Project BABYLON

[Tada]

And how we´re going to move it?

I would maybe suggest something we can take to Laythe orbit piece by piece towed by a ship - mothership or tanker on it´s trip to Laythe.

I´ll relase save with mothership soon so you can get handle of it

[zekes]

hey we could support the cruiser with our "Space Fighters" The Debulists are SSTOs which can go pretty far. You could take a few of them with the carrier, they are like less than 100 parts. They could get to kerbin Orbit on their own, then dock with the cruiser and the cruiser could take them to Laythe.

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/25343-ZoPL-Debulist-%28BACK-BY-POPULAR-DEMAND%29?p=309445#post309445

[Tada]

Tempting offer But I do have my orbital figther situation pretty much sorted out. I don´t want to weaponize space too much. I´ll see about the cruiser, but I think we can make it to Laythe without it - or I can repurpose the mothership. Ad some forward facing hard-points with some missiles...

But there is one thing I´m still looking for - an atmospheric fighter, which I can deploy and use on Laythe.

[zekes]

Zokesia Skunkworks can do that! Ill call up the engineers and see what they can do...

[ROFLCopter64bit]

And how we´re going to move it?

Simple.

My mega-cluster engine block, which can go 12 LV-Ns and up, if needed.

[brobel]

O and i guess i should ask if im part of the project's crew now

and how do you post craft files on forum our do you just put up a link

[ROFLCopter64bit]

Mega-Cluster is built. Shall I move Sapphire to laythe orbit now?

[KD3]

Ok, I'll just make sure the beacon can get to orbit and has enough fuel for a rendezvous. I was going to put wheels on it but I can't really put them anywhere if it needs to be capable of floating on water as well as going on land.

[Octobomb]

If we need wheeled rovers I set up a land base for rovers to refuel and dock at the KSC - I'm sure it could be jury-rigged to get to laythe - send it up as a pillar, land it, then shuffle it about on the ground. Pictures coming soon

[Tada]

brobel: you´re in. You can email me the craft file on [email protected] and I will edit it into to save file.

ROFLCopter64bit: I´ll relase a updated save file today and then go ahead with this save and put "Saphire" to late and send post up the save here as we did previously. And post up some pictures, I´m very curious how is that huge construction flying. I suggest you then put it into really low orbit above Laythe - like 75-80km for spaceplanes to be able to get there from surface - their range is very limited.

KD3: Primary beacon will be on land, so now focus on that one. Other beacons may be as well placed on water - I plan to make a network of beacons to navigate crafts coming down from orbit.

Octobomb: Rovers are not priority just now because Laythe doesn´t like rovers due to it´s unstable surface.

[Broco]

If you want you can add my ship Anubis as light cruiser. Only thing I want is that you keep the name (you'll see why when you look at the design).

It's a stock only SSTO-Spaceplane, needs refueling in Kerbin orbit after launch but is capable of traveling to Laythe on its own.

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/26768-Anubis-Spaceplane-%28SSTO%29

[brobel]

Ok ill send you the craft file but still working on building a stage to get it up there but im trying different ideas.

[Tada]

Official save coming out in 2 hours

Few teaser pics of Damkina class mothership preparing to go to Laythe carrying fuel and cargo:

Edited May 3, 2013 by Tada

[Tada]

Official save relase

DOWNLOAD

Features:

Horizon orbital station in 115km Orbit above Kerbin, equiped with fighters

Damkina Proto B Mothership equiped with 2 Calf tankers and 2 Falcon MkI SSTO Shuttles, all fully fueled and ready to go!

Damkina Proto C Mothership just arrived into orbit, needs equipment and fuel

Laythe Recon probe - orbiting Laythe

I also renamed all the ships to match names I suggested on first page - so it won´t be confusing anymore.

