Backstage - OOC Forums
General Discussion => The Speakeasy: OOG/Off-topic Discussion => Topic started by: orange on 11 Dec 2012, 08:56
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Awesomely handy list. How the Kerbal Space Program has avoided mention on this board is beyond me. Perhaps we lack enough spaceship junkies.
Thread started!
Link to website. (https://kerbalspaceprogram.com/)
So, anyone done an interplanetary mission pre-docking (latest update)? I did a few Sun orbiters while attempting to get to Duna (sometimes even safely returned to Kerbin.
I have what amounts to a Salyut station in orbit and some debris from attempts to expand it. When I play it next, I plan to build a 6-Kerbal return vehicle and abandon and re-enter the Salyut style station, which was great for learning a few things about station building.
Edit:
Someone's Youtube Series on Kerbal (http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD603D8234AE51EF0&feature=g-high-u)
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I landed a probe on the 2nd planet
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I've yet to succeed at anything beyond a stable orbit around the planet.
And, of course, hilarious and often spectacular explosions.
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Figured out enough orbital mechanics to make a couple of Mun orbits and do a safe return, here. Haven't seen the new update yet. I wonder if the new Flight Planning doodad will help me waste less gargantuan amounts of fuel with ill-aimed and poorly timed burns; trying to find the absolute minimum configuration to achieve a result was becoming a bit of an obsession.
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Basic Orbital Mechanics
In the case of Kerbal, once you get to about 100 km and going 2500 m/s you should be an orbit (not necessarily a circular one, but an orbit).
By increasing your current velocity, you raise the opposite side of the orbit's altitude. By decreasing your present velocity, you lower the opposite side of the orbit. This basic fundamental can be applied to do many other things.
I am more than happy to try and answer any questions with regards to orbital mechanics anyone may have (for Kerbal or otherwise).
Figured out enough orbital mechanics to make a couple of Mun orbits and do a safe return, here. Haven't seen the new update yet. I wonder if the new Flight Planning doodad will help me waste less gargantuan amounts of fuel with ill-aimed and poorly timed burns; trying to find the absolute minimum configuration to achieve a result was becoming a bit of an obsession.
The new update is glorious! The Flight Planning is great for getting a good estimate of what conducting your next burn will do, but it makes some assumptions, like near instantaneous burns I am pretty sure. Docking takes a lot of effort and can be really hard if you don't have the right thruster system design (problems I have run into).
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Ah, yes. This. Hehehehehe.
I've gotten good at making stable orbits around various celestial objects, and have safely landed a number of probes (and one unfortunate team of Kerbals) on the Mun.
Why unfortunate? Because re-launches continue to escape my grasp, in large part due to my utter failure to assemble anything remotely resembling a refueling station in orbit. My landers are left without sufficient fuel to actually make a successful re-launch and re-orientation for a proper return.
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I acquired this last friday or so. The proceded to spend most of saturday, all of sunday, and almost all of monday (after work) building and launching rockets. Getting into orbit is now pretty easy. Getting decent sized satellites into orbit is a little challenging. Getting satellites anywhere near each other in order to connect them has thus far proven completely impossible. I have three or four things orbiting around in reasonably close orbits to each other but the RCS thrusters haven't been enough to get them close to each other.
There's some neat stuff on the ksp forums, I'm working on learning things like asparagus staging, putting multiple medium sized rocket engines on the bottom of one big fuel tank (creating something less powerful than a mainsail but far more efficient) and trying to make a space plane that is borderline stable.
I decided to go for a big orbit and ended up with a few brave kerbals orbiting the sun. I don't know if/when I'll see them again. I think they're out of fuel.
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And now, I will begin to chronicle the development of a space program! I have been playing KSP for a while, so I know a thing or two, but it can always throw a curve ball.
Project Twin - Inspired by the US Project Gemini - Link (http://s2.beta.photobucket.com/user/cadetorange/library/Kerbal%20Space%20Program/Project%20Twins)
There aren't any two Kerman capsules at the moment, so we will be sticking with the single capsule vehicle for now. This program will avoid using the larger engines. It is "old school."
