What did you do in KSP1 today?

[jimmymcgoochie]

Designed and tested a crewed rover for Mars. It has all the mod-cons: pressurised cabin, ample supplies of snacks, integrated rover autopilot, sizeable quantities of Science! and some repair kits to repair the inevitable broken solar panels. Driving on the ground was fine, landing from low Mars orbit was also fine, now the challenge is actually getting it out there in the first place- at 9 tons it'll take a pretty beefy rocket to get the required delta-V.

[Caerfinon]

Finally got to the level in my career game where I can fly my favourite plane. The KC-10A Seabird by Rocketology (KerbalX)

Doing some missions out of Meeda Naval Air Station. This plane does all the missions; cargo delivery, rover airlift deployment, VIK transport...

Also, it flies like a dream!

[Cavscout74]

4 hours ago, STORMPILOTkerbalkind said:

Rip Val, Bob, And Bill Kerman. Forever stuck on Laythe

But at least they have a nice view while waiting to die!!

I fixed the Explorer I was working on - the base FASA Jupiter-Explorer still won't quite reach orbit in JNSQ, but an improved version I made will.  It even features a BG rotor to spin up the SRB stages for stabilization.  It's easier to to that after first stage burnout though - I tried with a second freewheeling rotor to cancel the torque, and it didn't want to work at all.

Then it was on to new designs.  I haven't messed with the pods from Near Future all that much, so I built an "advanced" 2.5m crew vehicle based on the Tethys pod.   It uses the existing Girroc expendable launch vehicle, but in place of an orbital engine, it uses the Chickadee engines on the pod for maneuvers and carries extra fuel tanks behind the pod that can be jettisoned when empty.  The Chickadee's also replace the heavy LES.   These improvements result in the base model Tethys reaching LKO with either 1350 or 1050 m/s dV (both mechjeb & the stock dV calculator had fits with this, so I need more testing to figure out which is correct. 

Abort test of the pod worked as planned

Forgot solar panels on this one, but it still has the small US2 fuel cell for power as well

 

The ER version, which adds a pair of liquid fuel radial boosters, can reach LKO (with every US2 wedge full of life support supplies or science gear) with over 200 m/s left in the 2nd stage plus an estimated 2020 m/s in the Tethys.  I think I can get a better launch profile and get some more dV in the 2nd stage - I flew a bit too high an angle most of the way.  I also think I can add another small fuel tank to the 2nd stage without hurting the first stage thrust too much

It uses an external fuel line to feed the pod's Chickadee engines from the aft fuel tank

A pair of sepratrons push the aft fuel tank well clear of the pod

I stuck with chutes instead of a propulsive landing.  I may test that out more in the future though, as it could save me up to 4 fewer parts and a little mass

Edited April 3, 2021 by Cavscout74

[Bubbadevlin]

Today in KSP i decided (foolishly) to try and launch a merged craft file of all the parts of my carrier I have done 

 

Made almost entirely of flags, the thing is fully stock and rn ~6800 parts.

Thats WITHOUT the upper sides, majority of the deck, or superstructure... Im really not sure why i do these things, that alone took like 1.5 hours to load in fully

In the process of combining subassemblies I also managed to  get 3 kspedias .. somehow

 

[BadOaks]

I redesigned my main Zephyr launcher into something a little more capable. On top of having more delta-V, it's also more stable and doesn't tempt the kraken quite so much. It uses a solid first stage to get it off the launch pad, a low-TWR, long-burning methalox main stage, and a kerolox upper stage. 

I used it to launch a couple of polar satellites. SIREN-4 carried a SITE payload to high orbit.

GARNET-1 carried a Kerbin-observation imager and also satisfied a satellite contract.

 

 

[N_Danger]

I launched the Minmus explorer to fulfil some contacts and get enough science to unlock the heaver rocketry node. 

I used the Mite SRB in an unusual way.

Faring separation

On our way to Minmus!

Hilke gets her first flag on Minmus

And spent a freaking long time looking for Green Sandstone. Got to visit a different biome anyway.

After rendezvous Jed conducts the docking.

Home sweet Kerbin is insight

And back at last.

 

[Martian Emigrant]

Hey all.

Sampled a comet past Eeloo and left behind a science-Relay-Station.

 

Then sent 3 Kerbal to Minmus Base...In a car. Because why not.

