Mun Base Too

[Markus Reese]

Hello all, been flying to the muns, built different rockets, but now I have startet working with the expansion packs and other mods. Most recently, I have set myself up a fair sized challenge inspired by a challenge from the challenge threads. Here is my original inspiration was the munar campus thread, But expanding it to be something more grand hopefully. Will fill in the stages as I get more done. Should be completed over next couple of days now that the main com satellites are done. To cover the Mun wont take as many since only 3 or so will be needed in longer range orbit.

Stage 1: Kerbalcast system

Full planetary comm system coverage to ensure full time communication with Mun base, as well as scouting rover command. This is done using the Powertech and Dynasat mods, so is an actual commnet for ROVs, as well as communications to the muns or any future discovered planets.

Stage 2: Munarcomm system

satellite commnet for the Mun for full time coverage. Polar regions no covered, no planned polar excursions with remote systems.

Stage 3: Rover scout

Scouting planned base location which currently is the dark side of the moon.

Stage 4: Establish structures as per campus challenge, plus a communication bunker.

Have the setup completed. Looks not too bad if I do say so myself.

I love horizontal structures, they are nice to land. This also fits within the 3m half panels, allowing a smooth and aerodynamic flight.

Stage 5: Land some assorted ships on mun

Cannot perform this last task alas. The system is becoming to laggy and unstable to land any more vehicles at this location. :\'(

[jayther]

That\'s pretty awesome. And those are impressive orbits, and the evenly spaced satellites in the smaller closer orbit is equally as impressive. -]

[ManaaniWanderer]

Looks impressive, I\'ve yet to land on the mun. I\'ve done several orbital missions, but none of my landers have survived launch.

[Markus Reese]

The orbits on the satellites are all within a few km of eachother and almost no variation, (close to perfect circular). Equatorials are at 250km, Polars are at 750km, and Mun is at 1Mm. One of the equatorial satellites wasn\'t lined up correctly and is orbiting slightly slower, might need to scrap and replace it or design a more permanent and adjustable placement satellite.

Looks impressive, I\'ve yet to land on the mun. I\'ve done several orbital missions, but none of my landers have survived launch.

I hope to be finishing up a flight tutorial video this weekend, I will be posting it up. Has some of the more advanced control stuff I used that really helped me out a bit. Done without mods and what can be done without needing calculation sheets, etc. Is how I got those orbits. No mod programs or spreadsheets were used, just by feel. One drawback to the perfect equatorial placement is leaving kerbin on that trajectory. Had a couple close flybys on a heading of 270 departure, whoops. Flip side, I am getting better at placing my parachute landing locations. Good for when we get more planets.

This was lined up entirely from +100km orbit before jettisoning retrograde engine.

[ManaaniWanderer]

You almost made the launch pad there.

[Markus Reese]

Lunar rover down. the Jeb team is too valuable to keep on a permanent deployment, so they were responsible to operate it remotely.

At least that is what they were told. It was more the life support and ZO2 systems are expensive and didn\'t want to take as big of a loss in case jeb couldn\'t handle keeping the throttle under control. Also, It was determined the landing thrusters were oversized, making control a tricky situation. Forgetting the lower Munar gravity, the ones used were too large. Further modules are being refitted with smaller vernier radial rockets.

[Markus Reese]

KSC wasn\'t satisfied with the initial landing location, so a Rover II was sent up to site a new crater. A new one was chosen and approved. More mountains a bigger jumps gave it the go ahead.

Dubbed Thorn Canyon

Cat\'s Thumb Crater

Cat\'s Paw Crater Cluster

[Pluto100]

Wow! Good job!

[Markus Reese]

After many trials hardships and aborted landings sending me back to kerbol, finally got my mun base maxed out. I cannot get anything else there due to computer lag controlling all the models. Without precise controls, anything else has to be far away, or it will crash.

The Labs and dormitories, while landed horizontal, fit inside and were launched within 3m bulkheads. Horizontal landing crafts I found were actually easier to control than vertical ones for precise precisioning. This is because the gymbal and controls are more predictable moving them across the surface in a horizontal flight configuration, and has inspired me for a new project.

