"Escape Velocity" an Apocalypse Challenge mission report {Part 4 - Big and Brief}

[KeithStone]

This is a progress log for Poryy's Apocalypse Challenge. The objective is simple. Establish as many off-world bases and evacuate as many kerbals as you can within a 5 year time span before Kerbin is obliterated by a rouge planet.

I present to you my story: Escape Velocity

Mods Used:

HOME

Texture Compressor

Crew Manifest

Editor Extensions

Kerbal Engineer

Extraplanetary Launchpads

Kerbal Attachment System

Proceedural Fairings

Kethane

Lackluster Labs

Infernal Robotics

Droman Robotics

MechJeb

Spherical/Toridal Fuel Tanks

Modular Fuel Tanks

Docking Alignment Indicator

Protractor

Rubberband Tracks

Select Root

TAC Fuel Balancer

Kerbal Alarm Clock

UDK Lethal Dose's Station Parts

And a healthy smidge of NovaPunch

(added quantum struts due to a launch failure)

(12-27 added B9 and Bahamuto Dynamics)

Part1: Preparations

A timer (a prob body with RTGs) is placed near the launchpad to allow me to keep a world clock set on the 5 year mark.

The first stage in my plan was two-fold. Establish a large orbital construction facility and put my first service vehicle in to orbit. Designing was well under way for my Calladrius Space Station, Mark 5. Capable of holding 71 kerbals, two service pods, and several open docking ports, I figured it would have more than enough crew in orbit to begin construction of larger projects if so needed. Requiring 3 separate launches to put in place, it was a fairly large endeavour

Phasing between launches of the Calladrius were launches for the S.L.U.M (Self-contained Living in the Universe Module) system, containing 4 individual SLUMs and hauled by the first interplanetary service vehicle, the SLUM Lord. Though lacking anything in the way of personal transportation, mining, or engineering capability, the SLUMs each carry 24 kerbals to their new home, giving the SLUM Lord the capacity to transport 96 kerbals (plus 3 pilots) off-world in a single vessel, with ~9k delta-V fully loaded and fueled. Since this project also took 3 separate launches to put in place, phasing the launches to give room for rendevous worked (fairly) well, saving me a little time (which I wasted missing a rendevous lol).

Two separate launch vehicles were used. The first can lift ~60tons to orbit, the second much larger one can lift ~100tons.

Currently, 100 kerbals are now off-world! And we are just getting started here!

(Sorry for all of the night docking shots)

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Edited January 1, 2014 by KeithStone

[Deathsoul097]

Nice! But if you think those ships are large, go check out the B9 thread. Bac has some pretty (Forgive me) ridonculus stuff he's making. I mean, looking at the stuff you have there, compared to the teasers Bac just released, yours is dwarfed by them. (4 of the second smallest 3.75m parts from KW into orbit on one lifter, with fuel to spare. Which works out at about over 160 Tonnes to orbit) With the new B9 parts (Which will be released in the next couple of weeks or so) you could easily get several thousand kerbals off world with the same style of launches and vehicles.

[KeithStone]

Yeah, these arent the biggest things that i've put in to orbit, but since .23 broke quite a bit of my landing gears and fun bits from B9, Aies, and Novapunch, I scalled some of it back and focused on making some cool stuff with LLL. soon I'm sure the mods will update and my 200 ton launchers will return

[Poryy]

I like it a lot. Keep up the good work!

[KeithStone]

Part 2 – Blue Collar Astronauts

First launch consisted of the SUBURB (SLUM Unification Base with Universal Rover Bays - Max Crew 66) combined with the L-DOT Space Station (Long Distance Orbital Tranmitter - Max Crew 15), and a small ore and kethane scanning satellite. The ore scanners on the satellite were upgraded with a few extra capacitors and a little overclocking to get a scanning range of 100km (60km on the stock part is to small for decent timewarping but I didnt need the giant one so i just tweaked the .cfg file, I dont feel its game breaking since i still kept the scanning range fairly low).

Second launch consisted of the SUBURBs main interplanetary transfer vehicle.

After docking the ITV to the SUBURB, the crew ran the numbers and noticed that the first inplanetary window would be to Jool. Everything was checked and double checked, and the crews of the SLUM and SUBURB awaited the final countdown until burn, when disaster struck.

Apparently, instead of checking and double checking their gear, the crew of the SUBURB played board games and ate all of the snacks on board. After starting their burn to Jool it was found that the engine's thrust was too much for the docking port attached to it, and it snapped off in to the distance. With no time to spare a second ITV was sent up with the new (and untested) quantum struts locking mechanism. After docking, it was also noted that the main fuel tank of the SUBURB was launched empty to conserve weight with the intent of taking the fuel from the ascent stage of the transfer module, but in their haste to burn for duna the ascent stage was ditched early. This meant they would have to use whatever fuel was left in the ITV to attempt to land on Laythe, but little could be done because the main engine was already targeted and burning away. Luckily, the landing system was designed to land safely on the much thinner atmosphere of Duna, so the crew hoped they would make it safely. And by hoped, I mean forgot all about their troubles at the sign of the new refreshments brought up with the ITV.