It will focus on developing rendezvous technique and learning some lessons. At the end of the program series, there may be a lunar fly-by mission using a series of launches and in-orbit rendezvouses to assemble the vehicle.
Mission 0: First successful orbit mission (Launch and Orbit of Twin Target Vehicle (TTV))
Lesson Learned: Add a payload of some kind! Would have been great to have a few antenna, maybe two thermostats on opposite sides of the spacecraft. Will remain on orbit as a target vehicle for at least a few weeks.
Mission 1: First successful Kermanned orbital mission (Launch, Orbit, Rendezvous, Docking, and EVA)
Lesson Learned: The Twin Manned Vehicle (TMV) needs a SAS on the space vehicle. The first rendezvous was a challenge without a stable platform.
[spoiler]
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/cadetorange/Kerbal%20Space%20Program/Project%20Twins/screenshot2_zps6473cb6d.png)[/spoiler]
Edit:
Mission 2: Second successful Kermanned orbital mission (Rendezvous, Docking, and Science Package Delivery)
Lesson Learned: Attempted a targeted landing; a bit off, need to aim further down range to achieve desired result.
[spoiler]
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/cadetorange/Kerbal%20Space%20Program/Project%20Twins/screenshot11_zpsc3465964.png)
[/spoiler]
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I had the free beta version of this, it was pretty fun. After I feed a few other game habits, I kinda want to go back to this. It looks like its gotten much easier to do orbits and stuff.
Can you still do insane single stage multi-motor monsters?
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Can you still do insane single stage multi-motor monsters?
Yes, with similar results.
Is there interest in me doing some more of the above type reporting here?
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Is there interest in me doing some more of the above type reporting here?
yes :)
Landed a craft on the mun, explored the surface, saw one of the curious artifacts on the moon, returned to Kerbin safely.
RCS are fabulous for lander craft, it is possible to do a whole lot of manouvers with the RCS and hardly needing the main engine. Like, escaping mun orbit and then making a course to Kerbin, I could do with just the RCS, even though I still had about 20% main engine fuel :)
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Project Traveler - Inspired by US Mariner/Voyager Program
Traveler's goal is to send a probe to all the primary bodies of the Kerbin solar system. These may just be flybys, impactors, etc, but it will be used to practice gravity assist maneuvers and mid-course corrections.
Traveler probes will hopefully utilize various rockets, but I intend to utilize many of the same basic designs throughout all the programs I am pursuing. The first series of Travelers for example will use the same rocket as Project Twin.
Traveler 1: Mun Encounter! Mun Orbit! Mun Impact!Link (http://s2.beta.photobucket.com/user/cadetorange/library/Kerbal%20Space%20Program/Project%20Traveler/Traveler%201)
Traveler 1 was the first of the series and utilized the initial core of the Twin Target Vehicle as its launch vehicle.
Lesson Learned: Probe ACS sub components need to operate together, if a controllable probe is desired.
[spoiler](http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/cadetorange/Kerbal%20Space%20Program/Project%20Traveler/Traveler%201/screenshot20_zps23e5d6e8.png)[/spoiler]
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Twins 3 & 4: R&D, R&D, EVA, Landing in the Wrong Sea! - Link (http://s2.beta.photobucket.com/user/cadetorange/library/Kerbal%20Space%20Program/Project%20Twins/Twins%203%20n%204)
I did two launches in quick succession, with the second carried the Twin EVA Platform (TEP). These two vehicles rendezvoused and docked (R&D), exchanged the TEP and then redocked at one of the TEP's other docking ports. Twins 4 then departed for re-entry and an attempt to land near the launch site (no joy). Twins 3 proceed to R&D with the TTV and dock the TEP. Jeb made two EVAs, one at after the two initial docking events.
Lessons Learned (yes multiple):
- RCS pairs should be in quads for better more even control.
- Double check the presence of a SAS on the TMV.
