KSP Interstellar Extended Continued Development Thread

[zanjiin]

Hello everyone!

I've been playing KSP since 1.0 release and recently tried KSPI-E. Great work for keeping it alive. It seem a bit complicated, but challenging.

A bit of background info. I am not experienced KSP player. For the most part I used KSPI-E for reactors and i had like 5 or 6 career restarts and I have not gone further Kerbin system. Yesterday I've built my first reusable thermal rocket science vessel that actually has thrust and over 8k of delta-v and is capable of moving and even landing. Compared to the ship with the same mass which uses LFO it is a huge upgrade. The amount of fuels that can be used is huge. So I wondered where I get them.

I have UKS, Karbonite but these mods give me LFO, water and LH2. But I cannot make KSPI-E ISRUs to make working. The GUI window is there but I have no idea how it should operate. Is there any comprehensible guide that is up to date about KSPI-E ISRU?

Other questions: compatibility with Near Future Electrics and SETI. When I install eitehr one of them or both, the power of KSPI reactors goes down like 10 or 100 times from 80 MW to 163 KW. Do they actually work together?

Is Open Resource System is required? It is listed as dependancy but seems so out of date...

Thank you in advance.

[mkrco]

Hey guys. i have a little problem after updating from Boris .90 to this version. Radiation hardness indicator just goes nuts.http://s15.postimg.org/sbnx9heqh/screenshot5.png

Any idea how to fix this ?http://s15.postimg.org/9lvxsqlzv/screenshot3.png

I experienced the exact same problem when I installed KSPI-E over RO (just a few posts back). But when I just installed KSPI-E by itself the problem went away.

[Suvhater]

Also having a problem with isru refinery. Getting "insufficient storage" message when attempting electrolysis for ammonia from nitrogen and h2. I have adequate power and appropriate fuel tanks attached to refinery. I have tried many configurations, linking tanks to refinery with fuel lines and/or kas pipes. It doesn't seem to be recognizing the local tanks.

[nobodyhasthis]

Absolutely loving using this mod. I am also using Station Science ,Ship Manifest and Connected Living Spaces to build massive space stations. To gain the exotic extra science required for warp drive. It is a brilliant long term goal for the campaign. Thank you so much for carrying on this mod.

One thing I did notice about KSP Interstellar Extended is the crewed parts do not link together using the Connected Living Spaces API. It is not a problem as Kerbals can EVA between separated sections. However I do like designing complex habitats where Kerbals can move around inside a connected structure.

Is there any plans to integrate this feature in the future?

Edited June 22, 2015 by nobodyhasthis

[HmtSabotage]

Hello FreeThinker

I have read 3 books by Reactor Physics and Construction (Russian) is seems that Gas Core reactors can be fuelled up and collect depleted fuel in a tanks like Fusion Reactors use D\T from external fuel tanks (in working process without EVA kerbal)... as i can remember now in Interstellar GC reactor lost its power by time, collects depleted fuel inside and can be reloaded when stopped by EVA Kerbal right??? I think you will understand what im talking about ) (just an advise)

[FreeThinker]

One thing I did notice about KSP Interstellar Extended is the crewed parts do not link together using the Connected Living Spaces API. It is not a problem as Kerbals can EVA between separated sections. However I do like designing complex habitats where Kerbals can move around inside a connected structure.

Is there any plans to integrate this feature in the future?

Well I could add it to the Science Lab, but other part, like reactor make no sense to allow you kerbals to move through

[Murdabenne]

Is there any chance that you could break this out into separate installs for logical groups - like one for the reactors (generators), one for the warp engines, one for beamed power (thats almost a game in and of itself), and one for the remainder (baseline) KSPI-E things (engines, nozzles, and other miscellaneous things)? This is a pretty big dataset, and its becoming more and more complex. It would be really cool to have the reactors to shoot for without bulking up my install with a lot of things I do not intend using. Anyway, kudos for taking on such a huge and complex group of mod/parts, and attempting to keep them running and even fairly balanced.

Edited June 21, 2015 by Murdabenne

[GreeningGalaxy]

Thermal Generators are VERY heavy. They have spinning turbines and heat transfer plates and coolants, and they just would weigh a metric .... ton. If anything I think they are lighter than they should be.

Normally I'd agree, but we're talking about very futuristic technology here - are lightweight thermal generators really that unobtainable in a world that has command of fusion? I realize this might be impractical to configure, but it might be interesting if upgrading them made them significantly lighter, and maybe if their mass scaled proportionately with the power of the reactor they service (stronger reactors require heavier-duty generators). I'd also like to see separate thermoelectric generators from the Brayton-cycle ones - maybe they could have very poor unupgraded efficiency, but be very low-profile (thinner is better for those, anyway) and lightweight compared to their larger counterparts. I guess this is fair enough as is, but just some ideas.

