What did you do in KSP1 today?

[cantab]

@cratercracker Love the use of the antenna to mock up a laser! I may have to copy that myself.

[Fearless Son]

Built this nice high-altitude plane, sent Jeb out to Kerbin's northern ice shelf to grab a sample and return to KSC.  Still had a quarter tank of gas when I got home.  That means this can literally fly halfway around Kerbin on a single tank of fuel.  Generally cruises at about 800 m/s at an altitude of 20,000 meters.  

Edited March 10, 2017 by Fearless Son

[Numerlor]

Little fail while doing shuttle challenge 

[Kerbital]

Got creeped out by three girls. Long space travel and all, I guess takes a toll on Kerbal psyche...

 

Oh, and took some more of pretty pictures

 

 

[NISSKEPCSIM]

I started a new pet-project, 'Kontakt'.

 

[AccidentsHappen]

So I've been quite busy lately, testing out new things and finishing off the old. Hear me out, cause this is probably going to be a long one .

So.

my latest craft Pistachio One (an improvement on the little glider that was stuck on Minmus a week or two ago), went once again to the pale green speck. Arrival was nice and again, I packed I bit too much fuel. Pistachio One was originally designed to go to Minmus, land on the edge of the Greater flats, do some science and come home. Instead, the transfer stage was used to make a soft landing and Jeb hopped out and planted a flag.

Then, after the science was collect, I flew to the Lowlands. Then the Midlands. The Highlands and the slopes.

Spoiler

I then left my science save and went to sandbox to figure out what to do next.

In the meantime, I made a B-1 Lancer that I'm happy with:

Spoiler

The Lancer fly's nicely, with a top speed of 458m/s. I tried with wings swept back, as I originally intended to make a stock swing-wing, but the speed only increase by 30m/s under the same conditions, and I preferred the better handling of the first version.

Back to Pistachio One:

After some thinking, I decided Pistachio One could make it to the Lesser Flats. The landing at the Highlands was quick, as balancing in a Poodle engine isn't Jeb's forte. A quick burst of fuel sent him on a nice trajectory to my favourite place on Minmus. A nook in the south end of the lesser flats:

Spoiler

Tooth-like ridges on the edge of the Highlands:

It was decided that the mission was good to go home, so Jeb boarded Pistachio One and took off, ditching the spent transfer stage early in the ascent. The Spark engine was ignited, pushing P1 into an acceptable orbit. A handy Mün Encounter was picked to collect some science and slow us down a tad, and soon, Jeb was back home, making an easy landing in the desert.

Spoiler

 

 

Spoiler

Jeb has now been reassigned to my new Light Cargo Test Vehicle, the C-27 II Super Spartan. I seem to have lost the screenshot of its design, but here's a picture of it delivering a troop truck to the Island Airbase:

A really weird thing about it is that it's takeoff speed is about 120m/s, but it's stall speed is <40m/s...

[LordFerret]

Today I wrangled with an uncooperative game where, putting up new relay satellites in perfect circular orbits (ion powered, no MechJeb), I found every time I used time warp to help the wait for a satellite to reach a desired position, the damned Ap and Pe would change - because of the time warp. A few meters here, a few meters there... so inconsistent... so damned aggravating. My thinking is that this is not a thing which should be happening, there is no reason for it. Anyone else who has experienced this, feel free to chime in.

[The Raging Sandwich]

It happened

15 minutes ago, LordFerret said:

Today I wrangled with an uncooperative game where, putting up new relay satellites in perfect circular orbits (ion powered, no MechJeb), I found every time I used time warp to help the wait for a satellite to reach a desired position, the damned Ap and Pe would change - because of the time warp. A few meters here, a few meters there... so inconsistent... so damned aggravating. My thinking is that this is not a thing which should be happening, there is no reason for it. Anyone else who has experienced this, feel free to chime in.

I've had this happen before, and something similar. When rendezvousing two things, when I time warp, my target just sort of teleports to its right for no reason.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, The Raging Sandwich said:

snippity snip

So Kerbin Global Warming is a thing now?

[qzgy]

I finally managed to fly under the bridge!

Probably with the stupidest thing ever.

Works really well though, especially with 10 wings clipped into the command pod

[FungusForge]

Landed 2 rovers in the Polar Crater on the Mun. Gonna send up a crew tank and fill them with Kerbals before sending them on their duties.

Just the start of rebuilding a space empire lost with my old hard drive.

[cratercracker]

I had a ton of launches these 2 days!

