What did you do in KSP1 today?

[Hotaru]

What do you use to get the name on the part?

An old mod called NEBULA Decals. Version on Curse is for 0.25 but works fine in 1.0 (might need some edits to its config files, I can't remember).

PS. Funny the way video games distort our sense of time: a mod from six months ago seems "old."

Edited June 3, 2015 by Hotaru

[Sharpy]

Finished testing my unmanned (unkerbed?) mission to Eve setup. Well, the current round, as I both got enough science in the process for a better fuel tank and found some critical vulnerabilities.

The idea is to bring a lot of tiny landers: small heat shield, a probe core, smallest fuel tank and engine (for deorbiting), a battery, some solar panels, antenna and all the science that doesn't weigh obscenely much (the whole probe would fit inside the SC-9001 Science Jr.) There's a carrier rocket with a nuclear engine and a big tank for the interplanetary travel, and it takes 12 of them on board. Maybe 14.

So, I performed all the pending science in varied Kerbin biomes. The probe core of the carrier rocket overheated during a turn into polar orbit, but the landers performed marvelously. So, now comes an overhaul of the carrier rocket. MK3 fuel tank (no wasting space on unused oxidizer), a couple science instruments to bring on-board to perform orbital (and possibly upper-atmospheric) science once all the landers are deployed, a new fairing, and some thermal isolation (plus moving the core and batteries to the nose area, ahead of the set of probes, away from the hot fuel tank.) And probably cubic octogonal struts for "launch platforms" for the probes, instead of the big, unwieldy structural plates. And so comes round 2 of testing the new carrier.

[Plume & Akakak]

More caches.

[Frank_G]

Spaceplanes really give me headaches in 1.0.3... still working on a working and useful design, before returning to make them as small as possible... This one performs and handles pretty fine, but only makes it to orbit with a drop of fuel. Re-Entry is working nice and it has enough liquid fuel left for a nice controlled landing.

[Enkiel]

More caches.

http://img15.hostingpics.net/pics/925445KSPValentinacache01.jpg

http://img15.hostingpics.net/pics/599846KSPValentinacache02.jpg

http://img15.hostingpics.net/pics/531106KSPValentinacache03.jpg

http://img15.hostingpics.net/pics/274757KSPBobcache02.jpg

Great picture! i never think of doing something like this... its perfect.

[SmashingKirby148]

Made my second Kerbin orbital station ever, two launches.

http://i.imgur.com/3diq3HV.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/YKirFUw.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/4pai5fW.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/wYwoL6a.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/sgLfdjy.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/gBIrvZu.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/XXfxqD9.jpg

That looks very good! There's a mod that adds stock-alike station parts called Station Parts Expansion

[Frank_G]

YES!!!! The day of days... the new tweaked design reached a solid 80 km circular orbit with 1 quarter of fuel to spare. It returned safely to the KSC after circling Kerbin for a few times. Ok ok... i missed the runway a little. But hey... i have a working spaceplane with the capacity to do useful things.

The ascend profile is very different from earlier versions of KSP. This design reached 1.4k m/s and a flight ceiling of 27.000 m before switching to rocket mode.

I kept both engines on the whole time, hunting the apoapsis at about 40 seconds distance until reaching space. After coasting to apoapsis it took only a tiny boost to circularize.

Finally: 80 km orbit established. While Bill was monitoring, Jeb took the time for a little EVA.

Re-Entry with this craft is quite easy. After pumping all remaining fuel into the nose tank for better maneuverability, it swooped down towards the runway with absolutely no critical situations at all.

Ok... i panicked a little and missed the runway by a few meters during final approach. However the drogue chute did its job, slowing the craft down enough for a soft landing.

During the landing both aerobrakes, located under the engines were ripped off... this design flaw needs a little further attention.

My first glorious day in KSP 1.0.3.

[Plume & Akakak]

Great picture! i never think of doing something like this... its perfect.

Thank you very much. : )

[Geschosskopf]

I sent 8 ships to Jool and then, 6 days later, 3 more to Duna.

[BDelacroix]

For me... Today I plan to (may not be able to) send a ship to collect my pilots that are all loaded in the KIS Argo. They transfered there when I tested several iterations of fuel transports that take fuel from the mun level ore refineries to the orbiting ship. They each had flaws that were unacceptable, so I unloaded what fuel I could get there, unloaded the crew and dumped the failed experiments.

Unfortunately, that leaves a dearth of qualified pilots at KSP central. Hiring new ones is WAAAY too expensive at this point and pot luck of rescues isn't panning out.

Edited June 3, 2015 by BDelacroix

[micr0wave]

In order to keep the discount from our famous supplier:

[soulsource]

I just turned down difficulty from hard to custom (with quicksaves and reverts). No way I'm giving up my manned Eve ship because I was too stupid to throttle down.