However it is beginning to bug when loading after leaving the area, so this file will be going into my backup keeper depository. The commnet was awesome, but since it takes up my whole current flying list that doesn\'t have any scroll option, It becomes impossible to select any landers if they are close together. Here are the pics, now I can get to work on that minimus video I haven\'t finished yet.

So I close with some shots as they fade into the sunset.

The Commnet

Lifting off into the black, to work on my next project

[Khrissetti]

Those are beautiful structures, though I wonder if you could land more structures with all the lights turned off and the detail turned down low?

[jolee1868]

WOW! that looks great. Right now im trying to critique my landing abilities. I do good until a few metres off the lunar surface where I then get all thrust happy and fly all over. I need to start playing with the RCS rockets to have finer control so i dont tip over as easy or overcome my descent and begin ascending again.

Anyhow, how hard is it to actually end up landing that close together? do you have any advice for someone that is just happy landing let alone finding a specific point and having multiple sites there?

Im going to try out what you have going, just to double check are you using just the Powertech and Dynasat mods to do all that?

Thanks Markus keep us updated love to see what else you have planned for the future!

[Markus Reese]

Those are beautiful structures, though I wonder if you could land more structures with all the lights turned off and the detail turned down low?

I tried, but I think alot of it had to do with the Zoxygene mod. Though with my full list of ships, wasn\'t able to select to turn them off. It was processor side, not graphics unfortunately.

Overall for mods, I have been slowly collecting more and more, I have two seperate installs I use for ksp. My full mod ones I have the Powertech and dynasat mods. Also the Kw and nova parts packs. The satellite mod for the powertech system and the Zoxgene mod of course. To land that close together actually is quite a challenge since decellerations and maintaining speed are never the same, lots of manual course corrections means it is alot of balancing and tweaking as I land. I try to get pretty close, I might land further away then make a hop to get closer.

As for the landing, I have been trying to get finished up a landing video, but the two most recommended tips I have is come in with as little of horizontal velocity as possible. With a vertical lander, can use the gymbal to eliminate most of your horizontal velocity. My best tip I found is since a small lander is so controllable, jettison your ASAS and only use an SAS. The SAS only will stop any inertial movement. You can still give control orders, but the motion will stop after giving the command without the ASAS. So turn on your SAS, and hit the caps locks button so the commands are small, and it makes it easy to give the small adjustments needed to ensure a smooth glide path.

[jolee1868]

man i started trying to play with the mods you mentioned and im having a horrible time getting them all working together. The problem i come across is alot of them replace existing .dll files or plugins or parts folders themselves, i dont know what one to keep and not to keep lol. getting frustrated. everytime i look at your comcast system and mun base im remotivated to try again to no avail

[Markus Reese]

Some of the parts use the plugins designed by others, I installed the main powertech one first myself. I didn\'t replace any duplicates and seemed to work fine. Copied all the plugin stuff to the appropriate folders, if it says file already exists, I told it not to copy. Or did I, I cannot remember? Arg! Well either way, I copied the game folder to a new one before I started so all my mods get installed into a separate install. Remember to pull the stuff out of the folders; plugins/pluginapps into the appropriate folder.

[decemberstorm]

markus do you have any tips for landing on the mun? i usually have to use rovers because i can reliably land near the spot i aim for and i have a hard time gauging my horizontal velocity so i have to use their tires as improvised landing gear.

[jolee1868]

hey december this was Markus\' response to that question i asked him earlier in this thread

'As for the landing, I have been trying to get finished up a landing video, but the two most recommended tips I have is come in with as little of horizontal velocity as possible. With a vertical lander, can use the gymbal to eliminate most of your horizontal velocity. My best tip I found is since a small lander is so controllable, jettison your ASAS and only use an SAS. The SAS only will stop any inertial movement. You can still give control orders, but the motion will stop after giving the command without the ASAS. So turn on your SAS, and hit the caps locks button so the commands are small, and it makes it easy to give the small adjustments needed to ensure a smooth glide path.' - Marcus

[Markus Reese]

Also update, I am finishing up compiling my minimun play video. I didn\'t really do much editing, so now it is more of a lets play set. Should have them uploading in a little while. The one thing I mentioned about the SAS I actually tested in this video, and didn\'t work the way I intended. It works when you only have a command module though, so probably I might do an updated straight up munar landing section, quick for just the landing section.