A Stockalike Career Playthrough with tons of pictures (We can into space!)

[nsgallup]

Dropping external fuel tanks

Capture burn

After lining everything up, Bob detaches the transfer stage and detaches the lander from the transfer stage, multiple heatshields had to be used since a larger single shield has not been researched yet

Bob hopes the trajectory is right, he has no way to maneuver at this point

Atmospheric entry begins

Bob is a little disconcerted with the view of the transfer stage exploding

Entering the thick clouds

The navigation computer shows a good trajectory

The parachutes deploy and the heat shield is jettisoned

Landing gear down

Bob is ready to science the science out of this planet!

It is over 3km to the Habitation unit, the EVA suit barely keeps the heat in check, Bob grabs a sample from this huge boulder

Made it!

Bob puts a flag down here for good measure, declaring it Base Camp

Entering the module

Bob begins scientific study in the lab, while awaiting the next component of the Venera program which was launched in tandem with the lander and is only hours away..

[nsgallup]

Up and away

Dropping the boosters

Circularization

Transferring to Eve

Goodbye Kerbin

Adjusting inclination

Payload fairing detaches

Preparing for atmospheric entry

Goodbye transfer stage

Things are getting hot

Very hot

Falling through the clouds

A massive heat kraken appeared!

For some reason if I put too many parachutes on a part it will sometime heat glitch, so I had to turn off heat damage for this part of the mission

The parachutes are ejected

It's a 7km automated drive across the valley to the Habitat module

Now that the parachutes are gone, the heat kraken has disappeared

Bob spots the rover through the window port, it has a top speed of just over 20m/s

The rover parks next to the module, Bob will use it in the near future to collect more surface samples

[nsgallup]

Lots and lots of time-warping research, the purple hue saturates even the inside of the habitat

Evian sunsets and sunrises are nice to look at

Edited November 6, 2015 by nsgallup

[KSACheese]

Now I'm confused, did you walk Bob ALL THE WAY from the lander to the hab?

[lajoswinkler]

You're making really nice screenshots. Too bad I can't use those nice atmospheres. Realplume and that... it's awesome.

[nsgallup]

Now I'm confused, did you walk Bob ALL THE WAY from the lander to the hab?

Yes he walked about 3km

- - - Updated - - -

You're making really nice screenshots. Too bad I can't use those nice atmospheres. Realplume and that... it's awesome.

My game crashes hourly, but it's worth it to me

[nsgallup]

After getting all the data processed Bob pulls up the fine detail biome map and begins to plot his route

Posing in front of the rover

Bob hops into the driver seat and begins his long drive

First stop is a thin band of the impact ejecta biome (we landed in the peaks biome btw)

It's about a five kilometer drive to the head of the valley

Bob hopes the brakes still work

Down we go!

Top speed was 42m/s

After the initial steep lip, the terrain starts smoothing out

Bob likes using ladders while upside down for some reason

Retrieving data from the cargo bay

A detachable science package

Bob takes samples from this rock

To the ocean!

- - - Updated - - -

Another rock, another sample

A bizarre anomaly

Bob has nearly reached the coast

Bob carefully backs into the liquid and deploys the science package

Bob decides to park the rover and go for a swim!

Retrieving data

Bob plants a flag and prepares for the journey to the last sample site, we are about 20km from the habitat module

The coastline is pretty flat

Bob takes a break to check the map

Lots of driving

Bob strikes a pose for the magazines

The final sample site

It's 25km back to the hab, time to start climbing

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Lots of climbing, over 3km in elevation difference

Bob decides to do a check up on the EAV, and it is pretty much in between him and the hab anyways

Everything checks out

We have reached the hab

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Another one for the papers, Bob takes a load off and watches the sun go down

Bob thinks he might be seeing Sarnus, he can't see anything else through the thick cloud cover

The next morning research starts.. and there is a lot of work to be done

Lots of purple samples

Edited November 7, 2015 by nsgallup

[Sanic]

You must have a titan of a computer.

Also, I think Bob is hallucinating. I didn't see Sarnus, but maybe my computer isn't powerful enough.

[nsgallup]

It's a barely visible smudge right underneath the text

[nsgallup]

After nearly 5 years of researching, it is time for Bob to come home

After a short ride in the rover the lander appears over the horizon

Bob is careful not to accidentally ram the precious vehicle

Bob kisses Eve goodbye!

Bob boards the lander can and transfers to the top of the craft

WOOSH! Bobs heart starts pumping like crazy

The landing gear are quickly detached to reduce drag

An alternate screen cap (it took a few tries to get the ascent profile right)

Stage one rockets detach

Stage two detach

Stage three detach

Stage four detaches, the inner stages feature linear aerospike engines, which are not as efficient as the circular ones but give the ship a t/w ratio boost

The craft begins experiencing mach effects as it punches through the clouds

Stage five detach

The craft experiences hypersonic effects as it enters the upper atmosphere

The EAV begins its gravity turn at about 30km, Bob has to be very careful not to stray too far from prograde or the whole ship will be flipped by drag

Stage six detach

After attaining an apoapses of 100km Bob cuts the engine and glides to the edge of the atmosphere

