totm january 2020 Community Caveman Jool 5 mission

[Rakaydos]

How many Foxtrots still need to be flown?

I usually launched multiple components into phasing orbits at the same time, and dock each as they get close to the mothership.

[Muetdhiver]

I can't fly it before Tuesday so if @Rakaydos wants to fly he can take my place and I'll fly something later.

[Rakaydos]

6 hours ago, ManEatingApe said:

As a last-ditch plan B (although I would strongly encourage folks to make an effort to use Github) you can:

• Download a ZIP of the latest save file when it's your turn from
  https://github.com/maneatingape/community-caveman-jool-5/releases
  (deleting any previous versions)
• Fly your mission
• Upload the "latest.sfs" file somewhere publically available e.g. Dropbox
• I will download the file, review it, and if all is well, merge it to the repo in Github on your behalf.

Is there a different Github link? I tried installing version11, and there are no flights in progress for me to rendevus with.

[Jacke]

1 hour ago, Rakaydos said:

Is there a different Github link? I tried installing version11, and there are no flights in progress for me to rendevus with.

You have enter the game (persistent.sfs), then load latest.sfs.  We leave persistent.sfs as an early placeholder as it gets overwritten too easily.  And especially these early missions which are filled with a lot of training and mistakes.  You then save quicksaves of various names until you finish your mission, then afterwords copy that (.sfs and .loadmeta) over latest to get a new release version.  Either update your own fork of the repository and make a pull request for @ManEatingApe to update his master.  Or zip them up and upload to a file site and send a link for the update.

Edited September 16, 2019 by Jacke

[ManEatingApe]

@Rakaydos I've updated the mission mutex so that you are taking @Muetdhiver's slot.
Please check the OP for your mission details, in this case 1 x TANGO and 1 x FOXTROT

As a visual guide, here is what the finished MIKE (mothership) should look like:

@Muetdhiver Re-added you to the end of mission queue

Edited September 16, 2019 by ManEatingApe

[Rakaydos]

So I docked one Tango and 1 foxtrot. My debris clearing technique for the Tango booster, however, may have slightly tweaked the orbit of Mike. It is currently in a 79.95x86.49 km orbit. (edit: corrected before Ape would accept upload)

Also since the Foxtrot docking, mike sems tohave developed an oscillation problem. (Edit: setting the probe core in the ladder pod as the control point seems to have removed the problem)

Edited September 16, 2019 by Rakaydos

[ManEatingApe]

1 hour ago, Rakaydos said:

So I docked one Tango and 1 foxtrot.

Great, thanks for the contribution!
Merged changes on your behalf and tagged as "v12". Everyone please pull the latest version.

@dvader You have the mission mutex.

[ManEatingApe]

@dvader Thanks for the contribution!
Merged your changes and tagged them as "v13". Everybody please pull the latest changes.

Really great progress, especially over the last week, contributions are coming like clockwork.
We're nearly finished assembly - only 4 more missions to go!

• 1 x FOXTROT
• 1 x KILO
• 1 x LIMA
• 1 x KILOLIMA fuel

@Muetdhiver You have the mission mutex.
Please choose any 1 or 2 of the above craft to dock with MIKE (upper section will need to be detached to make room).

I've added myself to the mission queue next.

EDIT: Jinx!

Edited September 18, 2019 by ManEatingApe

[dvader]

2xFOXTROT done! I also added 0.56t fuel to KILOLIMA (no launch). Mission mutex back @ManEatingApe. PR submitted.

The FOXTROT was really fun! It took me 5-6 launches before I figured out all the required parameters (for example, wait until the vibrations die out before launching...) but then it worked like a charm. I had almost a full Oscar-B when docking so there is a large safety margin when all things go as planned.

A couple of screenshots here:

https://imgur.com/a/NfgvDOH

The only "flaw" with the craft is that the reaction wheel on the "tug" isn't strong enough to keep it pointing retrograde during a powered landing. Not very eco-friendly
 

 

1 minute ago, ManEatingApe said:

@dvader Thanks for the contribution!
Merged your changes and tagged them as "v13". Everybody please pull the latest changes.

Really great progress, especially over the last week, contributions are coming like clockwork.
We're nearly finished assembly - only 4 more missions to go!

