[WIP] Asbury Western Stars Industries - Stockalike Kistler K-1

[EStreetRockets]

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v1.0.0-beta-3 (29 September 2021)
Stockalike Kistler K-1 for KSP

This mod adds the Kistler K-1 reusable launch vehicle to KSP. It is balanced like other stockalike mods such as BDB and Tantares, for a ~2.5x solar system. In the future I hope to add more NewSpace and similar unflown concepts!

DOWNLOADS
Spacedock
Github

DEVELOPMENT
BUG REPORTS
WIKI
ROADMAP

Dependencies (included in download, check for latest versions!):

• ModuleManager (4.1.4)
• B9PartSwitch (2.17.0)
• Community Resource Pack (1.4.2)
• DeployableEngines (1.3.0)
• Simple Adjustable Fairings (1.12.0)

This mod also requires the Breaking Ground DLC.

Installation:

Merge the GameData folder in the release .ZIP with the GameData folder in your KSP installation.
All of the dependencies come included with the mod.
The "Asbury" folder, as well all dependencies, should appear alongside the "Squad" folder.

Recommended Mods:

The following mods are strongly recommended for an enhanced gameplay experience:

• CryoTanks (1.6.0) - This provides a set of patches provide fuel-switching features for the most basic LF/O tanks as well as orbital fuel tanks specially designed to contain cryogenic fuels
• Waterfall (0.6.3) - A cool way to create and drive engine effects more effectively. If you want cool engine plumes, get this mod.

Frequently Asked Questions

How are the parts balanced?
Parts are balanced against stock KSP parts, which means the launch vehicles might seem overpowered. The parts are best suited for a 2.5x~ system rescale or JNSQ.

Will you add feature/part xxx?
I certainly accept pull requests. Please target all such things to the dev branch though! Or, you can make a constructive suggestion on the forum thread. Please check the roadmap above before asking.

 

Licensing:

Spoiler

This mod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

This means that you are free to:

-Copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format -Remix, transform, and build upon the material

Under the following terms:

-You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. -You may not use the material for commercial purposes. -If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original. -You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.

 

Edited June 11, 2022 by EStreetRockets

[Clamp-o-Tron]

O_O

Eisenhower isn't even done!

(Kidding of course, this looks fantastic! Might we see the Masten XEUS sometime?)

Edited January 3, 2021 by Clamp-o-Tron

[EStreetRockets]

9 minutes ago, Clamp-o-Tron said:

Eisenhower isn't even done!

(Kidding of course, this looks fantastic! Might we see the Masten XEUS sometime?)

Eisenhower is very close to release, so I thought now I would unveil my next project.

Xeus is added to the roadmap! Thanks for the suggestion!

It will probably be built to work with BDB Centaur and Hephaistos ACES. (Xeus, Xephyr, and possibly XL-1 are probably the only Masten stuff I will include, on account of the rest being pretty easy to make from existing stock parts and mods.)

Edited January 3, 2021 by EStreetRockets

[Starhelperdude]

Cool!

What are the round tanks besides the whole rocket on the second picture?

[EStreetRockets]

22 minutes ago, Starhelperdude said:

What are the round tanks besides the whole rocket on the second picture?

Airbags, in fact. The K-1 was supposed to be reusable, and both stages would land using parachutes and airbags.

[EStreetRockets]

Orbital Vehicle progress!

[EStreetRockets]

AJ-26 is coming along well!

[Clamp-o-Tron]

Back on the grind, I see...

[EStreetRockets]

AJ-26-60

[MotokiKuN]

22 hours ago, EStreetRockets said:

AJ-26-60

Woah that's amazing

[EStreetRockets]

[EStreetRockets]

[EStreetRockets]

Orbital vehicle OMS engine:

[EStreetRockets]

[Pappystein]

On 2/2/2021 at 10:09 PM, EStreetRockets said:

AJ-26 is coming along well!

I have to say that is one of the nicer looking NK-33s I have seen.

So I have asked this question of many modders and I want to ask it again of you.   What is the point of a ring on-top of an engine?   The real life versions do not have such a device.   I ask, not as a criticism but rather as a quest for the ultimate legoability.   The Ring can show up in places where the engine fits fine but the ring is too big of diameter for the space it occupies (I am looking at you Atlas Booster skirt!)  

I can not wait for this and your Angara mods to fill out a lot of missing spots in my KSP playthroughs.

 

[Clamp-o-Tron]

13 minutes ago, Pappystein said:

 

So I have asked this question of many modders and I want to ask it again of you.   What is the point of a ring on-top of an engine?   The real life versions do not have such a device.   I ask, not as a criticism but rather as a quest for the ultimate legoability.   The Ring can show up in places where the engine fits fine but the ring is too big of diameter for the space it occupies (I am looking at you Atlas Booster skirt!)  

