Testing my Kerbal Conga script in orbit

Could be better

I've gotten past the basic "Orbit" and "Properties" block, need help on what to do next, and i do want there to be darkness from interstellar space and Kerbol, but not be able to see the glare of the star from far away. And i tried making planets before using Gemini before this project, and it screwed up all coding, so I need help from a modder wh9 has insight on how to make a star like this

The Goal: Since I started Kerbal 10 years ago one goal has always eluded me. Build a VTOL plane that can functionally fly forever without refueling or landing, can carry a full crew + rover, and land it on Laythe.

It went through so many prototypes. Like literally over 60 different versions. Despite prioritizing function over form, problem solving led me to a design I actually liked the look of in the end too. I didn't set out to recreate any existing craft, I wanted something entirely my own but I did draw from the V-22 Osprey, Beta Technologies Alia, Fallout's Vertibird, and the ICON A5.

Specs:

• Take Off: Vertical or Horizontal
• Top Speed: 175m/s
• Max Altitude: 11,000m (on Laythe)
• Cruising Altitude: 7000-8000m
• Propulsion: Four counter rotating propellers.
• Flight Range: ∞
• Cargo Capacity: 1285L (2295L in the MK2 Version)
• Cargo Bay: Holds a Mini Collapsible 2 Kerbal Rover (24m/s top speed)
• Crew Capacity: 5 (+2 in emergencies using rover)
• Fuel: 400u Liquid Fuel (as ballast) + 126u Enriched Uranium
• Mass: 25,094kg
• Parts: 246
• Power Source: 4 Near-Future Nuclear Generators + 12 RTG's (MK1 Version), 48 RTG's (Full Stock MK2 Version)
• Bonuses: Free IVA Functional; Full Suite of Scientific Equipment; Emergency Parachutes; Engine Nacelles can rotate 360° at full speed without ground collision; Can Land and take off from water (with exceptional difficulty); can cruise stably for 30-45minutes at a time without user input, optional engine nacelle landing gear for storage stability.
• Vessel Price: 568,147 Kesos
• Rocket Price: 1,936,000 Kesos (Includes Base Lander + Single Use Orbital Ascent Module)
• Mission Cost: ≈ 10 Million Kesos (for VTOL, Base Lander, Laythe Station, Jool Relay Sat, & Return Rocket)
• Income: ≈ 25 Million Kesos (15 Million Kesos Profit)

The Mission: I wanted to visit every biome on Laythe. I equipped it with the kerbal engineering parts but I dont know how to use them yet so I ended up just flying it by hand. Thankfully I designed it to fly very very stable so I don't need to be constantly controlling it. It flies for about 30 minutes at a time before I have to come over and correct its orientation/pitch. I cant physics warp because it uses propellers so I had to just endure the long long wait of flying millions of meters at an average speed of 160m/s. In total I estimate I flew it about 10,000 KM over the course of its various missions. Had I been totally efficient this could have only taken about 14 hours but I got a bit lost navigating by compass headings several times and wasted many hours. I flew it from my landing spot (marked on the map as a star) across the ocean. I somehow forgot that you can quick save in the air so my first two flights were 4 hours real time and then 6 hours real time without saving until I landed at the end. True hard core mode if you ask me. But I binge watched some shows in the background so it wasn't all bad. My heart was beating out of my chest one I came in to land though. 6 hours potentially down the drain would have been tragic. I completed 16 different "go to location take reading" missions along the way which netted me about 10 million of my total 25million haul for the mission. Once It was eventually completed and my kerbals returned home it generated 24,000 science. This part is already getting long so I'll stop it here. But I'm planning another post of the full mission to colonize Laythe and visit Jools Moons with other 'infinite' (refuel-able) landers & shuttles.

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TLDR: After 10 years and 60+ prototypes, I finally built my dream VTOL for Laythe: a nuclear-powered electric aircraft that can effectively fly forever without refueling, carry 5 Kerbals plus a rover, and perform vertical takeoffs and landings. I used it to manually fly roughly 10,000 km across Laythe, visiting every biome, completing 16 contracts, earning ~25 million funds (15 million profit), and bringing home 24,000 science. The longest flights were 6 hours in real time without a quicksave because I forgot airborne quicksaves existed. Next post will cover the full Laythe/Jool colonization mission.

Hey, all, I'm wondering if anyone knows about a mod that allows me to manually flag contract objectives as finished?

With my current set of mods, most notably with how Kerbalism reworks the science system, some objectives don't get marked complete when performed (like running a telemetry report at a specific location).

My current method is editing quicksave files, which works but isn't convenient.

For those curious about my current modlist, you can find it here.

After so many reverts due to a wobbly rocket, and bad manuver usage due to skill issues, I reached Jool. So far of reached bodies is Mun, Duna, and Jool. Doing a minmus mission now.

Just a showcase of a stunt plane / fighter jet I made (Nothing much)

Following the success of routine crewed flights to my Kerbin Space Station, I am shifting focus towards preparing to land Kerbonauts on the Mun. I conducted a qualification flight for my Mun Landing Vehicle (MLV) in low Kerbin orbit (LKO).

The MLV is a spacecraft designed to deliver 2 to 3 Kerbonauts to the Mun's surface, with the addition of up to 500kg of scientific cargo.

