[Steam] Kerbal Space Program - Update 0.22: Career Mode!

[Dizzle229]

I think I need to remake some of my rockets. Either the modded parts don't agree with the last update, or my something is wrong with the rocket as it is now refusing to leave the launchpad.

Can you hear a low "pshhh" noise when you go to the launch pad? No idea why, but sometimes some of the engines break off.

[Randox]

Yeah, my computer finally stopped being silly and made the breaking sound clear. All the boosters work, but the main engines break every time. Also, sometimes the rocket just strait up explodes because why not.

[Albel]

Made an orbit around the mun, but was unable to come back :mellow:

 

I also was not very flue efficient so I still have much to learn :mellow:

[Randox]

I FINALLY DID IT!

 

I finally managed to get a rocket to the Mun, landed on the Mun where the crew stayed for a bit to have lunch, then took off again.

 

The ride home was a bit scary though. Scary enough that I feel like I should be carrying a bit more fuel. I escaped Mun easy enough, and put myself back into a Kerbal orbit. Then I did a retro grade burn that used up most of my remaining fuel (down to like a quarter here). It's going well, I'm slowly heading back to Kerbal, and then the freaking Mun catches up and pulls me back into orbit. So the crew panics, and reorients the command pod away from the Mun again, and burn up all the remaining fuel. The fuel is gone before I can see what my orbit will be (still showing a line away from Mun). Well, as luck would have it it was a crash course for Kerbal, though this meant I wasn't going to get to choose my landing spot. At a couple KM up the crew gave a hearty farewell to the accent engine and fuel tank which had managed to get them home (which almost seems silly when you look at how many fuel tanks and engines it took to complete the trip in the other direction). This rocket (even though its literally the same design I keep using, I built this one from scratch and named it the Reventon) was carrying a Mechanical Jeb pilot assist, which adds a bit of weight, and doesn't seem to be all that structurally sound (might modify it for future flights). The Mech gave out on impact with the ocean at a breezy 13.6m/s, which caused the parachute to fall off (Mech sits on top of the pod, with the parachute attached to Mech). The Pod is safe and sound, if 'floating' a couple metres under water at the moment.

 

First, a beutiful horizon picture I have while I'm uploading:

 

Now, takeoff:

 

Landed:

 

Splash Down:

 

This will however be the only mission of the Reventon rocket. The design has some very serious flaws with handleing when it jetisons the Liquid fuel boosters, probably because the virtually identical Thor (which handles better at this point) has an SAS unit at top of each main engine stack, where the Reventon instead uses just one on top of the tricoupler. This makes it impossible to run the main engines at more than a little over 2/3, without causing it to tip, and this can only be achieved with nearly constant RCS use (you have to run the engine under 1/3 to correct the heading as well). So after this, it will be the Thor Mk II's, which will incorporate the best of both designs. I want a more stable launch platform, and I want an accent stage that can achieve Mun orbit, and break it, so that I can return to Kerbal from any point on the Mun (the Kerbal Space program would like to leave something on the far side as well.

 

Also, since this was the first mission after installing the new version, persistence was reset so I got to do this with the infamous Jebediah, who as can be seen in the takeoff shot, is having a blast while his companions are trying not to wet themselves.

[Randox]

CONTACT!

 

After many hours, and a couple misses, history has been made over Kerbin, as Upsilon Gamma performed the spacial maneuver 'ramming' against fellow rocket Upsilon Beta at 200,307m above the surface of our planet. Beta then returned the favor by giving Gamma a nudge, as can be seen here:

 

Both rockets will soon be deorbited, and their crews debriefed. Now that we have proven that space rondevouz are indeed possible, we will begin work immediatly one creating parts that will allow rockets to dock with one another.