I can not wait for this and your Angara mods to fill out a lot of missing spots in my KSP playthroughs.

 

Never modeled an engine in my life, but I imagine The Ring became a convention to allow better-looking attachment of an engine to a bare tank (without a custom boattail), or to identify which footprint the engine “should” be used for. It just stuck around and has been used on places where it shouldn’t belong, like where the nozzle size is wider than the footprint of the ring.

Eisenhower 1.0 is out by now if you somehow weren’t aware, but I think we’re all looking forward to more post-Soviet rockets!

[EStreetRockets]

25 minutes ago, Pappystein said:

So I have asked this question of many modders and I want to ask it again of you.   What is the point of a ring on-top of an engine?   The real life versions do not have such a device.   I ask, not as a criticism but rather as a quest for the ultimate legoability.   The Ring can show up in places where the engine fits fine but the ring is too big of diameter for the space it occupies (I am looking at you Atlas Booster skirt!)  

 

 

5 minutes ago, Clamp-o-Tron said:

Never modeled an engine in my life, but I imagine The Ring became a convention to allow better-looking attachment of an engine to a bare tank (without a custom boattail), or to identify which footprint the engine “should” be used for.

@Clamp-o-Tronis right, it's so it looks better attached to all different kinds of tanks. Its a part of the (re)stockalike style, and it also makes sure it can be "legoable"--able to be used with all sorts of different parts.

But even so, don't worry.  My AJ-26s will come with a .9375m diameter mount, a 1.25m mount, and a bare version. The .9375m is intended for use on Kistler in game, and the other two are to ensure legoability.

Edited February 25, 2021 by EStreetRockets

[Pappystein]

6 hours ago, EStreetRockets said:

 

@Clamp-o-Tronis right, it's so it looks better attached to all different kinds of tanks. Its a part of the (re)stockalike style, and it also makes sure it can be "legoable"--able to be used with all sorts of different parts.

But even so, don't worry.  My AJ-26s will come with a .9375m diameter mount, a 1.25m mount, and a bare version. The .9375m is intended for use on Kistler in game, and the other two are to ensure legoability.

Appreciate the concise answer... and the ability to put those under BDB Atlas booster skirts (not that I would normally... but it is the part I judge all engines by!)  

 

[EStreetRockets]

It's time for a long overdue development update. I've gotten a lot done.

Here is a view of everything I've modeled and textured so far.

You may see some things that confuse you, so I will explain:

This is the standard Kistler K-1 vehicle prepared for ISS pressurized cargo delivery.

 

This is the OV and all of the payload modules that will be included.
Clockwise around the heatshield starting to the right of the heatshield, they are:

• the extended satellite fairing
• an ISS docking adapter
• the standard satellite fairing
• a fuel tanker module for delivering cryogenic fuels to orbital depots
• the K-1 crew module
• the hybrid pressurized and unpressurized ISS cargo module based on the extended payload fairing
• the unpressurized ISS cargo module

This final image is of the Kistler evolutions thought up by the twisted mind of e_of_pi, author of several excellent spaceflight alternate timelines.

This includes two LAP tank stretches, shown in comparison to the standard tank, the fuel tanker module, and the hybrid ISS cargo module. (Coincidentally, some engineers at Kistler actually patented almost exactly the same hybrid cargo module about 20 years ago. You can find that patent here, alongside some other funky K-1 stuff). The other thing is a regular payload fairing for the K-1 that would allow it to launch larger satellite payloads, while still being 100% reusable.

As is life, I have recently gained access to an absolute treasure trove of new Kistler sources, so I will be redoing a bunch of the existing parts and adding new parts as well. Additionally, I may be adding a few more parts as well based on the new sources.

Edited April 14, 2021 by EStreetRockets

[CollectingSP]

Any news? I’m really looking forward to launching K1!

Edited May 4, 2021 by CollectingSP

[NiL]

16 hours ago, CollectingSP said:

I’m really looking forward to launching K1!

We all do, I wouldn't push the modder this way through

[CollectingSP]

19 minutes ago, NiL said:

We all do, I wouldn't push the modder this way through

wasn't trying to push him, just wondering. i know people have lives outside of modding.

[EStreetRockets]

So now that I released that latest Angara update, I'm re-initiating development of Kistler K-1. For the first release, I plan to only include parts for a regular K-1 configured for ISS pressurized cargo. The wide variety of other variants will be in the second major release. 

As of now, the the first 3 parts of the LAP are just about complete and in-game:

[BSS_Snag]

Yes! I hope we see this unusual rocket take flight in ksp.

[EStreetRockets]

AJ-26 Update