Kerbal Space Program

[daishi5]

Attachable command seats for kerbals

Jebediah can now have a proper seat, strapped to the side of the rocket.

Cupola with IVA

It seems like such a small thing, but I am going to be adding this to all the things.

 

[.劉煒]

Guess the station will be getting just a little bit bigger..

 

[Deleted member 4603]

So, Cupola is going to basically be a way to add a "conning tower" maybe? Neat... or am I reading the wiki article on "Cupola" wrong?

 

[Myrmidon]

ferzerp[/url]":ez0o6jvj]


I also have slapped an ion drive on each wing, a little xenon, and some solar panels and it can easily reach stable out of atmosphere orbit. If you were really patient, you could get to another oxygenated planet, and probably come back with it.

Not sure if I posted this previously but this is essentially what ferzerp is talking about:

Spoiler

in this case I have smaller liquid tanks on the side with the smaller liquid engines. But this was an early prototype of my SSTO aircraft.

The jets get you to 25-28km pretty easily, and 2000 / 2300 m/s again - pretty easily (this one was a bit heavy due to the double liquid tanks).

Single engine is also really nice as you can play with it a bit - the cost of running the engine's dry of air is simply that the forward thrust is cut. You don't spin out of control and explode (as you would in dual setups when one dies and not the other).

 

[ferzerp]

Because it's just funny....

Oh hey, what did you use to get these 90 tons in to orbit? (Note, haven't even touched the orange tanks)

Spoiler

Let's see what that ship looked like to begin with.

Spoiler

Ok, so far nothing odd. Let's see the rest of it.

Spoiler

WHAAAA? Silly cheaty jets. That's 32% mass in to a 100km orbit, and could easily go a lot better by relying less on SRBs and using more jets.

Launchpad shot:

Spoiler

 

[ferzerp]

Myrmidon[/url]":2d4p5qx0]

Single engine is also really nice as you can play with it a bit - the cost of running the engine's dry of air is simply that the forward thrust is cut. You don't spin out of control and explode (as you would in dual setups when one dies and not the other).

I've started using mechjeb to keep them from going out. However, if you're doing it manually, remember that the *last* placed jet goes out first, so instead of 2, use 3 and place the center one last.

 

[daishi5]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... 7DMVsEceik

Yep.

 

[Chuckaluphagus]

Flags are 256x160 .png files. Time to figure out what I'm going to be plunking down on the Mün.

 

[Fidel Cashflow]

hello.jpg

 

[swiftdraw]

Chuckaluphagus[/url]":2ikt05p6]Flags are 256x160 .png files. Time to figure out what I'm going to be plunking down on the Mün.

"Please send help"?

 

[stormtalon]

Chuckaluphagus[/url]":9gmrat4r]Flags are 256x160 .png files. Time to figure out what I'm going to be plunking down on the Mün.

Really, only one way to go here -- a portrait of the alien singer from the "I Will Survive" short from a few years back (you know, the one that gets beaned by the disco ball). Looking back, she's obviously a Kerbin....

 

[Batz_10K]

Myrmidon[/url]":ytc4wmn6]

ferzerp[/url]":ytc4wmn6]


I also have slapped an ion drive on each wing, a little xenon, and some solar panels and it can easily reach stable out of atmosphere orbit. If you were really patient, you could get to another oxygenated planet, and probably come back with it.

Not sure if I posted this previously but this is essentially what ferzerp is talking about:

Spoiler

in this case I have smaller liquid tanks on the side with the smaller liquid engines. But this was an early prototype of my SSTO aircraft.

The jets get you to 25-28km pretty easily, and 2000 / 2300 m/s again - pretty easily (this one was a bit heavy due to the double liquid tanks).

Single engine is also really nice as you can play with it a bit - the cost of running the engine's dry of air is simply that the forward thrust is cut. You don't spin out of control and explode (as you would in dual setups when one dies and not the other).

Yup. Works for me... Just need to make sure you carry enough oxidizer to make it into orbit

Spoiler

 

[stormtalon]

Thinking about that command chair some more -- how long until someone posts a vid of Jeb doing a Doctor Strangelove routine, do you think?

I'm supposing its real purpose is for rovers, so you don't have clunky cans driving all over the place, but that's too mundane for real kerbonauts.

