As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/

[Kerbal Space Program] Shiny new thread! Desperately seeking pictures of rockets

1111214161799

Posts

  • DhalphirDhalphir don't you open that trapdoor you're a fool if you dareRegistered User regular
    I have heaps of mods installed so my game keeps crashing every hour or so. I don't care. I'm planning an epic manned Duna mission using RemoteTech and TAC Life support. In the process of building out all the modules that will be going, planning multiple redundancies for critical points of failure. What if the lander breaks, stranding the crew on the surface? What if they miss their departure window? What if the base supplies get scattered over a 5000 km^2 area? How do I keep all my probes, drones, and remote controlled rovers linked into the interplanetary relay network? How do I extend that network to cover the Duna system? How is all of this stuff going to get there in the first place? I'm at the point where the actual flying stuff is ho-hum, I'm in it for the engineering and meticulous planning.

    Right now I'm building rovers with KAS magnets and crane arms powered by Infernal Robotics so they can drive over to orbit-dropped supply modules, pick them up, and carry them back to base camp, all before the crew has even left Kerbin.

    This game has got its hooks in me bad.

    I don't have the patience for executing those kinds of missions myself so I prefer to live vicariously through this thread and Scott Manley's Interstellar Quest (which hasn't been updated in over a week!!!!!)

  • SceptreSceptre Registered User regular
    edited July 2014
    I've been having issues with TAC, I think I'm going to wait for the next update to pull the trigger. A bunch of the parts don't seem to function properly in my game right now. Same thing with KAS :(

    EDIT: I also can't imagine running complex missions using remote tech. I've used it to set up some cool stuff in the kerbol system, but anything beyond that is kind of a nightmare to tackle.

    Sceptre on
  • DivideByZeroDivideByZero Social Justice Blackguard Registered User regular
    The last time I played with Remote Tech I set up my relay network around Kerbin & the moons, then sent a probe with a couple landers off to Duna. By the time it got there all my relay satellites in stationary orbit had clumped up on the dark side of Kerbin because their orbital periods weren't exact enough. Whoops.

    This time I used RCS to adjust those orbits to sub-second precision and put my main interplanetary relays in highly eccentric, polar molniya orbits to maximize time away from the orbital plane and everything in it that blocks LOS.

    JJoIxRul.png

    I ain't foolin around with these.

    First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKERS
  • ShogunShogun Hair long; money long; me and broke wizards we don't get along Registered User regular
    Anyone use RealChutes? I'm trying to find out of they have radial mounted drogue chutes. I know it has drogue chutes but from the pictures it looks like they are all top mounted.

  • InfamyDeferredInfamyDeferred Registered User regular
    I'm pretty sure RealChutes has radial, inline and nosecone chutes of all three types. Haven't used it since 0.23 though. They might unlock in a different part of the tech tree?

  • ShogunShogun Hair long; money long; me and broke wizards we don't get along Registered User regular
    edited July 2014
    I'm pretty sure RealChutes has radial, inline and nosecone chutes of all three types. Haven't used it since 0.23 though. They might unlock in a different part of the tech tree?

    do you have to do this parachute calculator each time you want to put them on your craft or can you just put drogue chutes on and use them to assist you in landing on Duna? The calculator thing looks neat but I'm not looking for something super complicated. I just need some radial mounted drogues because the stock part is so damn big. It doesn't really fit on a 1.25m craft.

    Shogun on
  • DivideByZeroDivideByZero Social Justice Blackguard Registered User regular
    After further testing of my rover delivery capsules, RemoteTech requires an active connection to deploy chutes, even if you've set your chutes to auto-deploy at a given altitude.

    That's... really dumb.

    First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKERS
  • InfamyDeferredInfamyDeferred Registered User regular
    I never actually used any sort of chute calculator, I actually only used RealChutes for their whole "doesn't snap open all at once at 500m and break your kerbals' spines" feature. The regular chutes worked pretty well as a drop-in replacement but I rarely use drogue chutes so I can't really compare those specifically.