The SlumLord burned a day behind to give time for the command center to communicate with the crew of the SUBURB between landing windows. Many on the SlumLord grumbled at their being second to the hoity-toity group in the SUBURB, completely unaware that they themselves were a ship full of astronauts who failed every training exam they took and merely checked off every item on their own checklist without ever doing any of the checks themselves.

The kerbals in kerbin command simply sighed, noting that their future endevours would definitely need to go more smoothly if their race had any hopes of survival.

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Thanks for following! I almost quit this one, but decided to push through after reading your comments!

Edited December 25, 2013 by KeithStone

[Poryy]

Part 2 – Blue Collar Astronauts

First launch consisted of the SUBURB (SLUM Unification Base with Universal Rover Bays - Max Crew 66) combined with the L-DOT Space Station (Long Distance Orbital Tranmitter - Max Crew 15), and a small ore and kethane scanning satellite. The ore scanners on the satellite were upgraded with a few extra capacitors and a little overclocking to get a scanning range of 100km (60km on the stock part is to small for decent timewarping but I didnt need the giant one so i just tweaked the .cfg file, I dont feel its game breaking since i still kept the scanning range fairly low).

Second launch consisted of the SUBURBs main interplanetary transfer vehicle.

After docking the ITV to the SUBURB, the crew ran the numbers and noticed that the first inplanetary window would be to Jool. Everything was checked and double checked, and the crews of the SLUM and SUBURB awaited the final countdown until burn, when disaster struck.

Apparently, instead of checking and double checking their gear, the crew of the SUBURB played board games and ate all of the snacks on board. After starting their burn to Jool it was found that the engine's thrust was too much for the docking port attached to it, and it snapped off in to the distance. With no time to spare a second ITV was sent up with the new (and untested) quantum struts locking mechanism. After docking, it was also noted that the main fuel tank of the SUBURB was launched empty to conserve weight with the intent of taking the fuel from the ascent stage of the transfer module, but in their haste to burn for duna the ascent stage was ditched early. This meant they would have to use whatever fuel was left in the ITV to attempt to land on Laythe, but little could be done because the main engine was already targeted and burning away. Luckily, the landing system was designed to land safely on the much thinner atmosphere of Duna, so the crew hoped they would make it safely. And by hoped, I mean forgot all about their troubles at the sign of the new refreshments brought up with the ITV.

The SlumLord burned a day behind to give time for the command center to communicate with the crew of the SUBURB between landing windows. Many on the SlumLord grumbled at their being second to the hoity-toity group in the SUBURB, completely unaware that they themselves were a ship full of astronauts who failed every training exam they took and merely checked off every item on their own checklist without ever doing any of the checks themselves.

The kerbals in kerbin command simply sighed, noting that their future endevours would definitely need to go more smoothly if their race had any hopes of survival.

http://imgur.com/a/4POf7

Thanks for following! I almost quit this one, but decided to push through after reading your comments!

The writing is good and I like the vehicle designs. I'm honestly still building Mun colonies.

[KeithStone]

The writing is good and I like the vehicle designs. I'm honestly still building Mun colonies.

Thanks, I abandoned the mun and minimus since they would likely just fly off if they didnt have kerbin there to hold them in place.

[Poryy]

Poryy. PORYY. 2 Y's. At least you didn't spell it in... other ways. Sorry, just sorta annoyed.

[KeithStone]

Poryy. PORYY. 2 Y's. At least you didn't spell it in... other ways. Sorry, just sorta annoyed.

My bad, I've updated the first post. I know how it goes, I get that way too with my real name

[KeithStone]

Part 3 - Suspension Locked

This misson contained multiple important launches. First, the Constructicons unit was planned for a mission to Dres. Initially planned for Duna, a last-minute decision was made by central command to instead send it followed by a manned crew to Dres. It's lower gravity and further distance from Kerbin would ensure a good base for future orbital constructions and it's inclined orbital plane would help keep it safe from any asteroid fragmets that might go rogue after the approaching impact. The constructicons unit consits of 2 specialized rovers equipped with crane arms and expanding habitation modules. A construction pad tops the parts storage container and the entire system is topped with an additional kethane and ore scanning probe.

Second launch brought the Constructicon's ITV.

Angered by central command's scoffing at the fast-approaching duna transfer window, a rogue group of engineers made off with enough parts to lift an interplanetary satellite package to orbit. Television signals were hacked and a short message played out over the airwaves while a video of their rogue launch played out. Announcing themselves as "Kaine's Chosen Ones", they denounced central command's abuse of astronauts and failure to send kerbals to inhabitable worlds. They claimed that the incoming asteroid was the work of the Kraken, and command's only focus was to rescue the rich and powerful.

