What did you do in KSP1 today?

[soulsource]

Well, since I didn't post the whole weekend, todays post will be about more than what I did today.

As I was already planning when I wrote my last post, I did a successfull landing in the Muns Twin Craters. Well, again I tipped over the lander at launch, since I (again) forgot to switch on thrusters before throttling up. Luckily I was at least smart enough to retract the solar panels beforehand, so I could get it upright again without any damage, and the mission continued. Since there still was enough Xenon left on the orbital station, I also landed in the Muns Midland Craters, which were the last location close enough to the equator to be reachable with the Xenon reserves of the lander. Afterwards I sent an unmanned refuelling mission that filled the still attached transfer stage of the munar orbital station (which, btw, is just a science lab with Xenon and RCS tanks and solar panels). After properly disposing the refuelling ship (aka crashing it on the munar surface), I used the transfer stage to change the orbit of the orbital station, lander attached, to a nearly polar one. From that I performed a proper landing in the Polar Crater.

The next plans will be quite challenging: Landing in the polar biomes with a solar powered lander which was designed to be used at midday. While, when the sun is close to zenith the orientation of the lander can be changed arbitrarily, close to the poles, where sunlight is always coming from the horizon, one does not have that freedom, but must carefully handle the throttle and orientation of the craft in order not to run out of power.

Here's a screenshot of the Munar Orbit Station, with the lander docked to one of the three docking ports, the return vehicle still attached (with a design flaw: I used a decoupler instead of a docking port), and behind the return stage the (at that time as good as empty) transfer stage. The station was sent to the mun with a crew of 2 Kerbals, while the third crew member was flying the lander from Kerbin to the Mun separately. It turned out that this was not the worst decision, since by doing so the transfer stage didn't run dry and could be reused for orbit changes. Regarding the lander I'm particularly proud of the placement of the RCS tank - between the 3 ion engines. By placing it there, it makes a nice counterweight for the Mystery Goo Containment Unit.

Sadly I only took screenshots while landing in the twin craters (at least I think it's from there). As you can see, I'm horrible at landing, usually spending nearly 2/3 of the fuel in the process. Luckily, getting back to orbit is easier, so 1/3 of the fuel is by far enough to do an orbital rendevouz with the station and dock.

[Biff Space]

I drove a rover from the highlands on Minmus (where I landed it) down to the base on one of the seas. It handled beautifully on Kerbin while testing, but flipped a couple of times in low gravity. Luckily it landed right-side-up both times, only losing a solar panel and a couple of headlights. Still, a good drive / cartwheel day.

[KerbMav]

Hacked Spaceplane! plus parts to get them in line with FAR and DRE (hopefully, at least my CoL worked again after I was done!) and then built another Not-yet-space-plane ...

@PART[*]:HAS[#author[Porkjet]]
{
@module = Part
@dragModelType = default
!dragCoeff = DELETE
!deflectionLiftCoeff = DELETE
}

@PART[mk2_1m_Adapter]
{
@maxTemp = 1500
MODULE
{
name = ModuleHeatShield
direction = 0, 0.15, 0.9 // underside of fuselage
reflective = 0.25 // 25% of heat is ignored at correct angle
}
}

@PART[mk2_1m_AdapterLong]
{
@maxTemp = 1500
MODULE
{
name = ModuleHeatShield
direction = 0, 0.15, 0.9 // underside of fuselage
reflective = 0.25 // 25% of heat is ignored at correct angle
}
}

@PART[mk2_1m_Bicoupler]
{
@maxTemp = 1500
MODULE
{
name = ModuleHeatShield
direction = 0, 0, 1 // underside of fuselage
reflective = 0.25 // 25% of heat is ignored at correct angle
}
}

@PART[mk2CrewCabin]
{
@maxTemp = 1500
MODULE
{
name = ModuleHeatShield
direction = 0, 0, 1 // underside of fuselage
reflective = 0.25 // 25% of heat is ignored at correct angle
}
}

@PART[mk2CargoBayL]
{
@maxTemp = 1500
MODULE
{
name = ModuleHeatShield
direction = 0, 0, 1 // underside of fuselage
reflective = 0.25 // 25% of heat is ignored at correct angle
}
}

@PART[mk2CargoBayS]
{
@maxTemp = 1500
MODULE
{
name = ModuleHeatShield
direction = 0, 0, 1 // underside of fuselage
reflective = 0.25 // 25% of heat is ignored at correct angle
}
}

Found a Dragon capsule mod and hacked around as well - then saw that there is another (with no hacking necessary) Dragon available ...

So, I basically learned a bit more about ModuleManager, FAR and DRE behind the stage.

Edited May 12, 2014 by KerbMav

[Concentric]

Jeb stole Bill's thunder, and ran a quick ion landing on Mun. I took the DresIon ion lander (seen here) and put it on a quick, small rocket to get it to Mun orbit.

Figured out my main problem with ion landing: apparently, to land with low TWR, you need to carefully control your altitude, keeping it roughly constant for a good fraction of your descent. So you shouldn't be pointed flat retrograde. With this, I managed a Mun landing on ions.

Low TWR takeoffs seem to involve keeping the time to apoapse increasing slowly until you have a periapse, but this was something I already knew from other ion landings, just more so.

No pictures, but the return was routine, splashing down in the ocean and ripping apart Bill's pride (in being my only successful ion lander pilot) only two days after launch. Don't be too down, Bill: you still have twice as many ion-landing successes than Jeb.

Edited May 13, 2014 by Concentric
Fixed link

[NoPanShabuShabu]

Passed 45 degrees S and caught the sunset before camping for the night.