 

 

And that took a long time, a lot of practice flights, and a boat load of patience, with more than my fair share of screw up along the way to get that picture. Both rockets still have main engines with enough fuel to perform at least semi controlled de-orbiting procedures (which is good because RCS would take forever on rockets that large). I spent a while trying to get them to line up nose to nose. I suspect if I oriented one to nose up, it would roll as it orbits rather than spin end for end, and make sure a maneuver possible. Good test of piloting and orbiting skill though. Not as easy as the video made it look. I also love how at about 300m out, it removed the nav icon, which would have been nice for knowing when to start reversing.

 

Damn that was fun though.

[misterxman]

After many crashed and flipped rovers, I finally found the second Munolith:

 

 

This was a nice challenge, definitely having fun with the new terrain update, and the plug-ins like the cart/truck are awesome

[Albel]

I started playing again a couple days ago. My rocket can get to the mun, and orbit the mun just fine. However I one issue. I have such a hard time getting an orbit around Kurbin, that I don't have enough fule to come back to it on the return trip. If I posted a couple pics of my rocket could I get some advice on how to improve it?

[misterxman]

I started playing again a couple days ago. My rocket can get to the mun, and orbit the mun just fine. However I one issue. I have such a hard time getting an orbit around Kurbin, that I don't have enough fule to come back to it on the return trip. If I posted a couple pics of my rocket could I get some advice on how to improve it?

 

Yeah go for it :) I suspect that perhaps you're burning your engine at a point that puts you with too much velocity relative to Kerbin, and hopefully can be fixed by just picking a better burn location.

[Albel]

[hide=][/hide]

 

My most successful rocket. It get's the job done, just not at 100% :unsure:

 

Also, before this last patch/update I had a rocket that had one extra fule tank on the side rockets and the main rocket. When I built that one and launched it, it would not get off the ground. I did not see what the patches were for, so did they maybe mess with the physics a little bit or am I going crazy?

[Randox]

Someone finally made a part/plugin that can help find the monoliths, which should make the search fun again (I don't mind looking, but I need to know if I am heading in the right direction or else I feel like I am wasting my time.

 

Now I just need to figure out where the stupid extra Space Center(s) is/are. They say you can see it from the map, and I'm fairly certain its on another continent, but urgh. I've identified a few likely target spots and dispatched my Ares scout plane to check it out (which can get from the KSC to the north or south pole in 11-12 minutes). I've not had much chance to scout the far side though which is where I think it is.

[Dizzle229]

Woot, this update fixed my lag :thumbsup:

[Dizzle229]

First successful orbit. Thanks Albel, for posting the guide vid.

[misterxman]

Update 0.15 is out!

 

 

 

 

[Randox]

I wonder if this will make the game stable for me again. My computer has a seeming issue with the C7 stuff in particular. Disappointed that docking got left out though. I guess I'll find out next time I get some time with my PC. Looks good though!

[Dizzle229]

Anyone have tips or mods to help slow a descent onto Mun? In all of the attempts to land on it so far, the slowest I've managed to kill my kerbs is 100 m/s.

[Randox]

Anyone have tips or mods to help slow a descent onto Mun? In all of the attempts to land on it so far, the slowest I've managed to kill my kerbs is 100 m/s.

More throttle?

 

Been a while since I played, but I think starting at around 40km up, I would do a full throttle retro burn to get myself down to about 500m/s second. I keep that pace within about 50 m/s till 20km up, where I decreate to maybe 250. At 10km its time to stop using any time acceleration, and start slowing down to 100m/s by 5km up. At 1000m I am slowing down to maybe 20 m/s, and I am finishing up the elimination of any lateral movement by tilting and firing the engine in an attempt to 'chase' the retro marker onto the center dot on the nav ball. By 500m you should be at landing speed (if not sooner), which is probably between 5 and 8 m/s. Most craft will break and be unable to take off again if they land harder than that. Honestly, the hard part is not losing all your speed and going back up, which means you have to kill your lateral speed again.

