Kerbal Space Program.

BeardySi · 19-04-2013 05:03PM

Nukes are pants for lifting stuff to orbit, they're really intended for interplanetary use - super efficient but slow to effect....

If you can't get it up with a combination of mainsails and clustered 30's/45's I suggest you rethink your payload....

Generally for big lifts I'll use a main stage with an LVT-45 clustered with 6 LVT-30's, with mainsail liquid boosters asparagus staged for the ascent. If I need to fine tune further I'll use smaller boosters or solids for a little extra kick of delta-V. I aim to drop the main stage with a PE of about 15km and complete the final burn to orbit under the craft's own power... (Though sometimes if fuel is a factor I'll stick a probe on the lower stage so I can boost to a stable orbit and then deorbit the lifter, leaving as much fuel in orbit as possible).

Mr Benevolent · 22-04-2013 01:39PM

Treadhead wrote: »

(Though sometimes if fuel is a factor I'll stick a probe on the lower stage so I can boost to a stable orbit and then deorbit the lifter, leaving as much fuel in orbit as possible).

That's a good idea. I abandoned the nukes for liftoff and started working on a turbojet first stage (24 engines, burnout @ 24k) then switch to Mainsail and that's it, 2 stages to orbit with fuel to spare for docking.

BeardySi · 22-04-2013 07:35PM

Anybody been able to get onto the forums? Their news page says it's back up since the 1 8th but I keep getting the maintenance screen...

Mr Benevolent · 22-04-2013 09:18PM

Treadhead wrote: »

Anybody been able to get onto the forums? Their news page says it's back up since the 1 8th but I keep getting the maintenance screen...

Works fine from here.

Mr Benevolent · 23-04-2013 11:35AM

Anyone tried build spaceplanes using the FAR aerodynamics mod? Very tough, can't even get mine off the ground. I wouldn't mind but I've built fairly complex aircraft in X-Plane with no difficulties.

BeardySi · 23-04-2013 01:15PM

I've yet to get an aircraft properly off the ground...

andy_g · 24-04-2013 12:42AM

not tried space planes yet

IRLConor · 24-04-2013 09:16AM

Space planes are ridiculously hard compared to rockets.

Although I have to say that I'm the guy struggling to get more than about 40 tons to orbit. I've a ~45t vehicle* I want to get up there at the moment and I'm so crap at intercepts I don't have a hope in hell of orbital assembly so it has to be in one go.

The current plan of "Use ALL the Mainsails" doesn't appear to be working so I think I need a more subtle approach.

* Mechjeb pod, ASAS, orange tank, nuke engine - I managed to get it into orbit once and went exploring the solar system but that launch configuration was so unstable I only managed to get it to launch once.

BeardySi · 24-04-2013 10:46AM

post a pic or craft file of the payload and lifter...

Mr Benevolent · 24-04-2013 10:47AM

IRLConor wrote: »

Space planes are ridiculously hard compared to rockets.

Although I have to say that I'm the guy struggling to get more than about 40 tons to orbit. I've a ~45t vehicle* I want to get up there at the moment and I'm so crap at intercepts I don't have a hope in hell of orbital assembly so it has to be in one go.

The current plan of "Use ALL the Mainsails" doesn't appear to be working so I think I need a more subtle approach.

* Mechjeb pod, ASAS, orange tank, nuke engine - I managed to get it into orbit once and went exploring the solar system but that launch configuration was so unstable I only managed to get it to launch once.

Orbital rendezvous is surprisingly easy tbh - vehicles in low orbit go faster than ones in higher orbit, so just make sure your inclination is the same as the target, them change orbit to be around 20-30km lower or higher then the target. Once it's directly underneath or above you, use MJ's REL- or REL+ buttons and burn to match the target speed, then use TGT+ to burn toward the target. I usually match speeds at 50km out, burn till MJ says I'll pass within 5km, match speeds at 5km, burn to 500m out and so on till about 20m.

Actual docking is the hardest bit. MJ 2.0.7 has some new autodocking features but I haven't tried 'em yet.

BeardySi · 24-04-2013 01:23PM

I can heartily recommend that1guy's tutorial on the KSP forum - makes it nice and simple! All of my docking failures since (very few) have been down to impatience (warping, moving too fast) or poorly designed craft (usually imbalanced RCS making control difficult/impossible)...

IRLConor · 29-04-2013 11:54PM

Treadhead wrote: »

post a pic or craft file of the payload and lifter...

