What did you do in KSP1 today?

[linuxgurugamer]

I've started a new mod, to help identify what parts are needed for contracted experiments.  Made good progress today

[FTLparachute]

Currently ironing out any problems I can find in my Jool V craft, here's some pics

Spoiler

Fixing the rotorcraft so it actually works properly. Though that may not be obvious from this...

Reworking a rover so I can actually get science without having to do multiple drives in and out of Laythe's oceans (Wouldn't work, that thing's got about 11 ore tanks running on 6 mid wheels). Also adding floodlights, cause that looks cool.

 

[Kimera Industries]

I went into the VAB for the first time since getting my computer out. I didn't even place any parts, I just had to check that things were working. But I was overwhelmed. Seeing all the parts loaded, being in the VAB again, and the familiar music I've come to know and love, it was too much for me. I let loose joyful laughter, which turned into happy tears. I've missed this game and I can't wait to play again. It's meant so much and taught me more than any textbook or video could. 

[FTLparachute]

1 minute ago, Kimera Industries said:

I went into the VAB for the first time since getting my computer out. I didn't even place any parts, I just had to check that things were working. But I was overwhelmed. Seeing all the parts loaded, being in the VAB again, and the familiar music I've come to know and love, it was too much for me. I let loose joyful laughter, which turned into happy tears. I've missed this game and I can't wait to play again. It's meant so much and taught me more than any textbook or video could. 

so... gt when?

JK that's fair honestly. VAB music slaps. Nice to see you're getting back to playing KSP, you seem to like it.

[Eclipse 32]

struggling to get an underpowered nuclear ship out of kerbin's SOI so i can have MJ fly it to duna.

[Kimera Industries]

What on Earth ... ?

Update: the KSC is flooded and the music is bugging, great. Time to comb CKAN and uninstall half my mods. 

Edited January 18 by Kimera Industries

[AlamoVampire]

Im starting to go insane trying to catch and redirect this comet in my test save. I launched a core module with an isru, 4 drills and cooling. It launched fine. Now im working on sending tanks and more engines up. Launches 1&2? Just fine. 3&4? Cursed. All 4 are 100% identical modules. Its 1 craft launched 4 times. Launches 3&4 saw the failure of starship and said hold my drink, i can be worse! I just do not get why this is cursed. 024101182025

Here are some mission pictures for your enjoyment at my misery. When I do this in my prime save, IF this works, I am launching this nightmare rebuilt as a SINGLE ship. This idea of building in orbit is going to kill me. 

The above is the CORE stage. This went fine.

This is the 1 craft that was used 4 times. Launches 1 and 2 of this thing? Went just fine. 3&4? Well, you saw my comment above where I said this thing saw starship go pop and said hold my drink? Ya, This is that craft sitting on the pad for launch 6 or 10 or some ungodly number if you count the fails. But this one is now on orbit attached to the comet catcher named Capture 2. Those pics will be below. I made only 1 change and that was after those SRBs suddenly started critically damaging the main core engine, and that was to lower the decoupler on the stack to bring the SRB set lower. Even then, it still was uh uncooperative lol.

Core and Section 1. These two launches were nice, easy, and fun.

Core + 2 now. The last of the nice, easy, and fun launches.

Core + 3. At this point I was thinking it was just a fluke that section 3 was difficult. Oh how naive I was. This part took like 3 launches to get to this point. 3 launches just to get section 3 here that is. Not counting the core or the other 2 parts.

This is Core + 4 enroute, its performing an alignment burn or something. i forget where I was <and this was minutes ago as I type this lol> at getting there.

A few moments later and Core + 4 is setting up for docking. At this point I am thinking, just get there, get docked, and I can send another mission up to this thing to firmly strut it together and refuel it and send this WHOLE mess at the comet.

Capture 2 now nearly fully built on orbit. Next up mission wise is the strutting and refuel. Yes, I am aware that all docking ports are now filled. Im going to bring up some struts for bolt it together and a claw to lock onto the transfer core seen below with the fins. Going to use that xfer core to push into deep space to chase the comet.

Just a better view. This thing is a beast, and to be blunt, has made me decide that for my prime save as I said, this whole ugly thing will be rebuilt as a singular vehicle. No build on orbit. Just one massive whackjobian beast. anyone catch the reference?

033601182025

Edited January 18 by AlamoVampire

[Duke MelTdoWn]

I am on Career Day 62. Details in Mission Reports. The highlights:

'Thors Hammer' arrived at 'MunStation II'. I reconfigured the station and am now waiting for sunrise over East Farside Crater to carry out the Ore Impactor experiment.

Recovered 'SkyLift 12' on Runway. This SSTO was launched 50 days ago to deliver relays into Kerbin orbit. Cut it very close with the fuel, reentry periapsis 52 km instead of 42 km when I ran out. Could compensate by creating additional drag by flying radial out until 55km.