- Push intended landing point out into the far sea initially.
[spoiler]
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/cadetorange/Kerbal%20Space%20Program/Project%20Twins/Twins%203%20n%204/screenshot42_zps7083b83f.png)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/cadetorange/Kerbal%20Space%20Program/Project%20Twins/Twins%203%20n%204/screenshot49_zpse1ab671c.png)
[/spoiler]
So, I have to make some program goal decisions! Twins 5 should fix the control issues with the TMVs, it maybe a simple demo flight of the fix and then more re-entry practice. Twins 6 could be launched shortly thereafter, with both docking at the TTV to attempt a crew exchange and more re-entry practice. Should that be the capstone mission? Or should I use the TTV and Twins 7 (or maybe 6) and do a Mun Fly-By?
I expect to at least get Traveler 2 and maybe Traveler 3 launched before Twins 5 launches.
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Overview of my status (I will post the pictures later, I have to sort through them).
I have conducted the following:
Traveler 2: Mun Communication Orbiter (on going)
Traveler 3: Mun Lander (on going)
Traveler 4: Minmus Lander (lost power after accident :( ), Launched on Lifter rocket (derived from Combo rocket)
Twins 5: Demo adjusted ACS, Duration Flight at TTV (on going) - Re-entry practice
Twins 6: Duration Flight at TTV (on going) - Re-entry practice ?May be used for a Mun Flyby w/ TTV to close out Project Twins?
Combo 1: Demo Flight, initially didn't leave the pad , adjusted to fire main engine in addition to boosters - Re-entry practice (off target)
Combo 2: Delivered Twins-Combo Adapter to TTV, re-entry practice, w/n 77 km of launch site
Combo 3: R&D at High-Five 1, Duration Flight (on-going)
High-Five 1: Basic station, Hab Module, uses Lifter upper stage as station control segment
Soyuz translates roughly as "union," Combo is derivative of combination.
Saylut (the Soviet station program) roughly translates as Salute or Fireworks, I went with High-Five for the station program.
Bumps and bruises throughout - no deaths, some hardware damage (Traveler 4 trying to do a surface hop using RCS).
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Out of curiosity, Orange, what (if any) mods are you using?
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Out of curiosity, Orange, what (if any) mods are you using?
No mods, straight 18.1 (haven't updated to 18.2 yet).
Edit: Considering picking up this mode - MPSS Nautilus (http://kerbalspaceport.com/0-18-1-mpss-nautilus/)
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Necro to share!
Now there are rovers!
Journeyman 3 visits Traveler 5!
[spoiler](http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/cadetorange/Kerbal%20Space%20Program/Project%20Journeyman/screenshot265_zps182dabfc.png)[/spoiler]
A Duna Fly-By
[spoiler](http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/cadetorange/Kerbal%20Space%20Program/Project%20Duna/screenshot276_zpsd0f47d8f.png)[/spoiler]
and a Space Station!
[spoiler](http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/cadetorange/Kerbal%20Space%20Program/Project%20High-Five/screenshot304_zps8c68c2c2.png)[/spoiler]
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Speaking of SPACE: NASA is livestreaming it's Spacewalk: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html
Yes, it is LIVE.
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Getting things into orbit of kerbin is easy... getting things into mun orbit is not as easy... for some reason I always end up hitting it dead center.
I did manage to get lander on Duna though... was supposed to go the mun but I missed...
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I am so glad the system requirements discourage me to get this game...my real life might be over.
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For Science! (http://youtu.be/orLHj_eJMOs) V0.22 coming soon.
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It was released today!
Edit: I would just like to report that Career mode is assume and extremely challenging!
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It was released today!
Edit: I would just like to report that Career mode is assume and extremely challenging!
I assume you meant to type awesome?
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It was released today!
Edit: I would just like to report that Career mode is assume and extremely challenging!
I assume you meant to type awesome?
Yep! You are correct in assuming I meant to type awesome!
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I launched rockets! with Science on them!
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Damn it, I had just begun mass colonization of the Mun. Now I have to start my career over.
