What did you do in KSP1 today?

[jdsutton]

I built a space plane:

That was awe-inspiring.

[cantab]

Having deflected one asteroid, decided to send the same ship onto another.

Manouvre set by cantab314, on Flickr

Should be able to pull it off, although I'm anticipating a pretty big burn at the intersect to match speeds. The actual deflection, though, will only need a few m/s - that's the nice thing about intercepting the rocks in solar orbit. I might even manage three deflections in a single mission, though the candidate third target is a big one.

[Mitchz95]

Fueled up the U.K.S. Will Kerman for her mission to Eve and Gilly. The departure burn is scheduled for tomorrow. Also launched her sister ship, the U.K.S. Renown, in preparation for a manned mission to Eeloo.

And I designed a two-man SSTO that can (theoretically) make orbit and return. Still getting the hand of spaceplanes.

[Robotengineer]

Attempted a KSP meme. My gimp skills aren't that great.

[Duke23]

Well I was heading off to Jool in my shiny new ship I've been messing with, and then something stupid happened. I hit escape to stop the game while I posted this screenshot and with the menu up my engines kept burning. I scratched my head for a second and hit escape again, and they all exploded!!! I was in the middle of a 16 minute burn! *bangs head on desk*

[Mitchz95]

I built a space plane:

http://youtu.be/gp_iSufF5XI

I'm not sure what impressed me more:

- the spaceplane itself

- the fact that your computer can apparently handle it with no problem

- the fact that it flew perfectly the very first time

- the fact that you didn't save ONCE during construction

[Vonar]

This is a prototype roll on roll off cargo lander designed to safely deliver multiple payloads to wherever they are needed in the Kerbal system. Extensive hardware testing of the propulsive landing systems was conducted at the KSC, and a validation mission is currently en route to the Mun in order to demonstrate that all systems are operating as anticipated.

[astropapi1]

http://i739.photobucket.com/albums/xx32/Vonar581/220200_screenshots_2014-06-07_00008_zpsce302338.jpg

This is a prototype roll on roll off cargo lander designed to safely deliver multiple payloads to wherever they are needed in the Kerbal system. Extensive hardware testing of the propulsive landing systems was conducted at the KSC, and a validation mission is currently en route to the Mun in order to demonstrate that all systems are operating as anticipated.

Are you playing on a blackberry phone?

Man, I had never seen KSP in such a low resolution before.

[Mister Kerman]

I'm making trips to different biomes on Kerbal in my first playthrough of the campaign. It definitely makes experimenting more satisfying when you get actual results, unlike sandbox. That and it's fun being forced to evolve your rockets over time. You become more intimate with parts you build with. I'm loving the campaign so far!

[Duke23]

After reloading to counter my engine explosion bug when I hit escape, the Jooles Verne finally got underway for Jool and things are going pretty well overall, but could be better! Every mission is going to be plagued with oversights and derp moments, of course.

Got a nice shot coming in with 3 moons visible.

Aerobreaking / capture at Jool

I'm pretty proud of getting out here, I plan on visiting as many moons as possible and landing on at least a couple of them.

I decided to drop the probe after aerocapture and before adjusting my PE above the atmosphere. Did the same thing with the second one at Laythe. I used the RCS on both to adjust my approach but I'm glad I didn't fully deorbit them with RCS like I had originally planned.

I managed to get down pretty low... Actually too low, with the lowest point at -250m before my probe exploded and claimed I impacted the planet. Wasn't able to transmit much data due to not packing enough batteries and the solar panels broke off in the soupy atmosphere. This was almost a waste of time except that it was interesting to watch.

Well I got a goo pod transmitted and some of the science jr before I hit the water. Since I was able to extend the solar panel in atmosphere here I used the pressure sensor and thermometer in the water before this probe became pretty much useless. UNLESS... I can get it over to a land mass? It does have a tiny engine on the bottom and the science modules took all the damage during splashdown. Would have been nice to open a goo pod in the water but you can't have everything I guess.