 

[ferzerp]

Batz_10K[/url]":1n2jeoxb] Yup. Works for me... Just need to make sure you carry enough oxidizer to make it into orbit

Spoiler

Bah, with a good jet, it shouldn't take much of anything to get in to orbit. A good jet can get an apoapsis over 250KM pretty easily, it is pretty trivial to burn anything (as I said, even ion) to take the periapsis up from the high 40's to 70km+ at that point.

 

[daishi5]

stormtalon[/url]":ign00vl1]Thinking about that command chair some more -- how long until someone posts a vid of Jeb doing a Doctor Strangelove routine, do you think?

I'm supposing its real purpose is for rovers, so you don't have clunky cans driving all over the place, but that's too mundane for real kerbonauts.

I already have a launcher built, a small chair to ride on, strapped to 5 of the big SRBs.

 

[baloroth]

stormtalon[/url]":1msuuoav]Thinking about that command chair some more -- how long until someone posts a vid of Jeb doing a Doctor Strangelove routine, do you think?

I'm supposing its real purpose is for rovers, so you don't have clunky cans driving all over the place, but that's too mundane for real kerbonauts.

The devs already posted pictures of that before they even released this version, so... you're a little late

 

[stormtalon]

baloroth[/url]":27yr6kg9]

stormtalon[/url]":27yr6kg9]Thinking about that command chair some more -- how long until someone posts a vid of Jeb doing a Doctor Strangelove routine, do you think?

I'm supposing its real purpose is for rovers, so you don't have clunky cans driving all over the place, but that's too mundane for real kerbonauts.

The devs already posted pictures of that before they even released this version, so... you're a little late

That makes me happy.

 

[Staubo]

baloroth[/url]":10m4ify0]

stormtalon[/url]":10m4ify0]Thinking about that command chair some more -- how long until someone posts a vid of Jeb doing a Doctor Strangelove routine, do you think?

I'm supposing its real purpose is for rovers, so you don't have clunky cans driving all over the place, but that's too mundane for real kerbonauts.

The devs already posted pictures of that before they even released this version, so... you're a little late

Everybody who updates to .20 is going to try and pull the Dr. Strangelove for giggles.... or even re-entry photo ops!

I foresee many new Mun buggies and crew transfer rockets to move kerbals from launchpad to station to mun to whatever without the need for a crew module.... until they actually put in re-entry heating physics.

 

[ferzerp]

I don't know if this is new or not, but I actually had a fuel canister blow up due to overheating after updating to .20. I've had engines blow up before, but never any other object, or maybe I never noticed it in the log. I had a orange can, along with SRBs on the side of it. When the separatrons ignited for the detaching, the orange tank exploded due to overheating as their exhaust hit it (along with the heat that had built up earlier). It's actually the jet powered lifter design I posted on the last page. I mitigated it with adding 8 more fins to the orange tank to dissipate heat (you can see the two sets of 8 in the picture). That was a first for me though.

 

[Hat Monster]

I know this is possible. It has to be. I've had short hops and even got to 200 metres, but a sustainable ion powered plane is still just beyond my abilities.

 

[Possibly Dangerous]

ferzerp[/url]":360nxr5x]I don't know if this is new or not, but I actually had a fuel canister blow up due to overheating after updating to .20. I've had engines blow up before, but never any other object, or maybe I never noticed it in the log. I had a orange can, along with SRBs on the side of it. When the separatrons ignited for the detaching, the orange tank exploded due to overheating as their exhaust hit it (along with the heat that had built up earlier). It's actually the jet powered lifter design I posted on the last page. I mitigated it with adding 8 more fins to the orange tank to dissipate heat (you can see the two sets of 8 in the picture). That was a first for me though.

You can use parts as heat sinks? How long has that mechanic been in the game? Maybe I've just never noticed, or bothered to think about it. Now I wonder how many of my rocket designs failed because of this.

