[1.12.x] Wacapella: Early sounding rockets (1.0.5, 19th Feb 2024)

[610yesnolovely]

 

Wacapella: Early sounding rockets

By: 610yeslovely

Wacapella provides a very early stockalike replica of the WAC Corporal sounding rocket first launched in 1945.

The parts are created using only ModuleManager by duplicating and/or modifying existing parts from CNAR and Taerobee and available in the start node. There are three different science payloads as nose cones, so several launches are required to gain science, and so are very useful for starting more realistic based careers.

The name is derived from WAC (probably stood for Without Attitude Control) and Capella, which is the Kerbalized name in CNAR for the Corporal rocket system used on the Bumper replica.

Source

Source is available on GitHub.

KSP Forum is the home page for discussions.

Origins

This mod was originally a bunch of ModuleManager patches and fixes from CNAR KSP forum topic. Seemed like it would make a good mini-mod however.

Installation

I highly recommend installing mods using CKAN as it will correctly add required dependencies, however for those who like a more tedious life you can manually install them and possibly get less of my attention if there are issues.

Alternative installation:

• Install from SpaceDock
• Install from GitHub

Required Dependencies:

• ModuleManager
• CNAR
  • NOTE: This mod is only compatible up to 1.8.1, but it works fine in 1.12.x. Install the latest version (1.0.2) by explicitly picking that version in CKAN, or the less recommended option is to allow all mods from versions of KSP from 1.8 onwards by using "Settings -> Compatible game versions". This is less safe because some older mods may not work and you may accidentally try to install these.
• Taerobee

Recommended Dependencies:

• BDB - which will provide some other early US rocket systems.

Suggested Dependencies:

• History of Spaceflight - which provides a large set of contracts based on history. I'd recommend the "Pocket Edition" unless you want to faithfully recreate every single launch and failure.
• Skyhawk Science System - which is a very good "Probes-Before-Crew" style tech tree, and works great with BDB and History of Spaceflight.

Flight Instructions

To build a replica of the first WAC Corporal, see the Blue Prints.

• Starting from the top with a command/nose cone, there are three science variants:

  • Capella Control Unit with Thermometer Experiment
  • Capella Control Unit with Barometer Experiment
  • Capella Control Unit with Goo Experiment

• Capella Inline Parachute.

• Capella Engine. Disable the shroud.

• Capella Fins x 3.

• Tiny Tim Decoupler.

• Tiny Tim. The first stage SRB.

• Tiny Tim Fins x 3.

• Colours: Most parts have either a black and white or black and yellow colour variants.

• Staging:

  • Stage 0: The Tiny Tim and any launch clamps.

  • Stage 1: The Tiny Tim Decoupler and the Capella Engine. Historically the Capella Engine was actually in Stage 0, you can try but things may explode.

  • Stage 2: The Capella Inline Parachute.

In stock if you launch straight up it is highly likely that the parachutes will be destroyed on re-entry. Even deploying parachutes near apogee at around 66km. Launch to a lower altitude, launch more at an angle, don't use parachutes and use the provided Communotron 4-S to transmit science. Experiment like they did historically to find the right way to get back safely.

License

All content is MIT licensed.

Note that this mod does not contain any works, content or assets from CNAR or Taerobee, but it does use them via ModuleManager scripts. Still permission to have something using them was obtained from the owners:

• The original and current author of CNAR Dylan Semrau:

  610YesNoLovely — 12/01/2022 8:26 PM

  Hey there, not sure if you saw [...] I'm thinking of making a companion mod to tie CNAR and Taerobee using MM patches to make a WAC Corporal [...] Just wanna make sure that's okay with you.

  [...]

  DylanSemrau — Yesterday at 6:47 PM

  yeah go for it

• The original author of Taerobee, Beale:

  610YesNoLovely — 12/01/2022 10:37 AM

  Hey @DylanSemrau (CNAR) and @Beale - I'm thinking of making a mini mod for CKAN which depends on CNAR and Taerobee [...]. Just want to check that this would be okay by you guys. [...]

  Beale — 12/01/2022 11:09 AM

  @610YesNoLovely yeah totally fine, but I should probably say I don't have any taerobee assets etc / or really remember what exactly was in the mod

• The current owner of Taerobee, zer0Kerbal

  610yesnolovely Started conversation: December 1

  Hey, I'm checking with Dylan (CNAR) and Beale (Taerobee) also, but I'm thinking of making a mini mod called "Wacapella" [...]

  Just checking to see if you're okay with that, just in case you may have thoughts/going to do something similar/etc.

  zer0Kerbal Replied: December 1

  @610yesnolovely patches? sure - as long as you respect the license: CC BY-ND 3.0 Unported.

The remaining balance fixes were posted on CNAR KSP forum topic as follows:

• OrdinaryKerman posted: Fix Engine to have better bottom node for launch pads
• Beetlecat posted: Fix Fins to actually attach properly
• Gordon Dry posted: Fix CapellaExperiment2 to be pressure (not temperature)
• DaveyJ576 posted: Fix experiments to have a bit more EC

Edited February 20 by 610yesnolovely
Install instructions updated, now available everywhere.

[Spike88]

Shouldn't the fix for the Barometer either be final or after CNAR? It's not working properly on my end, which I just ended up manually fixing the cfg for the part.

[610yesnolovely]

18 hours ago, Spike88 said:

Shouldn't the fix for the Barometer either be final or after CNAR? It's not working properly on my end, which I just ended up manually fixing the cfg for the part.

I use Skyhawk Science System, and it had to appear FIRST, such that other SSS MM patches work. It may need to be duplicated with FIRST and AFTER[CNAR]. I'll raise an issue, unlikely to fix it soon though, very busy with work these days.

https://github.com/harveyt/Wacapella/issues/1

[Spike88]

2 hours ago, 610yesnolovely said:

I use Skyhawk Science System, and it had to appear FIRST, such that other SSS MM patches work. It may need to be duplicated with FIRST and AFTER[CNAR]. I'll raise an issue, unlikely to fix it soon though, very busy with work these days.

https://github.com/harveyt/Wacapella/issues/1

I also use SSS, but have a very small knowledge about MM patch order lol. I just noticed it wasn’t working on my end and got curious and checked your patches.
 

 I quite understand being busy with work working a job with mandatory OT. Thanks for taking the time. 

[610yesnolovely]

On 3/8/2023 at 2:36 PM, Spike88 said:

I also use SSS, but have a very small knowledge about MM patch order lol. I just noticed it wasn’t working on my end and got curious and checked your patches.
 

 I quite understand being busy with work working a job with mandatory OT. Thanks for taking the time. 

I just updated (and restarted) with Wacapella and SSS and get the same issue! Funny thing was that I didn't initially notice and thought I'd done something wrong building and launching rockets, but it's definitely broken as you describe.

Personally I'm going to write it off as Kerbals not being good at early rocketry - I will fix it properly one day though. It's actually based off a manual fix here:

If you follow those instructions you can fix it that way. Just need notepad or textedit.

Edited March 20, 2023 by 610yesnolovely

[610yesnolovely]

Release 1.0.4 (1st Apr 2023)

Fixes:

• Barometer on Capella Experiment 2 really works as barometer (not temperature).

[610yesnolovely]

Release 1.0.5 - kOS Support (19th Feb 2024)

Adds:

• Very very small kOS processor for each Capella Nose Cone, to allow for very basic programs and/or simulate control via radio.

Edited February 20 by 610yesnolovely