A K Prize entry - or adventures with Space Planes

[purpleivan]

Although I've taken a space plane to orbit a handful of times, I don't have a very good record of any of the trips, certainly not good enough for a K-Prize entry.

So without further ado, here is my my entry for that challenge.

 

Bird in the hanger.

Take off, with Jeb, Bill and Val onboard... but hey, isn't that cockput a two seater, how does that work.

Starting the climb towards orbit.

After an uneventful run on the jets, it was time for the pair of aerospikes to kick in and finish the job of getting above atmosphere.

Not much more work for the rocket motors to do, to get this thing into orbit.

Yey... orbit guys. Now we just need to hang around for 4 days to let that station catch up with us.

Well plenty of time to do that plane alightment burn then.

"So how's Kerbin looking from up there today guys."

"Er... mainly blue, sir".

Time to make that rendezvous burn.

There she is fella's... Station K.

Looks like we've got a decent amount of fuel left for the trip back later.

Ok Jeb... nice and slow, no need to rush.

Nice job there Jeb, welcome to Station K.

Now for some gratuitous station in orbit pics.

Ah, so that's where Val's been hiding, but what is she riding and why.

"Ah... KSC, It's the emergency re-entry vehicle, remember how I said I needed to bail early to go watch something on TV."

"Well... I've got time to admire the view I guess".

"You still out there Val! I thought you had to had to head home to watch something on TV."

"Ah, no rush now... SyFy cancelled it".

"But the canteen is serving BBQ ribs today, so see ya later guys."

"BBQ ribs sounds great, as long as it's not me on the menu."

Phew, who'd have guessed, this thing actually works, but I'm still falling too fast for a safe landing.

Deploy chute time I think.

Hmmm... 25m/s still seems a bit fast for a landing.

Bail... I say bail.

Meanwhile, back at Station K the challenge entry continues...

"So are we going home now or what?"

"Does that answer your question".

"Fine looking station that... funny, I don't remember it being launched though".

"I asked the engineers about how they got it up here... they just walked away whistling, then ran off round the corner".

That burn should get us somewhere near the KSC.

"Well at least we passed over it... even if we are 30km up."

Better make a right then.

After much turning and slightly tedious flying in towards the runway...

"Still got a nice amount of fuel on board, you fancy a trip over to the runway island to catch some surf Jeb?"

"Nah Bill, another time... I better park this thing, I've got a pile of paperwork to do".

[RocketMan-Explorer]

Great job, @purpleivan! Will you be making a continuation of this, with more flights? Just curious, because I really like this. 

Are you using KSP 1.6/1.6.1 and Spectra, or Environmental Visual Enhancements to get those clouds? I LOVE those clouds and would really like them in my save.

Sorry to bother you! 

Edited February 10, 2019 by RocketMan-Explorer
Spectra/EVE?

[purpleivan]

This was really just for the challenge, but more flights might be a possibility.

I'm running 1.6 with EVE.

[RocketMan-Explorer]

10 hours ago, purpleivan said:

I'm running 1.6 with EVE

How do you install EVE in 1.6? The last GitHub release was in April 2018 for 1.4.3. Are you using CKAN, or installing EVE through GitHub? Just curious, because I really want those visuals that you have. 

[purpleivan]

1 hour ago, RocketMan-Explorer said:

How do you install EVE in 1.6? The last GitHub release was in April 2018 for 1.4.3. Are you using CKAN, or installing EVE through GitHub? Just curious, because I really want those visuals that you have. 

There's a 1.4.3 version... must check that out as it's the 1.4.2 that I have installed.

I just get mine straight from Github, rather than through CKAN.

I also have Scatterer, Planetshine (the newest version is ancient but it still works) and Stock Visual Enhancements installed.