• 1 x FOXTROT
• 1 x KILO
• 1 x LIMA
• 1 x KILOLIMA fuel

@Muetdhiver You have the mission mutex.
Please choose any 1 or 2 of the above craft to dock with MIKE (upper section will need to be detached to make room).

I've added myself to the mission queue next.

EDIT: Jinx!

Ji... oh... too slow...

@Muetdhiver Just one thing. KILOLIMA should preferably go before KILO and LIMA. The 0.56t should be below KILO and the "bigger one" below LIMA for balance.

I can volunteer for KILOLIMA+LIMA if needed (and anything else).

[Jacke]

One thing I found out that I did wrong with my docking from watching another docking video.  I forgot to turn off SAS just before contact.  That's what likely resulted in all my dockings bouncing.

[Muetdhiver]

One Foxtrot docked. That rocket is dope. Easiest caveman thing I have flown so far

Will 100% steal it for my NCD run

Spoiler

Pull request opened.

How does the next part ?

[Jacke]

@ManEatingApe, if there's anything left to launch and dock to MIKE, I'd like to give it another try.

And apparently you can get Configuring Vessel Naming in flight.

Explains it when it was added to the game.  Also covers these special cases.

Quote

By default this option only shows for Command Modules like the original rename vessel option and only in the editor (VAB/SPH), but if you want to extend that behavior then this info could be useful.

If you add this to a parts cfg file then it too will have that option appear in editor

showVesselNaming = True

If you change this setting in settings.cfg to be true then the configure vessel naming option will show for parts configured when in flight mode

SHOW_VESSEL_NAMING_IN_FLIGHT = True

You can also configure the maximum number of priorities and the default priority from the settings.cfg

 

[ManEatingApe]

13 hours ago, Muetdhiver said:

One Foxtrot docked. That rocket is dope. Easiest caveman thing I have flown so far

Will 100% steal it for my NCD run

Glad you liked it

13 hours ago, Muetdhiver said:

Pull request opened

Look forward to merging it, however I can't see your PR - perhaps it's open on your local repo only?

10 hours ago, Jacke said:

And apparently you can get Configuring Vessel Naming in flight.

Nice research. Feel free to tweak KILO and LIMA name priorities in the VAB.
I'd prefer to avoid any in-flight renaming shenanigans if we can prevent it.

10 hours ago, Jacke said:

if there's anything left to launch and dock to MIKE, I'd like to give it another try.

Awesome, thanks for volunteering! I've added you next in the queue. We have left:

• 1 x KILOLIMA fuel
• 1 x KILO
• 1 x LIMA

See @Muetdhiver's comment above - KILOLIMA has to go first, splitting into 2 parts on the mothership.
Feel free to take either KILO or LIMA after that if you like

Edited September 20, 2019 by ManEatingApe

[Muetdhiver]

Look forward to merging it, however I can't see your PR - perhaps it's open on your local repo only?

Yup. Me silly, did it right this time. I think ?

 

[ManEatingApe]

@Muetdhiver Thanks for the contribution! I've merged your changes and tagged them as "v14".
Everybody please pull the latest version.

@Jacke You have the mutex. Have fun!

[Jacke]

Got the latest latest.sfs and loaded it.

There's 2 craft (and 7 debris) in orbit:

• Core_U, which looks like the jettisoned front of MIKE, with just a core and electric charge keeping it from being debris; and
• 'FOXTROT', obviously the rear of MIKE with all other craft docked, the mission spacecraft under construction.

Renamed it MIKE, made it a Station, and turned it up from 5 (?) to 11.

I believe @ManEatingApe said next is a KILOLIMA fuel.

Where and how does that fit into the final assembly?

I'm not sure how to proceed especially as I don't see in that test final assembly image a vessel docked to MIKE that has a large engine facing forward.

Edited September 21, 2019 by Jacke

[ManEatingApe]

8 hours ago, Jacke said:

I'm not sure how to proceed especially as I don't see in that test final assembly image a vessel docked to MIKE that has a large engine facing forward.

Thanks for fixing the craft naming and good call asking for clarification before proceeding!
Some of the designs have evolved since that final assembly guideline image was created.