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having succeeded in sending an unmanned science probe into orbit and returning it, i had planned to land an unmanned probe on other parts of Kerbin, to measure things on the different biomes on the planet (ice, water, grasslands, highlands, others???? ).
after achieving orbit with plenty of fuel, decided to orbit Mun instead, for moar science, lol
Can also get a lot of science by doing EVAs above the different biomes, it seems. Capsule can store data from 1 of each EVA type.
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Another biome is mountains.
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manned mission, for Science!
Orbited Mun, observed it at low altitude in several places, measured effect on various materials, went to Minmus, orbited and observed Minmus, measuring effects, then return to Kerbin for successful landing.
Exited capsule to take soil samples of Kerbin, lol
got 400+ Science in that one mission :O
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(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/cadetorange/Kerbal%20Space%20Program/Science/screenshot4_zpsf6b761f7.png)
Science! In Munar orbit!
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(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/cadetorange/Kerbal%20Space%20Program/Science/screenshot4_zpsf6b761f7.png)
Science! In Munar orbit!
What parts did you use on that craft? All my custom built ships are too heavy to get into munar orbit. I've got like... 13 stages on my biggest, and have maxxed out at around 80,000m before running out of all fuel.
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I have not done a Mun Lander yet. Those legs are for landing on Kerbin with more Science.
So, this fairly early Mun Orbiter. All the parts (there are batteries, solar panels, and a SAS) come to under 300 Science to get to (if you are in career mode).
Crescent V
*Stage 0: Capsule and basic parachute
*Stage 1: Two additional chutes (on materials lab)
*Stage 2: FL-T100 Tank & LV-909 Engine (for pre-landing decel on Kerbin)
Stage 3: Decoupler & LV-T45, 3 FL-T400s (in previous pic)
Stage 4: 6 TT-68Ks, 12 Sepratrons
Stage 5: 6 LV-T30s with 4 FL-T400s a piece
*Left part of previous pic and part viewable above external stages below.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/cadetorange/Kerbal%20Space%20Program/Science/screenshot9_zps8d57bfec.png)
Another important technique I have been utilizing is to not go into circular Mun orbit. The goal should be to get a sub-30k perigee Mun orbit so you can get Science in space near Mun (vs high Mun orbit). This will also allow you to do EVAs over the various Mun biomes.
The above rocket returned to Kerbin via a direct re-entry with unused propellant (since there are no fancy: "you die horrible hot-death if you re-enter at too steep an angle" or "skip off and die horrible cold-death if you attempt at too shallow an angle").
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After 8 solid hours of trying again and again in sandbox, I finally put a space station in orbit. Screenshots below!
The rocket is a five stage design (though the game counts it as ten stages). Eight Rockomax BACC SRBs assist with initial liftoff, supporting three Rockomax "Mainsail" LFEs each with their own Jumbo-64 tank. The main engines cannot be pushed past 2/3 power or the entire rocket will literally tear itself in half with the overwhelming thrust capacity.
(http://i.imgur.com/t31ffi6.png)
Once the SRBs are expended, they are jettisoned and the main engines are pushed to their limits. Within seconds, we've cleared the atmosphere.
(http://i.imgur.com/qMBhazw.png)
Once the massive tanks are empty, they too are jettisoned. The second stage is lit, and burns for the next several minutes to bring the payload up to about 100k altitude. A 45° angle is introduced to set up the orbit path. This part is very tricky, as even this single engine can tear itself in half if you turn too quickly. On the other hand, constant course corrections are required even after you find your target.
(http://i.imgur.com/d0DGYjB.png)
Once the second stage is empty, the next part happens almost instantaneously as soon as it is triggered. I was (after 3 tries), unable to get a good screenshot of the separation. Four smaller SRBs light up and power the whole ship halfway through its orbit. Why only halfway? Because no single stage I could come up with would push something this heavy all the way into orbit. This part is extremely difficult, mostly because you can barely guide these things, and they have so much power. Not ideal for delicate jobs at all... which is why we're not done yet.
