[0.25]KSP Interstellar (Magnetic Nozzles, ISRU Revamp) Version 0.13

[Fractal_UK]

Hm the point is, the userability of the fusionengene is not real given.

Because the ship is 3 times heavier with a supporting combination, than when you would use the biggest only Stock Engene :-)

(A bit overcomplicated in comp to the effect) :-)

I don't really see the comparison between the DT Vista and any of the stock engines, even with supporting mass, don't forget that you are getting Mainsail levels of thrust on an engine with 15,500s of Isp in its lowest Isp/highest thrust setting. That engine is already easily the most overpowered one available, it even unlocks in the tech tree at the same time as the reactor upgrades that make it easier to meet its rather excessive power requirements and only has a relatively small drawback in that you can't use it near your other ships/kerbals.

The reason that it needs LiquidFuel though is to actually get some thrust from it. Even with a fission engine, you can design a method of using the nuclear particles directly to get thrust (fission fragment rocket), exhaust velocity goes up to 10% of the speed of light or so, while thrust comes down to 20N or so if you're lucky. To get even 10kN, which is still not a useable engine in KSP, you're looking at needing something like a 1.5TW reactor on your rocket at that exhaust velocity. So, every engine presented in the mod, uses some scheme for spreading out the energy from nuclear/antimatter reactions into a lot more hydrogen propellant.

That gives you a lot more with a much lower exhaust velocity, so you become less efficient with respective to propellant but your rocket now has useable thrust.

To power it you need yet to put on at least 5 normal Reactors and 6 Electro generators (and even than it does not support it stable). (I play with the R&D Tree and there are Antimatter Reactors far behind this engene so...

You only need 1 reactor and 1 generator, provided you use the biggest reactor and generator and they are both upgraded.

I am having a strange problem when using the modular fuel system patch with the thermal turbojet. When it is in hydrogen fuel mode, the rightclick dialogue claims that the engine is using 0.00032 units per second, but the actual usage is 0.86 units per second, which is incredibly high for such a low thrust and high isp.

That's pretty much expected when using RealFuels. LiquidH2 has a really tiny density, meaning that you need to add lots and lots of hydrogen fuel tanks - much more than you would need with LiquidFuel in order to get anywhere. Of course, where the difference arises is mass, you can happily use several fuel tanks of Hydrogen in RealFuels for every liquid fuel tank you would have to use because it won't be any heavier. Basically, RealFuels won't change the mass of your rockets much but it will change their volume.

Edited November 3, 2013 by Fractal_UK

[sanoj688]

Okay so I had my duna science lab Working for over a year.. I switch back to it but I didnt see an option to transmit data. I checked the r&d center, no added science. What should I do?

[Fractal_UK]

Okay so I had my duna science lab Working for over a year.. I switch back to it but I didnt see an option to transmit data. I checked the r&d center, no added science. What should I do?

Did you check the R&D centre after you switched back to it or before? Science won't be added until you go back to the lab.

[sanoj688]

Did you check the R&D centre after you switched back to it or before? Science won't be added until you go back to the lab.

I checked it before I even got started the research, it was 821. Then I managed to repair the reactor and I started research, then I changed to another vessel that was goign back to Kerbin, which took about 1.5 years. So once I got that one back I checked the R&D center to be sure, still 821. Then I switced back to the Duna lander with the science lab. It was still researching (although I believe the arms weren't extended anymore) I right clicked for the options and it said stop current activity or something. But nothing to transmit. I tried stopping the activity to see if the option would come up, but no. And using transmit data on one of my communotrons didn't do anything either.

I checked back in the R&D center, still 821.

[Tharios]

I checked it before I even got started the research, it was 821. Then I managed to repair the reactor and I started research, then I changed to another vessel that was goign back to Kerbin, which took about 1.5 years. So once I got that one back I checked the R&D center to be sure, still 821. Then I switced back to the Duna lander with the science lab. It was still researching (although I believe the arms weren't extended anymore) I right clicked for the options and it said stop current activity or something. But nothing to transmit. I tried stopping the activity to see if the option would come up, but no. And using transmit data on one of my communotrons didn't do anything either.