[LtWhiskers]

Reached Duna for first time since .90. Hit atmosphere to aerobake and immediately exploded across the planet. :0

[ScriptKitt3h]

Continuing my colony setup mission, I landed the first of a new breed of Duna SSTO Dropships (they can SSTO from Duna's surface to LDO and back) on Duna, delivering a 4x4 dune buggy in its belly-mounted cargo hold.

Now the dropship (classified as the VST-01 SkyPiercer-class VTOL Dropship) system has been Duna-rated and the colony has its first exploration vehicle!

[Torih]

Got my first SSTO build attempt in orbit and back down in one piece (100k short of the runway though)

[LittleBlueGaming]

I made a last-minute design change to my class-C asteroid redirect vehicle, flew an incredibly(for me at least) efficient course to intercept it, turned on my RCS to maneuver, and realized that I didn't have any oxidizer for my Vernor engines. Ironically, I still had the monoprop tank from before I switched the thrusters out

[-ctn-]

Today, I finally tested out my new laptop and played for fun instead of modding. I flew a simple lander to Mun and Minmus and returned home, using my Phoenix CRS as a resupply probe in Mun orbit.

Turned out quite nicely, and my laptop was able to run all the beauty mods smooth as silk. Very, very happy.

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[CaptainApollo]

Completed the Fake a Mun Landing Challenge, it took a few hours of my time but it was so much fun!

[CatastrophicFailure]

Today it got completely stuck in my head, so to get it out I had to write down a teaser chapter for a (possible)* new fanfic:

Finally, she found the hallway to the auditorium. Valentina Kerman stood to the side, out of the path of the throng of people walking out, scanning faces for the strange young Kerbal. Occasionally someone's eyes would meet hers. There would be recognition, a smile, perhaps a nod, but her presence seemed to be less remarkable now. That was fortunate. People here were so strange. At last the crowd passed, without the face she was looking for.

She glanced around the corner toward the auditorium, and saw him. Talking to Sir Kerman, of all people! She hadn't been expecting that. She retreated back behind the corner, took a moment to straighten her uniform and her wide-brimmed hat, mentally noting it was a rather silly thing to do, really. Anyway, what did the young fellow say his name was again? Gas-man? She looked at the binder in her hands. Ah yes, Edgas. She frowned. Such strange names here. She turned the corner and approached the other two. This could be fortunate, maybe she would finally get a chance to pick Sir Kerman's brain about this new spacecraft design Igor said he was involved in.

"Excellent question, lad, Ah only wish you'd've asked it during the panel," he was saying to the younger Kerbal as Valentina neared, "the thing about n-body physics is that-- well hullo, Luftennant! We've just wrapped up here, Ahm afraid, if you've come for the lecture."

"zSehr Kehrman, it is a pleazhure to see you again, I am sorry to have missed it," she said, "they do keep me rather busy here."

"Chadvey, please," he grinned broadly, "but indeed, Ah was just saying to young Edgas here-- ach, where are m' manners?" He turned to the other Kerbal, who's face seemed to have mostly disappeared behind two massive, bulging, white eyeballs, "Edgas, thus is the famous Luftennant Valentina Kerman of the Ussari Space Agency. Luftennant, thus is Edgas Kerman--"

"Ah, we've met..." she said flatly.

"--soon to be a rising star in the Kerbal Space Administration Kerbonaut Corps."

Valentina's eye... bulge pinched, "you are... kehrbonaut?" She said to Edgas.

Against all probability, Edgas's eyeballs grew wider, his speck-like pupils darting back and forth between the other two Kerbals like a cornered animal, "huh? What? Who? Me? Go into space? Um, no, I...I...I...I...I'm just an intern here at the Research Center, I could never do that!"

"Oh, ........, lad, the Corps needs sharp, young minds like yours. It won't be all daring test pilots much longer. We'll need someone in the other two seats doin' the real science."

Three seats? Excellent, this is what she needed to know, now she just needed to be rid of the odd one.

"Ah, Edgas, was it?" She held the book and binder up to him, "you dropped zthis back in zthe hall."

The one called Edgas reached out hesitantly to take the items, and his stubby fingers brushed hers.

"Hurk," said Edgas.

Valentina Kerman had spent countless hours training to handle unpleasant situations. In the dark, upside down, under water, and through thick gloves, she could locate all the switches and levers of her pod by memory. She could withstand 18 gees in the centrifuge without blacking out. Surviving in the harsh Ussari taiga with nothing but lip balm and a plastic coat hanger was second nature. She had even been to space now, more than once.

But nothing, nothing could have prepared her for the torrent that suddenly erupted from Edgas's mouth. It spewed forth with all the fumes and rage of a rocket plume, rebounded off the book, sprayed and filled the hallway with billowing, foamy clouds like a launch. Conscious thought had run, screaming, for the nearest bunker, and for all her training all she could do was hold fast against the onslaught. After what seemed like an eternity, the flow ebbed, and then ceased, leaving the hall quiet. The three Kerbals all stared, wide eyed, at nothing. For some time the pungent silence was broken only by the soft plip... plip... plip... of liquid on linoleum.

