto Torment]

1200?! The hell is your CPU?!

[problemecium]

Tiny bump for status update: The mission is currently on hiatus due to a large workload IRL. I intend to continue it, just not right now. Sorry about that. My fingers are crossed that 1.1 won't break the save.

[Auriga_Nexus]

This is all the more reason why we need a music replacement mod. I'm sure listening to the KoS opening would complement flying this craft nicely:

[problemecium]

Indeed it would. I had originally planned a big event with music for the departure from Kerbin during my Extra Life stream last week, but due to unexpected delays that was... well, delayed xD

Problem is I'm afraid of putting any copyrighted music in a stream or video and ending up having the whole thing muted. Because having sweet background music for my launch makes me a dirty dirty pirate after all ;P

[problemecium]

Part Sixteen: Final Preparation Phase 2

The last few mission components have now been added to Kidonia. First, a total of six stackable ion probes were brought to it via my (relatively) new cargo spaceplane and installed in the secondary cargo bays near the bow. Then a small pair of boats were added so the Kerbals could sail around for a bit on Laythe. Currently there is no means of recovery for them, so while the Kerbals can return aboard the Laythe Plane, the boats will remain as permanent fixtures.



Due to the intervening update to KSP 1.0.5, two of the mission components were rendered unusable and had to be replaced. As pictured above, the original boats used air scoops for hulls, which due to the redesign clipped through and obscured the chairs and other important pieces. The Laythe Plane's cockpit also changed shape, necessitating a redesign and replacement of the craft. Fortunately, nothing else changed significantly enough to need replacement.



The final mission component was the Ore Bot, placed in the upper rear cargo bay, opposite the Tylo lander. While hopefully it will not need to be used for the mission, it has been included to enable Kidonia to refuel itself through ISRU in case it does not retain enough delta-V to return to Kerbin at the end of the mission. Due to unavoidable circumstances resulting from the launch timing and fuel restrictions, this docking operation occurred at night, making it difficult but not impossible.



At this point, all of the mission components had been installed. Prior to departure, some final reconfigurations were performed: the survey probes were moved from their temporary locations to the secondary cargo bays opposite the ion probes; and the temporary nose cap was removed along with the empty Monopropellant and Xenon tankers.



Between these missions, five more fueling runs took place. Kidonia is now fully fueled and ready to depart as soon as the rest of its crew arrive aboard the SSTO shuttle.

ADDENDUM

I didn't have a lot of time for KSP today, but I did manage to send up the rest of Kidonia's crew. The total count is eleven Kerbals, enough for three to remain behind in each of the two portable stations while five can return to Kerbin so as to complete the challenge. The roster:
Jebediah, Bill, Bob, Valentina, Lola, Bobzor, Kimma, Merbart, Nedrick, Shepby, and Mila Kerman.



Frustratingly, the Kraken decided to be a complete troll about things. Kidonia was all ready to go - I literally had to just undock the last fuel tanker and press Z - and then the Kraken struck, but not in the ordinary way. The ship itself was untouched, but the crew... poof! All vanished without a trace. At first simply the EVA portraits disappeared, but when I tried to switch back to Kidonia from the Tracking Station, none of them showed up in the crew list, nor in the individual crew lists for any of the crew cabins, and the debug log was flooded with NullReferenceExceptions.
The worst part was that my quicksave was apparently from after the glitch occurred, and even manually messing with the save file didn't help. I ended up having to hack the save file to beam them all back to the Astronaut Complex and then send them all back up to the ship again, and out of paranoia move them all into the ship on EVA rather than via crew transfers as I'd done the first time.
Since then I took a look at my menu screen and confirmed that I had, indeed, failed to install the silent patch from a week ago. I knew I'd redownloaded KSP as soon as I'd heard about it, but I figure I must have jumped on it too fast because both the original 1.0.5 zip archive and the "new" one were identical. Accordingly I've re-redownloaded KSP and confirmed that I do indeed have 1.0.5 Build 1028 now, which according to the changelog is likely to have solved whatever the problem was. So with any luck... xD

Later this week, possibly tomorrow, I'll try and get around to ACTUALLY LAUNCHING the blasted thing ^^; And I'll look into perhaps streaming it or recording a video if there's any interest out there.

Edited November 30, 2015 by parameciumkid
Forum upgrade problems

[hieywiey]

Could you give a download?

[problemecium]

I'll provide a download after the mission finishes if people still want it and it's practical. Since the ship is comprised of a conglomeration of several different smaller ships, providing a download would involve releasing a whole pack of craft files as a "construction kit."