(http://i.imgur.com/O1iNYfU.png)
Once the boosters are dead, they're jettisoned as usual and a smaller engine finishes the burn for me with more careful aim. Once I've gotten to this point, I'm already in a solid orbit. The rest of the fuel goes towards matching the 100k orbital on my periapsis.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ym5wMWv.png)
Finally, I'm done with the hard stuff. One final job (the fun stuff) is left to do! Jettisoning the engines and turning the rocket into a proper space station, I align myself as desired and begin to deploy my solar panels and instruments...
(http://i.imgur.com/5BKEcLn.png)
The final product. Space Station Kat! ... or a GDI Ion Cannon, if you prefer.
(http://i.imgur.com/fNNXwOA.png)
I am very proud of my work, honestly.
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Bill Kerman bravely volunteered for the first Mun mission. He is a hero to all Kerman! The engineering team however left out the critical piece of information... they were not sure if he would make it home! Bill now continues to orbit Kerbin at a high altitude, awaiting the day that his best (and much smarter) friends Jeb and Bob can rescue him.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/cadetorange/Kerbal%20Space%20Program/Science/screenshot14_zps3157f1a5.png)
Ya, not enough fuel to make it home on the descent/stage. It however gives me a non-science goal of rescuing Bill!
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i remember a mission I did in a previous version of KSP like that.
however, because I have never got the hang of docking craft, the best I could do, was to get a rescue ship close, and have the stranded kerbalnauts.... jump.... from their disabled craft to the rescue ship. :eek:
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:cube: :cube:
I'll steal this and maybe finally get a larger station into orbit at once.
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i remember a mission I did in a previous version of KSP like that.
however, because I have never got the hang of docking craft, the best I could do, was to get a rescue ship close, and have the stranded kerbalnauts.... jump.... from their disabled craft to the rescue ship. :eek:
Well since I am in Career Mode and I have yet to earn sufficient Science! (tm) to pick up docking adapters, that is exactly what Bill had to do once we had the technology for a big 3-man rocket.
Due to a gravity "assist" from Mun, he was now in an orbit between Mun & Minmus! Jeb and Bob however were up to the task with the newly available Specialized Controls and Heavier Rocketry parts the engineers developed based on the Science! (tm) funding the series of 5 Beep missions returned.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/cadetorange/Kerbal%20Space%20Program/Science/Rescue%20of%20Bill/screenshot19_zpse4338a3e.png)
Beep 3 leaves Minmus
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/cadetorange/Kerbal%20Space%20Program/Science/Rescue%20of%20Bill/screenshot30_zpsf72d9a6b.png)
Buddies 1 prior to lift off
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/cadetorange/Kerbal%20Space%20Program/Science/Rescue%20of%20Bill/screenshot36_zpsdc07c7f9.png)
Bill is where?
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/cadetorange/Kerbal%20Space%20Program/Science/Rescue%20of%20Bill/screenshot40_zps0b3fd816.png)
Bye Bye Craters II
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/cadetorange/Kerbal%20Space%20Program/Science/Rescue%20of%20Bill/screenshot44_zpsda491793.png)
No longer alone!
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/cadetorange/Kerbal%20Space%20Program/Science/Rescue%20of%20Bill/screenshot49_zps4e2b96cf.png)
Mun helps out on the return trip
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/cadetorange/Kerbal%20Space%20Program/Science/Rescue%20of%20Bill/screenshot52_zpsd058d0ff.png)
Not to far from where we left... like 4 weeks ago!
Buddies 1 was a total success.
Bill, the first Kerman on the Mun, was rescued. The first rendezvous mission was a success. The first intentional off structure EVA was a success. All three made it home safe.
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After building a horribly laggy and oversized space station that eventually went physics-crazy and tore itself aprt for no good reason, I've started a new game, opting to follow the traditional graduation of goals.
Starting with this new game, I began with launching my first probe in the most efficient way possible. To that end, I am using mod parts rather than vanilla parts. You'll notice this in the images. They work far more efficiently.