Dont worry, this is going away.... As soon you will NOT be able to use it in the atmosphere.

Yay! I've been waiting for that characteristic to be added. That engine gets a lot more balanced (not to mention realistic) once using it as a launch stage is off the table.

EDIT: to be clear, I was NOT experiencing this problem with the Vista exploding due to being in the atmosphere at the time; I was in a 200-kilometer orbit. I think the thermal mass/max radiative flux don't scale as they should along with heat production.

They will not start on electric charge. In order to get them to start you need another energy source, let it build up and have enough spare power in megajoules for one complete cycle. You can use a kerbal to jump start them somehow supposedly now.

This still bugs me. If the little ones have self-contained pilot lights, why shouldn't the big ones? Since the reactors in the mod have such a great net power output, could one not reasonably expect to be able to run them on minimal power with stored electric charge at first, then ramp up once the cycle closes and becomes self-sustaining?

Were I designing one of these systems on paper, I would include a jumpstart capacitor bank at the very least, if not an initial low-power startup mode or even an integrated pilot-light fusion chamber to get things going. Having to make that a separate part just makes ships inefficient and cumbersome to build.

Edited June 22, 2015 by GreeningGalaxy

[milbournosphere]

So I installed interstellar after being away from KSP and this mod for a while. I'm running 1.0.2 with a fresh install of KSPI-E. I can't seem to get any power to the thermal nozzles. They create no thrust and have no fuel flow, despite the engine icon in the stack ui showing a full tank. I've tried with a few different reactor combinations and have gotten nowhere. One thing I do see in the logs is this output:

[Warning]: InsterstellarFuelSwitch: error parsing resource amount 0/0: '8400': '8400'

Has anybody else had this issue?

[yafeshan]

Raporting a small thing.

Thermal nozzles can be scaled up to 10m but none of the reactors can be scaled to 10m but only reach 5m. As far as I know thermal nozzle size and its reactor should be equal size to be efficient. I was building a huge mothership and realized this, changed tweakscale limit for reactors and electric generators. I do not know if i can reach correct power increase, did not test yet.

[Weywot8]

Recently started KSP (1.02) and this mod is great! Facing an issue with impact science/accelerometers at the moment.

• sent 5 accelerometers to the Mun on one ship
  
• detached and landed at poles and 3 equatorial quadrant points - renamed each with A, B, C, D, E suffix.
  
• activated each landed accelerometer to record impact - pic of south pole transmitting base below
  

Javascript is disabled. View full album

• switched to the impactor and rode it into the Mun Dr. Strangeglove style (600m/s): got the 'impact recorded' message
  
• CFG file shows 875 science (Yeah, moar SCIENCE!)
  

writtenat = 6/22/2015 12:30:42 PM

VESSEL_SEISMIC_PROBE_4fc0f745-2866-4795-878f-90e8743bb96a

{

is_active = True

celestial_body = 2

}

VESSEL_SEISMIC_PROBE_9826e8bf-2933-4c09-92aa-8df0b11e68fc

{

is_active = True

celestial_body = 2

}

VESSEL_SEISMIC_PROBE_bc4500b9-e40e-4e95-98d9-27a63f45060e

{

is_active = True

celestial_body = 2

}

VESSEL_SEISMIC_PROBE_bee1663b-167f-4a8c-b09d-78a9c9540391

{

is_active = True

celestial_body = 2

}

VESSEL_SEISMIC_PROBE_45abb652-695c-489a-9237-710c0106d770

{

is_active = True

celestial_body = 2

}

SEISMIC_SCIENCE_MUN

{

name = interstellarseismicarchive

IMPACT_0c4e39e5-5150-45d4-95e8-2e7465732e4f

{

transmitted = False

vesselname = Mun-Impactor1 Probe

science = 875

number = 1

}

IMPACT_837de4ed-4836-4df7-9da1-f9498c30a4f0

{

transmitted = False

vesselname = Mun-Impactor1 Probe

science = 530.714327248554

number = 2

}

IMPACT_87a4fabd-c920-4434-a9e6-343462a35756

{

transmitted = False

vesselname = Mun-Impactor1 Probe

science = 321.894511025012

number = 3

}

IMPACT_9e12ba67-c197-449d-8776-4b97e39aae5f

{

transmitted = False

vesselname = Mun-Impactor1 Probe

science = 195.238890129876

number = 4

}

IMPACT_5d50e701-4ae6-44a7-8ee8-1859e8df9749

{

transmitted = False

vesselname = Mun-Impactor1 Probe

science = 118.418372832036

number = 5

}

}

seems like different parts of the impactor got recorded as seperate experiments?

​

• but all accelerometers don't have 'collect impact data' option - only the option to stop recording (GUI looks exactly like the pic, minus the notification/OK window).
  