  • wonderpugwonderpug Registered User regular
    Came across this gif in another forum and decided to try making it in Kerbal:

    tumblr_n8gnkhjdjx1sfslmbo1_r1_400.gif

    Usually when I recreate real life rocketry in KSP I become more impressed with the real life accomplishments, but this time I was struck by how easy it ended up being. : (

    aknpr.gif

    Still was fun to try, though. : )

    (Not pictured: failed attempts at using a rover to get it to launch from shallow water.)

  • SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today! Registered User regular
    I can see why people are sticking with the 0.24 32-bit--64-bit seems to be filled with weird bugs. Decouplers don't work, parachutes don't always deploy, the camera gets disassociated from the ship, etc.

    It was fun tooling around with, but I think I'll wait for it to be ironed out.

  • crimsoncoyotecrimsoncoyote Registered User regular
    Protip: Don't quicksave while in atmo after your parachutes have been deployed. They don't come back when reloading. May be an old issue, but I ran into it recently and let's just say I was glad I had some extra fuel left.

  • DivideByZeroDivideByZero Social Justice Blackguard Registered User regular
    Duna mission planning continues apace. I've scaled back the rover requirements considerably. They'll no longer be required to range over large swaths of terrain to bring back heavy, unwieldy supply containers. Instead I'm stocking the landers and surface habitat with life support and have included an extra lander in case the first one fails. The unmanned delivery vehicle for the first set of equipment will remain in orbit as a waystation with several years' worth of supplies.

    The first transfer window will see a 101-ton robotic monstrosity consisting of 5 modules breaking Kerbin orbit en route to Duna.

    First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKERS
  • ShogunShogun Hair long; money long; me and broke wizards we don't get along Registered User regular
    RealChutes is amazing go download it right now. Universal Storage is making me want to try TAC. I'm also experimenting with using a 2.5m pod for the first time. This game. It is happening agaaaaaiiiinnnnnn.

  • DhalphirDhalphir don't you open that trapdoor you're a fool if you dareRegistered User regular
    Duna mission planning continues apace. I've scaled back the rover requirements considerably. They'll no longer be required to range over large swaths of terrain to bring back heavy, unwieldy supply containers. Instead I'm stocking the landers and surface habitat with life support and have included an extra lander in case the first one fails. The unmanned delivery vehicle for the first set of equipment will remain in orbit as a waystation with several years' worth of supplies.

    The first transfer window will see a 101-ton robotic monstrosity consisting of 5 modules breaking Kerbin orbit en route to Duna.

    If there's one thing i've learned from watching Scott Manley in both Interstellar Quest and Re-Usable Space Program it's that rover missions are only fun when I'm watching his videos and he's edited six hours of driving down to three minutes of footage.

  • DhalphirDhalphir don't you open that trapdoor you're a fool if you dareRegistered User regular
    wonderpug wrote: »
    Came across this gif in another forum and decided to try making it in Kerbal:

    tumblr_n8gnkhjdjx1sfslmbo1_r1_400.gif

    Usually when I recreate real life rocketry in KSP I become more impressed with the real life accomplishments, but this time I was struck by how easy it ended up being. : (

    aknpr.gif

    Still was fun to try, though. : )

    (Not pictured: failed attempts at using a rover to get it to launch from shallow water.)

    the impressive part is the automation, I think. Try using kOs to plan the exact firing of RCS needed to tip it over and stabilize it.

  • DacDac Registered User regular
    I've come to enjoy rover missions more because of mechjeb. Slap the module on your rover, set waypoints, set speed, and go.

    Steam: catseye543
    PSN: ShogunGunshow
    Origin: ShogunGunshow
  • DivideByZeroDivideByZero Social Justice Blackguard Registered User regular
    Or better yet, install the "Mechjeb & Engineer for all" mod and never worry about forgetting to slap that fucking box on again, or turn off its power before it drains all the electricity on the ship, or

    First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKERS
  • Commander ZoomCommander Zoom Registered User regular
    @Shogun
    What are all those things (sensors?) attached to your craft, and what mod(s) did you get them from?

