What did you do in KSP1 today?

[Elidnas]

Kraken corrupted my last save-game so I had to start the long journey all over again. Slight redesign of the long range ship, and complete redesign of the landing shuttle (some of the planets around Murph have 3g gravity which needs much much more fuel for orbit than what can fit in a small Mk2 Space-plane. Lots of other re-designs to keep part count down after adding a much larger space-plane than before. Since my save-game was kraken-ed, I just cheated the two ships into LKO, then docked together and flew to the Jool wormhole again. This time I went through to the other side.

 

 

Anyway, the journey starts again.

Mission Date: Year 5. Day 144.

 

The crew of the Cerberus and the Ophiotaurus shuttle have arrived around the Murph system. Their first clue that they were orbiting something to be feared, was the realisation that after escaping the wormhole, the ship was orbiting Murph at over 25km/s.

 

No one was prepared for the immense delta-v numbers needed to maneuver around the black-hole. Over 15km/s was needed to capture at Doyle, the first planet the crew wanted to study and land on.

 

Captain Newcan and First Officer Kirbles woke up the rest of the crew from cryo-sleep and the scientists got to work mapping the surface features. It was found that the planet has a little more gravity than the home-world at 1.3g. Most of the surface is covered by an ocean with islands scattered around and what seems to be a volcanic mountain near the poles.

Once scanning and planetary characteristics were logged on the onboard computer, the Ophiotaurus was deployed to get closer readings of the surface and land on one of the larger islands. Mirdo, Charlie and Lefty were chosen for the first landing and initial surface science.

 

Othiotaurus un-docking from Cerberus ready for de-orbit.

 

De-orbit burn just above the atmosphere of Doyle.

 

 

THICC atmospheres have much heating.

 

 

The crew scans Zarbon island for a place land.

 

 

That is some view. Truly awe-inspiring.

[Cavscout74]

I didn't have a lot of time today, but I made some good progress.  The R&D upgrade was finally affordable - not that it matters, I just barely got my last 90-point node at the same time and I'm a ways from getting anything on the next tier.  Despite that, I've conducted my first LKO rescue of this career, bringing in another scientist, then my first Mun orbit rescue combined with first docking in orbit of Mun contract - I hauled a spare clamp-o-tron jr with the rescue ship & had my Kelrik attach it to the target vessel with KAS, docked with it, transferred that rescuee - another engineer - over, put the scrap vessel on a suborbital trajectory then undocked & recircularized just in time to catch the transfer back to Kerbin.  As usual, all the important stuff was done in the dark, so I didn't get any good screenshots. 

At the same time as the rescue, I launched a load of tourists to Minmus orbit in a modified MTV-4.  Now called the MTV-5, it adds an extra seat, better solar panels & a snack container in the nose for the trip to Minmus & back.  They are still en route, but they should provide a welcome pile of funds upon their safe return.

MTV-5 shortly after course correction maneuver

Finally, my second crew rotated into MOLE station.  They have a contract for an extended stay - supposed to be 90 days, but the contract is counting down from 30 days for some reason.   With only 2 pilots available, mission control can't afford to ground Jeb for his stunt leaving Kerbin space, but they can leave him on the station for a while and let Val get the first Minmus landing.

STV-3-1 departing MOLE station with the first crew while STV-3-2 waits in the background to dock with the replacement crew.

STV-3-1 preparing for reentry.  Val & Ambera safely splashed down & were recovered along with several MOLE experiments, giving a moderate boost to science.

Tomorrow, I should be launching a Mun Outpost using a very improvised Girroc 2.5m launcher (multiple x200-32 tanks with a cluster of 5 Reliants & 4 Cub verniers - it's ugly & untested, but it should work), then a manned Minmus lander.  I think I have the Pomegranate pod unlocked now, so I should be able to get Val, Kelrik & Ambera all landed together.

It's also starting to look like I'm not going to have much ready to send on the first Duna window - I may have a probe or two, but with the limited choices of solar panels, antennas & batteries, they aren't going to be anywhere near as good as I usually have ready for this window.  And with less than 60 days, I won't have time to get too many ready either - I'm sure build times will be 10-15 days each. Update: It turns out I should be able to get some good probes headed to the red planet after all.

Edited September 6, 2019 by Cavscout74

[Guest]

So I'm in Munar orbit with a full tank of gas, a half a pack of... mints, it's an eclipse, and everyone's wearing sunglasses. Oh, and "a full tank of gas" means a hair over 5000 m/s. Where should we go?