Attached is the craft file of the good ship "Brute Force and Ignorance". It's handy enough to orbit now and there's enough fuel to journey well out into the solar system and back to Kerbin if you time your burns carefully.

It's not the most elegant ship (hence the name) but it'll do the job.

Mr Benevolent · 06-05-2013 10:50AM

IRLConor wrote: »

Attached is the craft file of the good ship "Brute Force and Ignorance".

My version (0.19.0.49) won't recognise the file. In other news, I've gone back to tiny rockets, the current one is a three stage, first is two turbojets, second is an SRB and the third is a Mun lander. Makes it back from a Mun landing to Kerbin with no fuel to spare... squeaky bum time when the fuel runs really low as I installed Deadly Reentry!

Tip: 50km is a good PE for a Mun return, but depending on speed it might not aerobrake enough first time round.

IRLConor · 06-05-2013 10:53AM

Mr Benevolent wrote: »

My version (0.19.49) won't recognise the file.

Sorry, forgot to say I zipped it to allow it to be attached to the post.

My version if 0.19.1.54 which I think is the latest.

Mr Benevolent · 21-05-2013 02:57PM

Well, I've been trying the H.O.M.E package and so far no joy, keep running out of fuel on descent to the Mun and testing in Earth orbit doesn't work - it's way too heavy to slow enough on entry to prevent the parachutes breaking the vehicle on deployment. Mars next, but I'll need the mother of all rockets to get there.

Korvanica · 06-06-2013 04:33PM

Only discovered this game a week ago, its class !

Managed to get to the moon so far but only had 40 fuel left so I promptly exploded :P

andy_g · 06-06-2013 04:58PM

Also lads the latest update is out

BeardySi · 10-06-2013 03:20PM

Korvanica wrote: »

Only discovered this game a week ago, its class !

Managed to get to the moon so far but only had 40 fuel left so I promptly exploded :P

as you do.... such is the life of a kerbal!

Mr Benevolent · 10-06-2013 03:55PM

It's a great game. I've started my Kerbabble Space Program, the aim is to have a presence on/around all planets and moons. So far I have two Kethane miners on the Mun, two K probes around the Mun and a station in orbit, plus a tug to take stuff from Mun orbit to the surface and vice versa. Once I get the miners back in orbit (full of fuel, of course) I'll dock everything together and send it to Eve with an entry/landing module. Actually, Duna would be a better option.

Essentially everything will have at least two purposes and can be reconfigured for Mun/Eve/Duna ops fairly easily. The base will be on the Mun so very few bits have to start from Kerbin.

Mr Benevolent · 24-06-2013 12:27PM

Well KSP 19.1 stopped working, so I installed 20.2. I like it already, although with the Deadly Reentry mod it stutters when the engines over heat more than 50%. Just put 2 KethaneSats into Munar orbit, plus 2 space stations (in reality they're 2 parts of the Kerbal System Cruiser). Next job is to get a K-Miner on the surface and drink up that sweet kethane.

Ciano35 · 30-06-2013 10:42AM

Mr Benevolent wrote: »

Well KSP 19.1 stopped working, so I installed 20.2. I like it already, although with the Deadly Reentry mod it stutters when the engines over heat more than 50%. Just put 2 KethaneSats into Munar orbit, plus 2 space stations (in reality they're 2 parts of the Kerbal System Cruiser). Next job is to get a K-Miner on the surface and drink up that sweet kethane.

Just started this last week and love it

How did you set up miners?

Mr Benevolent · 01-07-2013 11:25AM

Ciano35 wrote: »

Just started this last week and love it

How did you set up miners?

I downloaded the Kethane pack and attached 8 drills to a medium K tank, stuck a converter on top of that and 2 medium fuel tanks on the converter. Having a few problems atm, can't get the feckin' thing into orbit! It's wobblin' like a mofo even with struts etc.

I don't play KSP as much now as it takes up too much of my time. What seems like 15 mins of tweaking is usually a hour of reality. Never know a game to suck up so much valuable time. Fun though.

CrinkElite · 03-07-2013 04:38PM

I have to give this thread some love!

Got back into this recently.
I've gone for a relatively ambitious mission:

Plant a flag somewhere on the surface of Eve and bring the pilot home.

The conditions on Eve are fairly problematic

Acceleration due to gravity is 16.7 m/s2.

The lowest orbital velocity is about 3,200 m/s.

The atmospheric pressure is 5x that of Kerbin at sea level and extends to over 90,000m.

There's no oxygen so air breathing engines are not an option.

The thick atmosphere and scarcity of flat dry terrain will make it difficult to hit a suitable landing site.

