What did you do in KSP1 today?

[RizzoTheRat]

About a real month (bloody RL getting in the way!) and several kerbal years ago I did 3 launches to complete a whole bunch of missions.  This put 7 ScanSats up (Kerbin, Minmus, Mun, Eve, Gilly, Duna and ike), a refuelling base and tanker on Minmus, and a mission to land on Duna and Ike, along with some orbital parts test.  Finally landed the last of the crew last night, and having picked up some more Science From X and Plant Flag On Y contracts along the way netted me over 8 million Kredits.

I then built this

Which is the start of my deep space RemoteTech kommunications network, which will be land based rather than orbital just because it can.

 

  

[Guest]

I like the idea of land-based comms networks. I think I'll do that next career.

[Kebab Kerman]

3 hours ago, Kronus_Aerospace said:

Ya think this is enough engines?

Ok, what did you do? That's not meant to exist... Why are you doing this?

 

YOU'RE TAKING IT TOO FAR

[TeslaPenguin1]

3 hours ago, Kronus_Aerospace said:

Ya think this is enough engines?

No. I think you need like a thousand more. Good luck.  

[Delay]

3 hours ago, Kronus_Aerospace said:

Ya think this is enough engines?

What's their combined thrust?

[kraden]

@Geonovast why not build something that the shuttles drive into which attaches to the nose port? Then, use IR to upright, and once in place you could secure it via the dorsal port while the boosters are re-attached.

Also, @JadeOfMaar are karbonite SRBs refillable, because that could be an option?

Edited February 15, 2018 by kraden
Ping

[Geonovast]

@kraden You people and your relentless logic..

That was the plan though, I was just kinda playing around last night.  KIS/KAS has a winch right?  Gonna probably look into that too.

Another option was to put ports on the sides right on the empty CoM lift it up, then rotate it.  Got a couple options here.  Another problem I'm having with the IR stuff, is even on its slowest setting, it's still too fast.  I can't imagine NASA righted the shuttles in 10 seconds.

[kraden]

3 minutes ago, Geonovast said:

@kraden You people and your relentless logic..

That was the plan though, I was just kinda playing around last night.  KIS/KAS has a winch right?  Gonna probably look into that too.

Another option was to put ports on the sides right on the empty CoM lift it up, then rotate it.  Got a couple options here.  Another problem I'm having with the IR stuff, is even on its slowest setting, it's still too fast.  I can't imagine NASA righted the shuttles in 10 seconds.

Lol

If you're willing to edit the craft, you can put ventral docking ports on for use with moving/righting the craft, as well as an attachment point for the external tank.

Semi-related, but have you had any luck using robo-strusts from IR? The concept is perfect for things like this, but I never figured out how they work.

[Geonovast]

2 minutes ago, kraden said:

Lol

If you're willing to edit the craft, you can put ventral docking ports on for use with moving/righting the craft, as well as an attachment point for the external tank.

Semi-related, but have you had any luck using robo-strusts from IR? The concept is perfect for things like this, but I never figured out how they work.

Hinges are beyond my understanding, I don't think I should touch the robot struts yet.

Even those hydraulic cylinders needed to be re-done once.  The first time I put those together, they would actually move backwards and move through themselves, effectively compressing instead of extending.  I fixed it by flipping them upside down.

I know it's crazy, but I may have to actually read the manual on this one.

Edited February 15, 2018 by Geonovast

[JadeOfMaar]

1 hour ago, kraden said:

Also, @JadeOfMaar are karbonite SRBs refillable, because that could be an option?

They are refillable. But you (rather, @Geonovast if they choose to install Karbonite) only need to patch them so they can be shut off and not burn while being refueled.

Spoiler

@PART[KA_SRB_*]:NEEDS[Karbonite]
{
	@MODULE[ModuleEngines]
	{
		!allowShutdown = True
	}
}

The line is actually "allowShutdown = False." The value you put as you delete the line isn't important but something needs to be sent as a value to the delete command.

@PART[solidBooster*] // Squad's SRBs
{
	@MODULE[ModuleEngines]
	{
		!allowShutdown = True
	}
}

 

 

[RizzoTheRat]

Despite having played KSP on and off for years I've never actually been to Eve.  I just got a contract for science from the surface so I thought I'd have a play in simulation mode (ie cheat it to orbit and see what it takes to land and launch).

It took me 2 or 3 attempts to get something that was stable on entry from a 110km orbit, but eventually came up with this

Due to a mess up with symmetry in the VAB it had less parachutes than I had planned, but luckily it only broke the landing gear (conveniently all 4 of them) when it hit at about 9m/s

The wings and parachutes jettison, and then it has 3 stages with 4 vectors, 5 aerospikes, and 1 aerospike.

