Space Chronicle: Phoenix One Probe

[xeranes]

It is a glorious day for the Kerbal Space Institute for Explosions! The probe Phoenix One has (somewhat) completed its mission of testing the speed limit of physics in KSP! Constructed using massive warp engines RCS thruster banks to provide highly vector-able thrust, the Phoenix One uses experimental bussard ram scoops to refuel RCS tanks using cosmic dust (Part courtesy of the submarine ballast pump, courtesy of Gaby)! This document will... document the voyage of the Phoenix One probe!

Liftoff! The P1 requires no launch vehicle, its kinda-cheating revolutionary design allows it to reach escape velocity in mere minutes! (not sure why, but the clock was malfunctioning...)

After 18 hours of thrust powered by an advanced autopilot system a weight on the H key, the probe de-activates its thrusters to let the warp field stabilize stabilize the ASAS. In this picture the viewer is treated to a... view of the engine blocks!

T plus 18 hours, 27 minutes the probe breaks 300 km/s! For those who don\'t know... That\'s fast!

Past the 1 day mark the probe begins to report strange occurances: Its ASAS is responding oddly, pitching and rolling when it was not moving previously. Operators ignore this: the craft passes 643 km/s.

T plus 1 day, 19 hours, 42 minutes, 48 seconds contact is lost with Phoenix One. Its final transmissions indicate that the connections between its parts were decaying, thrusters were flailing wildly and ASAS was not responding. Final speed: 2,215.6 km/s. This was its final image returned to the space center:

Other than the RCS refillers, no .cfg edits!

Has anyone else experimented with extreme velocity physics much? What caused the probe to self-destruct?

[Gruntzilla]

What caused the probe to self-destruct?

Space Kraken.

[Panichio]

That explosion was glorious!

[Guest Flixxbeatz]

I definitely lol\'d at the RCS blocks

[Guest meteorite 101]

i can beat your speed greatly

[Extraneous]

That is truly glorious speed. I applaud you.

Next project - tie a few of them together, see what happens? Worth a try.

[xeranes]

I\'m currently working on stabilizing and improving on the design! will be back with Phoenix Two!