Questions about asteroids and asteroid missions

[herbal space program]

Hello all,

I have unlocked all but one node of the tech tree in career mode, and although there are asteroids flying all around the place, I have yet to get an asteroid capture mission from mission control. Is this not implemented yet, or does something else (like completing the whole tech tree) need to happen first? Also, has anybody ever dropped an asteroid onto the Mun or Kerbin? What happens?

Edited October 22, 2014 by herbal space program

[Engineer of Stuff]

Also, has anybody ever dropped an asteroid onto the Mun or Kerbin? What happens?

Nothing special happens. It just bounces.

[capi3101]

Scott Manley delivered an asteroid to the top of the R&D complex in the 0.25 preview. The R&D complex 'sploded. But the rock itself remained intact.

I too have never seen a rock catchin' contract; it may be something they implement in the future (could also be part of FinePrint, which will become stock in 0.90; I haven't played with it enough yet to know for sure).

Edited October 21, 2014 by capi3101

[KerikBalm]

you don't have to wait for someone to pay you to go do it... do it for science and fun!

[Mitchz95]

The Fine Print mod adds asteroid missions and a lot of others. It's supposed to become stock in 0.90.

[herbal space program]

Nothing special happens. It just bounces.

Awwww! That is a MUST FIX before 1.0! I want explosions AND craters dangit!

[herbal space program]

Oh I will sooner or later. It's just I'm in Career Mode, so it would be nice if I could get some revenue out of it. I can always tack on a bunch of dorky "test x while y at z" experiments to offset the cost.

[sedativechunk]

Hello all,

I have unlocked all but one node of the tech tree in career mode, and although there are asteroids flying all around the place, I have yet to get an asteroid capture mission from mission control. Is this not implemented yet, or does something else (like completing the whole tech tree) need to happen first? Also, has anybody ever dropped an asteroid onto the Mun or Kerbin? What happens?

The others here are correct. This is nothing contract related about retrieving asteroids (although there should be). The whole asteroid redirect thing was the collaboration between NASA and SQUAD. There's nothing really special about it apart from capturing them and I believe taking a sample. They should implement something where they pose a threat to Kerbin, maybe they now will destroy the KSC if you don't intercept it.

[James_Eh]

The others here are correct. This is nothing contract related about retrieving asteroids (although there should be). The whole asteroid redirect thing was the collaboration between NASA and SQUAD. There's nothing really special about it apart from capturing them and I believe taking a sample. They should implement something where they pose a threat to Kerbin, maybe they now will destroy the KSC if you don't intercept it.

I wonder if they are treading a bit lightly in this area? At the moment there are no mandatory contracts, and IMHO that's a good thing given how different people want different things. However creating a contract about a dinosaur-killer headed towards Kerbin would pretty much have to be an obligatory "accept", no?

[StrandedonEarth]

While dropping a 'roid on Kerbin was rather anti-climactic once it reached terminal velocity, I haven't tried or seen anybody slam a 'roid into an airless body at orbital speeds. I'll have to try that. Has anyone else done it, especially with vidcap?

[Zylark]

I have Fine Print on my current career and just did a contract to capture a class A asteroid. My first asteroid capture as it happens as previously I just did not see the point of it all. But now, not just with the contract, but also some mods to put them to good use, why not?!

I'll have to say though, I've not struggled that much to get stuff done since my first ever Mun landing. Let me tell you, getting a good intercept requires a lot of twiddling around with maneuver nodes - over several actually. With a class A, getting it to orbit was not that big a deal. I don't think class B will be either. But bigger rocks, that I think will require some serious power.

Edited October 21, 2014 by Zylark

[cantab]

In the stock game, asteroids can provide extra science.

For that, bear in mind that the asteroid surface sample works like any other experiment. You get different results for different situations and biomes, and the usual multipliers still apply. So if you do something like meet it in solar orbit, aerocapture it into Mun transfer orbit, then fly past the Mun with it, you'll get masses more science than if you just meet it in Kerbin's SOI and land it on the lawn outside the VAB.

[herbal space program]

I wonder if they are treading a bit lightly in this area? At the moment there are no mandatory contracts, and IMHO that's a good thing given how different people want different things. However creating a contract about a dinosaur-killer headed towards Kerbin would pretty much have to be an obligatory "accept", no?

If all it did was trash some building at the KSC, it might not be a game-killer, depending on the repair costs. If it's late in the game and you're rolling in Roots, maybe you don't care at all!

[capi3101]

I too have never seen a rock catchin' contract...

Strike that; one popped up in my game last night. A couple of other folks have mentioned doing them too. So yeah, rock-catchin' is part of FinePrint. Good mod by the way, if any of y'all aren't using it already.

[Arsonide]

Now you just need to find a rock throwing contract.

[Axelord FTW]

Now you just need to find a rock throwing contract.

That could be a nice challenge.

-Distance will be measured from the launchpad once the thrown asteroid has stopped moving on the ground (or in the water)

-The asteroid must not leave the atmosphere

-The asteroid must be stock but everything else goes (no modification of weight or shape allowed)

-No cheat menu for the throw (you can collect the asteroid however you want)

-The installation used for the throw is limited to the launchpad (nothing touching the ground around the launchpad, debris falling around after the throw is okay)

-The installation must be built inside the stock VAB

-The installation can be modular but each parts are still subject to the previous rule

-The asteroid must have nothing attached to it after the throw

-No interaction whatsoever with the asteroid once it touch the ground (or splashdown) after the throw

-FAR&NEAR and Stock aerodynamic categories, other parts and plugins must be listed

I'll try to make something out of this.

I'd expect a lot of KAS and IR shenanigans.