Kerbfleet: A Jool Odyssey-END OF CHAPTER 21! (and hopefully not so many talking heads in 22!)

[Dman979]

9 minutes ago, Sanic said:

The landings going on now are anything but happy

Side note: While stalking Kuzzter, I learned that he is sending a capital ship to Jool. He was asking about a way to take helmets off in space, for the bridge of the ship. Kenterprise perhaps?

Ah haw- just like his "How do you flip the runway- asking for a friend" thread a few weeks ago!

Sanic, double your salary.

[Sanic]

   Kuzzter, you need to make a second account so we don't find out your nefarious schemes before they come to fruition. Then again, I'm sure it'll be found by some sneaky readers in no time. 

Wait a minute... The Kerbulans are going to invade the ship for an epic space battle!

Edited December 2, 2015 by Sanic

[Mister Dilsby]

24 minutes ago, Sanic said:

Side note: While stalking Kuzzter, I learned that he is sending a capital ship to Jool. He was asking about a way to take helmets off in space, for the bridge of the ship. Kenterprise perhaps?

Whoopsie! What, did you think I was training cadets on a Kerbahashi Maru bridge simulator just for giggles? Well, maybe I was... I haven't actually tested any capital ship concepts... yet...

38 minutes ago, Dman979 said:

Yeah, but not enough for repeated dockings and rendezvouses.

 

29 minutes ago, Starhawk said:

Well, you only need enough for one docking.  You can refill each time you dock.

I'll confirm this much: the design spec calls for each lander to carry enough mono for just ONE docking, with some margin for error of course. Also, the landers as you see them have all the major elements attached. I'd hope Bill is a good enough engineer that he wouldn't stick something as massive as a crew cabin on this late in testing. How late in testing, you ask? Let's check...

Oh boy! This is going quite well, I think! Though that OX-STAT explosion did wipe the smiles off their faces for a moment.

 

[Whirligig Girl]

21 hours ago, Kuzzter said:

"Maybe". (Peut='may' etre='to be') Sorry, she tends to forget her Standard Kerblish when exasperated. 

Those excellent Trek tunics are of course by the great @GregroxMun, the creator of Admiral Shirley's badS uniform in Eve: Order Zero. I haven't used them because I do want to differentiate from Star Trek a little bit, if only to make it easier to slip in more references to other shows and movies. Though I do of course use TOS color schemes for the engineers', pilots' and scientists' speech balloons and other tags.   

If you want I can make another version without the insignias and sleeve rank notation.

[Sanic]

How did BOTH the BadS kerbals get scared?

[Delfinus]

That must be a imposter, Jeb never gets scared .

Edited December 2, 2015 by DolphinDude3

[Starhawk]

3 hours ago, Sanic said:

How did BOTH the BadS kerbals get scared?

 

3 hours ago, DolphinDude3 said:

That must be a imposter, Jeb never gets scared .

That is the one thing that scares a Kerbal with the trait badS = true.  When something actually attached to the ship explodes they definitely don't like it.  You can see it in their faces.

Other than that, they're pretty much good with whatever is going on.

Happy landings!

[Delfinus]

34 minutes ago, Starhawk said:

 

That is the one thing that scares a Kerbal with the trait badS = true.  When something actually attached to the ship explodes they definitely don't like it.  You can see it in their faces.

Other than that, they're pretty much good with whatever is going on.

Happy landings!

They are my BadS Marines, And they shall know no fear! Unless their ship explodes, then they get horrified.

-The Emperor of the Snackperium of Kerb.

Even though they're BadS and fearless I guess it kinda makes sense, as often in KSP (aswell as IRL Spaceflight) part of your spacecraft exploding means there's a good chance that the rest of the spacecraft will quickly do the same, including the part you and your crewmates are sitting in.... and that's likely enough to scare even a BadS.

[Mister Dilsby]

8 hours ago, Starhawk said:

That is the one thing that scares a Kerbal with the trait badS = true.  When something actually attached to the ship explodes they definitely don't like it.  You can see it in their faces.

Right. I noticed this for the first time when I was doing Dilsby's infamous Kerbahashi Maru training sequence, complete with rigged explosions. Even Jeb reacted whenever one of the charges went off--but as soon as something was not immediately exploding, he went right back to his old idiot grinning self.

11 hours ago, GregroxMun said:

If you want I can make another version without the insignias and sleeve rank notation.

Hmmm... I might take you up on something similar to that; am thinking of a design a bit closer to the classic IVA kerbal suit, with sleeve stripes denoting rank and service (and a spot somewhere for Air Service rank badges) If you don't mind, I'll draw up or describe a concept for you in the next few days--I promise, it won't be nearly as hard as the Shirley suit or that... 'other' project you did for me

[Mister Dilsby]

Continuing... I know the thread title still says 'Prelude', but I meant to start Chapter One at the title page. Will fix at some point.

Yes! So, I think the X5 is pretty much there. Jeb had to use about 100 units of oxidant (of 660 carried) to get far enough out of the water to lift off on jets. Clauselle's idea is to put some reserve O2 in the pontoons, which would deplete prior to liftoff--it would also be useful for the initial de-orbit, come to think of it. I also have some room in the Mk1 side tanks; the forward ones aren't even all the way full of jet fuel, and we had 600 units left after transition to rocket--so, swapping those out with LFO should give it all the dV it needs and then some, even counting for the mass and drag of the RCS system. 

I'll likely do the rest of the testing off-camera, including sims on Laythe itself. Next time you see this ship, it should be in its final config and have a prettier name than "Laythe X5".