  • DhalphirDhalphir don't you open that trapdoor you're a fool if you dareRegistered User regular
    interstellar quest episode 77 is up

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4BaLwSCH5s

  • ShogunShogun Hair long; money long; me and broke wizards we don't get along Registered User regular
    @Shogun
    What are all those things (sensors?) attached to your craft, and what mod(s) did you get them from?

    Dmagic's Orbital Sciences mod.

  • DivideByZeroDivideByZero Social Justice Blackguard Registered User regular
    Duna Vanguard/Duna Explorer Mission Overview

    DV/DE is a multi-stage operation to effect a manned landing on Duna and return the crew safely to Kerbin. Due to the constraints of life support and interplanetary communications, the manned landing (Duna Explorer) will be preceded by an unmanned mission (Duna Vanguard) to establish infrastructure on the ground and in space within the Duna system prior to crew arrival. At this time, crew will be limited to three Kerbals, though follow-on missions may include a larger and/or longer presence.

    Duna Vanguard

    The Duna Vanguard spacecraft will depart Kerbin during Duna Transfer Window One, on or about Year 1 Day 233. It will be comprised of the following components:

    g811fX7l.png

    Vanguard Propulsion Module - Powered by four LV-N atomic rocket engines, the VPM will perform all transfer and intra-system burns before settling into low orbit above Duna. It will bring sufficient fuel for a one-way trip only.

    OZQOszTl.png

    Duna Relay Network - This module contains twelve communication satellites which will be deployed throughout the Duna system to provide uninterrupted access to Mission Control. Four main satellites with long-range dishes will assume highly eccentric, polar molniya orbits, staggered so at least one relay will be near apoapsis over one of the poles at all times. Four relays will assume semi-synchronous orbits around Duna, each linked with a long-range relay. Four additional relays will be deployed around Ike or held in reserve.

    G6VerbSl.png

    Duna Surface Habitat - The crew will live in the DSH for the duration of their stay on Duna's surface. It contains sufficient life support stocks to last beyond the planned Kerbin Departure Window, to the next departure window should something go wrong.

    2uGBkfSl.png

    Vanguard Supply Module - Provides supplementary battery capacity and the main solar power arrays, in addition to 1500 days of life support and two docking ports for use by service vehicles. After the Explorer phase of the mission has been completed, the VSM will form the hub of Duna Vanguard Station.

    ST0xq17l.png

    Duna Ascent Vehicle - More accurately classified as a Descent/Ascent vehicle, the DAV will be the primary crew transport between the orbital infrastructure and the surface. It carries enough fuel to make a powered landing and reorbit without use of its parachutes. It also includes a full science package (minus materials and goo, since these will not be returning to Kerbin). In an emergency, the DAV can sustain a crew of three for 30+ days.


    Duna Vanguard Orbital Assembly

    All mission modules were designed to fit inside standard KW-manufactured payload fairings. The components of the Duna Vanguard were carried to the assembly point in LKO by various members of the modular Cobalt family of boosters. After docking their payload to the spacecraft, the boosters transferred the remainder of their fuel to the VPM, which was launched dry, and deorbited themselves.

    GacDGoel.png

    5KEmwTpl.png

    zMuLvBEl.png

    Docking procedures were routine and uneventful, only punctuated by the continual efforts of top test pilots Jeb, Bill, and/or Bob Kerman to insert themselves into the unmanned landing modules and command capsules before launch. Final assembly saw the VPM still low on fuel so a tanker spacecraft was deployed to top it off in preparation for its journey. Duna Vanguard will depart in 222 days.

    Full mission album here.

    First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKERS
  • wonderpugwonderpug Registered User regular
    How hard is it for you to rotate (pitch/yaw) that fully assembled monstrosity? Are you using the new liquid fuel RCS thrusters or can you get it to turn with other means?