I've managed to get almost 9,000 tonnes of fuel into the lowest sustainable orbit and I've another 6,000 in transit.
I'm thinking a space plane may be best as I can try to get the atmosphere working for me rather than against.

Mr Benevolent · 03-07-2013 05:51PM

CrinkElite wrote: »

I have to give this thread some love!

Got back into this recently.
I've gone for a relatively ambitious mission:

Plant a flag somewhere on the surface of Eve and bring the pilot home.

The conditions on Eve are fairly problematic
Acceleration due to gravity is 16.7 m/s2.

The lowest orbital velocity is about 3,200 m/s.

The atmospheric pressure is 5x that of Kerbin at sea level and extends to over 90,000m.

There's no oxygen so air breathing engines are not an option.

The thick atmosphere and scarcity of flat dry terrain will make it difficult to hit a suitable landing site.

I've managed to get almost 9,000 tonnes of fuel into the lowest sustainable orbit and I've another 6,000 in transit.
I'm thinking a space plane may be best as I can try to get the atmosphere working for me rather than against.

That's your refuelling craft, right?

Yeah, a spaceplane would be the best way, mainly because a rocket with enough fuel to launch from Kerbin and get off Eve would result in very poor framerates at initial launch. I know Scott Manley has done it with a hack that slowed the physics right down so that a standard launch took 20 minutes! So a spaceplane is the real solution. The is a 6km high plateau on Eve which makes things easier, I don't know where it is though.

CrinkElite · 03-07-2013 06:25PM

Mr Benevolent wrote: »

That's your refuelling craft, right?

It certainly is, the next day that thing sees terra firma will be it's last.

At the moment it houses Jeb and Bob with room for more volunteers.
It has a 14400 tonne fuel cap and one large monoprop tank.

I didn't know about the 6000m plateau. That should push things into the realm of outside possibility.

I saw Manley's video alright. Who has the patience for that? I have to say though, he's very informed and interesting.

Edit/ Is there a mod that will allow me to move space planes from the SPH to the VAB?
It's impossible to build a proper lifter in the hangar.

Adyx · 04-07-2013 08:04PM

CrinkElite wrote: »

It certainly is, the next day that thing sees terra firma will be it's last.

At the moment it houses Jeb and Bob with room for more volunteers.
It has a 14400 tonne fuel cap and one large monoprop tank.

I didn't know about the 6000m plateau. That should push things into the realm of outside possibility.

I saw Manley's video alright. Who has the patience for that? I have to say though, he's very informed and interesting.

Edit/ Is there a mod that will allow me to move space planes from the SPH to the VAB?
It's impossible to build a proper lifter in the hangar.

You can just move the .craft files from your saves\profilename\Ships\SPH folder to the adjacent VAB folder and they'll show up. You can even do it while KSP is running.

CrinkElite · 04-07-2013 11:28PM

Adyx wrote: »

You can just move the .craft files from your saves\profilename\Ships\SPH folder to the adjacent VAB folder and they'll show up. You can even do it while KSP is running.

Thanks Adyx I figured that out last night. Had to redo all the staging though.

Mr Benevolent · 08-07-2013 12:17PM

JUst tried out Kerbal Alarm Clock,it's very good. Lets to know when craft will hit periapsis, SOI changes, interplanetary transfer windows (used that to get to Duna very easily, Eve next).

Anyone used the latest Deadly Reentry 2.3? It's terrible. Overheats cause massive slowdowns, especially on entry. Makes it horrible to play.

Mr Benevolent · 10-07-2013 10:25AM

Finally got to Eve, although I did it very inefficiently. It was hard to get a good intercept for some reason. Anyway, I came in at a normal angle (for Kerbin) and was toast in under 30 seconds. More aerobraking orbits required.

CrinkElite · 10-07-2013 12:44PM

Yeah, I'm having major issues with making intercepts in Eve orbit.

All my vessels arrive with vastly different inclinations.
Turns out two objects orbiting in the opposite directions may as well be on opposite sides of the planetary system.

I'm thinking I can use Gilly to reverse the orbital direction of the interceptors but the gravity on Gilly is almost non existent.

I've found that it's best to put your periapsis at about 78,000m initially and increase it slightly for each successive pass. As your apoapsis lowers your angle of re-entry will decrease. This means that you spend a longer period of time dragging through the atmosphere on each pass.
Raise your periapsis a little each time you hit apoapsis to counteract this phenomenon.

Happy trails!

Kerbal Space Program.

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