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[GreatWyrmGold]

RCS and reaction wheels are pretty much essential unless you're just an aviation badass.

Spoiler alert: I AM VERY MUCH NOT.

Anyways. One for Aerodynamics, one for "the science" (Space Exploration), one for Fuel Systems. Can we uh...break this tie? A little please? The forum's back, I'd like to update.

[GiglameshDespair]

Go for Fuel systems then.

There comes a point where adding more weight via fueltanks hinders more than it helps.

[GreatWyrmGold]

Alright, we have a winner. Now to get to work.

[BigD145]

Electrics and solar panels should probably be the next advancement after this update. For longer flights you'll need electricity from sources other than the engine.

[Twi]

Personally, I vote getting Flight Control for obvious reasons, getting a last bit of science for Advanced Rocketry, then going into Speeeeeeeees! and getting jeb  with the stacked vertical cockpit plan.

[GreatWyrmGold]

_{The ocean is big, dull, and blue, but factor in the storms and it's a lot more interesting than just staring at the stars.}

Journal of Jebediah Kerman, Kerbonaut Lost in Space

They sent Archie up a few times. From what I hear, the little bastard doesn't want to stop. Even exploding spacecraft and crashing in deserts won't stop him. Also he apparently likes tea. Weirdo. Anyways, I hope he makes it. Ground Control says they've fixed all the kinks. Should get me next launch, they say. I doubt it, but...we'll see, we'll see.

What will it like, being back on the ground? I've been resigned to a fate of being stuck in space for...it hasn't even been a whole day? Huh, I should look at my watch more often. Still...I've been and done what few people have. I've thought about what no one else has ever thought about. My life is now fundamentally different from the life of any kerbal before me, and likely any kerbal to come. How much of a difference does this make? Hell if I know. I'll chat about it with the others, see what they think.

One thing's for sure. I've been to the stars. I don't want to be trapped on Kerbin, at the bottom of that gravity-induced garbage hole. By the time I die, I want to be living in space. A space station, maybe, or a ship to the stars.
Can't jump there. Baby steps. And step one...is jumping into the garbage hole.


We redesign the Mark Six, again. The SciMax Mark Six Plus Bee has a much simpler, smaller control area. It has eight parachutes rather than the nine of the Mk6 and 6+, but this should be sufficient. Another new feature: A third button (aside from ones to extend antennae and lower landing gear) is added for separation of the last stage, in case of emergency.

While doing final preparations for the launch, two familiar but unexpected figures showed up.


_{"Gah! But you two...you're...you're...DEAD!"
"...I don't feel dead. What about you, Had?"
"Nu-uh."}

Archibald finished his glass of tea and hurried to the cockpit.

((Seriously, what the hell? How did they come back? WHEN did they come back? Does anyone know about this bug?))

We take one last look at Kerbal Space Science Center...


_{Where our pilot is reminded of an unusually notable crash.
P.S. Remind me to clean up that Single Stage to Ocean debris.}

...check above for the spirits of dead kerbonauts...


_{"Oi 'aven' 'ad 'nough tea fo' this..."}

...we head for the icy black of LKO.


<sub>"Archibald, you haven't been drinking tea since you've boarded, have you?"
"Oi've drunk 'smuch tea as Oi need tae deal wi' the spirits o'the dead, guv'na!"

Our very much successful pre-orbit drift.</sub>

Sadly, I at literally the last minute (ie, one minute til) get the idea to use a maneuver node to get into a nice orbit, and overshoot apoapsis. Still, I am quite literally not going down without a fight! I watch the projected apoapsis drop, fall back into atmosphere, watch the orbital ring go around Kerbin...we have an above-ground periapsis...the periapsis passes 60,000 meters, I angle upwards to get out of atmosphere, the periapsis drops...I cut the engine, wait to get to apoapsis. Because that's playing it smart.


_{We have orbit! Kinda!}

I prepare a maneuver node that brings the periapsis just a couple kilometers out of atmosphere, then reconsider and add several more. New periapsis will be a bit under 88 kilometers.
Now for the boring part. KSP, like war, is a few minutes of action buffered with hours and hours of waiting. If only war had a fast-forward feature.