 

[ferzerp]

Possibly Dangerous[/url]":10ztpsnj]

ferzerp[/url]":10ztpsnj]I don't know if this is new or not, but I actually had a fuel canister blow up due to overheating after updating to .20. I've had engines blow up before, but never any other object, or maybe I never noticed it in the log. I had a orange can, along with SRBs on the side of it. When the separatrons ignited for the detaching, the orange tank exploded due to overheating as their exhaust hit it (along with the heat that had built up earlier). It's actually the jet powered lifter design I posted on the last page. I mitigated it with adding 8 more fins to the orange tank to dissipate heat (you can see the two sets of 8 in the picture). That was a first for me though.

You can use parts as heat sinks? How long has that mechanic been in the game? Maybe I've just never noticed, or bothered to think about it. Now I wonder how many of my rocket designs failed because of this.

Yes, you've been able to for as long as I remember.

 

[stormtalon]

So, I think I'm going to get a station launched, and then send up a squarish platform with 2 command chairs and a set of Solar Panels as an umbrella. First station with an outdoor deck and chairs for Jeb to sit and sip Mai-Tais.... in SPAAACCEE!

 

[.劉煒]

How about communications antennas instead?

Oh, new version of crew manifest is out, .20 broke the old one.

In the middle of a 20 minute burn to get extra fuel and a lander to Duna right now.

 

[Duodecimal]

Just going with a vanilla sandbox for now.

Mun Mission 1: Skyfucker 1 (launch failure, Jeb survives in the new 1-man lander pod)

Mun Mission 2: Skyfucker 2 (partial success; fully fueled nuclear engine probe stage still attached to the central mainsail ascent stage which has ~700 fuel left in orbit of Mun, with Jeb in his lander on the munar surface but not enough fuel to get back into orbit)

Mun rescue Mission 3: Upgoer 1, Bill and Bob go up in a 2-man lander can w/ Poodle with a 3-man nuclear engine return module.

The return module undocks from the lander can and refuels from Jeb's orbiting probe. Bill leaves the 2-man can and stays in orbit with the 3-man return capsule. Bob docks the lander can with the orbiting probe and uses it as a descent stage to the munar surface (the docking port is on the top of the lander can). Bob waits in orbit until Jeb's Landing is back on the day side of the Mun, and then descends. He slows to a stop relative to the surface at 2000 meters and undocks from the probe stage, letting it fall to destruction ~3 km from Jeb's Landing site. He flips the lander can right-side up and lands 1600 meters away from Jeb, a short jetpack flight away. They meet up and are enjoying the munar surface.

Tonight I'll get them back into orbit and assess the mission. They've got a full largest not-orange 2.5m tank and will maybe have half the smallest 2.5 meter tank left on the lander can when they get back to orbit. I'll probably send them to Minmus before returning to KSC.

 

[Mortus]

I've got my next mission day uploading right now. My attempt to send a Kerbal to the Mun was...less than successful.

 

[Mortus]

Mortus Sucks At: Kerbal Space Program [4]

I'm pretty sure I need more rockets.

 

[Chuckaluphagus]

I've been repeatedly watching the original KSP "Build Fly Dream" video and showing it to my 1-year old son, and telling him, "When you get a little bigger, we can build rockets together. And when you grow up, you can be a real astronaut if you want."

Only just found out that the video was flagged and pulled because of the music that was used. Very, very glad I grabbed a copy for myself before that happened.

Mortus[/url]":3gpw6ctj]Mortus Sucks At: Kerbal Space Program [4]

I'm pretty sure I need more rockets.

I've been saying that since long before KSP was created.

 

[Magus`]

Mortus[/url]":26wfwrx8]I'm pretty sure I need more rockets.

You typed 4, but video says 5

 

[Mortus]

Magus`[/url]":38ztco6l]

Mortus[/url]":38ztco6l]I'm pretty sure I need more rockets.

You typed 4, but video says 5

Me no math good. Me fly rockship now.

 

[Decoherent]

The videos of the SRB+chair made me finally pony up and buy the game, but I can't figure out how to get Jeb in the seat!

Also, my rockets with the full game parts have been kind of a disaster. I think the small ones in the demo are easier to use Also also, I finally took Jeb on an EVA and couldn't get him back to the ship. I should really figure out how to operate the thrusters, deorbiting in a space suit is kind of tragic.

 

[Blacken00100]

I had trouble with that too. EVA, right click the chair.

