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[Leonon]

With that mod wouldnt it e best to simply make a SSTO that can deploy small to medium payload? I mean the only thing you will really pay would be fuel no? since you bring back everything exept the fuel + payload.

It doesn't quite work like that.

There's what I was using. It's technically not a SSTO since it just lifts the payload satellite up into almost-orbit and the satellite lifts its own periapsis out of the atmosphere and the jet stage falls back down to be recovered. Since it only has to get the satellite into orbit it can carry less oxydizer and a smaller space engine than a SSTO would. The price for jet engines has dropped since 0.12 so it's back to being sometimes more efficient than my rocket-only lifter.

When you recover a stage you get back a percentage of the cost of that stage. You get less of the cost back if it lands in water than if it lands on land. In the old Mission Controller it also counted fuel but I havn't checked in Mission Controller Extended. The v0.16 net cost (take away payload cost and recover return) for the jet lifter is ~4807 for land recover and ~11164 for water recover. For the rocket only lifter it's 6600.

[forsaken1111]

You could easily use a reusable launcher by including a docking adapter and docking struts or quantum struts on top to stabilize the load, then use something like an airship to load the payload to the launcher and to refuel it.

[Aseaheru]

I.E. Scott Manly style?

As long as there is no deadly reentry it should work...

[Kanil]

So, I made this vessel that I have no idea how to get to orbit. One of the configurations involved a Mainsail attached through a spare drone docking port.

A bad idea never stops a test flight! Immediately, it began to wobble violently. Soon after, it began to spin around. This mainsail weed whacker soon after destroyed all the other engines mounted nearby, before finally breaking off and soaring away.

It was hilarious. Everyone died.

[forsaken1111]

So, I made this vessel that I have no idea how to get to orbit. One of the configurations involved a Mainsail attached through a spare drone docking port.

A bad idea never stops a test flight! Immediately, it began to wobble violently. Soon after, it began to spin around. This mainsail weed whacker soon after destroyed all the other engines mounted nearby, before finally breaking off and soaring away.

It was hilarious. Everyone died.

Pics? I'm wondering if I could manage it.

[Kanil]

Probably. Given that all of the docking bays are currently empty, it ends up being a fair bit lighter than it looks, making it less difficult than it might seem. It's still definitely the most absurd thing I've ever launched (or at least, have tried to)... but it should be doable.

It's not very symmetrical, though. That poses a bit of a challenge.

Spoiler: Practicality Optional (click to show/hide)

Mind, this is the payload without any launch stages.

[forsaken1111]

What are the long bits on the sides?

[Kanil]

The lit up things? Basically overglorified kerbal storage modules. This is going to be the mothership for a manned Jool mission, so lots of living space is critical (and by critical, I mean 100% superficial.)

[forsaken1111]

Have you tried the Kerbal Avionics mod? It works decently for uneven engine setups. It's still in development though.

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/29387-0-21-x-KerbCom-Avionics-0-3-0-1-Alpha-%286-August%29-gimbal-support-bugfixes

[Kanil]

Not yet, but I probably will have to for the interplanetary section. Once I've docked everything to it, it'll likely be even less symmetrical, and I won't have the center of mass/thrust displays to help me out -- and of course, no wings to keep it going straight.

[Leonon]

I did some more work on my cheap orbiter for Mission Controller and made this.

Engineer lies about the dV for the jet stage, it can actually do closer to 4000. The jet stage recovers 20000 for splashdown or 27000 for touchdown. The stack design is actually slightly more dV efficient than asparagus staging. I used this to complete Kerbolo II (escape from the Sun's gravity carrying 3 long antenna and all 4 sensors) with 3241dV to spare. For smaller lifts I take off fuel until I'm satisfied with its abilities.

[da_nang]

Spoiler: Practicing slingshots (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Decent slingshot (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Just passing by, Mun. (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Minmus Orbit achieved (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Minmus claimed (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Flyable, but probably needs more space tape. That wobble is terrifying. (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Not quite there but beautiful orbits nonetheless. (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Much better! (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: The MunRover V-K, "MinBus", has landed. (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: It may have suffered a design flaw. (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: And lacks the power and/or traction to climb hills on low-gravity worlds. (click to show/hide)

The MinBus is... wierd. It randomly explodes/superbounces on loading and the game continuously thinks it's about to crash into Minmus. It should be decently drivable on Minmus at relatively high speeds with the wide base, though.

[miauw62]

I need a  bit of advice on changing my orbital inclination. I can't really figure out how to do it manually without fucking up my orbit completely.

[Anvilfolk]

In any orbit, even very skewed ones, there's two points in which you pass the equator line. When you get there, burn straight north or south. That fixes it pretty fast

I've also only been to the Mun yet... I need to learn slingshotting as well!

[sluissa]

burning straight north or south will fix lightly skewed inclinations, but say if you wanted to go from a 90 degree inclination to 0, that wouldn't help at all. You need to burn perpendicular (across, at 90 degrees) to your orbital path. As you burn, your path will change, so you'll need to change your heading as well. It's not easy to do perfectly without autopilot, but it's not complicated either as long as you've got the fuel to clean up a little bit of sloppy piloting(it's a very wasteful maneuver usually, better to launch at the right inclination) After you're done, you can clean up your orbit with prograde/retrograde burns.