I was somewhat surprised when it exceeded my expectations and made orbit on the first attempt with over 1000m/s remaining!  Anyone got an idea how much extra dV it needs from sea level compared to 1200m?

I did have a big problem with pilot induced oscillation on the first stage, I think I need to limit the vector gimbal range, and shorten the stack a bit to reduce wobble.  Given the excess dV I'm thinking the 3rd stage as a core with 2nd stage as asparagus boosters.  Then I need to work out a design I can launch from Kerbin, I'm thinking the wings could be on a separate stage mounted on top that can be attached after launch from Kerbin and jettisoned on a couple of seperatrons before launch from Eve.

No idea how I'll put in a ladder to get the pilot out though

Edited February 15, 2018 by RizzoTheRat

[Kronus_Aerospace]

3 hours ago, Delay said:

What's their combined thrust?

4240 kN vac, about 3600 kN SL.

[Guest]

So. Low Laythe orbit to Kerbin capture in 2000 m/s or less.  Craft won't survive aerocapture direct from transfer orbit, so we're space manoeuvres only. Doable?

It takes about 560 m/s to eject from Laythe (empirically tested). Kerbin propulsive capture is about 1100 m/s. I might be able to shave off a little off that with a grav assist from the Mun. 

Now I can get to Tylo from Laythe for the cost of the ejection burn, and I'm sure Tylo could kick me out of Jool with extreme prejudice. So in theory I ought to be able to intercept Kerbin for 560 m/s. That would leave 1400 for manoeuvring and insertion, which is certainly enough.

Problem is the theory. How in the name of Kraken am I going to figure out exactly how the Jolian moons are supposed to be aligned around the Kerbin return window? That's some high-level orbital mechanics and I'm just a tinker (that's even my handle). 

I played with manoeuvre nodes a bit and ejecting from the Jool system direct from LLO costs about 850 m/s, and if the Laythe phase angle is at maximum retrograde that'll pretty much drop me directly into the sun, so it'd be certainly enough to bring my Pe down to Kerbin level with a different phase angle. Assuming I get a Kerbin intercept direct from that, it would leave me about 150 m/s for manoeuvring which just might be enough to line up the Oberth insertion burn. 

An alternative would be to do a stopover at Duna Station where I have a small fuel depot. I'm assuming ejection would cost the same (i.e., 560-850 m/s), but insertion is a good deal cheaper, especially as I think I could survive aerocapture there. And I'm pretty sure I'd survive aerocapture from a Duna transfer which would make it even cheaper. So that's an option.

So what do you say, folks? Gravity pinball in the Jolian system, stopover at Duna Station, something else? Help get Pelican home. SCRUBBING THE MISSION IS NOT AN OPTION

[Hotel26]

1 hour ago, Brikoleur said:

Gravity pinball in the Jolian system

Sounds like you have a Plan A and B already.  So, when the window arrives, fall back to B if things are mal-aligned?  Also, with a good deal [more] of patience [than I have], it'd be possible to be flexible about the exact spin in which to leave?  And compare this orbit to the next in the projections?

[I speak from the 'peanut gallery'... ]

[Starman4308]

Went after a contract to get a high-resolution SAR altimetry map of the Moon. The SAR unit from ScanSAT masses a mere 50 kilograms, which is good, and consumes 1.5 kW, which as I understand is the limit for how much a wall power outlet can safely provide.

To get that power output using roughly 1960s/1970s photovoltaic cells requires about 8.4 m^2 of solar panelage massing 17.5 kg assuming it's pointed straight at the Sun.

To make sure I could power this on a spin-stabilized craft, I went with a total of 8 ST4 static solar panels for 84 kg. While the mass of these is a bit of a pain, the bigger issue is just that they are huge.

Now that its primary mission of mapping the Moon is complete, I may repurpose it a tad; it has both the standard 4 Mm Communotron 16 omni and a 75 Mm high-gain dish. For most of the Moon's orbit, the 4 Mm antenna is just barely enough to talk to the immensely powerful dishes of the Deep Space Network, so I can repoint the HGA to the active vessel. That means that, in some circumstances, it could help provide communication coverage on the far side of the Moon, or to vessels with omni antennae too weak to reach the Earth.