 

[Deleted member 4603]

How can you kind of guesstimate or even better-than-guesstimate things like thrust-to-weight ratio or whatever?

I have now figured out how to get rockets into space and achieve orbit, and started a sandbox game that I intend to "keep" and thus care about not killing kerbalnauts or hapless kerbal citizens either. But, for now, in my simulations (save before launch, launch, reload upon explosive testing results or failed orbits) I never have enough fuel left to then transfer to munar or minmus orbit or whatever.

One design will not have enough torque or whatever to maneuver and do the gravity turn, another is way too sensitive (even with RCS off, precision controls enabled, etc.) and I go way off course trying to do the gravity turn. I have problems achieving a good launch speed, and then add rockets, but the tyranny of rocket science applies, etc. Heck, maybe all I am doing wrong is losing too much velocity during the turn. I watched the first 5 or 6 of that one dude's tutorials, and that certainly helps, but my launches... never go the way his do

I guess I will just do mechjeb and start looking into mods? Or should I continue to learn the hard way for now? How often do you "lose everything" from an update if you are running mods?

And yes, I did just say "or whatever" entirely too many times, but that is the general theme of my Space Program right now anyways... so whatever

 

[Deleted member 4603]

Oh, picture - my latest monstrosity, the Kerpollo Alpha Mk-6 - trying to get a heavy lander type thing going. I can get it to orbit, but again, not with enough fuel to get "there and back again." I was following some earlier advice here that I needed "more KABOOM" so that is 5 mainsails with the outer tanks feeding into the inner, then a third stage "command module" with the pointy engines. I want to do this Apollo style and have a command module (the 3rd stage, just above the boosters) that stays in orbit, then the lander goes down, and comes back to dock with the "command module" that is really just going to be a fuel tank and a hitchhiker and an engine (so the lower of the two sets of small nacelles I want to drop once those outer tanks are dry.)

Also, I just discovered that those little round fuel tanks can be put in all sorts of crazy places between other stuff... so I am putting them everywhere lol.

I'm obviously biting off more than I can chew, but it is fun

 

[.劉煒]

Oops ... My Duna manned station is in a retrograde orbit. #fail

 

[Duodecimal]

.劉煒[/url]":3hvgkc00]Oops ... My Duna manned station is in a retrograde orbit. #fail

Is it too big to move around a bit? You can fling it around Ike (which has a huge SoI relative to Duna's) to reverse direction.

 

[Deleted member 4603]

Mechjeb got the beast to a 220km orbit with plenty of fuel to spare.

 

[Joel_B]

Puke Flyswatter[/url]":1tkfcyks]How can you kind of guesstimate or even better-than-guesstimate things like thrust-to-weight ratio or whatever?

Design rocket
Launch rocket.

Did it explode...?
Did it achieve orbit...?
Did it get to the objective...?
Did it get back from the objective under it's own power...?

If you answered no to at least one question then add fuel. Or rockets. Or both.

After a while you will get an idea of fuel and rockets needed.

 

[Joel_B]

Puke Flyswatter[/url]":3rjgfs0y]Oh, picture - my latest monstrosity, the Kerpollo Alpha Mk-6 - trying to get a heavy lander type thing going. I can get it to orbit, but again, not with enough fuel to get "there and back again." I was following some earlier advice here that I needed "more KABOOM" so that is 5 mainsails with the outer tanks feeding into the inner, then a third stage "command module" with the pointy engines. I want to do this Apollo style and have a command module (the 3rd stage, just above the boosters) that stays in orbit, then the lander goes down, and comes back to dock with the "command module" that is really just going to be a fuel tank and a hitchhiker and an engine (so the lower of the two sets of small nacelles I want to drop once those outer tanks are dry.)

Also, I just discovered that those little round fuel tanks can be put in all sorts of crazy places between other stuff... so I am putting them everywhere lol.

I'm obviously biting off more than I can chew, but it is fun

Might want some lights on that.

 

[grendelmk1]

So after seeing how cheaty jets are, I decided to see about building a minimal 1-Kerbal crew lifter.

46.8% mass to a 100 km orbit, with plenty of fuel for orbital maneuvers.



2 stages: a jet-powered booster and a NERVA orbiter.



Next up: probable failure to build an SSTO