Katnik 1 is now in orbit!
(http://i.imgur.com/WeUAO7R.png)
For more info on the launch, you can go here. (http://imgur.com/a/G2cu4)
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Seeing as this is an EVE board I thought I ought to mention:
Kerbals at War (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inkkLAfFIbY)
And
Kerbals at War 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwiUbsq2q58).
In case the rest of you didn't know about them.
Oh yes, and this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yIepsTBXJc). Possibly the weirdest use of the game I have yet seen.
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Seeing as this is an EVE board I thought I ought to mention:
Kerbals at War (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inkkLAfFIbY)
And
Kerbals at War 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwiUbsq2q58).
In case the rest of you didn't know about them.
Oh yes, and this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yIepsTBXJc). Possibly the weirdest use of the game I have yet seen.
Dat physics.
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Have any of you Kerbals played around with Orbiter?
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(http://i.imgur.com/t31ffi6.png)
Needs moar asparagus, makes getting stuff into orbit much easier.
I'm tempted to fire this up and let it patch, see what it's like now that I haven't played in several months or a year.
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I watched my housemate landing his first manned mission to Mun. He'd gotten there with resources to spare, so he was attempting the classic '50s sci fi comic book version of a rocket touchdown-- tail-first, no landing gear, trying to land lightly enough that he'd be able to take off again without actually ejecting the lander.
Why this seemed like a good idea, I forget.
The tail touches down at only a couple meters a second, but the engine snaps off anyway. The joining rings fail, and he just manages to detach the lander as some twenty stories of lengths of rocket body collapse in slow motion onto the surface of Mun like so many felled logs.
Being half-decent at control, he drops his landing gear and brings the lander down among the wreckage without a hitch, while one of his rocket fuel canisters rolls slowly away across the landscape and the others jostle and shift. He lowers a ladder and disembarks a kerbal, with whom he has just started to explore the Munar surface when the remaining rocket fuel on board the surviving chunks of wreckage starts cooking off.
The time needed to climb back in a lunar lander and get the hell out of dodge turns out to feel very, very long when you have blast-flung, building-sized bits of spacecraft raining around your ears. It did not last, of course, but for that brief time, he had managed to bring weather to Mun.
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I bought this yesterday. I am really, really bad at it.
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I bought this yesterday. I am really, really bad at it.
And that is okay! :D
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Mun Rovers! Unsafe at Any Speed!
[spoiler](http://i.imgur.com/6eCXbg0.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/ij92wwt.png)
[/spoiler]
[spoiler](http://i.imgur.com/V7VUjzd.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/dYkRkA4.png)[/spoiler]
[spoiler](http://i.imgur.com/4aUJ9jq.png)[/spoiler]
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I've been told the correct thing to do is put a some RCS thrusters and a tank on your rover to flip it back over, but that seems freakishly wasteful without the ability to refuel a rover from a newly-landed resupply vessel. Instead I'm experimenting with angling my wheels outward at 45 degrees and then putting both "top" and "bottom" sets on, so in theory the rover should have a set of wheels on the ground no matter where it rolls.
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Picked it up again recently. Manoever nodes are great. Managed* my first manned Mun landing and safe return in career mode; feels good man. On to Minmus and Duna!
(*: Yeah, so the lander kinda fell over on the first touchdown. Rolling it around to a slight incline, a quick firing of the main engine and some flailing at the controls fixed that.. I'm sure nothing important was damaged, and we can hammer the dents out of the capsule when we get home.)
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Minmus in Career Mode!