The contract  was for a 5 Kerbal capacity expansion of the base but I figured a rover can hold 5.

 

 

ME

 

[N_Danger]

I sent off a rescue mission for a kerbel in a low Munner orbit.

 

And Val had to abort the first rendezvous because she realized she would probably hit something before catching up to the target.

But the second attempt went well and Calbo was rescued.

And I didn't go into space.

[Xt007]

Really lucky the game didn't consider my craft "landed" when I parachuted onto a mountain and started sliding!

[Pipcard]

(Hatsunese Space Program - Phase 2 - 16)

1972-01-09 - The M-1B rocket launches with a high-energy liquid hydrogen/oxygen upper stage

Hatsunese Rockets 1952-1972

Edited April 4, 2021 by Pipcard

[HvP]

My experiment to create a rotating interplanetary ship fell victim to the Dzhanibekov effect.

[Cavscout74]

I went to the far end of the tech tree, throwing together a moderately sized interplanetary exploration ship using Near Future mods & headed to Jool.  This is the first time I've been to Jool in JNSQ - so of course it figures I still had scatterer unloaded (I did that the other day - along with other non-critical mods - to reduce load times while setting up my 1.10 build).  Oh well, it was still pretty.  Started off with 12900 m/s dV with just under 0.5g acceleration from the "Deliverance" nuclear rocket.  It has several "Starship" solar panels, but primary power is from a nuclear reactor - running around 10% power, it should last longer than my typical save.   After getting into a 300km equatorial Laythe orbit, I had about 6200 m/s remaining in the tanks so refueling will be required for real missions.  There are a few changes I'd like to make in the future versions, but overall it worked very well.   There was no extra fertilizer for the greenhouse, but since there is no "fertilizer tank" part apparently I'm going to have to make one.  There was over 4 years of food/water/oxygen for the 6-man crew even without the greenhouse.  The recyclers kept the water & O2 fully stocked through the trip, only the food supply went down.

Threw together a 5m launcher to get the pieces to orbit - first up was the command module, followed by the spine LH2 tanks, then the power/drive module and then the 10m main fuel tanks.

Spoiler

 

I got tired of pics after this, except for a few docking ones - drive module about to dock to the spine which is already attached to the command module

Once assembled, it was time to head somewhere.  Jool made a nice target - I was able to leave immediately without too huge of a dV penalty

A 150km Pe around Tylo made a handy assist on my way to Laythe

What a sight!!!  Too bad I have nothing built to actually land on Laythe....   Oh well, time to revert & tweak the design a little.   One of these days, I'm going to have to start tinkering with the tech tree to get that set up to my liking and actually restart my JNSQ hard career

The redesigned version will only use 2 of the 10m spherical tanks and a redesigned spine section.  Total dV drops to 9300 - still enough to reach Laythe with a healthy  reserve.  Since it will require refueling anyway, I figured it would be better to go smaller to start with.  Cost of the assembled craft (not counting launchers to bring up the pieces) drops to 1.6 million funds (down from 2 million) and mass drops to 259 tons.  I also added extra fertilizer, so the crew will be able to grow food during the trip so the only resupply needed "should" be liquid hydrogen.  Part count drops from 71 to 65 (that does not count docking ports between segments, which get welded away).  The smaller ship can also accelerate at 0.77g fully loaded instead of 0.49.  And the best part - 2 fewer launches to assemble (with rendezvous & docking of ungainly 10m tanks)!!

Edited April 5, 2021 by Cavscout74

[Admiral Fluffy]

I teleported a shipping container to orbit around Kerbin

[JB182]

im planning to build an aircraft carrier and launch some or a telescope and communication satellite somewhere in kerbin orbit.

[N_Danger]

I went to Eve.

 

[jimmymcgoochie]

I made a thing!

Water tower for scale...

[kspbandit]

I really want to get back into the forums so here's the video I made today in my beyond home modpack.

 

[Yukon0009]

Made a poster-ish thing out of a screenshot

[dave1904]

18 minutes ago, Yukon0009 said:

Made a poster-ish thing out of a screenshot

The little hachi that could  

[Stormpilot]

Launched the stupidity rover (yes that is its name) towards Duna.

+

Will land it next time I play KSP (the seats are for the Kerbals I already have on Duna).

