USD Epimetheus, Coming Soon

[Insignus]

Unfortunately, due to http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/33244-Yet-another-loadscreen-hanging-issue, this ship's craft file has been lost. However, prior to the update, in .19.1, the USD Epimetheus was a fully functional, performance optimized long duration drone freighter, used by myself to deploy satellites as far out as Eeloo with room to return. It's primary mover's are its cluster-ions of PB2's (24 in total), powered by the fuel megastack and thruster attached ministacks of xenon gas (12 x4 in the fuel module, 3 per engine stack). It derives power from its backup solar arrays, and stores it in the various cylinder batteries spread across the ship, but its principal power source is the HOME Nuclear module (The the engines are attached to it).

http://cloud-2.steampowered.com/ugc/631908039696715107/12083183B9D5896A7D0B0DEE3DFE8BEF77343FEF/

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=149878885

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=149878950

As you can see, it has multiple communications arrays attached to it, enabling constant contact. In its present small bore configuration, it has 3 B9 cargo bays with 8 remotetech satellites and a third trunkline satellite in the rear. There were plans to expand it, but 8 satellites proved sufficient to serve as relay points for present stellar bodies, plus the "Big Ear" satellite stored in the third bay, allowing each mission to setup a functional planetary communications system for remote exploration.

It does suffer from some inordinately long burn times, but inbuilt efficiency, as well as some advanced navigation and staging I learned from Orbiter and pipe through Mechjeb let the pilot handily set it up to reach the outer planets with grace and ease.

As well as its satellites, it does also possess a pair of LAZOR enabled scanning pods, with attached purple lazors for rudimentary ADS systems, as well as intended radiator attachment points for the nuclear reactor.

After demonstrating the feasibility of lofting it in 4 pieces, I went back in VAB and rebuilt it by hand then used Hyperedit to loft the sleek and finished version. Because I'm a perfectionist.

The following mods were used in its design and creation (If you spot a mod I haven't mentioned, please let me know)

Ampyear, B9, BobCatIndustries "H.O.M.E.", RemoteTech, CBM (For the docking ports, which I use as standard now), Romfarer's LAZOR, MechJeb, NovaPunch, for the attachment points on the engines and fuel module, KSPX, for the struts and a few pieces, and DeepSpaceMission pack, for the xenon tanks and a few other goodies. At that time I had not properly unpacked some of the heavier ion engines in DSM, so I used the PB2s.

In a future rendition, I will likely replace the rear mission control array with a 20 thrust ion from DSM (Which is a fairly useful pack).

If you would like a .craft file, I'm sorry, but pending resolution of my tech support issue, KSP for me is grounded, period. If you would like, you can try fixing it for me, and I would be happy to rebuild it, and post it to the spaceport.

Until then, Na-na-boo-boo.

Note: If someone could mod a realistic NERVA, that would be excellent.

Note: YEs, my steampage is stuck in some kind of language. Been trying to fix that.

Edited June 2, 2013 by Insignus