I'm testing the MIKS. It turns out the MOS is a hair overengineered, I can remove a few bits to make it better.

Kerbin suddenly seems really close by. I have no refueling facilities elsewhere in the system and there are no good transfer windows, but I do have a bunch of reaction mass to expel...

[hoover2701]

I have just returned to KSP after quite a long absence (since 1.4) being hyped by the announcement of KSP 2. So I started a new career after an enormous amount of finetuning the visuals. Last time I played I ended up building a big base on Minmus and never went any further as I was totally addicted to achieving a self-sustainable state of my Minmus Greater Flats Base. This time I try to go the unmanned way as much as possible. Today I brought my Relay Satellite Carrier to the Mun in order to start off my Mun Probes Strategia-Program. Here are two beautiful screenshots of that carrier arriving at the Mun and prior to releasing the three Relay Satellites:

Edited September 5, 2019 by hoover2701

[Delay]

Exciting and risky things happened today!

Second visit to the Duna-Ike system in my save, and the first Ike landing!
Took two attempts. Messed up the first one by landing at night. Pressing C, looking at the radio altimeter. The needle wasn't at 3000m and I was going at 300m/s.

So.... Retry!

Now to the risky part of this mission:

It's fairly obvious I tried an Apollo-style mission, with a separate vehicle designed to land and one to stay in orbit. Because I basically needed to take the fuel of two spacecraft with me simulataneously I decided to transfer fuel from the lander to the main stage once landing is completed. The gamble was that I didn't know how much fuel an Ike landing took, so I could have stranded my kerbals!

The stock dV reads ~700m/s post-transfer, but I don't know how much that can be believed given the curious construction and redocking done. So far I'm good, given that the capture took about 580m/s. And undocking the lander should give me a tad more dV still.

Doesn't change the fact that I'll hit Kerbin's atmosphere at a tremendous speed!

[catloverjerrygarcia]

I fired three Kerbals into space and returned them to Kerbin safely.

[Cavscout74]

The career grind continued.  My Minmus-orbit tourist trip ended successfully, bringing in a pile of funds, then the first crewed landing on Minmus went off without any problems.  Val set down <100m from the Minmus monolith, completing 3 contracts in one shot:  Explore the Minmus magnetic anomaly, First crewed landing on Minmus, plant flag on Minmus.  I had to make a hop to the southwest to complete the fourth contract (Bring back a Minmus Greenstone) as apparently they don't spawn in the highlands.  My over-engineering paid off there.   The crew & EVA reports were transmitted, which provided enough to grab the first 160 point node which was of course advance electrics.    Through all that, I only managed to take a single screenshot though - and that was in orbit.   The crew is still a few days out, but their stored science will be enough to grab another 160 point node.

The only screenshot from the Minmus landing - in orbit, with Kerbal over the horizon.

I also launched a 5-man Mun outpost using a prototype  Girroc 2.5m launcher.  It is currently unmanned, waiting on a crew & a rover to explore around the base.  Due to the rapidly approaching Duna window, it will probably have to wait a few weeks before a crew is sent.

Poodle-powered upper stage circularizing orbit

Descending to land.  A pair of compact-mount Terriers with 0.625m tanks provided for a soft landing.

Landing in one piece, waiting on a crew.  Once on the surface, the landing engines were throttled up slightly & the radial decouplers were activated, allowing them to launch and crash in the distance

Finally, I have my first Duna probe being built.  I should be ready for launch in a few days, and the Duna window is still a month away, so there is time to build several more.  With one 160-point node unlocked and another soon to follow, I should have everything I need to get a good selection of science from Duna & Ike once they arrive.   I'm having to adjust a little with a few parts not available that I'm used to, but that is what is making this interesting.

 

[qromodynmc]

I've been trying to make Aardvark, some parts were easy, some are extremely hard, couldnt manage to get blended effect on cockpit, one of my disappointments.

 

[OrbitsR4Sissies]

Using some sage advice from prior forum posts, I left Eve with about 4300 delta-V in my Pioneer six-landing contract spacecraft, using an injection that carried about 1400 dV but no more.

First burn at Eve/Moho AN was around the 1100 dV range to force the first of two Moho encounters and alter the inclination by about half.