Mission Architecture:

Launch 1: A Conestoga Block 2 launches an uncrewed MLV to LKO. Because it provides such a large payload capacity to orbit, its boosters and core are sufficient to inject both its second stage and MLV into LKO with no additional fuel expenditure.

Launch 2: A Conestoga Block 1 launches a crewed CSM to dock with the MLV & second stage stack in LKO. The Conestoga Block 2 second stage then performs a Trans-Mun Injection, sending the MLV and CSM to the Mun to land.

Flight Objectives:

To examine how well the CSM and MLV + second stage stack can maneuver relative to each other, both a dummy stage and MLV simulator are used to test the docking procedure. The MLV simulator is stripped of its landing legs, descent/ascent engine, as well as non-critical items to the docking experiment. The second stage rather than filled with propellant uses ore tanks to be a mass simulator.

Flight Results:

The qualification test was successful. Valentina, Jebediah, and Bill Kerman flew the "Intrepid" CSM, managing to dock twice with the MLV simulator and perform orbital plane changes and small apoapsis raising maneuvers once docked.

(100% Stock)

My rover spent about two and a half years on its own collecting samples before finding a friend to share its discoveries with.

Took a sunrise shot with Ike in the sky and thought it was nice.

I'm trying to make a star with an exotic purple-blue color palette, and i need to find a surface generator for stars that can be used on Windows 15

With my deep-space TDRS (Tracking & Data Relay Satellite) constellation deployed, the Mun mapped via MRO (Mun Reconnaissance Orbiter), and crewed flight proven aboard the KSS (Kerbin Space Station) and CSM (Crew Service Module), my program now turns its eyes toward the Mun, anticipating a crewed mission to its surface.

(100% Stock)

All non-dlc/modded, first one is my most recent build, haven't given it a actual name yet but supposed to be a long range exploration towing vehicle designed to dock with a lander or similar vehicle which it can then theoritically take to most planets in the solar system. Second and third is my lunar lander vehicle on top of my Fafnir rocket which is also included in the fourth photo.

I got down to 75,000 below sea level before the craft was destroyed, making a descent total of 275,000 ish. Career mode, no cheats used, but I can't guarantee that there were no bugs involved, because I have no idea how he even works. Parachutes were used from 5,000 meters above sea level to about 4,000 below, at which point I cut them because the probe's mission was complete. This was in the south tropical belt.

There are at least three layers of these gigantic turbulent storm pillars, which I found to be 20 something km tall, a little over that probably. Pressure stops increasing once you pass sea level and the vessel's state was set to "landed" so I was able to squeeze some extra science out, but this is probably unintended. I was capturing images of the inner atmosphere but it was impossible to show how fast the winds were moving and how giant the storm pillars were so I had to record video. I named the pillar closest to the descent module "Dionysus A" and the second pillar shown "Dionysus B". There was a pillar further up that I observed moving much slower and named "Hephaestus A", I think many volumetric clouds users have seen these slower pillars before.

The descent module is constructed from a Probodobodyne DSK from Near Future, an adapter from HabTech, and a node cap from Tantares. It is a 1.25m setup. Entry had a 1.875m heat shield which I ditched once the parachutes deployed. The flat end is actually the bottom but aerodynamic forces flipped the probe over after the chutes were cut.

I don't have any longer video, this was a chance recording but I have a lot of screenshots from the descent if anyone wants further readings. I'm not sure if I've ever seen anyone go this deep before but it's probably been done.

I am trying to make a rover with a booster Braking / accelleration system that wne G is pressed toggles between each mode, and when the gear action is enabled, emergency booster braking is enabled, and when disabled, boost mode is enabled and brake mode is disabled, please help if you can!!

As we have seen this past week the forums went down again and we have literally no idea how long they will be kept up, with 10+ years of knowledge and discussions its important to save these things for those who wish to get into the modding scene especially with how many people are playing kerbal again.

Thankfully there is a community project to backup the forums here https://github.com/net-lisias-ksp/KSP-Forum-Preservation-Project

I would also like to point to this thread by ColdJ who is very responsive and incredibly helpful in the blender workflow using the MU plugin and has been a huge help for me as i get back into modding so i can finish Kermits statics pack for Kerbal Colonies: https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/topic/226693-using-the-mu-plugin-in-blender-to-make-parts/

And if you want modding resources the modding bible is a huge help https://github.com/the-dev-hole/the_ksp_1_modding_bible

a shameless plug for EJ_SA who is making his own GSE parts right now and making a working bridge crane for SLC 6 and his Collins shuttle https://youtube.com/@ejsa1?si=aG9CL43CvUlephAs

If you want to jump into making basic parts the best time is now because KSP is back baby!

It's like throwing a hotdog down a hallway.

Wow! I just passed 3,000 hours in Kerbal logged by Steam! That is equivalent to playing nonstop for 125 days, or about 8 hours a day for an entire year! And this doesn't even include time launched via CKAN nor my old KSP install I got outside of Steam!

I think I got this install in... I want to say 2022? It is now starting to dawn on me that the pandemic was not two years ago and that I am an adult now. Ow.

Here is to the next 3,000 hours!

I entered 200km for Apo and Peri and the preview is giving me this??? If I set a higher apoapsis, it's lowering the predicted apoapsis??

I have SOL and RP-1

It uses 2 whiplashes, 2 aerospikes, and has ~1100 dV after establishing an orbit. The station uses mod parts.