[Admiral Fluffy]

Sent a Interplanetary manned mission to the Jool system.  It is about halfway there.

[Francois424]

Hey all, long time w/o updates, but RL is busy these days... So where were we ?
Ah yes, Team 1 had just finished landing on Ike (and almost crashing).

While that was happening, Team 2 started maneuvers to get into a 25x245km polar orbit of Minmus.  The Cadets don't want to lose more points on their mission score, and are going by the book this time.

The first of two maneuvers... this one to bring the low orbit to 25.5k

The Second to bring the high orbit around 245km, and orbit achieved.  Textbook stuff.  Now they're getting a good night's rest before landing on the morrow.

 

 

While that was happening, team one continued their mission on Ike.  Agawise popped her Music CD in the reader something about a game soundtrack called "Surviving Duna"
Part one is amazing, but unfortunately Jeb had overwrote the second part with "Railroad Western Music" which the rest of the team was not keen on.  Jeb truly enjoyed himself  tho.

Turns out most of Ike looks the same... And I mean really.  So all pictures also look the same, but pretty sure this was the lowlands, or was it the Midlands?  Either way those where the first 2 biomes explored.

Then Bob spotted Orion,  even it's belt was visible. The poor guy is upside down in this take tho.   Middle top.  Usually mean that 'Winter is Coming'... Wait is there such a thing as winter on Ike?

Duna rises while we kept hunting these biomes.  Ike is a bit annoying to drive on tho... Lots of bumps makes going over 20m/s a bit risky.

Thankfully someone remembered that this rover has VTOL capabilities... And up we went.

Landed on some nice terrain (for a change) to refuel at the South Pole, 113km from where we lifted up.  Definitely flying is the best option over here.

Ike's Western Mountain Ridge... Only one more Biome left.  But we're getting tired of this moon so...

. . . Another HUGE sub-orbital hop of 254km heading N-W . . .

And we finally reached he last one:  The (North) Polar Lowlands.  A sliver of Kerbol and Duna visible only.  The team transmit some more science, switch to mining mode and takes a nap for tomorrow's return to Duna.

 

So yeah, nothing much exiting for Ike.  Had some pretty spectacular bounces and flips, nothing got damaged, and honestly just fly around Ike.  Roving on it is 'okay' but really nothing special.
PS: Updates might be very slow as Winter vacation is over and usually work is pretty hectic for me until ~late august... But I'll see what I can do !
Thanks for reading, and have a nice day.

Cheers !

[Cavscout74]

After the success of my large exploration vehicle yesterday, I decided to try building a smaller one (4 crew) using the Near Future VASIMR drive.  It uses an NF 2.5m reactor to power the drive, with 4 "Starship" solar panels and a pair of RTG's for other power.  Built around the Near Future Octo-Truss, it has a long Xenon tank and a small Argon tank.  It is capable of 0.25g using xenon propellant at full load & 50% efficiency.  I already closed my game computer, but I think it had 7000 m/s on xenon and another 4000 on argon, with 50% efficiency.  The idea is it can use the argon for deep space maneuvers where acceleration isn't as important and xenon for the departure/capture maneuvers.  It can be placed into orbit on a single launch instead of the 7 launches required to assemble the larger one.  One change I'm going to make is to stagger the solar panels so the don't block each other as badly

Launching atop a Saturn V-class launcher (with some SRB's to help it off the pad)

For this one, I decided to head for Eve.  For the departure maneuver, I used the higher thrust xenon mode

After entering Eve's space, I used the more efficient argon mode to start slowing down as I approached Eve

This is the my first trip to JNSQ Eve as well

Switched back to xenon for the capture burn, with massive storms light up the night sky of Eve

 

[dprostock]

Neither Pedro Paulet, Konstantín Tsiolkovski, Hermann Oberth, Robert Hutchings Goddard, Serguéi Koroliov, Valentin Gruchensko, Wernher von Braun, dreamed it. 
For this reason they were overcome....
Here's the last big achievement: 05G 01 Lem.

A new achievement of the space program!

 

 

[PigeonThePilot]

yesterday i brought a kerbal to the Munar surface with a mobile lab and rover! unfortunately though I landed in the far side of the Mun so communication was limited. But i still really liked designing this and i plan on doing more like these in the future

https://ibb.co/C1dFDvz

Edited April 6, 2021 by PigeonThePilot
Grammatical error