A new Vendela System idea (expanding KSP possibilities)

[Iron4venger]

Hi guys , recently I stumbled this thread: [Artwork] Planet Ideas (Ryla and Kyrian added!) And liked the concepts, so I want to humble apport some stuff of my own. Looks like the original thread is somewhat abandoned, so I'd like to reuse some of the ideas and make some especulations and suggestions here, ranting about the future systems of KSP.

Since Kerbol system is already well scheduled ahead, and other solar systems are also planned in the future. I'd like to imagine some possibilities here, and this is my take on an entire different Solar System. Most of the stuff I will put here is absolutely especulative, and probably not feasible. But let's have the liberty that only 'what if' can bring.

My MAIN goal with this, is to create a beliveable alternative Kerbal-like System, so I will try my best to depict this system as it were already in KSP, with great attention to detail, kinda familiar stuff to experienced Kerbal players. Also I would make educated guesses of what can be done in KSP, so you could expect exotic stuff, but (I hope) somewhat feasible.

So!. Let me introduce you the...

Vendela System

Vendela is the neighbor Star of Kerbol. Is a Star with a noticeable Cyan color. Much more energetic and hot than our home Star. With a diameter of three times Kerbol, is not that big, is just that Kerbol is by definition a Brown Dwarf Star. Vendela is an intermediate A-F type in the HR-Diagram, class I Orion subtype. With a surface temperature of 13.000k. By real life standards, is as big as our sun but 60 times less massive. Since Vendela is so big and brillant in comparison to Kerbin, solar panels and solar salis excels as propulsion method here.

Vendela System as today:

Vendela presents somewhat unique challenges. Upon arrival to Vendela, the first planet closest to it is Orgol, who is quite far away from it, orbiting a distance similar to Dres (36.000.000kms). Of course a Star so big is VERY difficult to get close to, and a visit to a local gas giant is somewhat mandatory when fooling around here.

As I was saying, the first planet in the Vendela System is Orgol.

Orgol is an oceanic planet with somewhat unique feats. Similar in size to Eve and Kerbin, the gravity here is similar to Kerbin's as well. The most noticeable feature is that Orgol is deeply black. Is so dark and non-reflective that even under the incredible light of Vendela, is totally black. Orgol is the only known place in the universe where you can harvest the mystery goo.

Orgol uniqueness do not end there. Orgol atmosphere is reddish in color, and a density half of Kerbin's, but with a subtle difference. His Atmosphere is composed of two very different gases, with two very different densities, so In fact, we can get away saying that Orgol have two atmospheres. The Main one goes from the surface all the way to 40kms height, theres a gap of 20kms of vacuum, and then another 10kms of atmosphere, as dense as Kerbins' sea level. So There's a number of posible results depending on your intentions. It is possible to aerobrake and land, aerobrake and orbit normally, aerobrake and orbit inside his atmosphere. Etc. This fact makes leaving Orgol almost as expensive as leaving Eve.

Orgol is not alone. Orbiting him, his moon ida (lowercase), contrast a lot with the dark richness of Orgol. ida is a pure white moon (in this case I used the stock Eeloo, rry ). Orbiting Orgol with 100km in diameter, and a very soft elevations. His thin atmosphere and thin gravity are nothing to care about really. ida is tidaly locked to Orgol, so there's only one side on the planet from where ida can be seen.

But this moon is in fact, a very important object. The thing that makes ida probably the most important object here, is that the surface composition, is the only known thing that can illuminte the dark, dark surface of Orgol.

A brave Kerbin managed to land here using his IVA altimeter radar, but ida is not present in the sky at the moment, so the result is somewhat disturbing. If you look carefully, you can see the double atmosphere layer.

Some hours later, our Kerman is now in the dark side of the planet, but because ida is present, the surface shows some detail. Notice how the headlights doesn't give any light to the surface at all. This dim detail in the surface is really close to the maximum brightness the surface will ever show. Notice also how the goo sea level is noticeable at the left of the picture. Since ida is the spotlight of Orgol, the Star is really irrelevant as main light source. Since ida is the only light, an eyes must be kept on this moon at all times, so eclipses and the current luna phase at ida are of great importance also.

trivial:

ida is tidaly locked, observations ensured that there's one island in the ida-facing part of Orgol. Is speculated that another island is located exactly 180º around the planet. Since that side of the planet is perpetually black, the island can't be visually detected at the moment, so its existence is unknown.

ida is a somewhat boring place to be, but famous Kerbal minds suggest that some samples from ida, could open new research possibilites to a new type of lights that in theory, could illuminate effectively Orgol's surface.

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More will come. Hope you liked.

Id like to know what you guys thinks about this, and what could be even improved.

Edited October 29, 2013 by Iron4venger

[Mekan1k]

.... I want to add those planets to KSP. HOW?

[Needles_10]

Beautiful!

[Dynamo]

This is quite a visionary addition. I wonder what form interstellar travel will take, and how vehicles will change in designing for interplanetary. I imagine something like Avatar's Interstellar Venture Star.