"Oh dear," Sir Kerman finally said, his shaggy, dark hair matted against his neck, "oh dear, dear, dear, dear, dear, dear..."

The one called Edgas's face was a frozen rictus of horror Valentina was sure mirrored her own. His pupils had disappeared to singularities. The book and binder slowly slipped from her still-outstretched hand and made a horrid splattering noise as they hit the floor.

"Excuse us, please, Luftennant," Sir Kerman said softly, gently gripping Edgas's shoulders with a squish, "come lad, let's get you to the infirmary." He guided the younger Kerbal away, slowly, his hand still outstretched.

Valentina stood there for some time, unblinking, gaping, her hand dripping before her.

"PæTIÃâ„¢!" She finally swore. She looked around and took stock. Incredibly, the book seemed to have shielded her from most of the assault. She turned, stiffly, her hand still held before her, and headed for the nearest washroom. To boil it.

*subject to development hell, writers' strikes, and gratuitous rectonning.

And also, an explosion:

Edited June 4, 2015 by CatastrophicFailure

[LordFerret]

Today, I finally tested out my new laptop and played for fun instead of modding. I flew a simple lander to Mun and Minmus and returned home, using my Phoenix CRS as a resupply probe in Mun orbit.

Turned out quite nicely, and my laptop was able to run all the beauty mods smooth as silk. Very, very happy.

http://imgur.com/a/cIAuu

Minmus, which we know is made of mint ice cream, looks like it's melting. lol... nice, great pic.

I spent the better part of the day in v0.90 returning all of my crews back home. The Mun base has been emptied and abandoned, its two rovers left plugged into their solar rechargers should aliens ever visit and care to take them for a cruise. All three of my space stations (around Kerbin, Mun, and Minmus) have been emptied, except for the station commanders - they come home tomorrow. Once the station commanders return, KSP v0.90 will become history.

Now, I await the arrival of docking cameras for v1.0.x.

[soulsource]

After a buzzing sound the radio comes to live.

"Sir, you must realize that they are dead. Their re-vert-animated corpses in orbit mock everyone involved in the development of their ship, and every kerbonaut capable of going to orbit without blowing up their own ship."

It takes some time until the head of KSC finds the strength to answer.

"Yes, Val, you're right. We all have to face the truth. Let's ban the necromantic technique of re-vert-animation, blow up their ship as they did at their first attempt to launch it, give them a proper grave along their comrades, and pretend this never happened."

Some minutes pass.

"Ok, I've just done the sorry deed of sending up an automated, non-controllable warhead to blow up the ship."

"Are you aware that Chadson was our last pilot at KCS?"

"Oh god... We'll have to pay a price for this... Funds actually. We were able to cover up that our rescued colleagues had to sleep on the floor for some weeks, but if we now need to hire new crew, we'll have to offer them a proper room to sleep at the KSC, or they'll never sign our contract! This whole Eve mission turns out to be a big sink for money."

"Yes, Sir, but remember, we aren't in this for the funds. We are doing this for the advancement of all Kerbalkind. Although I of course would feel more comfortable if we had at least some return of investment for this trip to Eve, apart from the data we can gather. Also, just think of all the funds we already invested in the lander. No way of chickening out, just because we only have half the funds left the Eve mission started out with."

In other words: I reconsidered. Reverting is disabled again, as is quickloading. The "cheated" ship including crew has been terminated in the tracking station. The astronaut complex has been upgraded, a new pilot has been hired, and the new ship has been brought to orbit.

Edit: A post like this deserves a screenshot. Of the new ship just at launch.

Edited June 4, 2015 by soulsource
Added screenshot

[percyPrune]

*edit* /\/\/\ My sympathies to soulsource in this difficult time!

After weeks of mucking about with humungous spaceplanes and lousy payload fractions, I threw this little chap into LKO as a joke. Not much dV left when in 75km orbit (probably due to my lousy ascent profile) but I think I can improve it by fiddling with the ratio of LF to Oxidizer.

However, thanks to Grumman's thread ( http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/124293-I-can-t-stop-rescuing-Kerbals!/page2 ) I know there are engineers out there waiting to be rescued so I might add a probe core and send it out to recover a few. In KSP (as IRL) I am short of engineers!

Edited June 4, 2015 by percyPrune

[Jesrad]

I seized the fortuitous opportunity of a pair of tourists wanting to orbit Kerbin, to bring one more experienced scientists to my Science Farm In Orbit on the cheap. This proved very challenging as it highlighted the many limitations of my SSTO design. Running out of battery and monogas while docking is not fun.

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[Ianwubby]

Landed my first probes on Duna and Ike in my career game!

And the locations:

[A35K]

I flew around in my Laythe amphibious plane back in good old 0.23 where aerodynamics didn't matter and radial intakes doubled as floats:D!

(My main sandbox exploration save, which is the one I always play on, is still in .23!!! I won't stop until I have a kerballed return mission from every single planet!)

Vall and Tylo visible here

Edited June 4, 2015 by A35K