  • Spanish InquisitionSpanish Inquisition Suprise Posting SpainRegistered User regular
    edited July 2014
    I'm almost flying a nuclear engine and a T800 into a stable orbit (30 m/s away) with a turbo jet and four rams. Has it always been like this?

    Spanish Inquisition on
    AKA: gottabegaming, gotta, gottabeajerk, and Mr. Wave's Point/Click Adventure.

    NO ONE EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISITION! Oh bugger.
  • DivideByZeroDivideByZero Social Justice Blackguard Registered User regular
    wonderpug wrote: »
    How hard is it for you to rotate (pitch/yaw) that fully assembled monstrosity? Are you using the new liquid fuel RCS thrusters or can you get it to turn with other means?

    It's not bad. 2.5m probe core, large SAS, plus SAS in the lander can and command pod, and whatever torque those 12 little probe cores can manage are enough. When docking to it I tell mechjeb's ASS to face target prograde, then tab back over to the docking craft for approach. It comes to me quickly enough.

    First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKERS
  • Commander ZoomCommander Zoom Registered User regular
    That's a fantastic Duna mission / craft, DivideByZero.

  • SceptreSceptre Registered User regular
    I hope we get to see pictures of the rest of the trip, that is seriously impressive. I especially like the relay network. Carrying around all those satellites is just too cool.

  • wonderpugwonderpug Registered User regular
    When building a multi-component ship in space, is there a way to set up fuel transfer between sections? Or does your engine section have to have all its fuel self-contained?

  • [Tycho?][Tycho?] As elusive as doubt Registered User regular
    DivideByZero, could you list the mods you've used for this mission (ie mods that provide parts or functionality or auto-pilot; mods you have installed that don't affect the mission you can omit)?

    Its posts like yours that keep me coming back to the thread, and the game, and have indeed renewed my interest in space travel. Bravo.

    mvaYcgc.jpg
  • DhalphirDhalphir don't you open that trapdoor you're a fool if you dareRegistered User regular
    wonderpug wrote: »
    When building a multi-component ship in space, is there a way to set up fuel transfer between sections? Or does your engine section have to have all its fuel self-contained?

    Set up, no, but you can manually transfer fuel quite easily.

  • DivideByZeroDivideByZero Social Justice Blackguard Registered User regular
    edited July 2014
    wonderpug wrote: »
    When building a multi-component ship in space, is there a way to set up fuel transfer between sections? Or does your engine section have to have all its fuel self-contained?

    As long as they're not separated by decouplers, structural panels, or anything else that's tagged "no crossfeed" in the VAB, fuel will flow to the engines. Once docked (or grabbed by a claw) you can alt-right-click on any two tanks and pump fuel manually.

    edit: you might have to fiddle with fuel lines. Tanks attached radially will not send fuel to an inline engine without lines.

    There's also TAC Fuel Balancer which has a nifty UI to transfer fuel and other resources. You can choose a tank and "transfer out" which drains that tank and empties all others equally, or "transfer in" and fill one tank from the rest, lock tanks individually, etc. It hasn't been updated for 0.24 yet though so I'm not sure if it works.

    Mods I'm using in this current (sandbox) game, which may or may not be featured to some extent in this mission, are

    Parts:
    • B9 Aerospace (because cargo bay doors bring all the boys to the yard)
    • KW Rocketry (because go big or go home)
    • RLA Stockalike (big focus on 0.625m engines and parts, including those adapters that let me clump all those probes into a neat package, and different sized RTGs)
    • Spaceplane Plus (because gat damn this thing looks good and also the Mk2 cargo bay is thinner and fits more than the B9 one)
    • Tal's Cargo Solutions (the big white & orange cargo frames)
    • Universal Storage (fiddly bits, oh the fiddly bits)