Bob begins the circularization burn

Stage seven detach, the efficient mono-propellant vacuum engine kicks in

Eve sure is beautiful.. but Bob thinks he's seen enough for a lifetime

Orbit is achieved! Bob breathes a sigh of relief

Bob transmits his orbital parameters to the KRV, which begins a plane change to match inclination with the EAV.. or what's left of it anyways

Sunrise

The clouds seem a little thinner then usual at the moment

After parking in a 350km orbit the EAV attempts rendezvous but is short about 50m/s during the velocity match burn

Bob grabs the data from the pod and chases after the KRV

Bob is excited to start heading home

Bob is also really really sick of the color purple

Burning for Kerbin

Kerbin

No purple to be seen

The re-entry pod detaches, Bob prepares for turbulence

Goodbye transfer stage

Landing required two passes through the atmosphere

The pod is heading for a desert landing

Chute deployment

Bob jumps for joy! He had to put up with nearly 2g for 4 and a half years so he has a mad power jump now

Such was my first return from Eve since the 1.0 update

[nsgallup]

Mission teaser... yes that is a 7.5m rocket

[lajoswinkler]

Wow, return from Eve, nice! Too bad I can't give you more reputation points, the system refuses it.

You make me want to create a Kron mission to Eve in the future.

[Sanic]

5 years on Eve?!?!

Do you do other things, or just sit there and timewarp research?

[nsgallup]

5 years on Eve?!?!

Do you do other things, or just sit there and timewarp research?

There was a lot of research to be done, other then the rover trip Bob sat in the Hab the whole time.

I made over 30k research points

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Wow, return from Eve, nice! Too bad I can't give you more reputation points, the system refuses it.

You make me want to create a Kron mission to Eve in the future.

Thanks! A Kron mission to Eve would be sweet

[Sanic]

*tinfoil hat on*

Time for a Urlum mission?

YES I KNOW I ASK THIS TOO OFTEN!

*eye twitch*

[nsgallup]

*tinfoil hat on*

Time for a Urlum mission?

YES I KNOW I ASK THIS TOO OFTEN!

*eye twitch*

KSC is currently working on two robotic missions to the Urlum system

[KSACheese]

Congrats on your return from Eve! I'm pretty much only able to return from Duna's atmosphere . Excited to see the results of the Urlum missions!

[nsgallup]

Congrats on your return from Eve! I'm pretty much only able to return from Duna's atmosphere . Excited to see the results of the Urlum missions!

Thanks!

[DMSP]

Any updates?

[nsgallup]

I finished the Urlum mission, just haven't made time to post it yet. Feeling a little burned out for KSP right now but I will be back

[Sanic]

I feel ya.

[nsgallup]

Finally getting around to posting the most recent duo of missions, I'll be posting them one after the other for simplicity


This rocket is a 7.5m monster, which is necessary to bring such a large payload all the way out to Urlum




I think these are the most powerful motors available in the SpaceY heavy lifter pack



Switching to orbital stage




The Craft begins the long transfer burn, it has to be split up over multiple Kerbin orbits to avoid a trajectory which would take us back through the atmosphere




The orbital stage is expended during the first burn and is jettisoned, the craft switches to the transfer stage



Four Penguin engines will be the workhorses of this craft




Kerbin, and Kerbol are left far behind




13 years after leaving Kerbin..




The Photos are received gloriously back at KSC




The craft passes within a kilometer of the icy rings




Capture burn




This planet really is beautiful




Matching planes with Wal




Wal, and it's oddity moon Tal come into focus




The best image of Tal




The imposing equatorial ridge extends over 20km into the void




The craft makes a close pass




Time to slow down




A suborbital trajectory has been achieved, the transfer stage is nearly expended




Wal is pretty far out from Urlum

Edited January 17, 2016 by nsgallup

[CAKE99]

What are the specs of your PC? With that many mods KSP would not even load for me ;.;

Also, how many FPS do you get?

[nsgallup]

[quote name='CAKE99']What are the specs of your PC? With that many mods KSP would not even load for me ;.;

Also, how many FPS do you get?[/QUOTE]

When I am launching rockets with high part count the FPS goes way down, but after ejecting a few spent stages things speed back up. The game pretty much barely runs, it CTD pretty often and I experience annoying bugs as well.

I have an I7 3.6 GHz processor with 16GB of RAM and a GTX660 graphics card

I haven't started the game since the new update so I don't even know if it still works XD

[nsgallup]

The fairing is ejected revealing the payload




The transfer stage is expended and detached




The Wal RDL does not carry a full load of fuel or else it would be too heavy




The landing zone is a large crater like depression off to the south side of the ridge




Touching down




Antennas are deployed




Attack of the heat kraken!!




WalE exits the RDL




Posing for pictures




The RDL will act as a relay for transmissions from WalE




WalE was programmed with an emotion module to test the effects of long duration space flight, the readings show depression and loneliness.. luckily most kerbals at KSC have had their emotion modules "upgraded"




WalE and the RDL say their goodbyes




The equatorial ridge is steeper then anticipated.. this may cause problems




Things are very very steep, about 70 degrees, speed drops to 1m/s




WalE is heading to the left of the pictured peak, the textures seem a little odd




WalE made it! The rover traversed the ridge about 6km but could not continue because the slopes were too steep to safely navigate, poor WalE is left stranded.

Edited January 17, 2016 by nsgallup