Kerbal Space Program

[stitch626]

One thing I've seen that I can only dream of doing are extra orbital space stations (they orbit either the sun or another planet).

Right now though, I just need to find a way for my rockets not to crumble on takeoff (the wobble, and then split into their many parts after a short while). Maybe I shouldn't be making them out of over 200 parts...

[Tsukiyumi]

What's the current version of this, btw?

[Tyyr]

.19 I believe. They've got a demo on Steam.

[Lt. Staplic]

Currently were on .19.1

Stitch: Try adding some structural pieces into your rocket to hold it together, but yes, reducing the number of parts would probably help with that too.

My first three rocket modules (I'm doing some retesting on all of them to get standard results to post):

Note Test Altitude is the altitude the rocket reached before running out of fuel. It was pointed straight up through the whole burn and throttled to max.

Hyperion Module:

2x FL-T800 Tanks on an LV-T45 Engine
4x TT-38K Radial Decouplers
4x BACC SRB's
Total Thrust: 1460kN
Total Mass: 42 metric tons
T/W: 3.48
Payload mass: +27.5 metric tons (will give you T/W ~2.1 which is the lowest value I use at takeoff)
Test Altitude: 150,000m
Notes: Stayed in Kerbin Orbit. I used this as my first rocket to launch a satellite or two, but quickly moved on to a newer design.

Atlas Module:

3x X200-32 Tanks on a Mainsail Engine
8x TT-38K Radial Decouplers
8x BACC SRB's
Thrust: 4,020 kN
Mass: 123 metric tons
T/W: 3.27
Payload: +68.4 mtons
Test Altitude: 103,000m
Notes: Went into Kerbol Orbit on the test burn. I used this primarily for some heavier instruments I put up, but like the Hyperion it wasn't used much.

Prometheus Module:

2x FL-T800 Tanks on an LV-T30 Engine
6x TT-38K Radial Decouplers
6x (3x FL-T400 Tanks on LV-T45 Engine)
Asparagus Staging
Thrust: 1,415kN
Mass: 59.9 metric tons
T/W: 2.36
Payload: +4.42 metric tons
Test Altitude: 475,000m
Notes: In test burn the resulting orbit would have been capable of entering a Duna Orbit, maybe even a Dres Orbit if piloted for such maneuvers. The Prometheus Module has been one of the work horses for my initial rocket program and has been responsible for most of my satellite launches, manned orbital missions, and as an upper stage on my Deep Space Satellite Launch Rocket.

I have three other modules that I will post after I do their test burn. The later ones are much more powerful, and aimed more at heavy payload launches into orbit, or lower stages of extra Kerbin missions.

Since I mentioned my Deep Space Missions I actually just checked on my first satellite the other day and took these:
Prograde:


Retrograde:


It has just past Eeloo's orbit and is heading out into Interstellar Space. Mainly this is just a test to see how the game will respons since there isn't anything outside of the Kerbol system yet, the other stars and galaxy are just background image I'm curious if I'll hit a "wall" and stop or if i'll essentially bounce off of it and return to the Kerbol System.

[Reliant121]

Really genuinely struggle to achieve a stable orbit half the time.

[Tyyr]

Ok, I think I can walk you through it. First of all this: http://i.imgur.com/8jOnNjs.jpg will have more than enough ass on it to put a Kerbalnought into space. You can even build it in the demo. You can dump the battery ring as it does absolutely nothing and that'll give you a bit more space.

When it comes to sequencing make sure the support arms are in your first action group as is your central engine, you want all three firing at lift off. And make sure you've got the fuel ducts on there.

So, here we go.

