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Kerbal Space Program.

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13567…10

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    #62
    Mr Benevolent
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,456 ✭✭✭✭Mr Benevolent


    No more wondering will Jeb have enough fuel for the return journey! Once you can calculate the dV in the craft v. the dV needed any shortfall is down to ineffecient piloting rather than poor design...

    Perfect! My plan is coming together very nicely. Much obliged.


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    #63
    Mr Benevolent
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,456 ✭✭✭✭Mr Benevolent


    Right, well I can now get to Duna consistently and put a rover down safely, breaking all the solar panels in the process. Next step is to put a Kerbal on Duna and bring him back, which is a fair bit more of a challenge.

    Any tips?


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    #64
    BeardySi
    Registered Users Posts: 1,707 ✭✭✭BeardySi


    You can give me some when you've managed it! ;)

    Probably next on my plan is to go looking for the easter eggs on the Mun with a kerballed rover and then maybe a kerballed mission to Duna with a Mapsat for Ike hitching a ride...


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    #65
    Mr Benevolent
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,456 ✭✭✭✭Mr Benevolent


    Now that I think of it, building rockets in Kerbal orbit is possible by making them into modules with RCS and quad mini docking ports on each end. Then just dock them all to a space station and sort them all as you want, docking them into a rocket depending on your needs, i,e lander to Duna, rover to the Mun, MapSat to Eve etc etc. Then bring up tankers full of fuel and RCS and fuel from there. Simple in theory, probably hideously complicated in reality...


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    #66
    IRLConor
    Subscribers Posts: 4,075 ✭✭✭IRLConor


    How are you all dealing with debris in orbit? I'd like to figure out a way of getting rid of it but without a docking port on the debris I can't imagine it's easy to push it into a decaying orbit.


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    #67
    Mr Benevolent
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,456 ✭✭✭✭Mr Benevolent


    IRLConor wrote: »
    How are you all dealing with debris in orbit? I'd like to figure out a way of getting rid of it but without a docking port on the debris I can't imagine it's easy to push it into a decaying orbit.

    There are a few addons from the site that get rid of debris, I used Lazor, it has some stuff that can be used to delete the debris. Personally I like to leave the stuff in orbit, frankly I'm too lazy and it's more realistic.


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    #68
    IRLConor
    Subscribers Posts: 4,075 ✭✭✭IRLConor


    Mr Benevolent wrote: »
    There are a few addons from the site that get rid of debris, I used Lazor, it has some stuff that can be used to delete the debris. Personally I like to leave the stuff in orbit, frankly I'm too lazy and it's more realistic.

    Hmm, OK, so that makes it a case of trying to identify the lesser of too evils for me. :) I'm not a fan of make-it-easier addons (I resisted installing MechJeb for a long time) but I don't like the clutter either.

    I'll experiment with intercepting the bits and trying to shove them into lower orbits. At the very least it will force me to improve my interception skills which are sadly lacking.


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    #69
    Mr Benevolent
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,456 ✭✭✭✭Mr Benevolent


    IRLConor wrote: »
    Hmm, OK, so that makes it a case of trying to identify the lesser of too evils for me. :) I'm not a fan of make-it-easier addons (I resisted installing MechJeb for a long time) but I don't like the clutter either.

    I'll experiment with intercepting the bits and trying to shove them into lower orbits. At the very least it will force me to improve my interception skills which are sadly lacking.

    Using other rockets to nudge stuff into a lower orbit just makes the problem worse, i.e, where are the empty stages of the interceptor rockets going to go? You could start making spaceplanes - I haven't explored that path yet, it's supposed to be a challenge - but imo the best solution is to ensure that most of the stages are guaranteed to deorbit a la Space Shuttle, i,e, the stage that gets you into orbit actually gets you to, say, 65km periapsis so it's guaranteed to burn up fairly quickly.


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    #70
    IRLConor
    Subscribers Posts: 4,075 ✭✭✭IRLConor


    Mr Benevolent wrote: »
    Using other rockets to nudge stuff into a lower orbit just makes the problem worse, i.e, where are the empty stages of the interceptor rockets going to go? You could start making spaceplanes - I haven't explored that path yet, it's supposed to be a challenge - but imo the best solution is to ensure that most of the stages are guaranteed to deorbit a la Space Shuttle, i,e, the stage that gets you into orbit actually gets you to, say, 65km periapsis so it's guaranteed to burn up fairly quickly.

    I've been getting better at not leaving debris around and I've managed to put a prototype "pusher" into orbit and back down again with plenty of fuel to spare without leaving anything in orbit. All I need to see now is if there's enough oomph left in it to deorbit the debris that's up there.


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    #71
    BeardySi
    Registered Users Posts: 1,707 ✭✭✭BeardySi


    Since the latest update no longer allows me to "end flight" for debris I've been leaving it up there... It acts as a good reminder to plan my stages better... Mostly I've got decouplers and pylons floating around. I try and leave my stages to fall back into the atmosphere and plan my (one way) longer range craft so that I can crash them into my destination planet (or moon).

    As for orbital assembly of large craft, it seems to be all the rage, no harder than building a station really - though I'm guessing it'd need rather more planning to be easily controlable. You'll certainly get good at docking!


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    #72
    CrinkElite
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 890 ✭✭✭CrinkElite


    There's an slider in the options menu which allows you to set the max number of debris objects shown on the map.