But i'm quite worried about a crushing partcount requirement with such massive ships, but it'd be well worth it to see this kind of thing. I also imagine an asteroid belt within a 30 to 40 billion meter range of the asteroid belt where we can have 3 or four large asteroids (perhaps 50 km longest axis) with a small gap between orbits (perhaps 150 million meters between the closest) but large distance in orbital period between each other, an interesting concept since we haven't much of a real asteroid field except Dres.

This is amazing - please keep us posted with ideas, and i do hope to see what the rest of the community has as far as another star is concerned.

Edited October 28, 2013 by Dynamo

[Iron4venger]

This is quite a visionary addition. I wonder what form interstellar travel will take, and how vehicles will change in designing for interplanetary. I imagine something like Avatar's Interstellar Venture Star.

And i do hope to see what the rest of the community has as far as another star is concerned.

I don't know how they are going to implement other sytems, but if Squad doesn't follow the sci-fi route, a gravity assist with Jool (and maybe Kerbol) will be MANDATORY to travel to other stars. Still I do hope they place the stars not toooooooooooo far away one from each other. I'd say a 5 years mission to other star and back is fine. (around 2y travel distance and back). If the ships will be getting bigger and bigger, the apparent solution to me is making parts even bigger and bigger, to keep the partcount low.

Thank you guys for your responses.

Edited October 28, 2013 by Iron4venger

[kiwiak]

Very nice work. But im wondering, if such vacuum gap between two parts of atmosphere is even possible in real life?

[SpaceSphereOfDeath]

BRILLANT. please make more about the other planets in this system

[Fox62]

I like this.

[tygoo7]

Did you actually add those in KSP or did you just edit a screenshot? These are very cool, do more systems!

[RocketTurtle]

Please give us your secrets! And after that put this up for download please!

[Iron4venger]

Did you actually add those in KSP or did you just edit a screenshot? These are very cool, do more systems!

It's actually a combination of KSP modding and PS retouching. It can't be done with a single tool.

[Icabob4]

It would also be cool if the gas particles in the upper atmosphere were orbiting in the direction opposite to planet's rotation. That would make things...unusual.

[Decent Weasel]

Gas can't be buoyant above a layer of vacuum, so the upper atmosphere can't just be sitting there. Orbit wouldn't work, because orbits have to be around the barycenter of the planet, and that would lead to a lot of collisions between gas particles and would likely end with the upper atmosphere sorting itself into a ring. The only other thing that comes to mind is an entrained plasma - think an extremely thick Van Allen belt.

[Tommy99534]

Maybe instead of a vacuum there's a very thin dust layer holding up the upper atmosphere, but not dense enough to slow down the ship into sub orbit.

[The Destroyer]

Is it with the Planet API?

[SpaceSphereOfDeath]

Is it with the Planet API?

I hope so, this should be a standalone, or part of the extra planetary mod pack

[Decent Weasel]

Most dust in our atmosphere is restricted to the lower layers, if I remember right, which makes sense since it'll take more air currents to hold them up. A low-density gas would make more sense, but then you have to ask why the thick, dense top atmosphere sits on top of a layer of thin, sparse gas.

[Dodgey]

In an extreme theoretical situation it could be said that the outer atmosphere is rotating at orbital velocity "powered" by charged partials caused by an extremity strong and fast rotating magnetic field. The poles would be two giant storms where the rotating atmosphere "comes together", creating a gigantic hurricane or cyclone depending on where you live. Anyway that's just my theory. In any case awesome work and I would love to see this modded or even added to the stock game eventualy. Good job mate

[wasmic]

Very nice work. But im wondering, if such vacuum gap between two parts of atmosphere is even possible in real life?

It is not, and in fact, the densest part of the atmosphere will always be lowest, no matter the composition. But this is a game, and such an atmosphere would be really cool!

[Decent Weasel]

I'm with you, Dodgey. Go all-out and make the upper atmosphere a glowing green plasma torus entrained by the planet's magnetic field.

[jumpyed]

I'm with you, Dodgey. Go all-out and make the upper atmosphere a glowing green plasma torus entrained by the planet's magnetic field.

Or Ionized Oxygen(red yes?). With the high rate of energetic particles coming from the local star the oxygen has been trapped in the lower Van Allen belt cause the sky to be medium red(ripe tomato?) with the lower atmosphere with it's non energized oxygen being a deep red. With the atmospheres both being near 100% Oxygen rockets have to contend with increased overheating although thrust is also increased by a small amount.

[Decent Weasel]

Yep, looks like red is the right color. So would jet engines be able to operate in the belts? That'd be a heck of a thing

[jumpyed]

What about upper Van Allen being Ionized Hydrogen, lower Van Allen Ionized Oxygen and then the atmosphere proper being normal O2 with vacuums in between?

[Dodgey]

perhaps in the lower atmosphere, the oxygen would be too dense to be in the upper atmosphere

[jumpyed]

perhaps in the lower atmosphere, the oxygen would be too dense to be in the upper atmosphere

*Explosion causing density*