What did you do in KSP1 today?

[RizzoTheRat]

After several days of playing around with kOS I'm starting to get somewhere.  I currently have a vessel that launches automatically when the pad loads, uses a PID loop to limit the Max Q on ascent, deploys airbrakes on descent within dynamic pressure limits (need a better way of doing this based on heat buildup I think), and does a suicide burn landing using approximately 200m/s worth of fuel.

Here's my test ship coming in for a landing from a 30km altitude test flight, still at full throttle 70m off the deck

I haven't quite figured out how to work out the height from the landing legs, as the radar altimeter seems to give give height from the centre of mass, so I currently have to have a manually applied fudge factor of 7 meters in there.

[LightBender]

1 minute ago, RizzoTheRat said:

After several days of playing around with kOS I'm starting to get somewhere.  I currently have a vessel that launches automatically when the pad loads, uses a PID loop to limit the Max Q on ascent, deploys airbrakes on descent within dynamic pressure limits (need a better way of doing this based on heat buildup I think), and does a suicide burn landing using approximately 200m/s worth of fuel.

Here's my test ship coming in for a landing from a 30km altitude test flight, still at full throttle 70m off the deck

I haven't quite figured out how to work out the height from the landing legs, as the radar altimeter seems to give give height from the centre of mass, so I currently have to have a manually applied fudge factor of 7 meters in there.

Uh could you send me that KOS code?(and craft file) And what is the payload cap and did it land back at the Launchpad?

[XB-70A]

9 hours ago, Brikoleur said:

It's not luck, it's orbital mechanics. Kerbin's and Duna's orbital periods are closer to each other than Kerbin's and Moho's or Eve's. That means Duna launch windows are less frequent than Eve's or Moho's. In fact Duna's window comes up least frequently of all, because the orbit is the closest match.

Put another way: the easier it is to get somewhere, the less frequent the launch window.

Don't worry, it was much more some kind of a stupid expression to describe my mad choice to always launch without looking even at the current situation in the control station... I got disgusted by my own calculations failures, and the ones of the transfer window program. The "best" being that one day I chose to go (once again) to Duna, and the calculator gave me a waiting time of 364 days before the opening of the most economic window. I just put an alarm and warp to five hours before the announced time, then I finally launched the lander, and once in orbit (at the same altitude than 364 days before), then the calculator announced that the best economical window now will be in a year and some hundreds of days 

Funnily, one of the sole launches I ever made at the perfect time was for the second Ascension flight, with the window opening one day after reaching the parking orbit.

[Artienia]

I reached orbit

[The Aziz]

This.. this isn't the achievement I'm proud of

[LordFerret]

14 hours ago, Kronus_Aerospace said:

I feel as if this is not what the average KSP folder looks like.

Wow, that's a lot of crashes. I only had 3, and I thought that was a lot.

[Guest]

With the delivery of the command module, Dune Buggy, and landing zone lights, Kosmodrome Aelita is now complete. Now I have to decide what to do with it. I guess exploring Duna with the Zephyr is on the agenda.

I've gotten a bit better with these Duna re-entries. This time I managed it with very little unnecessary fuel expenditure. It's a little weird as attitude makes all the difference but it's not completely straightforward; if I maintain a steep pitch I'll slow down fast and fall short, and if I maintain a shallow pitch I'll drop into the lower atmosphere fast and fall short; if I maintain a medium pitch I'll skim the atmosphere and probably overshoot. So it's a bit of a tightrope walk. Still this time I touched down at the base with well over 100 m/s in the tank, so that's a definite improvement.

In the meantime though I think I'll switch to the other ongoing projects: I have self-orbit-capable ISRU and tanker modules docked to Jool Station around Vall, but one of them has a busted tyre, so I need to send an engineer from Laythe to fix it. Then I need to drop them on Vall and start making some fuel as Jool Station is completely dry. Might need a fuel delivery from Laythe as well, to prime the pump as it were. Then Valgas is still on Eve continuing his odyssey -- he has made his way to the Midlands, and there is only one more hop to a suitable highland launch zone for the long trip back home. 