 

And to kill your lateral velocity, if you have been using your reto marker during the lunar descent, it should be pretty close by 40km or so. Look at the solar map and pick a point when your line is roughly strait down, or when your 40km if your coming in from a low orbit). What I normally do it put my orientation so that the retro marker is halfway between the center dot, and where I am aiming. Roughly at the midpoint. Then I gently use the throttle to chase it towards the dot. You'll probably have to do this 2-3 times, maybe more, during the descent. Doing it high up saves you some pressure later by making it easier to do later on, but it makes it difficult to pick a particular landing spot.

 

And I use the mechjeb plugin to hold the pod upright during the actual landing so that I only have to deal with the throttle. But this means I have to have perfectly killed my lateral velocity, or else I will need full manual control to kill it just before touch down (landing with any significant lateral speed will tip you, break you, or blow you up).

[Dizzle229]

Thanks!

 

No successful landings yet, but using those tips, that descent gets a little slower each time.

[Randox]

Thanks!

 

No successful landings yet, but using those tips, that descent gets a little slower each time.

My best landing ever in a 'they actually' lived kind of way was when I accidently time lapsed way into my landing phase. I think I managed to stop it by 20km, and managed to get myself pointed in the right direction at 14km (because I was coming in at nearly 1000 m/s). Fortunately, I still had my stage 3 (or 4, can't remember) assembly, and it was light because I fudged the timing of the launch and had to use extra fuel, and its big engine was able to put the brakes on pretty hard. I still had to dump it about a km up, and floor the descent engine for that entire kilometer. I finally managed to get under 20m/s about 100m from the ground. It was a very close call.

 

If I have some time on Monday (I should), I might consider making a video of my landing procedure using a minimal number of add on features. In fact, I should do it without mechjeb at all. I'll be getting soft and losing all my skill if I never do it manually. Also a nice way to show of my rocket design that no matter how much I try, I simply can't top it. I've been able to refine it to make it more efficient and easier to control, partially made possible by refining my flying procedure, but it's a nice rocket, and I think I have a totally stock variant of it (instead of my lander using extra parts that make it shorter and a bit lighter). I could probably make it smaller with a Kerbal slingshot, but I still prefer my orbitless approach to slamming into the Mun and returning. The Thor was not designed to achieve orbit around kerbal, and will probably crash if you try (it can do it, but you'll end up more than 400km away. Closer and you'll crash it).

[Dizzle229]

Have to thank you again Randox, we made it. Erm, sort of.

 

 

 

We've made it!

 

Well, [bleep].

 

Well it's not all bad, someone will come for us soon, right?

 

...right?

 

 

 

In accordance to what was totally the plan all along honest, Bill, Jeb, and Bob will remain there as a base to take screenshots.

 

We really wouldn't have had fuel to make it back anyway, but the annoying thing is that we would have had the fuel, and probably not have crashed (we were close a minute before this with less horizontal force), if it hadn't been for freaking STICKY KEYS. I'm still confused as to how this once crashed when it was moving so slowly. My best guess is that it had a little too much horizontal speed, because when it hit only one leg blew, and it did a beautiful little cartwheel through the air accompanied by a lovely solo performance of The Thieving Magpie by Jeb before landing on its side and detaching the command pod.

[Randox]

You might consider moving the ASAS module down to the previous stage and ditching it during landing, just to lower your center of gravity a bit.Your lander is very tall, and the taller you are, the less forgiving it will be for any kind of lateral velocity. I also used to be the queen of tipping myself, normally because I would fudge the throttle and start going up, and be unable to kill the velocity again. I've created a few debris fields that way.

 

For the fuel,the way I have my rocket is main asscent with liquid boosters, and they handle launch to space, and whatever speed they can give me. Next stage is a single non gimbaled engine with one tank, and 2 or 3 waist tanks (I'll at least get current pics sometime, but I want to get them in action, so that will have to wait at least until to night). The vastly reduced weight allows for a nice acceleration boost, and the extra tanks normally get jetesoned during the initial munar approach (I hate leaving debris behind, so I will carry them even if their empty until I am slow enough to be heading strait to the surface, and not some weird orbit). The main tank will have enough to slow me, and then I normally dump that too. After that, I think its a gimbaled engine, 1.5 tanks, and my lander sitting on top, and that handles all the main descent stuff. I normally only jetison this stage in the final kilometre or two, and then let the little descent engine and its full tank take over, once I am already going good and slow so that won't have to waste fuel fighting my inetia to slow down. It burns at nearly minimum power during landing, and should have enough fuel to at least get me back to a decaying kerbin orbit (any orbit that has a point bellow 70km will land eventually, though bellow 60km is ideal at the very least to vastly speed things up). Getting back is tricky though, I've never been able to perfect my method, and I waste a lot of fuel.

