What did you do in KSP1 today?

[Squish2867]

I am a new member of KSP so today I did a lot of tutorials!

[Vanamonde]

1 hour ago, Squish2867 said:

I am a new member of KSP so today I did a lot of tutorials!

Did they help? 

[Scarecrow71]

So as I'm working through the Nebuchadnezzar space station, I got a couple of contracts for those investor dudes.  I figured "What the heck; it's easy Reputation and could help in the long run".  Ended up completing those, which triggered the game to give me those contracts to build a space hotel and a space casino.  I looked at those, and man do they give out the funds for completing them.  I thought "Maybe" and went back to do the space station.  I keep getting contracts to shuttle tourists up to the space station, and after a bit I realized that the space station needs some upgrades.  Newer parts, and I gotta finish building it and all.  Money isn't the issue here - science points are.  As in, I don't have enough of them.  So I figured I'd do a contract or two to gain some science and do some stuff on the tech tree and then add to the space station.  And when I went into Mission Control, the game just knew what I needed and handed out a boatload of contracts involving Duna and Ike.

2 of these contracts I already had - map comets and map asteroids.  I have a satellite in orbit doing the mapping for these, so I didn't pick them up here.  But I got the rest of them, and thought "I wonder if I can pull off completing all 8 of those in one shot".  A couple of these were one-shots like "Land on Ike" or "Gather remaining science data near Duna".  Easy stuff.  But to effectively do a Kerpollo of Duna/Ike and throw in dropping a satellite in orbit PLUS get both a Duna Stone and Blueberries?  Challenge accepted!  So I set off building and launching Horus I.

It took a few days to get the window to Duna, but I eventually got one and set off.  And I planned the burn so that I'd get an Ike encounter without having to even get to Duna Pe!  So I come into Ike, set my orbit up, and drop off a satellite.

Now that I've got the satellite in orbit, it's time to put this thing down on Ike and collect some science.  And I'll say that the below image is probably my favorite one I've ever taken in this game.  Gives me chills seeing it.

On Ike, near dawn, sun coming up, Duna in the sky.  Wow.  And, ladies and gentleman, that is stock.  No visual mods here whatsoever.  Anyhow, time to get to Duna and collect the science there.

Bob Kerman, in Duna's Midlands, with Ike high in the sky overhead.  I got really lucky with shots today.

Part of the mission here was to collect both Blueberries and a Duna Stone.  I actually landed several feet away from a mound of Blueberries, so they were easy to collect.  I had to walk, however, several kilometers to gather the stone.  Those things are hard to see in the Dunatian mid-day!  But I found one, and made my way back to the lander...where I ran into the ladder issue.  I had to use RCS to jump high enough to get back into the command pod as the ladders acted as if they were all independent objects separated by several star systems.  But I got Bob back into the pod and rendezvoused with the mothership.  And while onboard there, I did some EVA construction with Bill - I brought Bill, Bob, and Kerdock the pilot - to take one of the large parachutes from the lander and attach it to the mothership command pod.  I figured I may need it, and an extra chute never hurts.

I got a return trip for ~600 dV, and I eventually made my way back to Kerbin's oceans.  I started this mission with ~275 science points and ~1.1 million in funds, and I ended with 4276 science points and 4.6 million funds.  This is the single-largest mission I've ever undertaken in the game, and boy did it ever pay off.  I am going to unlock a few nodes on the tech tree (at 550 science points each, so about 7 or 8 of them), and then I'll continue working on the space station.  Or maybe switch gears to the space casino; the Las Kerbas Space Agency did just approve LKO gambling...

[SpacestationDog]

Huh... Playing KSP on our class's computer.  (

[king of nowhere]

I completed the new Jool 5 science record. I got all experiments from all biomes, in quadruple copy because some experiments will give extra science if collected more than once. quintuple copy for infrared spectroscopy, because it's the one where multiple copies are worth more. And because I had a convenient place to store them, while only carrying 4 containers in all my landers. For Laythe, I took both landed and splashed down science (it's 2 different sets of science reports) for 8 biomes. I landed the exploration plane on an aircraft carrier to trick the game into giving the landed condition for all water biomes. Only now I think a submarine could have achieved the same, and it would have been a lot easier to fly than an aircraft carrier. that thing was a huge aerodinamic problem to launch and a huge center of mass problem from the moment I docked it to the mothership to the moment I dropped it on Laythe.

I circumnavigated all moons. I visited all anomalies.

I forgot a reentry vehicle. Fortunately, the only lander I did not discard, the plane I used for Laythe, is capable of ssto on kerbin; so I can land it, drop the pilot, send the plane back to orbit, dock with the mothership, refuel, get another crewmember, carry it to the ground, go orbit again... repeat for 9 crewmembers. so, technically it's not finished. I could also just launch a capsule, the rules allow it, but it's less nice.

I also have to finish writing the report. A few more days.

However, this is a momentous moment for me. After four years and many thousands of hours, I find myself without any ongoing project for this game. I've done everything. At least, everything I was interested in doing.