Recovered the 'Light Reusable Launcher' of 'Thors Hammer' from 150x150 km orbit. Landed in the sea 45 km from KSC.

Hm where do the clouds suddenly come from?

15 hours ago, Eclipse 32 said:

struggling to get an underpowered nuclear ship out of kerbin's SOI so i can have MJ fly it to duna.

For interplanetary missions with low TWR, I like to split up the escape burn into multiple periapsis kicks.

I followed this tutorial by LtDuckweed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12xKgSoKwlI

 

Edited January 18 by Duke MelTdoWn

[N_Danger]

I sent up a Mun Sat

Arrival at the Mun

After collecting the science and then circularizing the sat is now a data relay.

 

[Eclipse 32]

1 hour ago, Duke MelTdoWn said:

For interplanetary missions with low TWR, I like to split up the escape burn into multiple periapsis kicks.

yeah, i was mainly screwing around in a sandbox, and seeing how many ships i can yeet at duna.

[FTLparachute]

2 things

1: Found Felipe Kerman

2: Found a comet that might as well be a Phaethon analogue

Spoiler

 

[AlamoVampire]

i have completed a few more missions to Capture 2. It is now strutted <stock construction feels clunky and is a trip in EVA in orbit> and fully fueled. Its ready to head out after the comet. The comet will require at its current orbit about 70 years to reach periapsis but, if all goes right, im going to have that puppy in orbit of Kerbin in half that time. Fun stats for your reading: It has an electric charge of 150 EC being recharged by multiple RTGs. For Monoprop it has 7500 units. For Oxidizer it has 44000 units. For Liquid Fuel <presuming LOX because its my save and thats my head canon lol> 36000 units. It has an Ore capacity of 12000 units to be mined in situ at Comet Sanrie 1. I have 4 of the large drills as you saw in the pictures a few posts up. Multiple radiators on board. I am not going to try for this tonight as well, I just dont wanna lol. I figure getting it fully mission ready is enough for now. I will try this in the next day or so when I work up the courage. Wish me luck!

030401192025

[N_Danger]

 A busy day. First up a Minmus Fly by is sent up

After Minmus the sat heads for a solar orbit

LES staging and hardware was tested

Spoiler

Jeb digs this test flight stuff.

Jeb is the first kerbal hurled at the heavens.

 

Spoiler

Booster separation and LES jettison

  

First kebal space walk

And Jeb is the first kerbal to have a safe return after being  hurled at the heavens

[Duke MelTdoWn]

Highlights of Career Day 63. More pictures in Mission Reports

'MunMiner II' did its 4th, 5th and 6th areobraking passes. After the 6th pass, it became suborbital. I fired the engines to get closer to KSC and barely made it to the west coast. On touchdown under chutes, the Rockomax-64 exploded. Jeb and the rest of the veteran crew are fine. Recovered 46,000 Kerbucks and even got 94 science.

Jeb lecturing the crew about proper parachute placement.

'Gege' undocked from 'MunStation II' and landed to conduct the 'Thors Hammer' experiment. East Farside Crater was chosen as site because there are already 3 existing Grand Slam Seismometers in close vicinity and ore concentration is high. I think with the Ore Impactor attached 'Gege' looks like a bacteriophage. Debbro and Harly showed the rookies how to set up an experiment station.

Jendous and Errigh are my first Kerbals to achieve 3 stars after entering orbit around the Sun on 'Pannychis'.

Launched a 'Naga II' to grab Derald and repair that cursed Sat in retrograde orbit. During a development flight in sandbox, Agadock took the "keep as flat as possible" very seriously.

[Duke MelTdoWn]

I played sandbox and continued to develop the 'Naga' line of long range shuttles. These are two-stage to increase the delta-v left after orbit insertion. I plan to use these for Sat repair missions in difficult to reach orbits.

'Naga III'
Passenger TSTO
1x Rapier, 1x Nerva
Launch mass: 22.4 tons (without passengers)
Price: 42,595
Delta-V: ~ 4600 m/s left after insertion into 75x75 km Kerbin Orbit (with 2 passengers)
TWR: 0.43 in Low Kerbin Orbit (with 2 passengers)
Crew capacity: 2 (external seats)