 

Here is a picture of the current thor with a lander, instead of a rover on top of it. This is my current Mk III. Mk 4 is a lander. This one has mod parts. Nicer looking seperators to hide the engines, and nicer looking parts for the lander. Similar performance to a stock rocket though with a small engine and 1 full fuel tank lander instead of mine.

 

 

Stage 1 is 3 LFE's with 4 tanks a piece, with 6 attached LFE's each with 3 tanks.

Stage 2 is one full engine, 1 tank, and 3 full radial tanks feeding the main one. Radial attachment was done to help with the center of gravity, and is some models was used to hols SAS units, since offsetting them from the center axis of the rocket gives them better leverage and greatly increases effectiveness. Mk 1 uses 4, and the Summoner adds a half tank on top of each of these 3.

Stage 3 which handles descent to Mun is gimbaled, runs 1.5 tanks, and carries the little maneuvering thrusters. Originally used two tanks, but trimmed it down because it was often carrying left over when it was jetesoned. This stage gets lost about 2 km up above the Mun, so that I have time to dick around with the lander itself and get it all set up.

 

Stage 4 is the lander assembly, with a stage 5 assent module to get it home.

[Randox]

Updated my copy of the game to version 15.2 I think we're at now. After confirming that I can in fact land on the Mun under full manual control, I rigged up myself a larger rocket than usual, named Loki, to go land on Minimus. Sort of lucked out on the positioning, and my usual Thor rocket probably could have made the trip without issue. You can actually use a much smaller landing stage since Minimus has so little gravity (which also makes it harder to establish an orbit). Mechjeb is too cushy now for my liking, so I normally just use its standard autopilot function to help hold the rocket steady so I can watch the map. With the patched conics, the map is a lot more useful than the information readouts, and its really helping me navigate. Not sure I could have hit Minimus without that feature. It helped me make the rondevouz, and correct my trajectory so I could establish an actual orbit.

 

Also, minimus is all mountains. I forgot you can switch your navball between orbit and surface manually, and had it do the auto switch during final landing (which moves the retro marker to the correct spot to match the rotational speed of your landing pad). Took lots of pictures and then flew back (patched conics also making this soooo much easier to do).

 

Anyway, here are the pictures from my 3 day and something long mission (as opposed to a normal Munar touch and go which is just over 10 hours).

 

 

Still in a proper orbit here, and using the last of my 'second stage'. The final stage didn't get much use before I switched to the lander. So little gravity it had almost no work to do. I even gave it extra fuel in case my second stage ran out (like if I missed and had to play catch up with Minimus).

 

Might need to open this one up all the way. Looking up at Kerbin, and you can see the Mun bellow it. At this point, Minimus was at one of the two points where it lines up with the normal orbital plane. Normally the Mun would be much more out to the side.

 

And a final picture during takeoff. Its almost easier to get home from here than the Mun because there is almost nothing holding you back. Much harder to try and pick a landing spot though, because your return orbit is probably going to be more like mine, which was pretty much a polar orbit. Managed to drop myself in an ocean.

[Dizzle229]

Built me a rover.

 

I also have a vid of a manned one, but it's way longer and mostly more of the same, just going to one of the arches instead of a landing site.

[misterxman]

 

KSP 0.16 is out! And it is awesome.

[Dizzle229]

...aaand I don't get to play it because the site is down. Looks awesome, too.

[Randox]

Of course it get's released on the days when I have the least time to test it. Looking forward to this on monday.