The second burn over Moho's north pole, also around 1200 dV and at the planet's DN, both slowed down orbital velocity and set inclination to less than 1 degree.

Just after that burn, a third burn of 331 dV set up the 2nd and last Moho encounter.

I was able to enter Moho orbit at a puny 461 delta-V.

Not even the awesome Matt Lowne could do this in a recent video with one of his impressive SSTO self-refuelers.

But, in his defense, his craft was heavier, lands all of itself, and he self-admits to being lazy. 

[catloverjerrygarcia]

Due to underestimation of touchdown forces Jebediah Kerman's orbital science flight failed to return any usable science data.  However a second mission was hastily arranged with Valentina Kerman at the controls of a slight modified Taka II science vessel.  Valentina's craft splashed down 45 minute after liftoff with the science data intact.

Mun in flight by AdmFranzvonHippie, on Flickr

Kerbol over Kerbin by AdmFranzvonHippie, on Flickr

Orbital re-entry by AdmFranzvonHippie, on Flickr

[Fizwalker]

On 7/11/2019 at 1:53 AM, ARS said:

Guess what's this...

Hint: Sing -The Carpenters-

Cry baby, cry! Make your mother sigh!     

 

At least that's what comes to my mind....

[Mr. Peabody]

I've been mucking about with alien style Minmus landers. This one looks like it's part dalek.

[NHunter]

And now the kerbal'ed part of my Plock expedition reached its destination:

- The now-standard mothership + lander

- And the (self-landing) surface outpost with capacity for up to 26 kerbals that I've sent along with main scientific mission:

Now I just need to finish mapping the surface of Plock in order to find a good landing spot...

Edited September 6, 2019 by NHunter

[cantab]

I did my first air launch to orbit. And despite making a hashup of the ascent, it still got to 150 km around JNSQ Kerbin.

Ready to drop by cantab314, on Flickr

We&#x27;re off! by cantab314, on Flickr

Boop by cantab314, on Flickr

 

[MaxxQ]

11 hours ago, qromodynmc said:

I've been trying to make Aardvark, some parts were easy, some are extremely hard, couldnt manage to get blended effect on cockpit, one of my disappointments.

 

Not bad.  I worked on the 'Vark the whole 7 years I was in the Air Force.  F-111F's at RAF Lakenheath (UK) and F-111D's at Cannon AFB, NM.

Edited September 7, 2019 by MaxxQ

[Cavscout74]

I had an unexpected boost to science in my career today.  While launching the Duna Sojouner probe to LKO, its first stage Bobcat engine failed & exploded due to Kerbal Launch Failure.  I already had an Ap over 70km and had less than 200 m/s dV remaining, so it wasn't mission destroying failure - I just staged & continued up to a parking orbit until the Duna transfer.  The transfer stage has over 3000 m/s, so the loss of the booster's last few seconds of thrust wasn't a significant problem.   What surprised me was having nearly 300 science points when I returned to KSC.  Kerbal Launch failure has a setting to earn science from part failures and apparently I left it on & it was set way higher than I would have liked.  Combined with the science returned from the first Minmus landing a few days later, that netted me two more 160-point nodes, which gave me everything I need for thorough science coverage of Duna & Ike and enough time to get the necessary probes built - in addition to Sojourner (which was a new design to use what parts I did have), there are 4 additional probes, 3 of which have landers.  First is my standard Pioneer design, then a Vorona probe & lander that is a copy of the Soviet Venera designs.   Then there is another Sojourner sharing a transfer stage with a Surveyor lander bound for Ike, and finally a thrown together Duna Science Lander.   All five have successfully performed their transfer burns and are on their way to Duna.

Duna Sojourner

Duna Pioneer, solar powered version (RTG version is not yet available)

Duna Science Lander

Duna Vorona with Formalhauf lander

Ike Sojourner with Surveyor lander

In between Duna launches, I also squeezed in 3 rescue missions - two in LKO, the third around Mun.  Kelrik is rapidly becoming an expert at orbital rescues, and one of the earlier rescuees, Greghat Kerman, is starting to learn the ropes as well.   With improvements in technology, I've upgraded the Dawngrazer MPV (Multi-Purpose Vehicle) to the -2 version, both standard & extended range.  The primary changes are actually to the launcher (switching from twin Swivels to the Bobcat).  I've found the Cheetah engine a bit overpowered for what these pods are doing, so they both use Terriers.  I've considered using 2 Terriers for the extended range version, but it's probably not worth the extra mass. 