Finally, Leia and Valentina are on the Pelikan on their way to Duna, where they will receive a hero's welcome, as well as a refuel -- at least that's one thing Kosmodrome Aelita will need to do.

Edit: the landing zone by night, it's a shame there aren't any stronger lights in the stock game...

Edited February 27, 2018 by Guest

[MaxwellsDemon]

49 minutes ago, Brikoleur said:

 Kosmodrome Aelita is now complete.

Great name!   I may nick it if/when I ever get to Duna.

 

Quote

Finally, Leia and Valentina are on the Pelikan 

I've got a "Leia" too, as well as a "Luke," both from rescue contracts.  Wonder if those names entered the mix with 1.3x, or if they've always been there and I hadn't rolled the right result?

ETA:  Has anyone else accepted a rescue contract purely for the name of the Kerbal concerned?   I know I have!     (One time, it was the name of one of our daughters-- how could I not?  Another time, it was because the name amused me...)

Edited February 27, 2018 by MaxwellsDemon
Additional thought

[TeslaPenguin1]

Started my first science game. After a lot of flying around on kerbin collecting data (and a TON of data from the KSC) I think I finally have to visit another planet to get more science. Good luck me!  

 

EDIT:
Also, killed Bob while collecting science. Drove my rover into one of the buildings and blew up bob but not the hard earned science, so I decided to keep it that way. Earned ~1000 science from that mission. Still more to do on Kerbin, with my new science tech.

Edited February 27, 2018 by TeslaPenguin1
Forgot to add something

[Guest]

Sad news: the SaGa of JUNO MIDGE has come to an end under the Laythean sky. A routine transfer between the Kosmodrome proper and the newly-relocated command module -- under automated control -- ended in a crash. The craft was not technically a total loss, but without an engine she won't be doing any more flying. Clear skies, JUNO MIDGE, wherever your spirit flies now.

Edited February 27, 2018 by Guest

[papuchalk]

So finally I have a carrier for my Eve lander. And because it is a 350 tons monster, it was not that easy. But it seem OK after two days of many bad tries.

So I call this OCTOPUS

https://imgur.com/a/UE0Ya

It is surprisingly stable on ascent, all previous models collapsed on ascent.

I cant wait to get back to my gaming PC to do that Eve landing mission. Been trying that since december. Man, it became too much personal..

[Atkara]

2 minutes ago, papuchalk said:

Man, it became too much personal...

I think it's because it is personal. Good luck

[HansonKerman]

3 hours ago, TeslaPenguin1 said:

Started my first science game. After a lot of flying around on kerbin collecting data (and a TON of data from the KSC) I think I finally have to visit another planet to get more science. Good luck me!  

 

EDIT:
Also, killed Bob while collecting science. Drove my rover into one of the buildings and blew up bob but not the hard earned science, so I decided to keep it that way. Earned ~1000 science from that mission. Still more to do on Kerbin, with my new science tech.

Don’t worry, if you haven’t changed the settings, Bob will respawn soon

[CatastrophicFailure]

3 hours ago, Brikoleur said:

Sad news: the SaGa of JUNO MIDGE has come to an end under the Laythean sky. A routine transfer between the Kosmodrome proper and the newly-relocated command module -- under automated control -- ended in a crash. The craft was not technically a total loss, but without an engine she won't be doing any more flying. Clear skies, JUNO MIDGE, wherever your spirit flies now.

Nooooooo, you can’t let that one die! Install KIS/KAS and get a repair crew en-route, STAT! 

[Geonovast]

3 hours ago, Brikoleur said:

Sad news: the SaGa of JUNO MIDGE has come to an end under the Laythean sky. A routine transfer between the Kosmodrome proper and the newly-relocated command module -- under automated control -- ended in a crash. The craft was not technically a total loss, but without an engine she won't be doing any more flying. Clear skies, JUNO MIDGE, wherever your spirit flies now.