Some notes on the design, maybe they are useful to you:
- Frontal area is only one MK1 tank but has two engines; requires flip maneuver at staging; goal is to reduce drag
- Disposable oxidizer tanks in front; second stage uses pure LF tanks for Nerva
- Heavy tanks in front counterbalanced by disposable wings
- Use lightweight passenger compartment with external seats in service bay
- All small items (RCS, Parachutes, Ladders, Solar, Cargo, ...) packed into service bays to reduce drag; individually detachable in EVA construction
- No Big-S Wings to reduce drag
- Shock Cone Intake attached to rear of Rapier and rotated/translated to reduce length (instead of engine precooler)
- Small vertical elevons (yaw control) double as landing gear mounting points; no big vertical stabilizer needed
- Aft horizontal stabilizers for pitch/roll control are flat (not angled) to prevent pitch/roll coupling
- Do not let ascent angle rise above 20°; Use drain valve at 35 km during descent
- Eject front tanks before flipping; added extra reaction wheels to assist flip
- Can only take off from KSC runway because center of mass is in front; no use moving landing gear forward
- To get into retrograde orbit, second stage can only carry two MK1 LF tanks, not three; no use adding more OX to first stage
- Do not use exposed SEQ-9 containers as part of the stack, or they will melt
- Close service bay doors of passenger compartment, or they will melt

[Eclipse 32]

i broke the game a bit. i managed to break linkages on my ship with unbreakable joints on, and this resulted in half of my spaceship floating like a ghost above the runway.

[Cavscout74]

Continued on with my career, getting a few launches of craft soon to be Jool & Eeloo-bound.  Also tested out a few designs - like my Laythe Glide-Rover.  Sends a rover to Laythe via a rocket glider to (hopefully) be able to reliably set down on one of the islands.  Initial suborbital test went mostly well, although the landing was a bit rough.

Random spent stage reentering the atmosphere.   The fuel remaining just balanced the engine mass so it held this attitude until it got below 10km

[AlamoVampire]

15 minutes ago, Cavscout74 said:

Random spent stage reentering the atmosphere.   The fuel remaining just balanced the engine mass so it held this attitude until it got below 10km

Thats pretty slick! Bet it was fun to watch! 153901202025

[Cavscout74]

3 hours ago, AlamoVampire said:

Thats pretty slick! Bet it was fun to watch! 153901202025

It was, normally I just run at 4x just to get through disposing of the stage but after the first 20k into the atmosphere & it hadn't flipped one way or the other, I slowed to real time & just watched it the rest of the way down.

I also got my Laythe glide rover into orbit & my Dres-Surveyor lander arrived & landed safely

Edited Tuesday at 01:20 AM by Cavscout74
Added missions

[AlamoVampire]

I am currently attempting to catch Sanrie 1. I have found I have a problem. It has a communotron 88-88 and its having issues talking to the KSC. I have 4 relays in the system right now not counting the Sentinel probe that found this thing. For some reason that I cannot figure out the stupid thing is refusing to talk to the relays. 3 of the 4 relays has an RA 100 relay. I should add here that I have 4 relays in direct LKO of Kerbin, and they all have the same RA 100 Relay antenna. The 4th relay wasnt a relay at all, but the final stage that delivered my 3rd DSRN or Deep Space Relay Network satellite into orbit. It has the same Communotron 88-88 antenna as Capture 2 but it is set to relay mode. I am perplexed here. I have a manual alarm set to a little while before what I am considering my base leg before Capture 2 goes into final approach. If I cannot sort this communications issue out over the next 9 years and change <game time> I will have no choice but to disable communications network functionality for this test save. If memory serves my prime save has relays all across the system <around 20-30 of them> so, I doubt I will have this problem there, but, thats a different day and different issue. wish me luck. If I succeed in figuring this out, I will post pictures in an update. If I cant, I will still update but with a memorial to my wasted effort but a lesson learned. 233001202025

Edit:

I just NOW managed to get my new relay into orbit. It has taken me an HOUR to achieve a SIMPLE retrograde orbit. I just want to CRY. As you know I have spent the last 4 years and change not playing KSP at all because of reasons <one of which being I got over whelmed trying to figure out if procedural fairings would work after its caretaker went dark and stopped updating it> and my Pilot brain just will not cooperate with orbital inclinations. I am using MechJeb 2 <i think sarbian is its caretaker but when I just checked to see when it was last updated it seems linixgurugamer is now its caretaker???? ok now my brain hurts MORE> and its what ever version is currently available for download. So, this is just a quick picture of a command pod on the pad. but, its for illustrative purposes.

as you see, 90 degrees is my direct right with 270 direct left. at least according to the nav ball. This is where my brain broke, and pilot mode kicked in. I kept trying to tell mechjeb to go 270 degrees and it kept going polar. I tried the other launch sites and still kept getting polar orbits. What did not click was 0 degrees from an orbital perspective was ya know equatorial. My pilot brain kept trying to fly via nav ball headings. It took me an hour to finally reach the point of screw it, tell mechjeb 180 degrees and see what happens. what happened? it went bloody WEST. Im sad to say that this should not have taken an HOUR to figure out. Im going to cry i think. Ok back to trying to extend my relay network. this works as intended, i will update at some point soon™. 