I checked back in the R&D center, still 821.

Sounds like maybe a bug when a reactor emergency shuts down during lab's research process?

[IndigoCypher00]

Ok, I put the KSPI files in my main directory, and I swear I saw them load in, but they're not showing up.

Also, don't know if any of you guys watch World War K by EnterElysium, but I think KSPI might make an appearance. Excited!

[Donziboy2]

I think I found part of the problem with the collectors, I launched a new collector block with an AM tank attached and a small reactor on another Docking clamp and replaced one of the existing wings with it. I then went to my other ship and time warped, I actually got some AM when I went back, not as much as I should have but I think part of the problem may also be time warp.....

Edit..... Testing with warp and it does not seem to matter what speed I use I get about 9 AM for a 6 hour warp, I should get almost 40. Using Kerbal Alarm Clock to keep me even with time runs, doing 3x as I type, so that will take some time.....

Edited November 3, 2013 by Donziboy2

[BananaDealer]

Ok, I put the KSPI files in my main directory, and I swear I saw them load in, but they're not showing up.

Also, don't know if any of you guys watch World War K by EnterElysium, but I think KSPI might make an appearance. Excited!

Career or Sandbox mode?

[sanoj688]

Sounds like maybe a bug when a reactor emergency shuts down during lab's research process?

Well thanks for thinking along first of all But I didn't start the research activity until after I repaired my reactor. And next to that, the science lab does get it's power..

Actually, I already had one science lab in LKO and munar orbit, and I never saw an option to transmit there. Do I even need to transmit or should I get the science without a message? I haven't actually tried checking the R&D then going to any those kerbin and mun science labs. I'll try that.

[Fractal_UK]

Well thanks for thinking along first of all But I didn't start the research activity until after I repaired my reactor. And next to that, the science lab does get it's power..

Actually, I already had one science lab in LKO and munar orbit, and I never saw an option to transmit there. Do I even need to transmit or should I get the science without a message? I haven't actually tried checking the R&D then going to any those kerbin and mun science labs. I'll try that.

No, there is no transmit button anymore, it should be added automatically as soon as you go back to it. I think I'll add a message in the next version telling you how much science has been added when you go back to your labs, that should make this process more transparent for players.

[Donziboy2]

Well on a good note my 25 Kerbal mission to Moho has started its 25 minute burn:)

Stages from left to right.... DT Vista Pusher, 2.5m Reactor/gen upgraded, 12 Labs, 2.5m Reactor/gen no upgrades, early 3 kerbal lander design with spare tank for return to Kerbin.

The DT Pusher can launch from Kerbin unassisted and have 2/3 of a tank of fuel left.

Fractal_UK whats the usage rate for Deuterium and Tritium? I had 2 spare tanks filled and they are pretty much empty now:/

Edited November 3, 2013 by Donziboy2

[Taris]

Uh oh... apparently... Vista engine kills everyone in other vessels as well...

I thought Kerbal spacecrafts were equipped with radiation shield(?) but not against Vista? I just killed 12 Kerbals in my space station by turning on Vista engine

I thought Vista radiation kills only EVA Kerbals...

Edited November 3, 2013 by Taris

[CalculusWarrior]

No, there is no transmit button anymore, it should be added automatically as soon as you go back to it. I think I'll add a message in the next version telling you how much science has been added when you go back to your labs, that should make this process more transparent for players.

That would be fantastic; it is a little confusing for me to figure out how much science the labs have committed to the grand total.

[Donziboy2]

Uh oh... apparently... Vista engine kills everyone in other vessels as well...

I thought Kerbal spacecrafts were equipped with radiation shield(?) but not against Vista? I just killed 12 Kerbals in my space station by turning on Vista engine

I thought Vista radiation kills only EVA Kerbals...

Yep this is true, I usually place small engines on my Vista transports so that when they get close to a manned ship I switch off the vista.

Those gamma rays are just no fun at all;)

[BananaDealer]

Ok. So I may have run into a little problem... It's been reported before but I feel like I need to report it again...