Rejoice, for through KIS/KAS, all things are possible.

[Castille7]

21 hours ago, Castille7 said:

Thanks for the laugh! Another funny thing about this, there is a Castille that actually sells these, first and last name same as mine...too cool 

@qzgy

Really though, whats the power rating on that thing?

Didn't check, it's late and I shut down for the night, I'll check it out soon and let you know

@qzgy At first this was only a show piece and not intended for any use.....but! since you mentioned this I added power to the Tower and it now has an Antenna Rating Total of 347G. Not sure if the DTS-M1 Antennas will function in their positions, my guess is they will. I'm no expert on these only Flux-Capacitors 

Edited February 28, 2018 by Castille7

[eberkain]

I've been sending tiny remote landers to all the mun biomes to grab easy science.  

[TheProtagonists]

Just realised that with enough tweakscaling B9 and LLL parts can work together pretty well... so this spaceship is the product of that discovery

on the other hand the imbalanced thrust is really driving me to make an extremely OP reaction wheel...

[NotJebediah]

The tale of Fox Mk1 (aka the Butterbread SSTO)

*Wanted to try out a new design.

*Realised it might work but it's ugly as hell

*Built anyway, tested in flight, suprisingly stable an powerful

*More fiddling with CoM...

*Reached orbit with enough fuel to get home

*Currently working on Mk2, still in disbelief...

https://imgur.com/DYmqnS0

Edited March 20, 2018 by NotJebediah
Added picture

[qzgy]

Made yet another thing! Quite like actually the swept wings aesthetically now. Sorta like a BigS but smaller.

This again has no real other function than looking good. Doesn't really carry a payload and is a pain to fly. Though not as much as the other one.

If you'd like....
https://kerbalx.com/qzgy/Sledge-No2

Edited February 28, 2018 by qzgy

[Ace in Space]

Began construction of Onyx Mining Base today. I started by landing the fuel tower and mining rig - I don't remember why I didn't land the converter module at the same time (probably had to do with making good use of daylight), but I'm glad I didn't. As I was retrieving one of them, I had a realization. A 10 degree incline doesn't seem too bad when you're driving haulerbot around on it, but it's a whole different story when you're carrying a base module. It was very precarious and slow. So I decided to drive downhill a ways from the originally selected site toward a small plateau that seemed flatter (though, unfortunately, was in the opposite direction from where the fuel lifter had landed).

This plateau turned out to be 2-3 kilometers away, and it was a long, slow drive. I almost tipped a couple times but well timed activation of the landing legs steadied the thing and I was able to keep going. Eventually I got to the new site and decided that yes, 5 degrees is much more palatable than 10. I liked the spot well enough, so I set the tower down, and repeated the process with the mining module. I hooked those together and started it mining, then set about landing the converter. This one didn't require a long drive because I touched it down within a couple hundred meters of the new base location, so I was able to hook that one in too and get it started while I drove the fuel truck over from the original location to the new base.

So now all critical components are in working order.

Man, driving the fuel up to the lifter (the thing marked as 4.8km away) is gonna suck though.

Edited February 28, 2018 by Ace in Space

[LordFerret]

After bringing both shuttles home from Ice Station Zebra (orbiting 300km above Kerbin), and replacing them with 4 "Bus-3" (more efficient and cheaper crew shuttle), and rotating crew in and out, I decided to go back up to Dres and check on my crews there. The scientists are still churning away on the data, but not making much headway due to insufficient power. The female rover driver (I forget her name), bit of an annoyance she is, I finally got her to flip and right the rover. She'd only been stranded there for half a year. I consider it fortunate that she was lucky to right it, we'd tried so many times to do so previously. As I said, annoyance that she is, funny things afoot with Chatterer... she starts talking more and more, and of course CAPCOM answers her. Some kind of weird bug maybe? I couldn't get her to shut up (despite changed settings), so I had to turn Chatterer off lol.

