What did you do in KSP1 today?

[stephensmat]

I haven't added to this thread for a while. With the New Year,  I started a new Game.

I elected to use @Neartea's suite of 'Future' tech as my Mods, as well as Outer Planets, and GlobalConstruction. (Not counting Mechjeb and assorted Graphics mods.)

First task was to unlock the science lab, and let me 'farm' science points, for unlocking the Tech Tree. One of Neartea's collection is a revamp of the tech tree that includes 

For me, the great flaw of KSP1 has been that you essentially start over every mission at Kerbin. So when I started this game, my main priority was to set up a Global Construction base on Minmus. This let me harvest ore, which I turned into fuel and parts.

I based my 'strategy' on Daniel Suarez's 'Delta-V' series.

 

 

It's my first time using one of the 'Far Future Technologies' engines. But I built it as a drive section. It can keep running the loop between Jool and Kerbin, while I put a new 'craft' on the front of it.

[k4 administraitor]

i liked creating a mod today

[AlamoVampire]

I forgot to add this image to my post where I docked to the asteroid the other day. This was the ultimate money shot, a successful rendezvous and docking mostly by hand for the first time <mechjeb has been my go to autopilot since I took up ksp in 2013, still is, still advocate its use> but, this made me proud:

Like I said in that post, this things now in a stable orbit, highly elliptical and eccentric, but stable nevertheless. 001802012025

[AlamoVampire]

Ok, this I feel warrants its own post  

I am doing my science save and just did my first interplanetary mission to duna! Did not think i could get there on such limited tech <limited compared to sandbox, not one node over 550 science is unlocked. I have 1 or 2 at 550 at BEST right now. I give you the DOSSP Mission, or Duna Orbital Science Scanner Platform.

On its way! This lifter was uh over built, carrying two of those boosters nearly into orbit lol. Gotta say, I am pleased so far with this thing. Something did disappoint me after arrival into a steady polar orbit however. Ill get to that in a moment tho.

Hello Duna my old friend, I see you there!

Capture underway! Over 6000km above Duna. Next stop, about 300ish KM.

Stable Orbit achieved. This is just prior to kicking the lower stage off.

Polar Orbit? Check. Between 35km and 1500km? Check. More comfortable with out that bulky <lol> lower stage? Check. Science and resource scans runs? Check. Enough dV to deorbit when desired? Check. DOSSP on station, doing its thing. Now, for the disappointing thing? Well, its a few things. One, I forgot a materials science device, so, yeah. Renders the docking port on this thing kinda pointless. Did I think this qualified for lower over Duna rather than high over Duna? Yup. Is it? Nope. So, no new magnetometer scan or pressure or temperature scans. Did those just prior to initial capture burn. Did the goo at this altitude and was still considered to be high over Duna. Oh well. Future missions will take care of that! 023102012025

[TheKspEngineer]

Thoughts about this flag (that i made for my second crew mission to the Duna system)?

[FezCool]

Today I landed on Ike for the first time!

This came about after I decided to check on the Duna system by flying the New Mining Ship on a routine mining exhibition to test the limitations of the vehicle.

After fully refuelling I decided to check if the ship had enough fuel to get to Ike with the reassurance of quicksave in case it didn't work out. To my surprise it was really easy and barely took any deltav!

After finding a suitable landing spot with rich ore deposits by save scumming I took the plunge and landed for the first time! (after hopping to a flatter landing spot so it wouldn't slide)

In others news after being unsatisied with the snails pace at which this mining ship refuelled I took a significant amount of time designing a new mining vessel to send to Duna and came up with this clunky tilt engine VTOL. Probably gonna leave it VTO and not vertical landing considering on the test run it spun around and knocked off the nose cone. 

[Tormy45]

After completing my Jool mission and landing on every one of its moons, it was time to move onto Sarnus. Equipped with my latest ship, the Discovery 2 and four docked landing vehicles I finally set sail towards that tiny orange light in the distance.

After a six year journey, Sarnus is finally in sight and Discovery 2 begins its orbital insertion.

First up on the list is Sarnus's largest moon, Slate.

After entering Slate orbit, I undocked from Discovery 2 and began the landing phase of the mission.

I will be landing in an area surrounded by a few large craters.

Landing went surprisingly well considering how rocky the landing area was. One of my kerbonauts is thinking real hard on what her first words will be before stepping off the ladder.

Oh yeah, I got real lucky with the landing site. Any one of those large rocks could have brought forth the KRAKEN! Or just cause my lander to tip over.....

Anyway, takeoff and docking was uneventful and it was time to head in the direction of my most anticipated moon of Sarnus, Tekto! Arriving there brought with it an amazing sight of endless clouds covering the mysterious moon.

Landing was easier than expected due to Tekto's low gravity and thick atmosphere. My chosen landing location was the Pozine region right by the icy coast line.

My exiting Kerbonaut was met with large rocky pillars around the same height as the vehicle.

Some of the rock formations were even taller than the lander.

Sunsets on Tekto are quite spectacular in my opinion.

The night on Tekto lasted almost a month due to its orbit around Sarnus. Upon Sunrise, it was time to leave the icy moon and head back to the Discovery 2.

Take a look at the liftoff.

 

[Kimera Industries]

@AlamoVampire You'd be surprised at how easy simple interplanetary missions are. A while back I made a small (1.2m diameter) rocket that could carry a decent probe on a flyby past any planet you desired (given a good launch window, of course.) I called it the MEDDJEL- After Moho, Eve, Dres, Duna, Jool, and Eeloo, since it could go to any of them. 

I am ready for my return-to-flight! Because I want to uninstall USI, (no offense, it's a great mod but it's not my style) this means I have to rescue two kerbonauts on Minmus, stranded from a colonization attempt, sitting in modded parts! I've designed the Beluga RSQ to be the ultimate rescue vehicle: it's got three redundant power sources (four if you don't mind cancer) and I opted for clusters of smaller engines rather than a few big ones, for redundancy! Plus, it looks vaguely like a Saturn V. Except one that's not tall enough to ride at the amusement park, and missing a first stage engine. Saturn IV?

The Beluga has solar power, LFO power, monoprop power, RTG power (optional- probably for deep-space rescues only.) And it makes use of capacitors to hold extra charge. Basically, you're never going to run out of power. Lives are at stake, and the Beluga rescues autonomously to have more room. So, power is important. 

Edited 57 minutes ago by Kimera Industries