So I suggest - take the ships for the spin, and writed down some feedback on their range and characteristics. Pics or videos are welcomed. If someone proves himself skilled pilot (taking fully loaded Damkina to Laythe and establishing propper equatorial orbit for example) he may be chosen to flight an official misson in next relase.

Now to official missions for this relase:

ROFLCopter64bit - put "Saphire" station into 75km orbit above Laythe.

So lets fly into the black!

[KD3]

Ok I will redesign a bit. Should be done by about 10pm British Summer Time (GMT+1) at the latest.

[llamatoes]

I have the first prototype of My take on the Bee,

The head contains all the docking gear, the Thorax contains the fuel and mono-prop for the other craft, and the abdomen has the engine and own power.

Note how Poncyily I have set up the solar panels like wings.

The Craft:

Yes... I know the launch vehicle is too big

Having almost one and a quarter tanks left, we decided to take a joy ride test flight to Mun and Minmus

The actual craft(with resupply torpedos

[Tada]

llamatoes: Nice ship, but it is mostly what I thoutgh as a "Hive" ship. "Bee" should by just some kind of small space tug droid powered by RCS to move those torpedo stacks (or probes or anything with big/small docking port on it) from ship to ship within orbit.

Well, Damkina class can reach Laythe using 2 calf tankers as a drop-tanks, arriving into Laythe orbit with 2 SSTO Falcon Shuttles. I dropped them before I made my inclination change over Laythe. So with each sortie Damkina can bring 2 modules/ships into Laythe orbit and on Laythe Orbit it can be re-stocked with low-gravity landers and them to outer moons of Jool. To be honest I thought it would take less fuel to reach Laythe. But it is definetly possible.

Droping spent "Calf" tankers

Jool aerobraking

Laythe orbit after droping probes and shuttles

Edited May 3, 2013 by Tada

[23278]

I have a couple types of light cruisers built, but the "reloadable SRBs" part is a nightmare. Those things flex so much under every form of docking I've tried I can never get them to fly straight.

[Tada]

What about a smart missile/SRB hybrid? It gets undocked, aquire its target vector via RCS control and then SRB fires up?

Obviusoly part count for that would be higher, so ship couldn´t carry as much of these, but since they can be reloaded...

Reloading - small rcs powered droid can do that.

[Octobomb]

The 'Bee'. A 5 cluster weighs less than 17 tons, equipped with 300 RCS, clipped in probe core and endless power, (just realised i can cut that down to just over 16t), with both docking ports to boot.

I'm currently designing a Hive compatible with it..

NOTE: I will be designing an adaptor system for these bees (and a docking station for laythe station if you want). It will allow the bees to move ammunition such as cannon shots much more efficiently.

Edited May 3, 2013 by Octobomb

[Tada]

Yep, thats exactly what I had in mind! Does it have ASAS module? That will help docking bigger payloads.

Take a look at ships in save file and make hive carry ammunition for these. There is also a "Hive" prototype ship capable of reaching Laythe. Thats very importatnt - ship must be capable of reaching Laythe or there must be an option to dock it and tow it behind something else.

"Calf" tanker is succes - works great with "Damkina" mothership.

[Octobomb]

Asas is easy peasy. I'll upload ammo adapters when I get time to sit down and design them.

[Tada]

Fair enough

[brobel]

changing the engines on my cruiser to a setup like the Damkina (this will also make it easier for me to make a rocket to get it into space and add more thrust. Also changing other minor problems hopefully will be done soon.

[Tada]

Looking forward to the result! Laythe capable cruiser... Damn!

Damkina was a succes, but not total succes... It´s range without "Calf" tankers used as drop tanks is limited, but maybe I´m wrong and excesive fuel consumption was caused by weight of payload. But still it is a prototype and I´ll make some minor tweaks.

And god know we need a cruiser - space is pretty dangerous place with all these Spiritwolf Corp. and Hanland Corp. ships flying around in Kerbol system:

Good thing is, that for Project BABYLON we have bought/steal many of these designs