1.- Cyan shuttle

"Cyan" shuttle is the first shuttle i've ever built! First tests were awful-rolling,flipping and wiggling, but then, as my idea of shuttle was getting more and more perfect ,the shuttle was already prepared for launch! It flew perfectly but sadly didn't land... All crew landed using parachutes in their suits!

It had a lot of fuel! And was really good shuttle for me!

2. Finish of "Ablation" relay on minmus. 

''Ablation' relay consists of 4 identical satellites on different orbital incliniation!

It will really help with my next 4 crewed missions to minmus!

Last probe to be released from the mothership

3. ''Gauss" unmanned lander is orbiting minmus for now!

The concept of "Gauss" is to have an orbiting lander around one planet/moon for it to be visited by crewed missions regularly. It can be easly repaired and reconfigurated using modular design (docking ports everywhere)

It will reduce the cost of flight to minmus!

4/5 is 2 launches of different rockets but with similar aim!.

"Fluorine" rocket

and "Power" rocket

Both carried identicall payload of Mark 1-2TE (thud engines)

And both succeeded

And that is it for today!

 

 

[qromodynmc]

Having nothing to do, i put all planes together to take family photos, kids first then adults.

 

edit- imgurl link if anyone interested. http://imgur.com/gallery/OxPmo

Edited March 12, 2017 by qromodynmc

[Puggonaut]

Jeb takes Val to the Sea for a romantic evening watching the Eclipse

 

[Reusables]

Cheated to dive into the underwater, and took an underwater sample. I didn't know that this one gives another experiment, in the same words...

The text is identical to the one from the surface. Now time to check...

So, got two surface samples from Water! One from the surface, another from the floor!

This one is done in sandbox mode, so don't know how it works in science/carrier mode.

[TheEpicSquared]

Taking inspiration from Blue Origin's recent New Glenn video, I decided to take SpaceX and Blue Origin, and mesh them together, creating this:

The Dragon 2 capsule from @tygoo7's excellent Tundra Exploration is capable of propulsively landing itself, as is the booster.

The booster is based on the New Shepard, but has SpaceX's grid fins for control. It's connected to the capsule with docking ports, so the same capsule and booster can be reattached and reflown.

Moar pics:

Spoiler

Testing legs:

Liftoff!

FMRS is armed.

The rocket ascends. The Vector plume is now nearly invisible.

Apoapsis established, and the Vector shuts down.

The capsule separates from the booster.

FMRS is working as expected.

The capsule falls back in the atmosphere and the four grid fins extend for control.

Reentry is not very stressful.

As 1.5 kilometers above sea level, the engines on the capsule ignite for a propulsive landing.

Gears deployed.

Descending...

And touchdown!

Now for the booster landing.

FMRS is used to switch back to the booster.

Grid fins deployed.

Reentry is more stressful for the booster.

Engine ignition at 3.7 kilometers.

Gears deployed.

Almost there...

And touchdown!

Switching back to the landed capsule. Mission success!

I'll provide a download link soon.  

[septemberWaves]

I went to the Mun using Soviet-style technology. Complete mission report can be found here.

[Guest]

I sent a rover to Eve!

I used the Jupiter-V launch vehicle again to get everything into orbit. Here it is on the launchpad.

 

Here's the transfer vehicle and payload in LKO. I ended up just barely having enough Delta-V to deorbit around Eve! 

 

Here's the rover and parachute attachment in Eve's upper atmosphere. The Kraken decided to pay me a visit when I separated the heat shield from the drogue parachute assembly, and it wound up taking one of my drogue chutes as payment 

 

The rover got to enjoy a lovely Eve sunset as it made its final decent separated from the heat shield and drogue chute assembly. I'm thankful and a little surprised it didn't break and explode during the separation!

 

And here's my lovely little rover on the ground on Eve. It doesn't drive all too well, but it can maintain an uplink to Kerbin around noontime, and it has a decent power supply! 

[Kertech]

First Kerballed mission out of kerbin SOI. The youngest Intrepid class cruiser was selected (the Kydonia) with a deep space habitation module (Intrepid class vehicles are designed to be adaptable!)
 

 

Spoiler

Crew were sent up on a Leia (from rocket factory, love a four man pod!) to Station 2 for a transfer.

The Kydonia then rendezvoused with an intrepid extension module (a gym, life support, recyclers and a lot more fuel!) 

6 Long burns to get out of kerbin soi (it's something like 3000m/s to do it!) Then detached the fuel module, one of my first pieces of space junk!

Burnt for home, a total excursion of 100 days! The captre burn produced an encounter with minmus so decided to attach the habitation module to the minmus exploration station.

First minmus Landing.