I'm testing out the K-90 SunStreak, a double-thermal jet + a Sabre (B9) fighter. As soon as I turn the Thermal jets on, one gets ridiculous thrust, like upwards of 500KN and the other one keeps to 0. Both are active and using atmosphere for propellant. There's a 1.25m antimatter reactor and an electric generator of the same size for each "engine block". Each block also has an antimatter collector, but that doesn't work on Kerbin's surface so yeah. There are also 3 Antimatter storage tanks in front of each engine block.

When I try to shut the engine with 0 thrust and activate it, it starts getting the ridiculous thrust, while the one that was working before drops straight to 0...

Here's pictures.

Left working, right being DERP.

Right working after shutting off and back on (manually, not using the action groups). Left not working. (Thrust will climb back up to 530 on the right but keep to 0 on the left)

Edit:

Doing a fresh test run. This happens.

I turn only the left one and it doesn't work (thrust keeps to 0). I then activate the right one and it's nominal (thrust climbs to 530, left one's still 0). I "toggle" the left one manually and its' thrust climbs to 530 while the right drops to 0... And so on...

Edited November 4, 2013 by BananaDealer

[Fractal_UK]

Ok. So I may have run into a little problem... It's been reported before but I feel like I need to report it again...

I'm testing out the K-90 SunStreak, a double-thermal jet + a Sabre (B9) fighter. As soon as I turn the Thermal jets on, one gets ridiculous thrust, like upwards of 500KN and the other one keeps to 0. Both are active and using atmosphere for propellant. There's a 1.25m antimatter reactor and an electric generator of the same size for each "engine block". Each block also has an antimatter collector, but that doesn't work on Kerbin's surface so yeah. There are also 3 Antimatter storage tanks in front of each engine block.

When I try to shut the engine with 0 thrust and activate it, it starts getting the ridiculous thrust, while the one that was working before drops straight to 0...

Here's pictures.

Is this intentional?

No, it's not supposed to happen but it's also proving hard to fix. It's a balance between not making the engine thrust drop too early and avoiding asymmetric thrust/flameout problems.

I have something much better working in my dev build for 0.8 but I feel it still needs more work yet.

[Taris]

Ok. So I may have run into a little problem... It's been reported before but I feel like I need to report it again...

I'm testing out the K-90 SunStreak, a double-thermal jet + a Sabre (B9) fighter. As soon as I turn the Thermal jets on, one gets ridiculous thrust, like upwards of 500KN and the other one keeps to 0. Both are active and using atmosphere for propellant. There's a 1.25m antimatter reactor and an electric generator of the same size for each "engine block". Each block also has an antimatter collector, but that doesn't work on Kerbin's surface so yeah. There are also 3 Antimatter storage tanks in front of each engine block.

When I try to shut the engine with 0 thrust and activate it, it starts getting the ridiculous thrust, while the one that was working before drops straight to 0...

Here's pictures.

Left working, right being DERP.

Right working after shutting off and back on (manually, not using the action groups). Left not working. (Thrust will climb back up to 530 on the right but keep to 0 on the left)

Is this intentional?

I think I reported exactly the same problem yesterday.

As seen in your screenshot, antimatter reactor is powering your thermojet engines but you don't have any antimatter on board. Since antimatter is supposed to be mined up in space or generated in the lab module... we usually start with 0 antimatter to run the antimatter reactors instead of nuclear ones.

Currently, if we connect a single antimatter reactor with a thermojet engine, I guess something positively feedbacking the thermal power and fires up the engine and the engine works like the antimatter reactor is running at its peak efficiency. Of course, this is not logical since the reactor should not generate any heat due to lack of antimatter. But if one reactor-one engine setup is there, it generates cheat like power.

However, if we install one of more antimatter reactors and engines attached to it, only ONE engine operates the bugged (or cheat) way. It happens in VAB vessels as well. But does not happen when you're using plasma ion engines since they are run by Megajoules instead of direct heat. Thus, no antimatter -> no heat -> no Megajoules -> no power for engine, and it makes perfect sense. But for thermal jet or thermal nozzle engines, no antimatter -> no heat -> but the engine has prevent flameout mode ON -> game logic thinks reactor must be running -> runs the antimatter reactor -> generates heat -> runs engine -> heat dissipates -> no heat again but the engine still has prevent flameout ON -> ... and so on(and this faulty logic works on ONE engine ONLY.)