_{"Aroit. Now, fo' the fun paht."}

(Note: I wanted to get a screenshot of the Mark 6+B burning against Kerbin in the background, but, well...)


_{Lightshot's Line feature performs as advertised.}

(So please, add some rocket exhaust to this:)


_{Mind's eye works, but then again so does Paint.}

Alright, the burn has been done. Let's look at our work...



_{Orbital Stuff.}

Not too shabby! I add a retrograde burn at the periapsis, to lower eccentricity and bring our orbit more in line with Jeb's, and now...we wait, check out the controls some.


_{Archibald's courage has risen a lot since launch. He MUST have been drinking lots of tea!}

So. Now, we're nearly at the node.


<sub>Space is just awesome.

And here's someone who agrees!

...Or maybe it's just the tea. What kind of leaves is he using, anyways?

The final product.</sub>

That orbit looks damn good. Pretty well synced up with Jeb's. There's just one problem. In case you missed it...


_{Oh. That IS a problem.}

"...Groun' Control, this's Achibald Keman. Oi'm on the opposite bloody soid o'Kermin from Jeb. How'm Oi supposed t' rescue 'im?"
"Um. Standing by."


Well. Crap.

Time for good news from R&D. We recovered bits from the SSTO project and the Mark Three, and discovered among them some previously-unstudied mysterious goo! This has bumped our science up to 90! (And also proved that fractional Science adds up!)
So. We need a final decision on how to spend that 90 Science, as well as some direction on how to get the two spacecraft reasonably close to each other.

[Twi]

Well, are they in similar inclinations? If that's the case, make one a bit longer or shorter than the other and they'll slowly drift together- you have plenty of time.

A more expedient rendezvous would probably require skill I myself lack.



Also again, Flight Controlllllll. NAO.

[GreatWyrmGold]

Well, are they in similar inclinations?

Pretty similar, yeah.

[Twi]

make one a bit longer or shorter than the other and they'll slowly drift together- you have plenty of time.

ON a side note, all kerbals come back eventually by default. Even the generic ones.

[GreatWyrmGold]

make one a bit longer or shorter than the other and they'll slowly drift together- you have plenty of time.

ON a side note, all kerbals come back eventually by default. Even the generic ones.

Is that why Sonemy and Hadson are back in our employment?

[monkey]

4 steps to a happy rendezvous.
1. right click on pod -> "Set Target"
2. hover over the AN/DN nodes (ascending/descending), youll get the difference in inclination, burn north/south (normal/antinormal) to make it zero.
3. higher orbit than target -> target catches up with you, after each orbit check the "closest approach" markers to see the progress.
4. when you have like 20km of separation, start doing small burns at the nearest encounters (make a prograde/retrograde node, check your next encounter, it will get closer), you can get a separation of 500 meters in a couple of maneuvers.

[BigD145]

If you can get within 1-2km and your speed relative to the target is .1 or .2ms, just get Jeb out and fly him over. It'll give you time to get used to jetpack controls.

[GreatWyrmGold]

_{Black on black, shadow on shadow.}

Journal of Jeb, Kerbonaut

I'm finally going home, baby!


I try to figure out the ascending/descending node thing but...apparently confuse the markers or something? I'm not sure. Anyways, I end up intersecting atmosphere. Goddammit. I've screwed up enough that I'm just ctl-alt-deleting and starting over. I feel dirty.
Then....I do it again? What the hell? I'm so confused. Screw it. Wait, I don't have much choice, do I?
And again--WHAT THE HELL i KNOW I DID THE OTHER ONE THIS TIME.

Look. To I aim to the little three-pronged thingy or the circle? No matter which I do the needed acceleration goes up, not down!

[Aseaheru]

-sigh-

Fuck about in creative.

Or go look at a list of the shit.

[BigD145]

You can F5 for a quicksave and hold F9 to load that.