    Gameplay:
    • Kerbal Attachment System (winches, magnets, parts storage containers, link two ships with a fuel or towing line on EVA, I was going to use it to transfer resources/life support but nixed the idea; my rover will still use it. Not updated for 0.24 yet but the 32-bit version seems to work OK and there's a user made patch for 64-bit)
    • Infernal Robotics (joints & actuators; since I'm using an "everything must fit inside a fairing" restriction this time around I'm using these to make things fit. And look cool.)
    • MechJeb2 (because I really, really don't have time to manually plot a billion intercepts while constructing these things, and the information displays are customizable)
    • MechJeb & Engineer for All (integrates the MJ/KER boxes into all command pods and probe cores)
    • RemoteTech 2 (all drones must maintain line of sight communication with Kerbin using an antenna of sufficient power or you lose control of them forever, meaning you must deploy a legitimate communications infrastructure to send unmanned missions)
    • TAC Life Support (Kerbals need oxygen, food, water, and electricity or they'll die in a matter of hours. Adds the element of logistics to long term missions. No more landing Jeb on Eve and forgetting about him for a decade)


    Utilities:
    • Blizzy's Toolbar (used for controlling all your mods in various screens)
    • Editor Extensions (really highly recommend for additional VAB functionality like vertical snap, radial snap, additional symmetry)
    • Enhanced Navball (all markers have ghosting at the edge of the ball so you never flail around wondering where the fuck that node is)
    • SelectRoot (shift+ctrl+click on any part in the VAB to rebuild the craft using that piece as root. Useful for turning completed craft into subassemblies)
    • Module Manager (required for a couple other mods)
    • Kerbal Alarm Clock (Oops, I missed my injection burn and now my ship is on an extra-solar trajectory! No you didn't, because there's an alarm for that!)
    • Kerbal Engineer Redux (seems to work better than MechJeb for determining delta-v in the VAB, also has modes to see vessel stats on other planets)

    I play with a lot of mods. A lot of mods. On 32-bit, because 64-bit is hella unstable (with mods). I crash about once an hour. Just FYI.

    DivideByZero on
    First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKERS
  • DivideByZeroDivideByZero Social Justice Blackguard Registered User regular
    Also I swear to god I have not done this much trigonometry since the 10th grade

    Fucking relays, how do they work

    First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKERS
  • SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today! Registered User regular
    Is anyone else getting constant revert menu crashes since 0.24.2? They fixed separators not working, only to make the revert menu basically break your game and require you use the task manager to quit out, since both buttons are missing in the "Revert to..." menu box.

  • Phoenix-DPhoenix-D Registered User regular
    Well that may be the single silliest takeoff roll I've done yet.

    I'm using the simple-yet-ridiculous spaceplane that was posted a while back (Mk2 cockpit, two fuel tanks, tail fins for wings and two turbojets). Starting out, light the engines, roll down the runway...oh no, it's starting to tilt sideways. Pull up pull up hope I have enough speed before it..

    The plane lifts lightly into the air, does a barrel roll about three feet off the ground, then rights itself and climbs normally.

  • IanatorIanator Gaze upon my works, ye mighty and facepalm.Registered User regular
    Holy Bob why do I always get frustrated when I mess around with Firespitter? I've finally built a plane that's actually capable of nosing up only to discover that the classic wings and rudders don't have pitch/yaw/roll Tweakables.

    steam_sig.png
    Twitch | Blizzard: Ianator#1479 | 3DS: Ianator - 1779 2336 5317 | FFXIV: Iana Ateliere (NA Sarg)
    Backlog Challenge List
  • DhalphirDhalphir don't you open that trapdoor you're a fool if you dareRegistered User regular
    Phoenix-D wrote: »
    Well that may be the single silliest takeoff roll I've done yet.

    I'm using the simple-yet-ridiculous spaceplane that was posted a while back (Mk2 cockpit, two fuel tanks, tail fins for wings and two turbojets). Starting out, light the engines, roll down the runway...oh no, it's starting to tilt sideways. Pull up pull up hope I have enough speed before it..

    The plane lifts lightly into the air, does a barrel roll about three feet off the ground, then rights itself and climbs normally.