Since we cannot start the antimatter containment filled from ground, running antimatter engines from surface is not what the author intended, I think. So, I decided not to even bother with antimatter reactors for SSTO...

Edited November 4, 2013 by Taris

[Tanya Sapien]

Hey, I've been working on updating some old mods of mine to be 0.22 ready, specifically DRAkTEC Solar Sails on the spaceport. I'm okay with coding, but sadly I lack the skills to make my own meshes, so it's currently using some meshes I got from the Kosmos team. I wanted to know if you'd be okay with me using some meshes from your mod when I update it. You'd get full accreditation, obviously. If at all possible, I'd swap out the textures too, to avoid part confusion.

[Fractal_UK]

I think I reported exactly the same problem yesterday.

As seen in your screenshot, antimatter reactor is powering your thermojet engines but you don't have any antimatter on board. Since antimatter is supposed to be mined up in space or generated in the lab module... we usually start with 0 antimatter to run the antimatter reactors instead of nuclear ones.

You're right actually, it could be that problem too. That one I have definitely fixed properly for next time

Since we cannot start the antimatter containment filled from ground, running antimatter engines from surface is not what the author intended, I think. So, I decided not to even bother with antimatter reactors for SSTO...

Not entirely. I did definitely consider the idea that people would want to build antimatter SSTO, afterall, it's possible to deliver antimatter fuel back to KSC and build up a supply for use in launch vehicles. It isn't entirely straightforward to do but its definitely very possible.

[BananaDealer]

No, it's not supposed to happen but it's also proving hard to fix. It's a balance between not making the engine thrust drop too early and avoiding asymmetric thrust/flameout problems.

I have something much better working in my dev build for 0.8 but I feel it still needs more work yet.

Well, until it's fixed I guess SSTOs with multiple thermal jets are out of the picture...

[Fractal_UK]

Well, until it's fixed I guess SSTOs with multiple thermal jets are out of the picture...

Going from such high thrust on one side to zero thrust on the other, I would definitely check out Taris' idea and make sure that the antimatter storage tanks on both sides have antimatter in them, otherwise only one side will get any power (and needing crossfeed capable parts to supply antimatter to reactors is very much intended).

[IndigoCypher00]

Career or Sandbox mode?

They don't show up in either. I'm going to redownload the .zip and see what happens.

[BananaDealer]

Going from such high thrust on one side to zero thrust on the other, I would definitely check out Taris' idea and make sure that the antimatter storage tanks on both sides have antimatter in them, otherwise only one side will get any power (and needing crossfeed capable parts to supply antimatter to reactors is very much intended).

Well, yeah... Simply "circumventing the bug via it's natural fix" would be good... But as you can probably see this was the test-run for the K-90, hence the clamps. I wanted to see what kind of thrust output it has before I send it seawards hoping it would fly. Something I do with all my craft, hence their detailed descriptions and specifications. I will be releasing an "official" package of all vessels used by Cabana Corp., minus the top-secret Research Facility (the fabled H.A.D.E.S.)...

Hmmm... Well... I guess I have been stalling the process of actually getting said Facility up in space... Again...

[stevron]

I've have a twin engine SSTO, and a quad engine SSTO, both powered by AM reac/thermal jet combos. There's a bit of an issue with the last placed engine running out of thrust before the others as you start running out of atmo, but it's no way near bad enough that a little manual yaw control can't overcome. But outside that all engines provide full thrust, and when using a propellent all engines behave normally.

Edited November 4, 2013 by stevron

[BananaDealer]

They don't show up in either. I'm going to redownload the .zip and see what happens.

Are you sure you have the KSPI tech tree loaded if you're in career mode?

There shouldn't be an obvious reason why they aren't in your sandbox mode however... Are you sure the mod is in the right place? As in "/KSPdir/Game_Data/".