Zeropoint Posted September 16, 2013 Report Share Posted September 16, 2013 I just picked up this game on Steam after noticing that it was on sale . . . and I'm glad I did! You can quickly and easily design and fly multi-stage rockets. Take them into orbit, visit the outer planets! What I found especially interesting is the maneuver planning tool, which makes it fairly easy to navigate around the solar system in a Newtonian manner. I heartily recommend it to anyone who likes fun or wants to get a feel for how space travel works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkdguy Posted September 16, 2013 Report Share Posted September 16, 2013 I've heard of it but haven't tried it yet. Sounds like fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted September 16, 2013 Report Share Posted September 16, 2013 I've been meaning to pick it up -- I've got some time on my hands right now. Tvtropes has a page on the thing, by the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeropoint Posted September 16, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2013 Flush with confidence after its recent success in sending a Kerbal to a stable orbit and bringing him home safely, ZASA (Zeropoint Aeronautics and 'Splosion Administration) decided to raise its sights to the Mun. Keeping with the standard ZASA policy of starting small and unmanned, a simple remote-control Mun encounter mission was planned using a new lightweight launch system. The mission was a qualified success, in that the probe did in fact enter the Munar gravity well, but due to mission control missing a maneuver deadline and the probe's battery pack running out, it was not able to enter a Munar orbit, and was instead ejected into the inner system, where it will continue to orbit the sun for the foreseeable future. Never let it be said, though, that ZASA fails to learn from its mistakes! A revised probe, now equipped with solar panels to recharge the batteries, was launched by a mission control fortified with stronger caffeinated beverages. Munar capture was a success, with the probe having ample delta-V to establish a stable circular orbit around the Mun, proving that ZASA has the ability to rendevous with other solar system bodies. The next obvious step was to attempt a soft landing on the Mun. After a few failures, it was established that a remotely piloted "tail-stander" craft could in fact be balanced on a rocket and safely put through a take-off, maneuver, and landing cycle. A simple lander probe was designed, and the Mun probe mission began. What followed is a fairly typical development cycle: Mun Probe 1: the lightweight launch system used in the previous Mun missions proved inadequate for the heavier lander system. Failed to achieve orbit. Mun Probe 2: with a more powerful launch system in place, the mission lifted off flawlessly. However, upon firing the radial decouplers to drop the first stage boosters, it became apparent that said boosters were actually welded permanently to the second stage fuel tank. This extra weight prevented the mission from reaching orbit. We attempted to save the probe, but were unable to bring it down in a controlled landing. Mun Probe 2.1: Extra care was taken to ensure that the boosters would separate properly. Unfortunately, in the efforts to make sure this happened, another detail was overlooked: the boosters were mounted too high. When the launch package was placed on the pad, the entire weight was resting on the second stage engine, which buckled, dumping everything onto the ground. Mun Probe 2.2: The design was revised to lower the boosters, ensuring that they would hold the second stage engine well clear of the pad, both distributing the system's weight across more nozzles and giving it a wider, more stable footprint. This time the hardware was perfect, and mission control confidently triggered the first step of the launch sequence, only to be watch in horror as the radial decouplers fired, dropping the rocket several feet and destroying the second stage engine. Review of the staging and launch sequence suggests that firing the decouplers should happen AFTER the boosters are ignited. Mun Probe 2.3 has been given the new software patch, and is expected to . . . well, honestly, most of us here at mission control expect something to go wrong in the Low Kerbin Orbit stage. Per Fragores Ad Astra! Tvtropes has a page on the thing, by the way. You evil, evil man. I have things to do today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeropoint Posted September 17, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2013 Update! Mun Probe 2.3 launched without any trouble, and the orbit, transfer, and capture maneuvers went perfectly. The probe is now in a ~100km orbit around the Mun, ready for the hard part: de-orbiting and making a controlled landing on an airless body. Did we build in enough engine? Do our pilots have the skill? One way or another, the probe is going to the surface! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted September 17, 2013 Report Share Posted September 17, 2013 Flush with confidence after its recent success in sending a Kerbal to a stable orbit and bringing him home safely, ZASA (Zeropoint Aeronautics and 'Splosion Administration) decided to raise its sights to the Mun. Keeping with the standard ZASA policy of starting small and unmanned, a simple remote-control Mun encounter mission was planned using a new lightweight launch system. The mission was a qualified success, in that the probe did in fact enter the Munar gravity well, but due to mission control missing a maneuver deadline and the probe's battery pack running out, it was not able to enter a Munar orbit, and was instead ejected into the inner system, where it will continue to orbit the sun for the foreseeable future. Never let it be said, though, that ZASA fails to learn from its mistakes! A revised probe, now equipped with solar panels to recharge the batteries, was launched by a mission control fortified with stronger caffeinated beverages. Munar capture was a success, with the probe having ample delta-V to establish a stable circular orbit around the Mun, proving that ZASA has the ability to rendevous with other solar system bodies. The next obvious step was to attempt a soft landing on the Mun. After a few failures, it was established that a remotely piloted "tail-stander" craft could in fact be balanced on a rocket and safely put through a take-off, maneuver, and landing cycle. A simple lander probe was designed, and the Mun probe mission began. What followed is a fairly typical development cycle: Mun Probe 1: the lightweight launch system used in the previous Mun missions proved inadequate for the heavier lander system. Failed to achieve orbit. Mun Probe 2: with a more powerful launch system in place, the mission lifted off flawlessly. However, upon firing the radial decouplers to drop the first stage boosters, it became apparent that said boosters were actually welded permanently to the second stage fuel tank. This extra weight prevented the mission from reaching orbit. We attempted to save the probe, but were unable to bring it down in a controlled landing. Mun Probe 2.1: Extra care was taken to ensure that the boosters would separate properly. Unfortunately, in the efforts to make sure this happened, another detail was overlooked: the boosters were mounted too high. When the launch package was placed on the pad, the entire weight was resting on the second stage engine, which buckled, dumping everything onto the ground. Mun Probe 2.2: The design was revised to lower the boosters, ensuring that they would hold the second stage engine well clear of the pad, both distributing the system's weight across more nozzles and giving it a wider, more stable footprint. This time the hardware was perfect, and mission control confidently triggered the first step of the launch sequence, only to be watch in horror as the radial decouplers fired, dropping the rocket several feet and destroying the second stage engine. Review of the staging and launch sequence suggests that firing the decouplers should happen AFTER the boosters are ignited. Mun Probe 2.3 has been given the new software patch, and is expected to . . . well, honestly, most of us here at mission control expect something to go wrong in the Low Kerbin Orbit stage. Per Fragores Ad Astra! Tvtropes has a page on the thing, by the way. You evil, evil man. I have things to do today! Genuine LOL. BTW ... "Per fragores ad astra" -- isn't that "Toward the stars in pieces"? Fitting device for the KSP. ^^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeropoint Posted September 18, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2013 Well, the probe underwent an unplanned lithobraking maneuver which separated it from all the fuel storage, propulsion, and landing gear parts, but it survived. We now have a science station on the Mun! We also know that using the Mun's "mean surface level" altitude is inadequate for landing. BTW ... "Per fragores ad astra" -- isn't that "Toward the stars in pieces"? It's what Google Translate gave me for "Through explosions, to the stars." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted September 18, 2013 Report Share Posted September 18, 2013 Downloaded the demo yesterday, but it turns out that my computer can't handle the program. I've had it since the middle of the last decade, and it seems that I need to upgrade ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkdguy Posted September 18, 2013 Report Share Posted September 18, 2013 Lots of tutorials on YouTube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndianaJoe3 Posted September 20, 2013 Report Share Posted September 20, 2013 Well, the probe underwent an unplanned lithobraking maneuver which separated it from all the fuel storage, propulsion, and landing gear parts, but it survived. We now have a science station on the Mun! We also know that using the Mun's "mean surface level" altitude is inadequate for landing. BTW ... "Per fragores ad astra" -- isn't that "Toward the stars in pieces"? It's what Google Translate gave me for "Through explosions, to the stars." Selenobraking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkdguy Posted October 2, 2013 Report Share Posted October 2, 2013 Having Fun in the Solar System Mild profanity (subtitled, not spoken) in video. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted October 2, 2013 Report Share Posted October 2, 2013 Heh heh ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeropoint Posted October 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 I got my manned mission into a low Munar orbit, but when I separated the lander from the return module, I discovered that I'd forgotten to put in any fuel for the RCS thrusters. Oops; not really safe to attempt a landing without them! Back to Kerbin, boys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Waters Posted October 22, 2013 Report Share Posted October 22, 2013 My son is obsessed with KSP. Taught him a lot about orbital mechanics, gravity and the good old Laws Of Motion. Heartily recommended. Still being developed so it is only going to get better. Just had a pretty big update. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted October 22, 2013 Report Share Posted October 22, 2013 I'd like a program that teaches the Laws Of Emotion. Any tips? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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