Hit launch and go to the pad.
Wait for the hiccup that shows you've got control of the rocket. Now hit T to activate your ASAS. This will keep the rocket stable and for now you just want to go straight up.
Throttle up to full power, hold left shift until the indicator on the left of the nav ball is maxed.
Hit space to activate your first action group.
Don't touch anything. The lower atmosphere is thick and you need to get out of it ASAP. Full throttle straight up.
At 10km you're above the worst of it, hit CAPS LOCK to smooth out your inputs and T to deactivate your ASAS.
Immediately start to pitch East by hitting D. At this altitude your rocket isn't going to want to turn real well so you'll have to mean it but don't go overboard, you just want to pitch the rocket over about 15 degrees to the east. You're trying to pick up speed for orbit now.
Hit T immediately after you get pitched over and the rocket will hold.
Keep heading upwards. Every five kilometers or so turn off ASAS and pitch over a few more degrees.
At about 25 km you need to be pitched over at least 45 degrees. Hit M to bring up your system map. You'll see your rockets flight path, mouse over the AP to check your apoapsis. You want to keep checking it and monitoring it. Once it starts to get around 50km you need to be nosing your rocket over horizontal, with the center mark right on the blue/brown interface at 90 degrees.
Keep boosting until your AP is about 75 to 80 kilometers. Once it is throttle down to zero and coast.
Keep coasting until you get close AP. You can time warp a bit here but do it carefully. In orbit if you miss a transfer point no big deal, miss it here and you're going back to Kerbin fast. Down below the projected altitude of the AP will also be a timer until you get there. Once you get down to about T-30 seconds you need to make sure your ship is still pointed 90 degrees to the east and your marker is on the blue/brown interface. When you get down to about T-10 seconds to the AP switch back to flight mode and throttle up to full.
Switch back to the map and watch closely, your orbit will come up and eventually turn into an actual orbit and not just a ballistic flight path. You'll notice a second marker on your orbit called PA, that's your periapsis or lowest point in your orbit. Follow it and once it's over 80 km switch back and cut thrust.
Congratulations, you're in orbit.

[Tyyr]

It was an interesting night for the Imperial Kerbin Spaceforce. The night began with an attempt to launch a sattelite into orbit. Primarily to experiment with unmanned craft, probe design, and remote operation. Merasmus 1 had a successful lift off and initial climb to orbit. Unfortunately while closing in on it's circularization burn Merasmus 1 stopped communicating with the ground. All attempts to raise the probe were unsuccessful and Merasmus 1 reentered the atmosphere ballistically and was destroyed. A review of the flight plan and Merasmus 1's design revealed the fault, the batteries in the Stayputnik control module were not powerful enough to keep the probe operational all the way to orbit.

The IKS learned it's lesson, batteries.

The Merasmus 2 featured an altered design as well as batteries and successfully achieved orbit. However during climb out the satellite experienced an unplanned roll manuver that put it in an orbital inclination of about ten degrees. This manuver used up more fuel than originally planned. The Merasmus 2 only achieved a 575 x 280km eccentric orbit. Furthermore it was realized that the upper insertion stage had no sepretrons and therefore posed a navigation hazard if decoupled.

Merasmus 3 was the same design as Merasmus two but featured a redesigned orbital insertion stage with sepretrons. An equitorial orbit of 590 x 570km was achieved and the upper stage was discarded.

After these two successful launches attention was turned to crew safety. An escape tower was designed for the Perseus capsule. Initial sequencing problems were ironed out and an escape procedure was devised that allowed the Perseus capsule to disengage the main rocket body and thrust away then clear the tower and deploy parachutes. After three successful suborbital test flights a captive thrust test was performed on the pad. The Perseus capsule was able to disengage the booster and safely escape from a zero/zero point.

The final work for the night was integrating the escape tower into the full up Perseus command module and Hera rocket. A final acceptance launch of system on an upcoming Hera flight is anticipated soon.

[Lt. Staplic]

Okay my other three modules:

Talos Module:

2x X200-32 Fuel Tank on a Mainsail Engine
6x TT-38K Radial Decouplers
6x(2x FL-T800 Fuel Tanks on LV-T45 Engine)
Asparagus Staging
Thrust: 2700kN
Mass: 101.5 metric tons
T/W: 2.67
Payload: 17.57 metric tons
Test Altitude: 143,000 m could reach Duna
Notes: The Talos was a stepping stone between the Prometheus which I have used primarily for lower mass/size payloads and the Orion/Ares which I use for heavier/bigger payloads.

Ares Module:

3x X200-32 Tanks on Mainsail Engine
6x(3x X200-32 Tanks on Mainsail Engine)
Thrust: 10,500kN
Mass: 420 mtons
T/W: 2.5
Payload: +80mtons
Test Altitude: 73,000m
Notes: The Ares Module was my first heavy lift rocket, and it still serves in that capacity. For Heavier payloads, or ones that must go further, the Ares serves as a great initial stage. Drop the Fuel Tanks down to 2 in each column and then attach another rocket and payload on top of it, and the Ares will take you most of the way out of the atmosphere. Just Note with this much thrust, if you do have a rocket on top you'll need a lot of structural support to keep it from snapping.