First some good news. The craft with its engine facing forward is a DELTA, an orbital assembly drone.
It is equipped with RCS and reaction wheels to act as a "tug" to help dock other craft with MIKE, but is a temporary construction aid and won't be coming on the mission to Jool.

Detach it to make room if necessary, use it to help dock craft if you want, then leave it attached to any convenient port once finished.

My understanding of how the KILOLIMA fuel should be organized is in the 2 images below. (@dvader and @Pds314 if this is incorrrect please jump in).

• 1st example is LIMA sitting on top of the larger segment
• 2nd example is KILO sitting on top of the smaller segment

The goal is to help balance MIKE, so you can see that the mass of the two craft is almost identical and also nearly the same mass as a FOXTROT fuel segment.

Edited September 22, 2019 by ManEatingApe

[Jacke]

MIKE is in a 79.8x80.2km orbit.  I've launched KILOLIMA fuel into a 73.0x79.5km orbit and it's about 30deg behind with 185m/s delta-V left in the 2nd stage.  I will be able to get a close pass and commence close rendezvous.  Then I should be able to assemble KILO fuel tank and LIMA onto MIKE with DELTA.

Edited September 26, 2019 by Jacke

[Jacke]

Rendezvoused just outside of 20m away from MIKE, 66m/s remaining.   Switching to DELTA.

[Jacke]

I'm trying to maneuver MIKE to line it up for the docking of the KILO tank  LIMA.  But SAS is showing on MIKE as lite but greyed out.  I can't rotate MIKE with the reaction wheels and I can't toggle SAS.

Any idea what's going on with MIKE?

EDIT: Turns out I can rotate MIKE.  It's a bit slow now.

Edited September 26, 2019 by Jacke

[Jacke]

I have docked LIMA to MIKE with the KILOLIMA fuel 2nd stage still attached.

DELTA with the KILO tank still attached is about 270m away.  Just killed the low relative velocity and proceeding to dock.

Edited September 26, 2019 by Jacke

[IncongruousGoat]

34 minutes ago, Jacke said:

Any idea what's going on with MIKE?

There are a bunch of probe cores on MIKE, but they might all be set to hibernate to preserve power. Might want to check them to see what state they're in.

Though, if you've got fine-grained attitude control that probably isn't it...

[Jacke]

43 minutes ago, IncongruousGoat said:

There are a bunch of probe cores on MIKE, but they might all be set to hibernate to preserve power. Might want to check them to see what state they're in.

Though, if you've got fine-grained attitude control that probably isn't it...

It's not fine-grained attitude control (which still can be toggled on and off).  The SAS light is on but greyed out.  Can't disengage SAS.  After docking the KILO tank to MIKE with DELTA, when I detached the KILOLIMA 2nd stage from LIMA to deorbit it, it inherited that state with only one probe core.

The 3 cores in BRAVO, VICTOR, and TANGO are hibernated.  The DELTA core and the other forward core on MIKE are still on, so that there's still a live core on MIKE when DELTA undocks.

( @ManEatingApe, perhaps we need an update to the Mission Plan in the first post along with some updated module pictures.)

Anyhoo, here's after I docked DELTA with the KILO tank (even docked with SAS engaged, yay).

And here's after I undocked the KILOLIMA 2nd stage.

@ManEatingApe, let me know if that's okay.  I'll get onto updating my fork and put in a pull request with the new latest.sfs and latest.loadmeta.

EDIT: Pull request with updated files created.

Edited September 26, 2019 by Jacke

[Jacke]

This SAS locked-on thing might be a disaster waiting to happen.  It's inherited by parts of MIKE that undock.  I can imagine this screwing up at least the LAYTHE craft.

Don't know what caused it, but it was already in the state of MIKE on the LATEST I received.  Just confirmed that to be sure.

Edited September 26, 2019 by Jacke

[Rakaydos]

6 hours ago, Jacke said:

This SAS locked-on thing might be a disaster waiting to happen.  It's inherited by parts of MIKE that undock.  I can imagine this screwing up at least the LAYTHE craft.

Don't know what caused it, but it was already in the state of MIKE on the LATEST I received.  Just confirmed that to be sure.

It was in the state that I received, and was already causing problems after docking until I changed which core controlled mike.