3 grand tours of the stock system with kerbalism; once including the outer planets mod. A grand tour of the real solar system, one of the whirligig world mod. More jool 5 than I can recall, always with some additional condition. A nanodiamond caveman. at least 18 planets circumnavigated with a rover, many of those planets from mods. I visited all anomalies (ok, i didn't bother with all of them on the mun and kerbin). found 21 green monoliths.

Now, whenever I think of something about this game, I've either done it already, or i'm not interested. I'll probably stop playing ksp, after all this time. Maybe i'll get ksp2 eventually.

As a science nerd, this game struck me in all the right places. Only the civilization saga has left a similar mark on me. Likely, even 10 years from now, even if I never pick it up again, I will still name ksp as one of my favourite games.

Or maybe I will I find some other long term challenge to waste my time tackle after all.

Edited April 25 by king of nowhere

[Hotel26]

1 hour ago, king of nowhere said:

find some other long term challenge

Have you ever looked at MKS?  ...Kolonisation

Congratulations on your achievements and all the enjoyment and entertainment you gained from KSP!!

Edited April 26 by Hotel26

[Hotel26]

I am developing a new spaceport on Eve, called Old Smokey.  It's a 12km-high flat-top, more than 3x3km for launch/landing field.

Also, an SSTO , Kryptonite (7), to shuttle up to 7 kerbals between Eve and LEO.

Also, an apoaptic intercept/rescue ship called Evolution.

I just attempted a return from LEO directly to Old Smokey Spaceport.

Here's the photo shoot:

 

Spoiler

And the view of the launch ramp:

Spoiler

The launch ramp is going to be integrated back onto the main field using a real 20-degree rock incline under the ramp for support -- eliminating the ESE tower.     (Thanks to @Aelfhe1m for suggesting a mechanism for doing this!)

                                                                 

Here's a shot of Evolution:

It's based on "Catch-Net" by @Tony Swallow.  18,000kN.   

Edited April 28 by Hotel26

[Pipcard]

[ARA] Y2, D504 - At the end of the second year (2.5x scale Kerbin), Castor Base had grown over 300 days from a single module into a large off-world factory. The most recent additions were a nuclear fuel plant and propellant production facility.

But an even bigger Minmus colony was being planned, which would use the 20 m Atlas domes (MKS mod).

Edited April 29 by Pipcard

[Hotel26]

I've been hard at work on my Eve SSTO project.  The testing is rigorous and re-entry, deceleration and then the "flip-around" maneuver is hard.

Have had several flights now in which the "flip-around" has caused an inflight break-up.  So we've lost no brave kerbals because all 7 in each of 3 flights (Mk2 capsule plus Hitchhiker) have been able to bale out and congregate together on the ground, positioning themselves in the form of an 'H', for "Help!". 

                                                                         

Which gave me an idea for a recreational project, in order to take a break.  Here follows the start of:

Space Troop

"Keeping You Safe 7x6!"

Currently just a small troop size of 8 kerbals, but will expand to a platoon of 24.

Each troop ship goes into a 60-degree orbit.  Then the long wait in space with nothing to do.  When trouble does break out in some location on the globe, the nearest ship goes into de-orbit, then the glide phase, then jettisons its fairing and disperses its troop via rocket-boosted ejection seats, triggered simultaneously.

The squad leader goes into a low opening tuck, picks the landing spot.  The others open at 5km AGL and then maneuver to land at their leader's side.  Weapons are unslung and the radio kerb phones in: "Blue Squad, ready for action", etc.

Points are given for tightness of the landing grouping as well as shortest time to form up after the squad leader's touch-down.

Spoiler

 

Edited May 1 by Hotel26

[Hotel26]

"Moneypenny!  Get me the chief of Acme Rocket Ejection Seat Corp on the blower!  NOW!!!"

Spoiler

SQUUAD!!  HEAD COUNT.  SOUNDDD OFF!!

Well, on the bright side: at least I still haven't killed any kerbals today...

                                                                                      

Now fitting a new & improved version of the rocket ejection seat...

Edited May 1 by Hotel26

[miklkit]

Imgur is working again.  Got the MK2 Expansion and MK3 Expansion mods and have been messing around.  This is about the dorkiest plane I've made in years.

This one is slightly better.

Edited May 5 by miklkit
success

[idamoofus]

Jumped into 1/4x KSRSS for the first time today.

You definitely have to think a lot more about your flight path when the scale of the game is more balanced with the parts like this. Doing it for the first time it's a bit of a fun challenge making orbit even with a tiny thing.

I even made the orbit a little eccentric on purpose, just to be authentic to the times. I shudder to think about how well I'll have to learn to fly to get one of these up to the equivalent of their historical altitude....

[LittleBitMore]

I designed a very standard VTOL aircraft

 

[Hotel26]

Happy to announce the publication of Kryptonite.  Complement of 7 Kerbals up/down to/fro LEO (Low Eve Orbit), assuming installation of the Old Smokey  (Kerbal Konstructs) spaceport.