    I have been having similar aerodynamics problems with stock KSP - planes take off really easily, want to fly vertically for the first couple of hundred metres, and then level off and are super okay.

  • DivideByZeroDivideByZero Social Justice Blackguard Registered User regular
    So, 0.24.2 seems like a pile of hot garbage. I go in and try to launch a rocket with 360 parts -- the entire launch chugs along at 1/4 speed even after dropping 100 parts worth of stages. Never, ever seen performance like that before. I go back to my old 0.24 save with the Duna Vanguard in orbit and it runs smooth as silk: with 340 parts.

    Pretty glad I keep multiple backed up versions of the game on a disk far far away from Steam's auto-updater. All I really lost was a shits-and-giggles satellite network transport for Jool. I'll get to it eventually. Time to go to Duna.

    First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKERS
  • DaedalusDaedalus Registered User regular
    After reading John D. Clark's book Ignition: An Informal History Of Liquid Rocket Propellants, I've decided that I'll play my new 0.24 save with the RealFuels mod. Last time around I decided it was complex and I didn't want to break all my craft in flight, but now that that's not a problem and I have a better understanding of what they're trying to do, I'm going to go for it.

    Basically, you have to trade-off the advantages and disadvantages of various rocket fuels. Liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen has the best ISP but the lowest thrust and also is not very dense and has cryogenic boil-off, whereas the stable, toxic hypergolics like UDMH/N2O4 have a low ISP but are otherwise the easiest to handle. It's pretty cool. I'm worried that the changes it makes to the nuclear engines won't be compatible with the changes that NearFuture makes to the nuclear engines, but I'll write up a ModuleManager config to reconcile them if I have to.

  • ShogunShogun Hair long; money long; me and broke wizards we don't get along Registered User regular
    Daedalus wrote: »
    After reading John D. Clark's book Ignition: An Informal History Of Liquid Rocket Propellants, I've decided that I'll play my new 0.24 save with the RealFuels mod. Last time around I decided it was complex and I didn't want to break all my craft in flight, but now that that's not a problem and I have a better understanding of what they're trying to do, I'm going to go for it.

    Basically, you have to trade-off the advantages and disadvantages of various rocket fuels. Liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen has the best ISP but the lowest thrust and also is not very dense and has cryogenic boil-off, whereas the stable, toxic hypergolics like UDMH/N2O4 have a low ISP but are otherwise the easiest to handle. It's pretty cool. I'm worried that the changes it makes to the nuclear engines won't be compatible with the changes that NearFuture makes to the nuclear engines, but I'll write up a ModuleManager config to reconcile them if I have to.

    what about kerosene

  • DaedalusDaedalus Registered User regular
    Shogun wrote: »
    Daedalus wrote: »
    After reading John D. Clark's book Ignition: An Informal History Of Liquid Rocket Propellants, I've decided that I'll play my new 0.24 save with the RealFuels mod. Last time around I decided it was complex and I didn't want to break all my craft in flight, but now that that's not a problem and I have a better understanding of what they're trying to do, I'm going to go for it.

    Basically, you have to trade-off the advantages and disadvantages of various rocket fuels. Liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen has the best ISP but the lowest thrust and also is not very dense and has cryogenic boil-off, whereas the stable, toxic hypergolics like UDMH/N2O4 have a low ISP but are otherwise the easiest to handle. It's pretty cool. I'm worried that the changes it makes to the nuclear engines won't be compatible with the changes that NearFuture makes to the nuclear engines, but I'll write up a ModuleManager config to reconcile them if I have to.

    what about kerosene

    Well, you pair kerosene with liquid oxygen, and the liquid oxygen is cryogenic but not as much as LH2 is, and the kerosene is denser, so you end up with more thrust and less bulky tanks with kerosene/LOX, but not as much ISP as LH2/LOX. Which is basically the real-life tradeoff (e.g. Atlas V vs. Delta 4).

Sign In or Register to comment.