[Whovian]

I failed to build an SSTO under 5 tons.

[joekidd1992]

I finally got the better maneuvering fins that make orbits and getting close to the right orbit soooo much easier.

[Duna]

Build a base on Duna its great for interplanetary travels and Ike is also a good refueling out post if you have Kethane mod, another reason to build a base on duna or station around it is because it only requires 1580 m/s of Delta-V to get to Eeloo when in orbit around Duna

[cantab]

I mined some Kethane for the first time. And I'm loving the Near Future Propulsion stuff. Filled up the tanks and I have 32 tons of kethane and 9,500 m/s of delta-V to take it pretty much anywhere I like. (Well, apart from the surface of places bigger than Minmus.)

[michaelhester07]

Today I rode the missile.

[Bishop149]

Today Jeb (Finally!) returned from his trip to Laythe netting 652 Science (not that I need it anymore, Jeb picked up a rock. . . science isn't really his thang)

[Fingal]

I practiced my spot landings on Minimus.

[Scarredclown]

I'm in my fourth day in this game...it completely ruined my life...now i'm at work thinking about how i will make the next rocket. Last night instead of watching hockey, i spend the evening trying to orbit the mun without much succes. I have a dozen space mission now without any kerbal giving is life ! ( but one of them is in orbit and sould be back in a couple of years....)

[TrooperCooper]

Finally tweaked out a 100 ton lifter that can get me a better lander to the nearby moons.

More Mun exploration.

Working on an automated landing probe for atmospheric planets.

Test-drop on Kerbin. Love the new high alt brake chute that R&D got me.

Maybe a bit to many regular chutes. But I have no idea how bad the lesser atmospheres out there will affect em...

Deployment....

[Pwnstarr]

I'm in my fourth day in this game...it completely ruined my life...now i'm at work thinking about how i will make the next rocket. Last night instead of watching hockey, i spend the evening trying to orbit the mun without much succes. I have a dozen space mission now without any kerbal giving is life ! ( but one of them is in orbit and sould be back in a couple of years....)

Hah I do this too. And it all goes out the window once I get into VAB / SPH.

[Xacktar]

Anyone for a game of darts?

[MGCJerry]

http://cloud-4.steampowered.com/ugc/432654819381514389/DD562865CC93BDE4D4A3FEE288B1C40F98515F11/

Anyone for a game of darts?

Thats great! Got a video?

[EdFred]

Built my first plane. Flew 1/2 way across the ocean, turned around, and landed on the runway at KSC, no chutes either.

From what I'd been reading I thought it was going to be "unpossible." Of course it probably helps I'm a flight instructor IRL, and just do what I would do with any airplane.

[User Unrelated]

Some assembly required...

(the dish is the telescope from Interstellar mod, I replaced the mesh with one from a comms dish, because I think the interstellar mesh looks terribad)

Totally maintainable, replaceable cryostat, and solar power arms.

I plan on upgrading the power circuit once I unlock better solar panels.

IT WAS NEVER MEANT TO LAND!

but I tried anyway...

excellent suicide burn

YESSSSSSSS

Landed at a relatively speedy 12m/s

I honestly have no idea how it survived...

Sent backa MEASLEY 350 science, though! I was expecting way more. I could have gotten twice that with a single moon lander.

Edited May 13, 2014 by User Unrelated

[soulsource]

Today I continued with my study of the Muns surface. Probably the most difficult landings up to now, and I hope for the next few days: The Poles and The Polar Lowlands. I'm particularly happy that Bob managed to find a spot in the Lowlands, that was just high enough to be touched by sunlight. Otherwise taking off would have been difficult, considering the power consumption of three ion engines and the issue that there are at maximum only 1050 units of electricity stored in the landers batteries, and less after landing, since, to avoid breaking them, the solar panels have to be retracted a few meters above the ground. Now the Kerbonauts have to wait in munar orbit, until the last two missing biomes, the Northern Basin and the Southwest Crater are reachable from their orbit and in sunlight. Luckily this should only take about two days.

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I also started with the design of a lander for a manned expedition to Duna. My first test in Kerbins atmosphere was a success, yet I might need to reduce its weight if I want to get it to Duna without running out of fuel...

Edited May 8, 2015 by soulsource
Replaced iframe, which is no longer supported, by imgur tags.

[ZAIZAI]

Home with the flu so I completed refuelling operations and attached 4 landers to my Jool system explorer. 2 landers to go and some more crew and we are off to Jool and at least 4 moons.

Yes at 913 tons it is really silly, don't know if it will work but the Duna explorer worked a treat.

[NecroBones]

New video!

[Biff Space]

First encounter outside Kerbin's SOI! I got an unmanned probe round Moho!

I wont post a pic because it looks like a dustbin, but the Kerbals back at the tracking centre are no doubt having a glass of champagne.

[joekidd1992]

I'm in my fourth day in this game...it completely ruined my life...now i'm at work thinking about how i will make the next rocket. Last night instead of watching hockey, i spend the evening trying to orbit the mun without much succes. I have a dozen space mission now without any kerbal giving is life ! ( but one of them is in orbit and sould be back in a couple of years....)

Well.... before I bought I watched a Let's Play. It doesn't really tell you how to orbit the Mun but it gives you some ideas. My first orbit of the Mun was completely luck. Try to get the maneuvering fins as soon as possible. They helped immensely.

[Scarredclown]

A few minutes ago, i did my first flyby of the mun !!! Very excited about it, but too chicken to try to orbit it...