 

Spoiler

The four veterans disembark from the Kydonia and Jeb, Bill and Bob get in the Eagle mk2 lander. Val visits the gym, Keepfit is telling me she is at risk for reentry due to extended period in a cramped module! (this was meant to be her command)

I scaled up the landscape, it's pretty gnarly slopes man!! Beyond is the landing site, should have good ore concentrations

Crew then returned to Kydonia and cast off for kerbin, after 150 days in space it's time to get home!

Return to Station 2 to get back to their Leia

 

Mandatory reentry sunrise shot 

This concludes the veterans work together,they now all have their own commands with rookies. Jeb is going to take the 4th mun exploration mission, Val will take the second Minmus exploration mission, Bob will take his crew to do some orbital science and Bill will test some new exciting rockets...

Meanwhile the first Plock-Karen window came up so the first Vagrant mk2 mission was launched (Pluto 1 [V2a] ) The mark 2's are nuclear powered and have 24,000m/s off the pad!

Spoiler

My Biggest current rocket a Titan IV, which is in all honesty is too big for the payload, but the third stage is then used to extend the orbit beyond the mun!

Loads of different propellants here! Lowest stage is the Titan IV's second stage (about 500m/s left) which is LFO, the next is a Monoprop stage Titan IV stage 3 (from NF-spacecraft) about 1,500m/s, next a LH2 nuclear stage with 3 pairs of drop tanks, which gives about 6,000m/s and the final is an in engine (xenon) with about 4,000m/s. There is a nuclear reactor on the final stage to power that ion engine and massive com dish! Nightmare to balance all these fuels efficiently! Probably gonna simplify at some point!)

Did quite an aggressive transfer so should be there in only 10 years!

Finally tested some nuclear thermal stuff!!

 

[eddiew]

In the wake of the careless unfortunate accident that recently destroyed KSC and the resulting devastating cuts to the space program's funding, mission control needed to think of new ways to bring in the roots, lest they all be reduced to eating roots. Fortunately, there's always some rich idiot who doesn't check the safety report and throws money at anyone who can do fun things.

The first rich idiot's name is Tito Kerman, and he wants to go to space in any way possible. Hang on to your hat, Tito, because Dragonbug I is ready for takeoff!

Happily, Tito and pilot Ellie survived the trip unscathed, and a new industry of space tourism was born. Now, for the low low price of a year's salary, you too can spend a few hours watching your homeworld spin beneath you!

Also, we have a cool science station that you may have seen in the news. For only 50% extra, we'll have our veteran scienticians give you a personal tour through Mo'dur.

While both an elegant and exciting mode of transport, Wyvern I is a little limited in its seating, only providing for one party at a time. Hungry for challenges and snacks, the engineering team releases this artists' concept of "the next big thing" in space tourism, offering double the passenger capacity of the original Wyvern while sacrificing none of the range:

 

[N_Danger]

 I brought my kerbals  home from Duna. The first to leave are Val, Bob and Kimey.

Then Jeb ,Bill and Marliana left a day later. The Science Station served them well but time to go home.

Happy landings were had by all.

I also tested a prototype Jool/Saternus science vessel.

 

 

[NISSKEPCSIM]

I launched a... wait. Anyone who is reading my KSP fanwork, 'Kontakt', should probably look no further (Unless you like behind the scenes).

Spoiler

I launched a SCANsat into a polar orbit of Kerbin. The plot of 'Kontakt' requires me to land at multiple anomalies, so I need a satellite to figure out where these anomalies are located. I designed a new satellite, Kerbsat-1, and launched it from a new rocket, the 'Hercules.'

'Hercules' on the pad:

Launch:

After ditching the boosters, the core started the circularisation burn, and the satellite completed it.

The satellite in question:

 

 

[duesenmilan]

11 hours ago, qromodynmc said:

Having nothing to do, i put all planes together to take family photos, kids first then adults.

-snip-

Woah, would really like to have a closer look at some of these. Especially the Drake, which is my favourite fighter jet of all times.

Would you mind uploading them, or at least the Draken, somewhere?

[The Raging Sandwich]

I tested my Ranger out at Namm, Duna, Thatmo, and Admun.