    It won't make the debris go away but it makes the map a lot cleaner.


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    #73
    BeardySi
    Registered Users Posts: 1,707 ✭✭✭BeardySi


    Actually it will make it go away if you set it to 0, but that's just plain cheating! ;)


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    #74
    Mr Benevolent
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,456 ✭✭✭✭Mr Benevolent


    Treadhead wrote: »
    Actually it will make it go away if you set it to 0, but that's just plain cheating! ;)

    But your mouse might slip when fiddling with the settings...


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    #75
    Mr Benevolent
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,456 ✭✭✭✭Mr Benevolent


    Started constructing my orbital VAB last night.

    My idea is a standard space station with three perpendicular struts at the top, 120 degrees apart. At the end of each strut is a large RCS tank. At the bottom of each RCS tank are four mini docking ports in a + formation.

    Once this is in orbit, I launch a load of modules (rocket modules, landers, tugs etc), each with the + formation of mini docking ports at each end. I then dock them to two of the radial RCS tanks, storing modules there in stacks. The third radial tank will be a construction area.

    To move the modules to the construction area I just undock the module from its storage position and spin the station around its axis so the module is in the construction area, dock the modules and Robert's your father's brother.

    I suspect it'll be a lot harder then I imagine. Apparently KSP has a bug where fuelling a complex craft with lots of docking ports is a pain.


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    #76
    BeardySi
    Registered Users Posts: 1,707 ✭✭✭BeardySi


    Sounds interesting... might get a little tricky if the mass gets unbalanced?

    Pics please! ;)


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    #77
    andy_g
    Registered Users Posts: 7,561 ✭✭✭andy_g


    mun mapping probe in orbit hows everyone else doing


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    #78
    Mr Benevolent
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,456 ✭✭✭✭Mr Benevolent


    andy_g wrote: »
    mun mapping probe in orbit hows everyone else doing

    Still trying to get my Orbital VAB into orbit. I may have to think of another way.


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    #79
    andy_g
    Registered Users Posts: 7,561 ✭✭✭andy_g


    just dont cheat :P also guys spaceport is currently down


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    #80
    BeardySi
    Registered Users Posts: 1,707 ✭✭✭BeardySi


    Mr Benevolent wrote: »
    Still trying to get my Orbital VAB into orbit. I may have to think of another way.

    There is a spacedock mod which lets you build ship in orbit.

    iirc you lift up generic components as cargo and once you have the appropriate tonnage in orbit you can open VAB saved designs in your orbital spacedock and build them directly in orbit...


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    #81
    Mr Benevolent
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,456 ✭✭✭✭Mr Benevolent


    Here's a pic of my Orbital VAB.


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    #82
    andy_g
    Registered Users Posts: 7,561 ✭✭✭andy_g


    Spaceport is back up for all your dowloading needs


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    #83
    Mr Benevolent
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,456 ✭✭✭✭Mr Benevolent


    Ok, after getting a bit more experience with the OVAB I see where I could've improved it - it needs to be more rigid and longer. Longer isn't a problem as the station is in two halves and can be extended, but rigidity is a problem.

    I now see why it takes so much time, effort and money to get something usable into real-life orbit - the amount of 'what-if' stuff that needs to be accounted for is amazing. For instance, I have 3 ion engines on it, but they can't do a lot because I can't get anywhere near max power despite 3 RTGs, 3 large battery packs and lots of small solar cells. Plus, if you run out of battery on the dark side you're drifting until the sun rises again. So that was a waste - unless I can get very large solar panels up there.

    As you can see I currently have two landers at the station, one for Eve and one for Duna. I've already had an RCS refueller up, and that has been drained and deorbited already. Next are the rocket modules, and after that there'll be two combined rover/MapSats. I won't be using nuclear engines as I'm not a fan of using sci-fi tech in simulators.

    Any suggestions?


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    #84
    andy_g
    Registered Users Posts: 7,561 ✭✭✭andy_g


    use the nukes ;)


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    #85
    BeardySi
    Registered Users Posts: 1,707 ✭✭✭BeardySi


    Sounds like North Korea on here today... ;)


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    #86
    andy_g
    Registered Users Posts: 7,561 ✭✭✭andy_g


    Treadhead wrote: »
    Sounds like North Korea on here today... ;)

    Hmmm North who? :cool:


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    #87
    Mr Benevolent
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,456 ✭✭✭✭Mr Benevolent


    andy_g wrote: »
    use the nukes ;)

    Nukes?


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    #88
    andy_g
    Registered Users Posts: 7,561 ✭✭✭andy_g


    Mr Benevolent wrote: »
    Nukes?

    Atomic rocket motor


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    #89
    Mr Benevolent
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,456 ✭✭✭✭Mr Benevolent


    andy_g wrote: »
    Atomic rocket motor

    Nah, as I said, I'm not going to use sci-fi(ish) tech.


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    #90
    andy_g
    Registered Users Posts: 7,561 ✭✭✭andy_g


    Mr Benevolent wrote: »
    Nah, as I said, I'm not going to use sci-fi(ish) tech.

    Ah but they do exist on kerbin anyway ;)


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    #91
    Mr Benevolent
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,456 ✭✭✭✭Mr Benevolent


    Ok, started using the nukes. 19 engines on the first stage and still not getting off the ground. Any suggestions? (I know nukes aren't supposed to be used for the first stage, but feckit, what's KSP for if not to experiment?)


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