The Pioneer probes I'm now constructing are intended to get radar and SAR maps of Venus and Mars. They carry no other scientific instruments, just mapping equipment, a quartet of ST4 panels, and a pair of rotating OX-4M 2x3 panels (410 watts, 17.8 kg). This will be more than enough for Venus, but I'm going to have to pulse the SAR unit at Mars. They'll be going up on Gimel-2 boosters; while the science/control/communications payload is relatively light at 451 kg, they'll need well over 4 km/sec once there to get into the 500x500 km orbit required by the radar unit.

Coming off the stack soon will be a pair of lunar landers... and service modules capable of returning their science sections to Earth. I think I have them going up on Gimel-4 boosters, which provided enough margin to give both the service module and lander a bit of extra propellant.

Edited February 16, 2018 by Starman4308

[qzgy]

12 hours ago, Kronus_Aerospace said:

Ya think this is enough engines?

No. Needs more.

The pleasure/symmetry is intoxicating.

[InterplanetJanet]

 

40 minutes ago, qzgy said:

13 hours ago, Kronus_Aerospace said:

Ya think this is enough engines?

No. Needs more.

Misspelling. You meant @Kronus_Aerospace needs MOAR!  =)

[AngrybobH]

I drove for a long time on Duna. Well, mechjeb acted as cruise control (because the rover auto pilot doesn't want to steer anymore) as I just pointed my rover in the general direction I wanted to go. I watched a really nice Duna sunset (thanks EVE/SVE/scatterer) and drove into the night. Sometime about Duna midnight a really nasty sandstorm hit (again thanks EVE/SVE/scatterer). I had to stop because I couldn't see anything and after blowing out a tire on a rock after a jump that would have made them Duke boys jealous, I decided it wasn't worth driving in those conditions. The storm continued for about 4 hours. I continued for a bit into the morning and got a nice pic of the red planet. Total drive distance so far is 938km. I also played a short game of Endless Space 2 while some of this driving was occurring. I guess thats an unintended bonus of KSP being mostly single threaded, you can listen to music and play another game while its also doing things and not slow anything down. Here's the pic I grabbed today.

 

[Kronus_Aerospace]

Just built a really, REALLY, tiny F-22. It's still got a lot of work left before It's done, but I love it already!

[Wcmille]

Today I hit 93% reputation for the first time ever.

[Mukita12]

11 minutes ago, Wcmille said:

Today I hit 93% reputation for the first time ever.

and you reach more

 

[JadeOfMaar]

Landed on Tillos, the Tylo like moon. At this distance from the star, solar panels operate just fine. Hardly needed the nuclear reactors except while on the dark side of whatever moon. Curiously, this big, mean moon is not tidally locked. Perhaps the great impact it received gave it its momentum.

GROUP PHOTO!

The Pathfinder hab was inflated and a flag was planted but the crew's stay was brief. (Sadly, the hab cannot deflate and an issue came up causing the F9 key to send me to the KSC view, keeping the hab inflated...but fortunately it does not induce thrust torque).

Interesting eclipse shadows are interesting.

The four orange suits move on according to the nearest transfer window: to Aridos, what was once Laythe but is now a drying, dying world. Near the entry point to its SOI it was found that they were in a dead-on collision course and would have struck it like the bullseye. In comes a correction burn to fix that and ensure a polar pass over Aridos.

Jebediah lazed at the helm due to mild boredom and had to use the spaceplane's engines for some reverse thrust to secure an exact Ap and Pe. There isn't much reaction wheel power, nor a generous MonoPropellant supply to make the caravan's turn rate comfortable for situations like this. Unlike Tillos, though, they chose to scan the entirety of this moon.

 

Edited February 16, 2018 by JadeOfMaar

[RizzoTheRat]

13 hours ago, Brikoleur said:

I like the idea of land-based comms networks. I think I'll do that next career.

The trouble with the self propelled approach like mine is that in order to keep the cost down, its slow. That relay cruises at 200m/s, so it's going to take a while to get half way around the world. I think I need a high altitude high speed cargo aircraft to drop off comms rovers, rather than flying relays. I've seen one or two designs on here recently that might get copied... 

Edited February 16, 2018 by RizzoTheRat

[Guest]

double post, deleting this one, sorry mods

Edited February 16, 2018 by Guest

[Guest]

1 hour ago, RizzoTheRat said:

I've seen one or two designs on here recently that might get copied...

Hmm... if your relays are too big to fit in a Mk3 bay, you could use the Chausiku Kibowen. Just give each of them its own streamlined fairing and drop them off one by one; trouble is that you would have to circle around to keep them in physics range as they land -- ask @Hotel26 about that.

I.e. you can't just drop them off from 25k, you'd need to descend for each drop and climb to cruise to the next spot. Annoying but there it is.

(I still want to do it on my next career.)