I'd like to land a Kerbal on Laythe but I don't know if I have the DV to get back into orbit. I only have two parachutes that I'd have to transfer over from the escape pod, and would likely need some assistance from the engines to land safely. Still debating. It'd be nice to hit some solid ground and bring the science back instead of transmitting it, but I'm not really worried because this trip is already going to be massively productive. As a side note, does anyone know why disabling the crossfeed on docking ports isn't persistent? It's kind of annoying to redo that every time I load a quicksave or restart the game. It pulls fuel out of the lander and the escape pod (and later the return section of the ship) if I don't.

To be continued... Time for some sleep.

Edited June 8, 2014 by Duke23

[Deep silence]

Tried to fly a flying wing. Nice, but absolutly unstable an yaw axis...

[Superfluous J]

Testing, always testing. Today I got each piece of my Jool-6 (5 moons plus Flying At Jool science) all tested, except the mothership. Then I started trying to build the mothership and KSP crashed. So, I'm taking a break.

I have 30 individual pieces to attach and I'm using the away-from-ksp time to muse on the best way to get that many attachments. In theory I could cut it down to maybe 25 pieces and I probably will because woo, this thing is getting complex

[Cirocco]

Made my second attempt at capturing a class E asteroid in a stable orbit around Kerbin after the first one was met with fuel problems, RCS problems and the kraken. This time I grabbed it on the edge of the SOI and tried to shunt it in a bit closer to Kerbin for optimal gravity brake without trying the insanity that is aerobraking with a freaking huge space potato.

After about an hour of burning and timewarping and realising that I was controlling from the wrong probe core (I had two RCS modules attached to different sides of the asteroid to try and make it a bit more manoeuvrable) and quickloading and more burning and timewarping and a <strike>very fortunate coincidental</strike> TOTALLY PLANNED Mun encounter for an additional gravity brake, Kerbin finally has a new moon.

The tug made it back to Kerbin safely and completely intact, asteroid orbit is completely stable, with apoaps below mun orbit and periaps at about 100 km. Still need to bring her to equatorial orbit and circularize, but she's here.

At. bloody. last.

Words cannot express what I'm feeling right now.

[Tevac]

I tested my SSTE today (Single Stage to Everywhere (with Kethane). Got it running from Kerbin to Minmus, Gilly, Moho and back to Kerbin. Some small improvements and then off we go to Duna and beyond.

Edited June 8, 2014 by Tevac

[Concentric]

Finally managed to make a new spaceplane design work. In fact, this is the first spaceplane I've managed to get to orbit with any significant amount of fuel remaining (536 liquid fuel and ~630 oxidiser in the tanks at a 70km circular orbit), and the second distinct spaceplane design I managed to get to orbit at all - that is, all my other spaceplanes were based rather closely on my first success.

It's not SSTO, though. It's a RATO design that drops the boosters with 'chutes on, and passes out of physics range just before they'd hit the ground/water. This Rocket-Assisted Take-Off method manages to get the plane into the air (just) before the end of the runway, and even gets it up the first 1500m before the boosters fall away.

Then, it's a long turbojet climb, and some speed-building at 20km. Once air-intake is running out, the LV-N and the eight 24-77s activate to provide rocket thrust, and the turbojets shut down soon after. Not too long later, the 24-77s shut down to reduce fuel consumption: they've not been active long, but they've already used up more oxidiser than the LV-N uses in the entire trip.

Coast to apoapse, applying nuclear thrust whenever it drops into the atmosphere again, then circularise on the LV-N.

I docked it to Station Aleph, which will probably come down at some point soon-ish. Perhaps after the FourJade mission ends, I'll make a new spacestation... Anyway, I dumped some of the fuel and oxidiser into the station's fuel tanks, because I had plenty in the plane, and I was only going to deorbit anyway.

Then, it was time to return. I attempted to come down at KSC, and even planted a flag there to help target it, but it wasn't to be. I hadn't checked how the plane flew when empty - or nearly so. It was rather uncontrollable, and Dozer was just about saved by the abort/ejection system.

Harbus heard you like flags, so he tried to put a flag on the flag, so you could target the flag when you targeted the flag

But anyway, a (relatively) successful RATO spaceplane.