This space-plane is certified: flies up, flies down, flies forward, flies backward!  Fine print: turning requires some banking.  Other terms/conditions may apply.

Edited May 4 by Hotel26

[SpacePixel]

This craft features a complete exploration package -- 6 RAPIERs, 2 NERVs, 8 VTOL Terriers, a crew complement of 6, a dorsal docking node and a 2-segment Mk3 cargo bay with a ramp to be occupied by a mining rover, a lab, a runabout shuttle or anything else to suit your fancy.

Although quite draggy and probably overweight for its powerplant, it feels as a proper sci-fi spacecraft with a bridge and all. Captaining the thing from IVA is some of the most fun I had in KSP -- cycling cameras, aligning docking collar to the station arm, dreading "RETARD RETARD" GWPS callout upon a late flare (landings are insanely fun!), looking out on the ship around you like some age-old captain, really a beautiful thing. I also want to try putting a shuttle in the cargo bay which was explicitly designed for rovers and cosplaying some Star Trek in Joolian system sometime

Edited May 4 by SpacePixel

[miklkit]

When the answer is YES.

[Admiral Fluffy]

I played some totally stock KSP today!

No mods to see here! Not at all!

Was fun.

Spoiler

Relevant mods are:

Outer Planets Mod, Explodium Breathing Engines, and Avali Space Program 

[N_Danger]

The lander sent to Duna did not fair well. 

We got some science before we landed at high speed (AKA crashed)

The Eve Lander faired better

Breaking through the cloud deck

Landed

 

[Admiral Fluffy]

Made a really fast plane.

goes over Mach 4. Couldn't get Mach 5.

And I flew a plane on Tekto from OPM.

It's quite pretty, even though the landscape blends together. Kinda like snow.

------
So I actually did more stuff, and its cool, so I'll put it here.

Launched a mission to Duna!

Did a Mun flyby because its cool

In hindsight, I should have made this one stage.

Ike was going to cause problems but the orbit burn happened and solved that

I can't really read his expression. Hopefully he is happy!

Undocked

After an orbit, I aimed for a very specific landing point known as "The Surface of Duna"

Had a catastrophic failure with the main chutes. Somebody is definitely getting fired for that. Thankfully all went well, just bumpy.

 

Safely landed!

Monoprop tanks make going down the ladder slighty bumpy.

And then Ranyo becomes the first kerbal avali on duna! Hooray!

What will happen to our intrepid hero? Find out next time on What did you do in KSP1 today? *Heroic Fanfare*

Hopefully he'll get back safely.

Edited May 6 by Admiral Fluffy
Surprise! I did more stuff!

[Pipcard]

[ARA] Y2, D506 - Microscopium 2, the first spacecraft built and launched from another celestial body. It would leave Minmus to intercept an asteroid that would fly by Kerbin in less than 40 days.

Gemini 29, built on Minmus to mine water (for permanent habitation)

Y3, D1 - Gemini 30, a larger miner for Specialized Parts resources

Y3, D7 - To support Castor Base's inflatable workshops (which act as productivity multipliers), a second 3.75 m reactor and several more drills are built.

Edited May 6 by Pipcard

[dbghasts101]

Exploring Roe in the Planet Jam 3 mod. I'm not on here often, so hopefully the images work.

[AtomicTech]

On 5/5/2024 at 7:00 PM, Admiral Fluffy said:

Made a really fast plane.

goes over Mach 4. Couldn't get Mach 5.

And I flew a plane on Tekto from OPM.

It's quite pretty, even though the landscape blends together. Kinda like snow.

------
So I actually did more stuff, and its cool, so I'll put it here.

Launched a mission to Duna!

Did a Mun flyby because its cool

In hindsight, I should have made this one stage.

Ike was going to cause problems but the orbit burn happened and solved that

I can't really read his expression. Hopefully he is happy!

Undocked

After an orbit, I aimed for a very specific landing point known as "The Surface of Duna"

Had a catastrophic failure with the main chutes. Somebody is definitely getting fired for that. Thankfully all went well, just bumpy.

 

Safely landed!

Monoprop tanks make going down the ladder slighty bumpy.

And then Ranyo becomes the first kerbal avali on duna! Hooray!

What will happen to our intrepid hero? Find out next time on What did you do in KSP1 today? *Heroic Fanfare*

Hopefully he'll get back safely.

Nicely done!

[KawaiiLucy]

11 hours ago, dbghasts101 said:

that satellite design is nice, gonna steal it for my future designs

[N_Danger]

The next attempt at a Duna probe landing takes off

Capture burn of the Commo/bus and lander

From a 200 KM orbit the lander separates and enters Duna's atmosphere without a heat shield

The parachute deploys at 4500 meters altitude

A rocket assisted landing is conducted

And now the science is collected.

 

 

[Admiral Fluffy]

Took off from Duna. Attempted to rendezvous with the main ship. Got close, then the game crashed.

Help would be appreciated, but if you have no idea, makes sense. Here are some more pictures of the takeoff.