And yes, Gene was kidding about the transfer. 

[McPoisoned]

I just love your reports! But there is a problem... I don't know how to add to someones reputation on the new forums

[Starhawk]

Well, whatever the name, it looks great!  It certainly looks like it's Laythe-capable, especially with the modifications Bill and Clauselle have planned.

I haven't been there since 1.0.4, but it was very friendly to air-breathing engines.

20 minutes ago, McPoisoned said:

I just love your reports! But there is a problem... I don't know how to add to someones reputation on the new forums

Just hit that rep 'Like this' button at the bottom of the post.

Happy landings!

Edited December 2, 2015 by Starhawk

[Angelo Kerman]

I suspect that if it had been 42%, Mort would've found the ultimate answer to life, the universe, and accounting.

[SpaceplaneAddict]

I like this.

[Delfinus]

3 hours ago, Kuzzter said:

*A awesome KSP Webcomic*

Well, we have discovered what the new forum's message for using up all your rep likes is.

 

Edited December 2, 2015 by DolphinDude3

[Angelo Kerman]

@Kuzzter: To remove your helmet in space you need 1) to be crazy and 2) a custom mod to remove the helmet. KIS won't let you remove the helmet in space but that is something I can do if needed.

[Mister Dilsby]

2 minutes ago, Angel-125 said:

@Kuzzter: To remove your helmet in space you need 1) to be crazy and 2) a custom mod to remove the helmet. KIS won't let you remove the helmet in space but that is something I can do if needed.

Already solved, with Texture Replacer and a simple edit of the config file thanks  And they won't be in space, they'll be in a cargo bay on the bridge of the K.S.S. [REDACTED BY KERBFLEET SECURITY]

 

[Mad Rocket Scientist]

1 hour ago, DolphinDude3 said:

Well, we have discovered what the new forum's message for using up all your rep likes is.

 

Thanks for the info.

 

Also, Kuzzter, have you seen "Warning from space?" 

Also, this comic's trope: [url=http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CounterEarth?from=Main.Counter-Earth]Counter-earth

[Angelo Kerman]

 

1 hour ago, Kuzzter said:

Already solved, with Texture Replacer and a simple edit of the config file thanks  And they won't be in space, they'll be in a cargo bay on the bridge of the K.S.S. [REDACTED BY KERBFLEET SECURITY]

 

Oh cool, I didn't know that.  I look forward to seeing the K.S.S. Redacted By Kerbfleet Security.

[Mister Dilsby]

18 hours ago, DolphinDude3 said:

Well, we have discovered what the new forum's message for using up all your rep likes is.

Ha! Well, I guess the good news is that everyone can now give me 25 rep per day instead of only 5.  But seriously, spread it around--especially to the poor valiant kerbs trying to answer gameplay questions in the new 'yahoo answers' style  

17 hours ago, Mad Rocket Scientist said:

Also, Kuzzter, have you seen "Warning from space?" 

Also, this comic's trope: [url=http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CounterEarth?from=Main.Counter-Earth]Counter-earth

Have not seen Warning... and hey, if you like identifying tropes, you might head over to the Canon Reference page and give me a couple of entries

16 hours ago, Angel-125 said:

Oh cool, I didn't know that.  I look forward to seeing the K.S.S. Redacted By Kerbfleet Security.

Me too! Here's a tiny bit of information about the complete plan. All subject to change, of course, as testing progresses...

[Starhawk]

'Very.'

Wow.  This is going to be one impressive mission!  Kinda makes my Jool-5 mission seem tiny.

Personally, I think this would be very interesting even without, uh... other dramatic elements.  But, of course, it will be amazing with them!

Thanks Kuzzter.

Happy landings!

[Nefrums]

beware that using ions at Jool is a bit tricky as solar panels only get ~4-5% of Kerbin efficiency,

 

 

[smjjames]

Dude, you're prolific, in a good way!

Also, I thought you were still working on the Tylo lander.

[Starhawk]

7 minutes ago, smjjames said:

Dude, you're prolific, in a good way!

Also, I thought you were still working on the Tylo lander.

We are only privy to glimpses of the development process as a prelude to the actual story.

I'm quite sure Kuzzter will have a various surprises design-wise that he wants to show us along the way.

Happy landings!

[Mister Dilsby]

1 hour ago, Nefrums said:

beware that using ions at Jool is a bit tricky as solar panels only get ~4-5% of Kerbin efficiency,

Ah, excellent point! I was recalling my days of flitting about Minmus in an ion-powered jumprover. Well, I could always use a tiny LFO engine or RCS instead. Or I could make another ship do double/triple duty--I'll have to land the 'longboat' on at least one of those moons anyway to refuel the [REDACTED]. 

1 hour ago, smjjames said:

Also, I thought you were still working on the Tylo lander.

Bill's been running some additional sims in the background while various floatplanes splash around in the water. I may or may not show more of that development, but the quick summary is I've been able to reliably land a craft very similar to the one from the prelude, except with a full-size drill attached. Trick was part technique, part having enough dV margin to let that technique work

1 hour ago, Starhawk said:

I'm quite sure Kuzzter will have a various surprises design-wise that he wants to show us along the way.

Doing my best to give you just enough for dramatic effect, as always.  You will probably see some designs for the longboat next--should be pretty straightforward. Craft has to be able to mine ore from a moon surface or asteroid, carry at least two full containers to orbit/docking, and fit inside a Mk3 bay. Also, high crew cap in case it needs to rescue a crashed lander, or for inter-moon crew transport/refueling in case of a less serious muck-up.  

Edited December 3, 2015 by Kuzzter