Kerbal Space Program.

[Geo]

Solid gear won't get your craft moving, so I'd recommend fluid engineering...

[Buster's Uncle]

And a flexible attitude.

[Geo]

Adaptive Doctrine? 

[Buster's Uncle]

Not the Bush Doctrine, that's for sure.

[Unorthodox]

Here was my little project for the hour or so earlier I wake than normal people during vacation. 

My modular system, the 'drive module' in orbit.


Mating a second one onto it.



Finally, a crew module.



Idea being to head out to Duna.



Problem is, all those docking ports in line are too wobbly, even up in space...gonna have to go with something squatter...

All is not lost, though.  I've got a really good lifter design now, and I'm getting quite adept at docking. 

[Geo]

What is the third section you added? Final boosters or crew modules?
I find it funny to see solar panels on a booster section (those two brown modules are boosters and fuel tanks, right?).

[Unorthodox]

Yeah, solar panels are an unfortunate necessity (though the size here is laughably overdone for the sheer ludicrosity of it), as if you lose power, you lose all control of your ship.  The remotes guiding the booster sections draw a fair chunk of charge and store very little, such that I needed constant feed just to be able keep control of the things.  I probably could have just slapped one of the nuclear generators on them, but they are a little strange in their attachments. 

The final section is the lander section.  It contains 4 engines/fuel for landing/liftoff, surrounding a crew module,maneuvering thrusters, and a rover for good measure.  It's "upside down" from the rest of the craft.  Similar to how the apollo mission landers would travel. 

[Geo]

Duna's the Mars analogue in Kerbal Space Program, right?
Small wonder you need that many boosters for a land&return mission on the lander module then.

[Unorthodox]

Yes, it's Mars. 

I wouldn't know how much overkill this is, never been there, so I'm packing for bear, so to speak.   

I wouldn't fire all the actual engines for the trip, there's no need.  It's more just laziness putting up a second 'booster module' instead of just building a pure fuel module. 

As for the lander portion, it's just enough thrust to lift the thing off Kerbal, so it's definite overkill for lifting off Duna.  The question is how much fuel I'll need to burn for a safe landing. 

[Geo]

Oh, your lander module left Kerbal like that? So you can refuel in space in this game?

[Unorthodox]

Yes, though it's a little cumbersome at present.  Some of the mods add mining fuel off the various bodies to take more advantage of that mechanic. 

I tested that it COULD leave with that, then tossed on some throw away boosters to get it up there so I didn't need to refuel. 

In fact, the way fuel works in the game, I COULD just throw up a bunch of tanks and just use the engines on the lander portion for the whole trip as the fuel would get sucked from the spare tanks first.  Would be more inefficient, but could be done. 

[Vishniac]

You guys could be interested in this:
http://www.matrixgames.com/products/462/details/Buzz.Aldrin's.Space.Program.Manager

Buzz Aldrin's Space Program Manager (SPM) is the ultimate game of space exploration. It is the 1950s and the biggest nations in the world, in an effort to conquer outer space together, have established the Global Space Agency (GSA). You are in charge. It's your duty to carefully manage the agency's budget by opening programs, spending R&D funds on improving the hardware, recruiting personnel and astronauts and launching space missions in this realistic turn based strategy game.
 
In sandbox mode manage your agency, recruit and train technicians, astronauts, flight controllers, scientists and engineers. Research and develop thousands of components for hundreds of missions, all the time balancing your budget. Then watch your missions launch with thousands of beautiful renders of these amazing spacecraft. In Campaign mode do all this while also dealing with politicians and their short term goals.

The game is in development now.

[Geo]

I bet a bug will be called "government shutdown" in this game!

[Unorthodox]

Kerbal Science

The big science update is here. 


I'll fiddle when I can.  The tech tree is working in career mode, which will be fun to fiddle with.  Lots of part changes and whatnot, so I'll probably just start a new save. 

[Geo]

Heh. The end reminded me of a cross of the SMAC Collider and 'We must dissent' movies.