Return to Flight and the Campaign for "Real Science"

[ComradeWolfe]

Hello all,

I'd like to confess something: This week I played KSP for the first time in over two months. Late May we had a bit of a house fire (not a super bad one, but the insurance mandated we scrap any electronics and move out during structural repairs) and have been without a suitable computer. As of yesterday I've put together a temporary rig to play until I can build a proper replacement via insurance payout.

Now that I'm "back in the game" as it were, I've decided it's the perfect opportunity to start a new campaign I've wanted to do for awhile -- and I might add, it's one where the less I remember about KSP the more enjoyable it will be!

Introducing the "Campaign for Real Science"!

So what is this "Real Science" of which I speak? Let's start by highlighting what it is not: It is not a system where you click on a box, gain points, ferry said points home, and build better parts. Don't get me wrong -- KSP is a game, and "science" is a good gameplay mechanic. It's just not actually very science-y. NASA doesn't learn how to make bigger fuel tanks by taking lunar samples, and neither will I.

Instead, I'll be doing this new campaign based on actual scientific inquiry and analysis. For instance, where does the atmosphere of a planet begin? The easy answer is "check the Wiki" -- the better answer is "I'll tell you when I get a reading on my barometer".

To begin I plan on starting a "funds-only" campaign with a custom difficulty set to where science is a non-issue, but funds still require some Kerbin-bound contracts. That is to say, the Kerbals have done lots of R&D already and have a basic mastery of aerospace at home and are now turning their attention to the stars as their budget allows. I also want to make safety a real priority, so I'll be playing with permadeath and only invoking reverts/saves in the event of glitches.

Right now my goals are to:

1 - Measure the atmospheres of planets to determine where they start and what the densities are every ~1000m of altitude. This will allow me to test landers in Kerbin's upper atmosphere where densities (and parachute behaviors) are similar for greater reliability and safety.

2 - Measure the gravity on planet surfaces, again for use in mission planning.

3 - Measure the dV used in planetary transfers. Kerbals already know the rocket equations, but they're pretty useless if you don't know how much is needed to exit SOIs, stabilize orbits, etc.

4 - Measure the sizes of planets by measuring size and duration of probe orbits (and maybe mass by comparing to gravity readings).

5 - Observe night/day temperature differences on different bodies.

My play time is limited due to "life", but I plan on documenting the missions and sharing my results. I'd be really curious to compare my results to 'known values' from the Wiki after the fact.

The first mission will likely be to put a probe in a highly elliptical Kerbol orbit to measure available solar energy at the same altitude as different planets' orbits. The goal is to know how many panels I need on various probes so I can keep costs down.

... I'd also like to encourage anyone interested in this play style to consider planning and initiating a few experiments of your own and sharing the results in this thread. In the spirit of science, feel free to try replicating results for yourself to see if they jibe. And don't be afraid to propose mission ideas for others to try as well.

Good luck and happy flying!

[cantab]

Sounds pretty awesome. I've done a bit of the same myself, because I'm using mod planets and don't have the same readily-available wiki as I do for the stock ones. It's really a new journey of discovery, even simple things like delta-V to orbit need to be found out. (Though I do have Transfer Windows Planner to magically tell me my transfers).

Here's one of my atmosphere curves for example, https://www.flickr.com/photos/52548818@N05/19879120658/in/photostream/ . That is then useful data to help work out how many parachutes a lander there will need.

[CalculusWarrior]

I agree, the things KSP makes you do to unlock new parts isn't really 'science'. Still, I personally find it a lot of fun to gather data and ferry it home.

[GarrisonChisholm]

I agree, the things KSP makes you do to unlock new parts isn't really 'science'. Still, I personally find it a lot of fun to gather data and ferry it home.

I plan to finish out my current game, but when I upgrade to 1.1 in [insert pleasing time-frame here] I will definitely be doing this, starting from only my OhioBob Bible.

[Streetwind]

Not sure if you're looking for something like that, but just as a heads up - there is a mod/contract pack that does something similar, throwing out the stock science experiments in favor of gaining science points through different means.