Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[orange]

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.

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

[Louella Dougans]

I landed a probe on the 2nd planet

[Morwen Lagann]

I've yet to succeed at anything beyond a stable orbit around the planet.

And, of course, hilarious and often spectacular explosions.

[Jev North]

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.

[orange]

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).

[Esna Pitoojee]

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.

[Victoria Stecker]

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.

[orange]

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
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]

[/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]

[/spoiler]

[Saikoyu]

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?

[orange]

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?

[Louella Dougans]

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

[orange]

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
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][/spoiler]

[orange]

Twins 3 & 4: R&D, R&D, EVA, Landing in the Wrong Sea! - Link
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]



[/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.

[orange]

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).

[Esna Pitoojee]

Out of curiosity, Orange, what (if any) mods are you using?