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 Saturday at 05:58 PM by Kimera Industries

[Eclipse 32]

i'm about to ICBM the KSC and surrounding countryside.

wish me luck!

[Eclipse 32]

anyone know if Blackracks's volumetric clouds are on CKAN?

[DennisB]

I beated Laythe for the third time. The first one was of course on my Jool 5 mission, the second one was in December during the preparation for my next mission, but unfortunately, that vessel wasn't capable to complete the whole mission, so I had to change the mission plan and almost completely redesign the spacecraft. I hope, this one will be better, because I spent too much time on Laythe everytime.

[Mr. Kerbin]

46 minutes ago, Eclipse 32 said:

anyone know if Blackracks's volumetric clouds are on CKAN?

nope, you need to pay 5 US dollars on patron

[Eclipse 32]

1 hour ago, Mr. Kerbin said:

nope, you need to pay 5 US dollars on patron

dammit. i can't pay a single cent on Patrion. 

[AlamoVampire]

4 hours ago, Kimera Industries said:

You'd be surprised at how easy simple interplanetary missions are.

Ive done many interplanetary in the past, heck just look at my ribbons in my signature, its just those were all sandbox with full access to tech. It was just surprising to do so with only tech up to the 300 sci per box with a SINGLE 550 sci box unlocked. Im used to much bigger craft doing it. My favs were a manned eeloo mission, a mission to walk on duna on the face on it and dropping jeb into the mohole.  161802012025

[Lyra]

Tried to make a long-range light cargo hauler SSTO. Ended up getting less than 2000 m/s of dV while still in the atmosphere so I scrapped the project on flight one. I doubt the thing could even make it to Minmus and back while full of payload.

Still looks pretty decent though if I say so myself

[FezCool]

Today I continued experimenting with my new Mining vessel by seeing how efficiently it could haul 3k ore up to the Mun station. I was previously having a bit of anxiety over the clunky landings so I added a couple more landing gear in the front and back to better take the brunt of the force when awkwardly slamming down from a vertical position.

I think I might have flown to close to the sun with this vessel and have been cursed as when I attempted to dock with the station it took me FOREVER to actually have the two docking ports connect, all the while the massive bulk of the vessel kept pushing the station off of its normal position. Then when I attempted to dock my Mun lander the very same thing happened and I had to undock the miner to fetch it and attempt to dock AGAIN for another 15 minutes. All the while the bulk of the craft slows my PC down from sheer part count so it may be headed towards an early retirement. 

In brighter news my Eve Station reached its capture burn and fearless pilot Lando Kerman becomes the first Kerbal to see Eve with their own eyes.

Currently I have it at an equatorial 300km orbit because conventional wisdom suggests it but I'm honestly not sure if that's the right move if I'm intending it to routinely facilitate flights to Gilly but time will tell I suppose. 

[AlamoVampire]

This morning around 0700 local i decided to play some KSP and do a Mun mission in my science save. I did not expect what happened to happen. I went to the Northwest Crater because why not? 

This is on approach to the Mun and contains a hint of what was coming.

Do you see what was going to happen? I sure didnt. Was caught way off guard when it happened. I legitimately for a second thought I was being attacked by Thargoids from Elite Dangerous when it happened. 

On the Mun doing an EVA with Bill trying an experiment with KIS/KAS <I forget how the fuel pipes work its been THAT long> when a shadow suddenly came over me. I was in FULL sun at landing, and during the start of EVA. As you see, I wound up in an eclipse!! 

Zoomed out as far as I could and this is what I saw. At this point it was around 0730 local and I was wanting to go to bed. I waited as long as I could for the eclipse to end, but, impatience won out lol.

End of the eclipse closing in, but I was growing impatient.

Sun (Kerbol) starting to peek out from behind Kerbin. I made it until it was about 3 times this exposed before impatience won and I lifted off.

And mission mostly complete

235402012025

[AlamoVampire]

I did a few things this evening/early morning <i mean it is early morning as i type so > in this session. I did a minmus and a mun mission, returned some good science. I also deployed my first station in science. Its nothing much, a science module, a hitchhiker module and cupola. But, its a functional orbital space station. I have it researching right now, no idea if I need to actually put experiments into it OR if it will just generate science on its own, time will tell, or you guys can kill the suspense for me lol. SO, pics?

Jeb is in the cupola doing Jeb things. Mad man he is! Flying from INSIDE a fairing? That fairing is just one of many reasons I love procedural fairings. lovely mod that.

Here is Station 1 on orbit. 

The KSC is down below, say Hi! Like I said, this station isnt really much, nor creatively named, but, its just the first generation of station for my science save. More to come! 045702022025

[Eclipse 32]

currently doing nuclear escape burns on a Jool and OPM mission.

[N_Danger]

I tried to do a Kerbaled Mun flyby

The first attempt. Jeb " You sure are luckily , not everyone gets to use the LES system on their first flight"

The next attempt.  Jeb " You sure are luckily , not everyone gets to do an second stage engine out abort on their second flight"

We will try again later.

[Eclipse 32]

my kerbs on my main world have just discovered Lathe, and planning to send a crewed mission!

[Krazy1]

Giga 2 was launched yesterday. The PR department came up with the slogan "Giga... transcending prefixes."
Giga started with Laythe SSTO design and added all the ScanSat equipment and Research Bodies telescope previously only used on a separate scanning probes. It picked up the idle crew on Minmus that returned from Dres and they will head to Gilly to get some science and then to Moho to finish incomplete surface scans. A bonus goal is to return a jet engine from the surface of Moho. Somehow.

First stage is a 7.5m Clydesdale... fun. It was about 400t in LKO with enough fuel to land on Minmus. Now 787t (63% is fuel) in LMO, about to slingshot from Kerbin.

Spoiler

 

[Kimera Industries]

@N_Danger That's the Kerbal spirit for sure! 

The Beluga I was successful! It was a practically flawless Minmus mission (I realize now that I've flown more Minmus missions than Mun missions. Not sure what to make of that.) I had a lot of fun flying an actual mission for the first time in a while. After that, I tried making some sort of NTR space shuttle, but I couldn't get it to fly stable. I'll come up with a different launch system, the big idea was that the shuttle carried a space station inside of it and could deploy a centrifuge (without clipping through the payload bay)

Edited 21 hours ago by Kimera Industries

[Meecrob]

Ok, here's what I did during my all semester in college for Aeronautical Manufacturing Engineering:

Hope everyone is doing well!

Catch you all on the flipside

[FezCool]

Today I sent my new Mining Vessel to minmus from the mun. 

We had a pretty close pass over the mountains while landing which was pretty tense but otherwise a very smooth process.

The crew meets their compatriots at the Artemis Minmus outpost where they will stay for a couple days until whichever transfer window I wanna send them on opens. While we were at the outpost I revisited the old rover that came packaged with it.

I also sent my Mk3 SSTO down to the surface of the Mun to refuel which was a very lengthy process due to the low twr of the NERVA engines and I had to climb up a hill to get to my destination lol.

Additionally we sent the crew SSTO Shuttle back to Kerbin which didn't turn out very well but everyone is safe so it's fine in my books.

The biggest new thing however was I installed the FreeIVA mod (or reinstalled after a faulty install due to not using CKAN ) and it's completely changed my perspective on this game to the point I went on a grand tour of all my craft in the system to see which ones worked best with the mod. It's completely changed the way I'm going to be designing craft going forward, would highly recommend! 

Spoiler

Not pictured but oddly enough my Dres Station (currently enroute not in orbit) is the craft that has the largest interior because I didn't put too many parts between the crew modules.

I decided to check in on my career save and reached Minmus for the first time there.