First LKO rescue mission of the day in a new Dawnbrazer MPV-2, Kelrik is preparing for a course correction to bring closest approach under 100m.

Reentry after the second LKO rescue, passing over KSC.  The service bay doors are open to increase drag (about a 50% increase), and hopefully land a little closer to KSC

Mun rescue in progress, using the extended range version of the Dawngrazer MPV-2.  In addition to extra fuel & snacks, this one was launched with a few new pieces of scientific gear to gather more data around the Mun

Reentry after Mun rescue

Finally, one of my discarded Dawngrazer launchers had a little bit too high of a Pe to be deleted on rails, so I switched to it after getting the payload into orbit & rode it down.   By some miracle, it slammed into the ground top first, breaking the decoupler & upper tank, bounced & destroyed the lower tank and was slow enough at that point for the Bobcat engine to survive.  Lithobraking at its finest!!!  I'm pretty sure that's the first time I've had that happen with a debris stage - I've had a few satellites I've deorbited that were controlled enough to achieve a semi-survivable crash landing, but never a spent rocket stage.

Edited September 8, 2019 by Cavscout74

[vossiewulf]

2 hours ago, cantab said:

I did my first air launch to orbit. And despite making a hashup of the ascent, it still got to 150 km around JNSQ Kerbin.

[Guest]

Here's a challenge for you hotshot pilots out there: take this craft to the surface of Tylo and back to orbit: https://kerbalx.com/Brikoleur/Tyloster-1X

I'm convinced she can do it. She has a hair over 5000 m/s dV, and a braking thruster with enough Ox to get a soft landing. I've managed to land her with just a bit over 2000 m/s in the tank. She needs just a hair more to get back in orbit, and I'm sure that could be done by timing it better.

Best landing I've managed is to fire the braking thruster at about 23500 m radar altitude, and cover the last few hundred meters as quickly as you can.

[Hotel26]

4 hours ago, Brikoleur said:

Here's a challenge

What orbital altitude would you like to start from  (is it 23.5km or higher?) and is a return to any safe orbit OK?

                                                            

And in other news, I appear to have completed the 1.6.1 -> 1.7.3 upgrade without hitch.  (I'll be continuing the same campaign.)

 

Edited September 7, 2019 by Hotel26

[Puggonaut]

 

[Space Nerd]

Tested my Tekto lander from a 104 x104 km orbit, pretty shocked by the lack of entry heating.

Btw Tekto is a moon from the outer planets mod.

[NHunter]

Today, I've finally put my flag on the surface of Plock as well as put a semi-permanent surface base there.

This base can house up to 26 kerbals and is powered by a nuclear aerospike engine. The view of Karen from the windows is also pretty nice.

----

@Space Nerd, Tekto's orbital speed is too low for any real reentry heating to occur... Now, the main question - assuming your lander isn't on a one way trip - is whether can you relaunch? In my experience, Tekto is Eve light and while landing is easy, getting back into space is NOT.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Hotel26 said:

What orbital altitude would you like to start from  (is it 23.5km or higher?) and is a return to any safe orbit OK?

From any safe orbit, to any safe orbit.

I started from the lowest orbit I could set with the cheat menu which was, I think, around 45 km. That gave me a long enough burn to be able to get a soft landing. I started with the atomics and hit the Cheetah around 23.5 km radar altitude, which left me falling near-vertically at a few tens of m/s at an altitude of a klick or so when the Ox ran out; the atomics have TWR well over 1 at that point so they can do the rest.

I don't know if it would be harder from a much lower orbit as a retrograde burn would be shorter and might require a higher TWR than the craft has -- but then again, it would certainly save a fair bit of dV so... well. Try it!

[Space Nerd]

I'm not onto the launch testing stage yet, I'll let you know tomorrow!(2900 vacuum dv, single aerospike first stage with drop tanks+terrier second stage)

 

[capi3101]

4 hours ago, Hotel26 said:

And in other news, I appear to have completed the 1.6.1 -> 1.7.3 upgrade without hitch.  (I'll be continuing the same campaign.)

Good to know...still in 1.6.1 my own self; been looking to get up to date sometime before 1.8 drops.

It's been a busy week in RL, y'all; hope to be able to get a report together later today though.

Edited September 7, 2019 by capi3101