Anyway, we're back to rovering around on Dres. Made it to the anomaly, pushed on to the polar cap, and is now heading back north to visit an impact crater before returning to the lander. I figure 2 more days of driving ought to finish the task.

[RizzoTheRat]

18 hours ago, LightBender said:

Uh could you send me that KOS code?(and craft file) And what is the payload cap and did it land back at the Launchpad?

I'm not that far advanced yet   The current test craft is a highish (3.5) TWR suborbital single stage jobbie, with no payload.  At the moment I'm using it to test just landing in one piece.  With the current script I have recovered it automatically from a 250km straight up flight (about the limit it can manage without overheating  on the way down), and from lower altitude shots with a horizontal velocity of a couple of hundred m/s.

My plan is to develop it to automatically drop my 45 Tonne payload SSTO's back on to the KSC.  Doing it manually I'm usually within about 10-15km or so, but generally bring them in short to avoid the risk of overshooting and landing in the sea.  If I can figure out the atmospheric drag predictions I plan to set it up for a predicted overshoot, use the airbrakes to bring it on to target to account for different weight re-rentry payloads (they haul crew modules down as well as lifting stuff).  If I do it right I should be able to use the same code to do precision landings on vacuum worlds too.

The trouble is there's loads of things I want to do before I get there:

• Rewrite the existing script to do what it does in a slight more structured way
• Move to defined coordinates (or target vehicle) in the hover
• Stick  a thermometer and barometer on it to calculate air density and see if I can work out drag prediction 
• Do a series of test drops of my SSTO logging data to see if I can use empirical data to estimate drag deceleration rather than calculate it
• Do a series of test launches of my SSTO so look at the impact of TWR and drag on the initial angle of a gravity turn

It's going to be a busy week...

[RizzoTheRat]

On ‎25‎/‎02‎/‎2018 at 9:47 PM, HansonKerman said:

Trying to set up a mining Minmusbase. Any advice?

Interesting that everyone seems to have different ways of doing it.  Personally I refine on Minmus and  use KAS/KIS to attach the tanker to the mining rig.  The Gravity on Minmus is low enough it's easy to land a decent sized mining rig, and IMO, the advantage of a tanker over an orbital refining/refuelling station is it's mobile.  I haul the fuel to Kerbin orbit, dock with the outgoing interplanetary vessel, lift both to a high Apoapsis, top up the tanks on the interplanetary ship, disconnect from the tanker, and burn for wherever at Periapsis.  This uses more fuel overall, but that fuel's free, and it means my interplanetary ship uses very little dV leaving Kerbin SOI.

Here's my mining rig on the left, and tanker with it's tug sat on top of it on the right.

 

The whole setup went up in as single launch, with the mining rig sat on top of the tug, and only carrying enough fuel to get them to Minmus, but I did have to use Mechjeb for the launch as the framerate was a bit low on my poor laptop   The launch stage was supposed to be an SSTO but I can't remember if I actually managed to recover it or not

 

One of the stretch goals of the kOS stuff mentioned above is to see if I can have the tanker land on a docking collar, but I'm a way off that yet.

Edited February 28, 2018 by RizzoTheRat

[Guest]

10 hours ago, CatastrophicFailure said:

Nooooooo, you can’t let that one die! Install KIS/KAS and get a repair crew en-route, STAT! 

This career is with full revert/quickload but no KIS/KAS. JUNO MIDGE had a good life and a fitting end, so thus it shall be.

I will install KIS/KAS on the (semi)hardcore career I want to start after I'm done with this one. I think KIS/KAS would make that a lot more fun as it would make minor mishaps recoverable while keeping major disasters disastrous, while adding extra complications to overcome -- such as getting the engineer on-site to start with.