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Gf-GhTeMjC3uDawVMlltAFd1TqCH-3p4hvCVCrqlnwE=w367-h207-p-no)
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Do you know how lucky you peeps are to have found eachother? I have no one to share my Orbiter experiences with. :(
Well, I guess I could search for fellow Orbinauts, but...they're weird. Yes, even weirder than you lot! :P
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Do you know how lucky you peeps are to have found eachother? I have no one to share my Orbiter experiences with. :(
Well, I guess I could search for fellow Orbinauts, but...they're weird. Yes, even weirder than you lot! :P
True, but you can do this sort of thing in Orbiter:
Hope Eyrie - For the Eagle Has Landed! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDqBkyCTSJk)
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So, I've been fooling around in sandbox mode trying to land progressively larger rovers on the mun. Lately these have begun to involve some medium-size (by KSP standards) booster sections to get them into orbit and off towards the mun. Today I de-orbited a spent booster into the mun, continuing to fire its engines until I'd run it dry of fuel. This resulted in a pretty impressive downward velocity.
When it crashed, the core remote control unit - nestled between several Rockomax Jumbo fuel tanks, some heavy cubic struts, and a few small RCS tanks - was somehow launched straight back up again with sufficient speed and angle to - for the moment - achieve munar orbit.
In other words, I launched a probe into munar orbit by power of explosions. Damn right this is KSP.
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I re-enacted Gravity's final scene in KSP. The station de-orbit and landing.
I tried to video it with fraps but it was only after I tabbed out of the game that I realized after a good 3-4 hours of trying and failing and trying and failing and FINALLY succeeding to to it... somewhere along the lines I had mixed up the on/off record toggle. I was too busy ingame to realize it wasn't recording once the scene started playing out perfectly. Because I thought I was recording, no screenshots were taken. I'll see about trying again, but with how many takes it took, I'm not sure I have the motivation.
Here's the abridged version though:
I had built a station replica based on the fictional Tiangong-3 (named Kerbgong-3 in this scenario) seen in the movie Gravity, with an accompanying Soyuz lookalike (stockalike) module attached, set using HyperEdit at exactly 71,000 altitude so I would only need a minimum of Delta-V to de-orbit. The scene was staged to begin during an EVA that I would begin after de-orbiting the station using some cleverly placed mini SRBs.
The trick is to complete the EVA part of the scene before hitting atmo, because during EVA, your kerbal doesn't fly with the station anymore. Otherwise he gets quickly 'blown away' by the wind and the station continues on without you. So, the mid-air EVA scene in the movie is impossible because of game mechanics.
With that in mind, I make my approach as fast as possible. In keeping with the movie, I enter the station's farthest hatch into the storage module. Using the Crew Manifest mod, I simply transfer Jeb from the station to the Soyuz descent module, which takes about as long as it does in the movie. During this time, the station enters a spin on its own.
I didn't expect that spin, as all my other attempts at the scene did NOT cause a spin, or at least I didn't notice it. By the time I was ready to stage, I realized I didn't have the decoupling staged correctly at all, and wasn't able to find it. So I had to manually cursor-hunt for the docking ring itself, rather than the decoupler I had placed ahead of it. In retrospect I could have spammed space... but then I wouldn't have been surprised by what happened next.
In the midst of solar panels and radiators shearing off, the whole station now fully aglow in orange flame, the spin finally reached a critical point and broke Kerbgong-3 into two chunks. In my frustration, I had given up hunting for the docking ring and was now reorganizing my staging. The break happened around the same time I finally found the decoupler and staged it out. In my haste, I had also screwed up my Soyuz staging, but it was mostly saved by my self-reminder to continue spamming spacebar.
So, tumbling in four or five pices now is the remainder of Kerbgong-3 and the Soyuz stockalike. Debris is everywhere, and at least one thing blew up (no idea what). Realizing I had finally done it, I looked at Jeb, wondering what his reaction was...
Abject maniacal laughter.
Jebediah Kerman was certifiably fucking insane.
After touching down on the surface, chutes working correctly still, bombs of station parts falling all around me... I took one last look at him...
... looking back at me with that smug little snack-eating grin of his. Fucking nutjob.
On typing this out, suddenly I want to try recording it a 20th time.
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Remember, Jeb has the badass attribute. (http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Jebediah_Kerman)
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Picked KSP up again for the 0.23.5 update and I'm trying to set up a rendezvous with an asteroid that leaves me with the delta-v to capture it. Will post screenshots when I succeed (or spectacularly fail).