005101212025

minor edit with pictures to follow. Im mid burn to a course that IF this works I will have a relay in range of Capture 2. Its going to take a Jool fly by for a bit of an assist. Its going to be interesting. 012601212025

now im heart broken. I have spent ALL NIGHT trying to do this. I am faced with no choice but to cheat this. I literally have no other option at this point. I cannot understand it. I am going to share some images with you. One was taken prior to reaching apoapsis with DSRN2.0 <its picture will be in this>. You would THINK based on this, that I would maintain a datalink with the KSC. So, here is that image:

Next up is right around apoapsis after data link with Capture 2 has been lost.

As you see, its essentially on the same inclination as Capture 2, but there is no datalink to it.

Now, Here is DSRN2.0 with its transfer stage still hooked up.

that is 4 Communotron 88-88's plus 5 of the big long range RA-100s or w/e. This thing is holding steady around 58-61% signal to KSC yet I cant re-establish datalink to the communotron 88-88 on Capture 2. All vessels are RTG/Nuclear powered. So power is not the problem. For clarity, the next few images are the relays.

3 of theses, they make up DSRN 1.0, 1.2, and 1.3. The next image is the more sketchy relay.

This is the sketchy one. DSRN 1.3 Probe Relay??? <thats its title in the tracking station as I had no idea what to call it when i found it still on orbit around the sun>. So, As you see, the network SHOULD be talking to Capture 2, but it isnt. I am beyond irritated, frustrated and angry. I do not want to turn on comnet required for probe control. but, as you can see here in the next image, Capture 2 has no data link. Nothing is broken. Its just not talking.

I am already angry enough at this mission having had to cheat the fuel level to unlimited to act as if my fuel mission had not krakened itself into oblivion. Now this? Im angry. I will post an update once this thing reaches Sanrie 1.

021301212025

Good Update Time!

Sanrie 1 is in sight!

Sanrie 1, you dont look so big. I mean, I can see my shadow on you!

<Sanrie 1, just you wait little ship, just you wait!>

Sanrie 1, you are getting bigger! Im starting to feel inadequate here.

<Sanrie 1: maybe.>

I got this!. I have your center of mass targeted. I got this.

<Sanrie 1: mmhmm>

GULP! Uh what have I just gotten myself into????????

<Sanrie 1: maniacal laughter comet style>

anyone else getting this kinda vibe from the final picture of Capture 2 and Sanrie 1 docked? 

025201212025

Edited Tuesday at 08:52 AM by AlamoVampire

[Eclipse 32]

i installed waterfall and all i can say is wow.

[Duke MelTdoWn]

Update on my career, day 64. More pics in Mission Reports.

The 'Thors Hammer' experiment was concluded successfully. 'Gege' mined the 15 tons of ore to fill the Impactor in about 2 hours. Then 'Gege' ascended back to orbit and released the Impactor on a suborbital trajectory. As it turns out this trajectory was too flat (I tried to save fuel by releasing the Impactor early). The Impactor hit the crater rim of East Farside Crater instead of the middle. Nevertheless, the impact energy was high enough (182%) to register across 7 seismometers scattered around the Mun, yielding about 310 science points. The probe core of the Impactor survived the initial crash and bounced back to 12 km altidude before coming down 18 minutes later 363 km from the primary impact site. 'Gege' is now back en route to MunStation II.

Spoiler

'Naga II' made its way to Derald stuck in retrograde Kerbin orbit on 'Naga I'. Gembin showed him how to properly repair a broken solar panel. After dividing up the fuel of 'Naga II', there should be enough to bring both Nagas home.

The crew of MinmusBase I took one of their Pods to improve a Sat with an additional battery. They then will make their way to MinmusStation I for a crew and data exchange.

I began some EVA construction on MinmusStation I so the armada of shuttles that will arrive beginning tomorrow can be properly welcomed. The 'Piggyback' range extender of 'Sandworm' will be reconfigured into a LF storage tank and docking ports for the station.

[Lyra]

16 hours ago, AlamoVampire said:

So, As you see, the network SHOULD be talking to Capture 2, but it isnt. I am beyond irritated, frustrated and angry. I do not want to turn on comnet required for probe control. but, as you can see here in the next image, Capture 2 has no data link. Nothing is broken. Its just not talking.

You have a direct-transmission antenna instead of a relay one! Done that too many times myself. Anything with "Communotron" in the name isn't meant for relays.

[FTLparachute]

Today I gave everybody at the KSC broken eardrums and several exotic lung conditions as I launched the J6 to Jool. No points for guessing what 'J' stands for.

[Duke MelTdoWn]

6 minutes ago, FTLparachute said:

Today I gave everybody at the KSC broken eardrums and several exotic lung conditions as I launched the J6 to Jool. No points for guessing what 'J' stands for.

What a monster!