Edited June 8, 2014 by Concentric

[Dat_Spacewaffle]

Discovered my test rocket for the NovaPunch farings actually made a decent "probe to high Kerbin orbit" launcher

[OneEyedShark]

For the first time ever got a manned craft safely home, UN-manned!

i was flying the "Wolf I", a fly-by craft of the Luna program, when i suddenly realized that four batteries wasn't enugh. I was useing TAC so it was a bit more of a problem then normaly, and Samkin knew that. But he also knew that he would never be able to go home, not alive anyway. If he used all his fule and had electricity to do so it would take 2 hours to get back, but he only had one left. so he made the expariments in HKO, transfered them into the cockpit got out and pushed. luckily it was almost a free return, so atleast that wasn't to hard. After that all he had to do was to arm the parachute, ditch the rest of the craft and hope that it could survive the atmosphere.

<iframe class="imgur-album" width="100%" height="550" frameborder="0" src="http://imgur.com/a/Y2TAZ/embed"></iframe>

Edited June 8, 2014 by OneEyedShark

[cantab]

Tried to drive my rover about Kerbin for a bit. After returning to it after I'd parked it, I found it seemed jammed on something unseen, driving forward or backward wouldn't budge it and just broke wheels. And yes, I had released the parking brake.

I then enabled all wheel motors and reversed, and the chassis split clean apart

The crewmember was outside the rover when this happene. When I recovered the greater part of the rover his marker was still apparent, but now he's not in the tracking station and is listed as "Missing in Action" in the astronaut complex. On a permadeath save, where every other lost Kerbal is list as "Dead".

[Wooks]

I uploaded the latest episode on my challenge to circumnavigate Kerbin on a rover

*** RIGHT NOW ***

Out of the South Pole and into the Antarctic thundra through the mountains wearing a weird hat, closing the distance to my final destination: The Kerbal Space Center lagpole.

You can follow these events on youtube, this is the latest uploaded video

Edited June 8, 2014 by Wooks

[Superfluous J]

My Jool-6 rocket is almost done. It's 345 parts, over 1100 tons (96% of which is fuel), and takes multiple minutes to load both in the VAB and the launch pad. I've yet to actually get it in Orbit and most of the time it fails before the first stage separation.

I think I'm going to unload all mods and see if it runs any better.

[the_bT]

I build these two things, Tanker I and Bee:

Mission: Take off, fly level, separate Bee (it is currently tethered to the Tanker by two grappling hooks).

If that goes without fireball, try "landing" again.

What could possibly go wrong?

If this is workable I'll equip the tanker with some sort robotic arm and make it the first ever aerial rearming platform

[Frank_G]

I fiddled around in the VAB to build a new scanSAT mapping satellite but did not got far... so i searched youtube for some inspiration and stumbled upon this great documentation which i could not resist to watch.

Informative and lots of nice real and animated video material accompanied by a nice soundtrack and nice narrator. I strongly recommend to take a look, as xenon gas powered engines are explained. The whole thing feels like watching real life KSP (no Jeb though).

http://youtu.be/4tA-3ghPUKA

[sndrtj]

I launched the core network of my Kerbin Positioning System today. It consists of 8 satellites (KPS2-9, KPS1 was a test) launched at different angles to a low circular orbit of 70-75km using a minimal launch system. This launch system leaves no debris in orbit, thus minimizing Kessler syndrome. All sats have more than enough oomph left to deorbit safely if so required. An extended KPS system (eXKPS) consisting of an additional 6-8 satellites is currently being studied.

The minimal launch system

A sat in orbit

LKO overview

[the_bT]

Ok, update: Didn't go so well

Wasn't my fault though. Either FAR or Procedural fairings bugged out after switching crafts. All Tanker wings somehow ended up being shielded and not generating any lift. So I disabled shielding altogether. That did the trick, I took off with both planes tethered together and thought I was the smartest guy ever.

Fast forward to reaching a decent height, I leveled off, made sure everything was nice and stable... switched to the Fighter, everything went as planned.

Turns out taking off is easy, gently pull up, the grappling hooks rip loose, We're off...

Then I found out that due no longer functioning aerodynamic shielding (some idiot had turned it off) I could not retract the grappling hooks, furthermore, they were flying all over the place. I almost lost control because of that so I jettisoned them.

Now without grappling the rest of the mission was kinda impossible, so I tried anyways...

Inevitable result:

[bobcook]

Continued my Jool-5 Challenge mission with a successful landing and ascent from Laythe.