First time in Hard Career mode (mostly stock)

[tajwo]

Report 2, 10AM 19.11.22. Dead: 3 (Jebediah, Valentina, Tangun.)

If you haven't read the title, this is my first time playing on Hard Career mode. Mostly stock, with the exception of some visual mods, Final Frontier (gives fancy award ribbons to kerbonauts), KER, plus some other mods for assistance. You might notice a few other mods (SCANsat, Astrogator), I uninstalled them and a few other part mods after closing KSP, you won't see them in the next report. Please read the spoiler.

Spoiler

I decided I should start one of these threads instead of clogging up the "What did you do in KSP today?" thread. This save was actually started yesterday

This report is a continuation of this post. I have not taken many pictures unfortunately. I will try to describe the rest with text.

For today: I built the Kolibri IX, with a Terrier engine on its upper stage. Not much more changes than that.

 

I tried a Mün flyby mission. Accidentally became a manned impactor mission. Killed my only available pilot (Jeb and Val are both dead)

 

Upgrade astronaut complex (for spacewalks.) Accept another round of bailout grants. Scramble together a quick tourist rocket. All my pilots were dead so I had to use Bill.

 

Hire new pilot Barming. Attempt to reach Mün orbit this time (a contract told me to, plus spacewalk near the Mün.) Success.

That's it for now, I might continue later in the day. The space program is operating on the skin of its teeth right now. It stays barely afloat, only kept alive by bailout grants. None of the buildings (except for launch pad and astronaut complex) have been upgraded. There are only 3 available kerbonauts, 1 of them is a pilot. I might try an unmanned mission later (whenever I have something better than a Stayputnik)

Edited November 19, 2022 by tajwo
Add report number and time

[tajwo]

Report 3, 2PM 19.11.22. State of the Space Program: Funds:283,052, Science:245, Reputation:-61%. Year 1, Day 25. Dead: 3 (Jebediah, Valentina, Tangun.)

I started off with spending some of that science. I got Basic Science, General Construction, Advanced Construction, and Flight Control. Then I took a look at Mission Control. I have a contract for landing on the Mün. Not yet...I'll do that later.. I accept two contracts, one of them is a part testing contract.

Let's do that one first. A rocket is built to complete the contract, using the new-fangled Stayputnik. It is designed to carry out missions without putting any pilots at risk. Boring!

It's very advanced as you can see.

Here's the rocket on the pad. I did not forget a parachute. You just can't see it.

The mission goes about as well as expected.

The TestContract-IIb is built. The Stayputnik is replaced with a regular old pod.

On splashdown, a test is ran and the contract is completed. The Mission Control building is upgraded to Level 2. Onto the next contract...

The Kolibri X rocket is built, using some of the new tech.

It is limited to only 30 parts. I really need to upgrade the VAB.

The rocket does usual rocket stuff. After it finishes its orbit burn, it readjusts its orbit to a little above 400km. The new experiments contained within the Science Jr. are given a test drive in HKO.

The rocket then does more usual rocket stuff. It de-orbits, jettisons the upper stage (I transferred the stuff from the Science Jr. to Barming, it's ok) and then it re-enters Kerbin's atmosphere.

It lands in the desert, just west of the ocean seperating it and the continent where the KSC is on. 27 science earned.

Now I have only this contract left. I'll think about it.

One last thing. I'll try an unmanned launch, with a Stayputnik. I present to you the Puffin I. It has many new parts. A fairing to protect the probe from heating (and for better aerodynamics), and four high-gain antennas.

The core stage is a Thumper booster, accompanied with 4 fins for stability. After it, the second stage, a Hammer booster which carries the payload in a fairing.

Objective: Escape Kerbin's SOI, enter interplanetary space.

The rocket's core stage is depleted, the second stage begins its work. It only manages to reach about 600km. Objective failed.

Important science work is still done. The results from the Science Jr. are transmitted back to KSC with the high-gain antennas. 7 science points earned.

The probe miraculously survives re-entry. It smashes into the water at ~80m/s.

 

That's it for today. Thank you for reading and looking at the pictures, hopefully I can continue either tomorrow or on Monday. The space program is doing a little better, it still has a shattered reputation but it has a decent amount of Funds available. Its future is still uncertain. Kerbals doubt that the space program will ever make it past the Mün.

[tajwo]

Report 4 "Unmanned forays", 11AM 20.11.22. State of the Space Program: Funds:138,640, Science:58, Reputation:-60%. Year 1, Day 27.

First I went to R&D and unlocked Aviation. It might be useful for a science plane later on. I also went to the astronaut complex, wanted to hire another pilot for later but I was just short of the money from buying all the parts from the Aviation node. About 10k Funds short.

Now let's do missions. Here is the Puffin II rocket. The second stage is replaced with a more powerful liquid stage powered by a Reliant engine. There is also a third stage powered by a Terrier engine. It will attempt to complete the objective that was attempted in the last mission. It will go straight up, also done on the last mission.

Mass is ~15 tons, 25 parts, TWR 1.7,  3 tons LiquidFuel and Oxidizer, 6.1 tons SolidFuel, 610 EC.

The rocket lifts off. It reaches a speed of ~500 or ~600 m/s on the first stage. By the time it is discarded, the probe has reached ~13km in the atmosphere.

The first stage runs out of fuel. It is discarded. The second stage sends the payload to suborbital trajectory. It runs out of fuel as well and the third Terrier stage is activated.

However, as the third stage begins its work, stability problems begin to appear. The engine will be shut off until the probe exits the atmosphere. Did I mention this thing has no reaction wheels or fins, and no SAS? I only have the Terrier's gimbal. Not a big problem, just wait until the probe is in the right orientation and turn on timewarp. It will lock in place. The Terrier stage begins its burn, hopefully to interplanetary space.

...

Success!! With just an inkling of fuel left (169m/s Δv) the probe manages to enter a trajectory to outside Kerbin's sphere of influence.

The probe detaches from the Terrier stage, extends its antennas, and begins its journey to.... nowhere. It will stay in an orbit around the Sun forever. It will inevitably end up alone as its link to the KSC is eventually severed.

After around 7 days, the probe enters interplanetary space. Its 4 antennas are just enough to maintain a (weak) link to the KSC.

The probe transmits its science, consuming about half of its EC. The connection gets weaker and weaker until it finally loses contact with the KSC, around 10 days into the mission.

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After this I did some part testing contracts. I'm not going over that, way too boring.

If you pay attention to the contract list you can see I still have that Mün landing contract. I'm still thinking about it. Not too sure how I'll do it with a level 1 tracking station.

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With the money I have (~120k funds) I hire one new pilot. 

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That's it for now. I might continue later in the day or tomorrow. The reputation of the space program has slightly improved since the last 2 reports (about 2%). The majority of Kerbals still see the space program as a waste of money and wish to see it end for good. The prediction that "the space program will never make it past the Mün" has been proven wrong. But they can't land on the Mün... can they?

[tajwo]

I regret to inform you

 

Dead: 4 (Jebediah, Valentina, Tangun, Burcal.)

 

Barming was ejected into Sun orbit. Still cash-strapped, no more bailouts, no more pilots. Maybe next time?

Edited November 20, 2022 by tajwo
I give up