[ProtoJeb21]

Completely forgetting that Jedbus Kerman had already went on a Minmus-and-back mission a few weeks ago, mission control sends new recruit Sonlock Kerman off to the minty moon aboard the newly designed Menta I lander. It is somewhat based off the Soyuz ships, having docking, engine, and crew parts that separate before reentry. The launch went well, and I was able to get to Minmus in a record time for me - only about 9 days. Sure, that's nine times longer than what it takes to reach the Mun, but I don't care. It's still a record! But it wasn't until I started doing SCIENCE! in Low Minmus Orbit did my excitement waver. It came to me that there had already been a mission to Minmus, which was forgotten about. Poor Jedbus did all that work just to be overshadowed. But mission control found it as a great idea to collect even more data from Minmus to help with plans for colonization. At least, after the Rhea mining base is set up on the Mun.

Sonlock wasn't the greatest pilot. Three times he had to try and land the dang thing, but the final attempt was risky enough to make Jeb clap in approval.

Sonlock did not approve, however.

With that out of the way, Sonlock happily left the minty landscape of Minmus. He was anxious to get back home to watch some of the latest episodes of Doctor Kwho. However, despite his name, Sonlock wasn't very bright. Instead of slowing down his orbit for an aerocapture, Sonlock decided to do a Mun flyby - which didn't work. The resulting burns to get the ship's orbit near that of Kupole Station almost took up all the fuel on board. His next job was to dock Menta I with Kupole Station so he can deposit a few experiments for long-term research. He returned with 7 of the 12 experiments on board, as well as the top docking module, which became jammed. But the mission was a success, bringing more data than mission control could hope for.

But when most of the mission staff were celebrating a success out of nowhere, one member was checking the orbital positions of the planets and found that Eeloo was in just about the right place for a Hohman Transfer. This was a golden opportunity for the space program (I have never been to Eeloo before), so mission control ordered the construction of a new space probe. It was named Styx, and was only around 3 tons. A large nuclear-powered interplanetary stage was added as well. In order to get this thing to Eeloo, the engineers had to design that largest lifter they've ever made - the Titan V. After several rounds of design testing, Styx was sent up into orbit. Mission control began plotting a maneuver for it, but found out they could get an encounter with Jool during this time frame. So the maneuver was cancelled until a Jool probe was sent out, and when Eeloo was in a slightly better place.

Engineers quickly designed Hera I, the first Jool probe in a longer line of future missions. It took designs from Styx, but had improved features like solar pannels and even more electricity. It was also sent out on a Titan V lifter and was heaving off to Jool within an hour after launch. Time until Jool encounter is about 4 Kerbin years.

About a week or two later (in-game), Styx was ready to head off to Eeloo...kind of. It was quite a wobbly spacecraft, meaning that I couldn't go max thrust with the Rhino engine or else face the horrifying tentacles of Sir Kraken. So I had to burn at 50-75% thrust. That was, until the Rhino engine flared out and I had to use my nuclear-powered stage. Let me tell you, 7 minutes total of burning is not that fun. After achieving interplanetary orbit, Styx used up the last of the fuel in the nuclear stage to fix its encounter, then detached to fly on its own.

Mission control issued a few more things while waiting for new transfer windows to open up. First, the ICP-1 probe had to reach Duna. It entered the desert planet's SOI about 196 days after Styx left for Eeloo, and flew by the red planet with a closest approach of about 4,000 km. It was able to record gravitational data for almost every biome from High Space.

Next, the space program wanted the design from Menta I to be improved for crew transport and other missions to Kupole Station. This time they made sure to TEST the THree-WAy-Part (TWP, or THWAP) system before launching. The goal of this mission was to bring back the analyzed data brought by Sonlock's Minmus mission. However, it turns out that when you research experiments in the Crewed Lab Module, the individual experiments disappear. So that whole mission was pointless. *quack*

Finally, mission control's wish came true. A launch window opened up for Eve! The engineers went to work on Aphrodite I, probably my widest probe yet (purely because of the panels). It was also going to be sent up on a Titan V lifter, but the stuff within the fairings were unique. First was the rather compact nuclear stage. Unlike those for Hera and Styx, Aphrodite's nuclear stage was using just ONE tank, this time the second-smallest 2.5m tank, which still has quite a lot of fuel. Next was the aerobraking stage - just an inflatable heat shield and a 2.5m reaction wheel. I was hoping to get the probe in an Eve orbit through a "safe" areobrake through the top of the atmosphere. The top of that was Aphrodite I, which came with quite a lot of fuel for an orbiter. That's because Eve's strong gravity recquires a lot of dV just to change an orbit.

Aphrodite I was launched, put into orbit, and quickly sent on a trajectory to Eve. About 16 days after launch, it underwent a quick but VERY precise correcting change that puts it going through the top of Eve's atmosphere. Please, please be the right altitude for aerobraking...

TO BE CONTINUED.....

Imgur link: http://imgur.com/gallery/ciyr3