Orion Module

3x X200-32 Tanks on Mainsail Engine
6x TT-70 Radial Decouplers
6x(2x X200-32 Tanks on Mainsail Engine)
Asparagus Staging
Thrust: 10,500kN
Mass: 312.3 metric tons
T/W: 3.36
Payload: 164.97
Test Altitude: 385,000m -- Set my test satellite on a hyperbolic orbit out of the Kerbol System
Notes: The Orion is one of my heavy lifting rockets; although it's one drawback currently is that usually you need a lot of structural support to keep the radial rockets from swinging or from breaking off of the rocket core.

[Tsukiyumi]

So, a couple of questions:

1) do satellites have any function? You can put batteries and solar panels and instruments on them, but I couldn't tell how to use them.

2) how do you get back to the vehicle assembly building without ending the flight? I had a successful launch to orbit, then couldn't figure out how to get back to launch another.

3) are spaceplanes of any use?

[Tyyr]

1) In pure vanilla Kerbal? No, satellites have no function. They are pretty and make for good practice getting to orbit but in general they are too small to be GOOD practice as you use so much smaller rockets for them. That said there are mods out there that change that. Right now I'm playing around with the ISA Map Mod that gives you parts that when you put them on your spacecraft will start to height map the body they orbit. Right now I've got two mapping satellites orbiting Kerbin. The down side is that they don't keep mapping when you're not directly flying them. I got past that by taking control of one then going to bed. There are also mods that let you assemble a GPS network and one that makes for realistic communication situations. Namely if KSC isn't visible to your unmanned probes you can't control them, so you have to build communications satellites to relay through so you can maintain contact.

2) Hit the Space Center button and you'll go back without ending your flight.

3) Yes, but right now without mods only really as a way to transport Kerbals to and from orbit. Some mods let you add cargo bays to them but without those mods they're just taxi's.

[Lt. Staplic]

Depends on how many science instruments you have on it (If you playing the demo I don't think they have any so you can ignore this) But I've used satellites to test the gravity of Kerbin, atmospheric pressure, to measure the acceleration of my rockets, that kind of thing. I'm building a probe that I'm going to launch to all the other planets that will give me gravitational, and atmospheric pressure data on them (hopefully). So They can have a purpose, but then again, I could also do all of this by attaching the same instruments to a command module.

As for Using Batteries/Solar Panels, batteries are in use by default, if your engines aren't burning, then you are sucking power out of your batteries. Do deploy/activate something that initially isn't, like solar panels, or science instruments, right click on it and click the button that says toggle, that should activate it.

[Tyyr]

Oh, and telemachus. It's a mod that will start to spit out flight data from your ships. Love that.

Yeah the power thing... my first satellite turned into a ballistic missile because I didn't deploy my solar panels fast enough. I had no batteries and 5 charge in the probe control body doesn't last long. Always strap on at least one battery pack and have some solar panels that you deploy once you're out of atmosphere.

I'm finding that having fins on my rockets it counter productive. The ASAS guidance isn't that smart so fins are either fully on or full off and that kind of bang-bang control tends to result in more wobble an spinning than anything else. Just topping off my boosters with dumb SAS so the ASAS has more torque to work with seems to provide better results. The problem is that the dumb SAS only comes in the small diameter so bigger rockets have to have some kind of RCS on them to augment the ASAS. I really wish you could switch the ASAS into "dumb" mode so that one main one could make use of the rest.

[Tsukiyumi]

2) Hit the Space Center button and you'll go back without ending your flight.

Hmm, oddly, it seemed to be greyed out. I'll try it again later with a different satellite. Got into orbit on my fifth try.

[Tyyr]

You might be throttled up. Check to see if you are. I know the game doesn't like to let you time warp if you're currently burning and it doesn't check if you've actually got fuel to burn or not.

[Lt. Staplic]

Yup, like Tyyr said, if your throttled up, weather you are burning or not, you cannot time warp or exit the flight. Just hit 'x' which will bring your throttle back down to 0 then try again.