Has anyone come across this issue before and managed a fix? Not sure how other mods might only kill the collect impact data function and leave everything else working but a list provided below.

Thanks in advance for any pointers!

• FilterExtensions
  
• Toolbar
  
• USI - MKS/OKS, Karbonite, Karbonite+ (and dependencies)
  
• EVE
  
• CapCom
  
• Chatterer
  
• CRP, CTT
  
• Contract Configurator + SCANSat, RemoteTech, GrandTour contract packs
  
• ContractWindow
  
• DistantObjectEnchancer
  
• DMagicOrbitalScience
  
• EngineLight
  
• KSPI 1.1.20 and dependencies
  
• KAS+KIS
  
• KJointReinforcement
  
• MechJeb
  
• NavHud
  
• NFT Solar
  
• PlanetShine
  
• RemoteTech
  
• SCANSat
  
• Scaterrer
  
• SolarScience
  
• StageRecovery
  
• SockBugFixModules
  
• SurfaceLights
  
• TACLS
  
• TextureReplacer
  
• Tweakscale
  
• UbioWelding - nothing on these ships were welded
  
• WaypointManager
  
• FinalFrontier
  
• ModuleManager 2.6.5
  

[nobodyhasthis]

One thing I did notice about KSP Interstellar Extended is the crewed parts do not link together using the Connected Living Spaces API. It is not a problem as Kerbals can EVA between separated sections. However I do like designing complex habitats where Kerbals can move around inside a connected structure.

Is there any plans to integrate this feature in the future?

Well I could add it to the Science Lab, but other part, like reactor make no sense to allow you kerbals to move through

Totally agree with that. It makes sense for the Science Labs to have internal CLS connections at the top and bottom. Everything else is either heavy machinery or radioactive and does not need changed. The Kerbals will still need to realistically get around these parts in EVA. Only those areas that crew are expected to work inside need the CLS connections.

Edited June 22, 2015 by nobodyhasthis

[FreeThinker]

Recently started KSP (1.02) and this mod is great! Facing an issue with impact science/accelerometers at the moment.

• sent 5 accelerometers to the Mun on one ship
  
• detached and landed at poles and 3 equatorial quadrant points - renamed each with A, B, C, D, E suffix.
  
• activated each landed accelerometer to record impact - pic of south pole transmitting base below
  

http://imgur.com/a/UZydB

• switched to the impactor and rode it into the Mun Dr. Strangeglove style (600m/s): got the 'impact recorded' message
  
• CFG file shows 875 science (Yeah, moar SCIENCE!)
  

writtenat = 6/22/2015 12:30:42 PM

VESSEL_SEISMIC_PROBE_4fc0f745-2866-4795-878f-90e8743bb96a

{

is_active = True

celestial_body = 2

}

VESSEL_SEISMIC_PROBE_9826e8bf-2933-4c09-92aa-8df0b11e68fc

{

is_active = True

celestial_body = 2

}

VESSEL_SEISMIC_PROBE_bc4500b9-e40e-4e95-98d9-27a63f45060e

{

is_active = True

celestial_body = 2

}

VESSEL_SEISMIC_PROBE_bee1663b-167f-4a8c-b09d-78a9c9540391

{

is_active = True

celestial_body = 2

}

VESSEL_SEISMIC_PROBE_45abb652-695c-489a-9237-710c0106d770

{

is_active = True

celestial_body = 2

}

SEISMIC_SCIENCE_MUN

{

name = interstellarseismicarchive

IMPACT_0c4e39e5-5150-45d4-95e8-2e7465732e4f

{

transmitted = False

vesselname = Mun-Impactor1 Probe

science = 875

number = 1

}

IMPACT_837de4ed-4836-4df7-9da1-f9498c30a4f0

{

transmitted = False

vesselname = Mun-Impactor1 Probe

science = 530.714327248554

number = 2

}

IMPACT_87a4fabd-c920-4434-a9e6-343462a35756

{

transmitted = False

vesselname = Mun-Impactor1 Probe

science = 321.894511025012

number = 3

}

IMPACT_9e12ba67-c197-449d-8776-4b97e39aae5f

{

transmitted = False

vesselname = Mun-Impactor1 Probe

science = 195.238890129876

number = 4

}

IMPACT_5d50e701-4ae6-44a7-8ee8-1859e8df9749

{

transmitted = False

vesselname = Mun-Impactor1 Probe

science = 118.418372832036

number = 5

}

}

seems like different parts of the impactor got recorded as seperate experiments?

​

• but all accelerometers don't have 'collect impact data' option - only the option to stop recording (GUI looks exactly like the pic, minus the notification/OK window).
  

Has anyone come across this issue before and managed a fix? Not sure how other mods might only kill the collect impact data function and leave everything else working but a list provided below.

Despite more than 10.000 downloads, I think your the first one to even attempt.