Has anyone here had a chance to use the new liquid booster rockets yet? I switched across to them for my launch stages and their thrust-to-weight ratio is insane. We're talking 90 seconds to orbit for 15t payloads here.
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I have a relatively clean install of 23.5 (Clock and Expandable Hab mod) and am working through Career mode at the moment and was at just the right point to get the liquid booster. It puts a Main-Sail to shame as a first stage! I have yet to get the 3-meter stuff, but I am sure it will let me do some cool stuff.
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Do we have any estimates on .24? I'm tempted to get back in now, but I'm also really tempted to wait the extra month for .24 so that I can start completely fresh. :D
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Do we have any estimates on .24?
SoonTM
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Can you obtain mashed kerbals with those new shiny booster rockets ? :P
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I finally sat down and set up a quick rendezvous with a class B asteroid to see how much pushing power I'd need to attempt a capture:
[spoiler](http://i.imgur.com/OOnQ4tF.jpg)[/spoiler]
Turns out I need a lot more delta-V, and an engine configuration that can pull! Unfortunately Infernal Robotics isn't working with 0.23.5, so I can't put a ship together with engines that flip around 180 degrees. I've got about 80 Kerbin days to get another (more suitable) craft out and redirect the thing.
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I finally sat down and set up a quick rendezvous with a class B asteroid to see how much pushing power I'd need to attempt a capture:
[spoiler](http://i.imgur.com/OOnQ4tF.jpg)[/spoiler]
Turns out I need a lot more delta-V, and an engine configuration that can pull! Unfortunately Infernal Robotics isn't working with 0.23.5, so I can't put a ship together with engines that flip around 180 degrees. I've got about 80 Kerbin days to get another (more suitable) craft out and redirect the thing.
Mount a second set of forward facing engines on your pulling stage. Keep them shutdown until you need them, and activate them using an action group that simultaneously shuts down the rear-facing (regular) engine block. Congrats. Now you have a reverse gear for your rocket.
I recommend these, facing forward:
(http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/w/images/e/e7/Mark_55_Radial_mount_engine.png)
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My brother just gave me this game as a gift on Steam. So far I have put in about 2 hours, but have been unable to get a circular orbit under 200km around Mun.
Still trying to complete training. :ugh:
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My brother just gave me this game as a gift on Steam. So far I have put in about 2 hours, but have been unable to get a circular orbit under 200km around Mun.
Still trying to complete training. :ugh:
Add more rockets for greater thrust. It's the number one rule. Some claim that it sometimeonly achieves the goal of making things explode.
My answer to them is:
Your point is?
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In rockets we thrust? :)
potatoed via terpadalk
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Morning all,
For those who have not heard yet, 0.24 has been held up. Testing the features they had put in so far (Contracts) had them realize they needed certain features planned for 0.25 (Budgeting) to make it really work.
Link to their announcement: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/content/279-0-24-Update-Update
As for myself, I bought it on Steam a little while ago, and occasionally poke at it. Nowadays I mostly follow the KSPTV stream on Twitch, mostly Friday evenings. I also follow Scott's Youtube for his Interstellar Quest, as well as 4kbshort's for Kerbal Space Adventures (though 4kb also puts up a lot of other interesting games in Lets Play format - So far I have two of those queued up on Steam now :evil: ).
--A_K
PS - I also heard that Kerbal SpacePort will be taken down early next week. So any downloading from there may want to be done ASAP.
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0.24 is released...
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1.0 released.
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1.0 released.
And it ate my weekend. And if I didn't have work and night classes, it would have eaten the days since. And if I didn't have other obligations, it would probably eat the coming weekend too.
Seriously, this game is the void into which time is sucked and never seen again.
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I don't dare to start on that game again unless I know I will have 30 hours per day. Such a time consumer :P
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Yeah their 'warp to next day' feature left me staring blearily at the screen in confusion as the sun rose outside.