The Corporate Space Race- The History of Kerbal Space Program

[Tuna7]

I was really intrigued by The Jedi Master's (hope I did that right) community driven space program. Sadly, it appears to be dead and already buried. So I decided to do something similar, but without the community requests. The story takes place at the beginning of KSP. Seeing the new technology of rocketry, various corporations are building rockets. The government, although very small, is promising rewards for doing missions. Many rockets failed at first but three companies emerged with the best rocket designs:

Rockostar was famous for their Mk1 SRB probe which is considered the best rocket of its time, with a maximum altitude of 25,000 and a burnout of 11,000, the government awarded Rockostar

with 10,000 Kd, double the cost of 5,060.

Kerbfire is a small business that works mostly in technology. Their rockets are mainly Proof-Of-Concept. Their first entry, named the stager, is the first rocket to use multiple stages. The rocket went up to about 14,000 m with an apoapsis of 50,000 m before the probe exploded due to it overheating. The rocket's cost of 2,190 was only surpassed by a mere 4,000 , if you consider the research which costed about 1000 Kd. The technology is being seen as a great and cheap way to boost efficiency, but the government warned of lower prophets when probes explode.

Aeronautics Industries is the last one. It was the founder of a recent technology the Kerbfire's decouplers are dependent on. This is the ability to control rockets using radio waves. Aero Industries also found out how to stage, make individual pieces go off at different times. They showcased this in their MultiRunner, a small rocket that had different SRBs go off at different times. It was awarded 3,750 Kd, but the cost was 1750 and the research was 2000.

I am using stock and engineer redux for cost stats.

Rockostar:

Tech:

Small SRB (0)

Med SRB (0)

Radio Control (0)

Ships:

Mk1 SRB Probe (Cost 5,000) (Reward 10,000)

Budget:

Base money: 15,000

Earned money: 10,000

Expenses: 5060

Research Costs: 0

Balance: 19,940 Kd

Kerbfire:

Tech:

Small SRB (0)

Med SRB (0)

Radio Control (0)

Decouplers (1000)

Primitive Staging (0)

Ships:

The Stager (Cost 1750) (Reward 3500)

Long Range Suborbital Probe (Cost 3,600) (Reward 17,500)

Budget:

Base Money: 10,000

Earned Money: 21500

Expenses: 5790

Research Costs:1000

Balance: 24,710 Kd

Aeronautics Industries:

Tech:

Small SRB (0)

Radio Control (0)

Primitive Staging (2000)

Med SRB (500)

Primitive Electronics (750)

Decouplers (1000)

Ships:

MultiRunner (Cost 1750) (Reward 3750)

TempMeasure (Cost 2,970)

Budget:

Base Money: 20,000

Earned Money: 3750

Expenses: 4720

Research Costs: 4250

Balance: 14,780 Kd

reserved- might need it

Currently Available Techs:

Decouplers (Cost 1000) Allows the use of all stack decouplers (Kerbfire, Aero Industries) (requires primitive staging)

Primitive Staging (Cost 2000) Allows up to four stages including stage "0" (Kerbfire, Aeronautics Industries)

Large SRB (Cost 2500) Allows the large SRB (requires Med SRB and primitive staging)

Basic Staging (Cost 3000) Allows up to six stages including stage "0" (requires primitive staging)

Primitive Electronics (Cost 750) Allows Small Batteries (requires primitive staging) (Aero Industries)

Edited January 31, 2015 by sal_vager

[astropapi1]

Just invading your reserved space.

[SpaceSphereOfDeath]

You monster, oh wait.

Good thread, like the real space race but more 'kerbalifiyed'

[Tuna7]

Just invading your reserved space.

Thanks for stopping me... I was getting carried away. Update later because I have baseball today.

[briansun1]

interesting lets hope this doesn't die

[Tuna7]

Oh yeah lets hope. Google "Civ4 a brief history of big mexico mexico", probably some of the best creative writing I've done but it had to die

[Tuna7]

Kerbfire- Long Range Suborbital Probe: PARTIAL SUCCESS

Mission- Travel to the edge of the atmosphere and gather temperature readings throughout the atmosphere. Then, crash into the ground.

Cost-3,600

Mission Report:

The LRSOP was designed similar to the Stager, but it had another booster.

After launching into the air, the setup was proved to be highly effective.

Temperature readings begun at 10k m, right after the second booster decoupled. The thermometer was nothing more than a mercury one rigged to broadcast the temperature through the probe's radio transmitter. The temperature measuring was a huge fail though. By 16k m, the remaining booster had heated the thermometer up to 250 C. The thermometer was also sucking the ship dry of required electricity.

By flameout, the temperature had risen to 500 C. This occurred at a record high 40k m.

Only then did scientist realize that the probe was on an escape trajectory out of Kerbin orbit. This was likely caused by the huge supply of fuel and lightness of the rocket. It had a full booster left of fuel at 10k when the Stager had flamed out.

All contact with the probe was lost because of lack of power before it left Kerbin's SOI.

Reward: The kerbal government awarded Kerbfire with 17,500 Kd. This took in account the achievement of escaping Kerbin and the scientific research sent back. After the last booster flamed out, the temperature rapidly decreased and reached below freezing. This proved theories that temperatures are cooler the higher you get. This information will be used in the future of Rocketry.

[Pipcard]

Thermometers don't use up electricity. It's the reaction wheels on the probe body.

[Tuna7]

Attention! Because of Kerbfire's recent jump in the race, Aeronautics industries has announced that they are initiating research in Mid Sized SRB, Primitive Electronics, and decouplers. The total cost is only a fraction of Aero Industries money, but more advanced technologies are costing more and more. The cost is 2,250 Kd.

[Tuna7]

Thermometers don't use up electricity. It's the reaction wheels on the probe body.

Don't forget that the capsule uses electricity on its own. I wasn't controlling the ship at all since it was impossible, and Kerbfire doesn't have the tech for SAS yet.

[Tuna7]

Aeronautics Industries- TempMeasure: FAILURE

Mission: Accurately measure the temperature up to 25km.

Cost: 2,470

Mission Report:

TM used a new type of design with a long arm with the thermometer on top to prevent heating from the boosters.

Very soon after takeoff, the ship's capsule was destroyed, leaving it uncontrolled.

The spacecraft then lost control and hit the ground. The debris can be seen in the background.

Reward: -500

The government charged a fee for the debris coming down over the space center.

[Tuna7]

Just to let you know, Ive added two mods, the procedural fairings mod and the graphotron mod which don't change gameplay much but add realisticness