[cicatrix]

I've been looking into engine cfg files for experiments and I've a question - what parameter controls the fuel consumption ratio? I assumed it was

PROPELLANT

{

...

ratio = ...

}

But I was wrong. No matter what I put in there I saw no real changes. The default value is 1 I put there 1000 as well as 0.0001 - nothing.

Also I messed with the ExitArea but it mainly controls thrust as I understand.

What I basically want - creating an antimatter engine which uses matter-antimatter annihilation energy... but I first need to understand what parameter controls what in a config file for an engine. Is there any documentation on that?

[Khalkion]

As I understand ratio parametr controls ratio in multipropellant systems. And real consumption of engines comes from their ISP and thrust.

[Weywot8]

Despite more than 10.000 downloads, I think your the first one to even attempt.

Haha - the challenge looked interesting and an OK amount of science given the effort, especially with easy repeatability. Was looking forward to an extra ~3200 science from Mun and Minimus but guess 1.0(2) might have broken it .

Time to deprecate the feature if it can't be fixed?

[Khalkion]

Time to deprecate the feature if it can't be fixed?

Sometimes it works. I've conducted this experiment in 1.0.2 about two or three weeks ago. But it was way more simple than yours as I used only one accelerometer and an empty tank as impact device. However few days after it on another body I had no button to collect data and forgot about it for a while...

[GreeningGalaxy]

Freethinker, I'm still kinda waiting for a response about the reactor power outputs, which still behave (partially) as if the claimed "megawatts" are actually gigawatts. It leads to some pretty inconsistent behavior, and if it actually were megawatts, it would make all the thermal and magnetic nozzles woefully underpowered. If nothing else, I'd like a way to change it back to how it was.

[nobodyhasthis]

magnetic nozzles woefully underpowered.

There is also no documentation on how they work. There should be a link to the wiki someplace. There is some data on Thermal Rocket Nozzle and Thermal Turbojet configuration. Nothing at all on magnetic nozzles. I don't bother with them as there is no way to get them to work properly.

[ss8913]

well then... 1.0.3 is out, and KSP-I-E is.. pretty broken I think. I loaded up a craft I made with 1.0.2 and noticed immediately that the framerate was at about 5, which I thought weird until I right clicked a part and saw that it says "Rad Hardness: X.XX" about 80 times (too many to fit on the screen), which I think is the issue.. it was an AGI Computer Core that I right clicked on, which makes me believe that it's an incompatibility with Interstellar.

Also they seem to have added MORE memory leaks >< .. Start KSP, memory usage is at X. Get sidetracked and walk away leaving it at the main menu for about 20 min, come back, mem usage is at X+100. Didn't do that in 1.0.2. I get distracted a lot >< - that's obviously not relevant to Interstellar, but it's nonetheless noteworthy.

Also - @nobodyhasthis - the magnetic nozzles are useless in atmosphere. Try them in vacuum, they work pretty well. I usually build my engines as fuel tank -> charged particle generator -> antimatter reactor -> engine (where engine is magnetic nozzle, thermal rocket, or thermal turbojet). They work that way. Unless you want to use them in an atmosphere, in which case they do not

[11of10]

off topic:

Are you sure it's not this issue: http://bugs.kerbalspaceprogram.com/issues/5024

[ss8913]

doesn't appear to be. I went straight from the start screen into VAB, loaded this ship that I had working in 1.0.2, went to the launchpad and noticed terrible framerates, rightclicked the AGI core and saw the "Rad Hardness" msg repeated so many times it filled the entire vertical of the screen. Definitely a new bug introduced in 1.0.3, I'm *assuming* it's a KSP-I-E thing since it was a KSP-I-E part that was exhibiting that behavior.

[GreeningGalaxy]

There is also no documentation on how they work. There should be a link to the wiki someplace. There is some data on Thermal Rocket Nozzle and Thermal Turbojet configuration. Nothing at all on magnetic nozzles. I don't bother with them as there is no way to get them to work properly.

they work well enough, particularly with antimatter reactors (torchships!). My only qualm is the inconsistent numbers, which claim megawatts when they should be gigawatts, which also creates further inconsistencies with things that consume electricity (they use 1000x too much).

[beabop]

Now that stock has conductive, convective, and radiative heat models, do you think it's worth it to switch KSP Interstellar to those, kind of like how stock replaced Regolith and the Open Resource System?

[Suvhater]

Trying to play around with the Arcjet and Plasma Thruster, using beamed power. As beamed power increases thrust increases appropriately, however fuel consumption increases as well. I was under the assumption that fuel rate would be constant on these engines, with incoming power being the factor that controls thrust. Is this working correctly? It is dropping plasma thruster to about 600 dv and arcjet to 300 dv with x16 tanks(lqd hydrogen) and 1.5m engines.