As soon as the media outlets were able to regain control of the airwaves, the entire stunt was dismissed as a prank, the satellite claimed as a planned launch from central command, and that "there's no such thing as killer asteroids or krakens". Afterwards, a three day marathon of "Doctor Whom" was aired, and free beer tokens were distributed to the population, paid for by kind and generous wealthy kerbals as a sign that absolutely nothing was wrong.

Unable to find the source of stolen parts, central command was forced to make due with what they had left, stuffing a whopping 34 kerbals in to the KANISTRE (Kerbals Allowed No Internal Space until Rooms Expanded), a habitation module to follow behind the constructicons unit.

After launching and docking another ITV to the Kanistre, command watched on their monitors as the mysterious probe in orbit suddenly made its burn for Duna....

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[JumpsterG]

Awesome. Can't wait to see these structures touched down.

Still gearing up for my go at this. Planning launch windows and colonization targets. Haven't even started designing the vehicles or structures. Too much real life stuff going on.

[Deathsoul097]

Nice! This is looking really good! At this point, you might want to consider using the scarab or ladybug rover bodies from LLL to be a base for some transportation vehicles that can be constructed on-site at the launch pads, for servicing you colonies. TBH, I would focus on laythe more than duna and dres (Still work on those though, they can be vital and incredibly useful if you use them right.). In the long run, it may prove to be the safest and most habitable of all of the bodies, and it would be very hard to hit, considering it's tiny gravity well, it would be much more shielded from radiation than duna, due to the thicker atmosphere, and water and oxygen are readily available on the surface, which means that there would be much less maintanence needed for scrubbers and purifiers, and if radiation shielding was needed, then the colony could be built under the water, or into the sides of the highlands.

Yes, I do understand the challenge is to get as many kerbals off of kerbin as possible, as quickly as possible, to as many places as possible. I just think that laythe and duna (Maybe dres as-well, though bop pol vall and tylo may serve you better for construction purposes) should be the core of your galnat. (A term meaning a civilization that has colonized more than one body in the same star system.)

[KeithStone]

I'm using the ladybug bodies on the constructicons currently headed toward dres, but due to my terrible planning of launch to rendevous windows all my docking has been at night. I figure that Laythe has the best bet of being shielded by the gravity well of Jool, however I feel that the liquid on its surface probably isnt water since it's a lot colder there (but im not certain i havent looked it up). Duna currently appears abandoned by the central command at the moment and Dres is just interesting because not many ppl go there.

Personally I havent been to either Dres or Laythe, this is my first attempt at anything past duna, but I have some interesting plans to develop this series, even past the challenge requirements....

[KeithStone]

Part 4: Big and Brief

A couple of days after "The Kaine Incident" central command resumed its normal functions. A new, larger launch platform was introduced, and with it the ability to put 120 tons of mass in to orbit effectively. On its virgin cargo launch, central command topped this new launch vehicle with the Quintessence – 1, a space station with attached landing vehicle capable of supporting a full 200 kerbals. An ITV was sent up shortly thereafter, docked and prepped to be sent to orbit above Dres, to assist with construction and monitoring of the constructicons themselves.

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[Deathsoul097]

Actually Laythe's average ASL temp is approx 4 degrees centigrade, and even if it was lower, it could still be liquid water if there were salts and stuff. Also, nice use of the HOME 2 greenhouses and habs on the Quintessence. I can see a lot of use for a Saturn V workalike HLV (120 Tonnes to orbit) in this situation. Also, laythe is easy enough to get to (Thanks to jool's black hole-like gravity well), dres is a bit harder though (massive inclination difference).

[KeithStone]

Ah right on, yeah, i've never really probed the outer worlds so I wasnt sure. I had some better workhorses in the past using the Aies and Novapunch, but I'm starting to run low on ram as the Quintessence kinda eats my machine with all the mods I have installed on this copy.

[Deathsoul097]

Hmm, it would be best to deal with that first then, wouldn't it. If you're having problems with RAM, this could help. If you install it correctly you should get a decent increase in FPS. (Whatever you do, however, do NOT install texture replacer and Memory Reduction at the same time. Oddly, it massively increases lag.)

[KeithStone]

Yeah, I'm running texture replacer, but I love my mods and have quite a few installed, I think a couple more than are in my mod list on the front page. And with 15x symmetry, the quintessence is a HUGE parts hog. It has way more of everything than it needed, but it was fun and I wanted it to be my pretty floating space station with a game-breaking number of kerbals (seriously, if you used the fill vessel button on crew manifest it would end up duplicating a name and for some reason not allow quicksave once in orbit, that was a pain). Mostly, this game is for funzies while i work on another session that has life support and DRE.