Every few weeks I start up ksp and never get past putting a ship into orbit. Watching tutorials and how to’s has never gotten me far by you my good sir elaborate and actually give an understandable explanation of what needs to be done. I appreciate that!
Just keep at it. Took me watching Mike's beginners series a couple times. Then after a year of playing off and on I did my first successful Mun landing. That gave me the confidence to feel comfortable trying bigger and more complex things.
Really good tutorial, as always! Specially interesting is the detailed explanation about the efficiency during ascent and orbital insertion. Regarding autostrutting, a word to the wise: some people think it is usually the reason why stations and docked ships get kraken attacks from time to time, specially if the autostrut was to the heaviest or root part: after docking ships or parts of a station, the heaviest or root part might have changed from the one when the autostrutting was done, resulting in undesired tensions, spaghettifying and, well, kraken chaos in general. I guess autostrutting to grandparent part should be safe-ish...
I've been a victim of that myself and am still wrapping my head around how that exactly works. I think the heaviest part is safe with a rocket like this, because that heaviest part are booster tanks, and those struts should disappear when the main booster is staged. I still need to confirm that, though. At some point I'll likely work this into a tutorial.
I've heard of it but never actually experienced it myself and I auto strut everything as soon as it becomes available. I have far more problems with wobbly parts on ascent or reentry. Since you can add or remove auto struts at any time during the flight, maybe removing them prior to docking and re-setting them after seperation may help avoid the Kraken?
@@MikeAben I've always thought that "heaviest part" is based on current item weight, if so it would move the anchor from the booster tanks to the second stage tanks at ignition on this vehicle! - since your using T400's everywhere once the first stage starts to use fuel the second stage T400 is now the heaviest part! Which is probably OK given that there's very little load on the rocket at that time and with just two stages there won't be any other anchor moves! OTOH the display when you auto-strutted seemed to suggest it was linking to the three T400's just below the tri-coupler, *if* it uses their combined weight it would still move but much later in the ascent. And if they instead links to all "connected identical parts"! (9xT400, perhaps we just didn't see because it was internal) it might either move very late or not at all (don't remember how much the dry weight of tanks are is). So it seems a bit up in the air, not sure if it's even known how this is actually handled? It IS known that wheels and legs always have "autostrut heaviest" (even without the autostrut tweakable off) and that this can't be turned off. I have to admit I've not actually had that much problem with this myself, I tend to way overbuild things and not do THAT much orbital construction so it's not surprising I don't see that much of it. Re: auto-strut being cheat - I'd argue it's a result of KSP apparently using wet noodles as their primary construction material, the amount of flex by default is rather unrealistic. But instead of strengthening things they introduced auto-strut which can make things too stiff instead...
@@Torbjorn.Lindgren I agree. I think it likely that the devs were nervous getting rid of "wet noodle" rockets as it was getting the game a lot of attention back in the alpha days. Frankly, it still kind of does, but I rather hope that KSP 2 rockets are rigid from the get go.
Your ability to introduce new information at the correct time is second to none in the KSP community. Quite a number of times throughout this series I have been asking myself why you are not touching on certain aspects of topics as you go over them only to see them pop up later at more appropriate points. As the son of a teacher I am going to take a guess and say these video scripts read more like the lesson plans I saw my pops painstakingly create each evening during the school year. This is a step away from a miniature KSP university course.
Need to send you huge thanks Mike - it took me a while to understand the physics of launches and getting to orbit, and your videos have helped enormously! Thanks for such accessible and instructive content. 👍
yeah, i think i got what he did. How taking off into orbit looks like in tutorial? We just fly up with a bit pitching, but as soon we get our Apoapsis to 80km we just stop the engine and..... and we are loosing speed, but still make to 80 km height and then we turn engines back on and just have to gain all the lost speed + necessary speed to get 2287 m/s. and here.... it seems i understand why my rocket with 3600 deltaV didnt get into orbit... cause i lost maybe 200 maybe 300 deltaV into atmosphere when i stopped the engine. And THAT was fixed in this video. You never stop the engine, you left at least a little force to maintain speed.... ok, ok, i'll try it
I experimented with your thrust management method. I got more efficient ascents when using the height difference to apoapsis as a measure rather than the time. A value between 7 to 10 km works very fine for my vessels.
Hi Mike, I'm veriy impressed about the super balanced rocket and I got the first time this riding the time to apoapsis thing working right. I did not use autostruts and to get the wobbling unter control it is necessary to decrease the authority limiter to 5° as you showed in your great tutorial. Thanks.
Oh wow this is a new video? I think you showed off this method before. I just got back into the game and I definitely need to start putting low thrust engines on my upper stages because I already throttle way down and try to keep my time to periapsis decreasing or staying the same.
Wasn't one requirement for the mission being a fully assembled station at launch? If so how could you piece together to ships in orbit to satisfy the mission? Adding to a station already in orbit would be simpler and more cost efficient with fuel and funds.
If you're ever out of ideas for content to make, seeing you do a tutorial-ish USI LS/MKS playthrough would be great, even if it's just you explaining things you've learned along the way.. Lots of not very well explained mechanics in that mod, and not a whole lot of in depth content explaining it on youtube. What content does exist is mostly ancient in Kerbal years and not always accurate anymore. I learned quite a bit from your Kerbalism series, I think you would do a great job. Food for thought. Also, great tutorial on the gravity turn. I've been doing things that way for years and except for extraordinarily awkward rockets that are too draggy in the front and have no business being launched in such a condition, it always leads to an efficient ascent to orbit.
i got a question does the space station need to be built when its launched or assembled in orbit because when i did my contract i did everything that was required but it didnt complete the contract and it said "Space station must be assembled when launched" and i dont know if thats even possible for the station i was going for
I find the way these contracts are worded to be confusing, but it likely reads: The station must have a docking port, antenna, and power generation. The station must be fully assembled at launch. The second sentence is only in reference to the first. That is, you must launch something that has a docking port, antenna, and power generation together. Further contract requirements can be met with multiple modules. If a contract doesn't satisfy, while on the vessel open the contract window by clicking the button from the menu at the top right. Look for a requirement that does not have the green check beside it. This is what the game thinks you haven't done yet.
I know this video is a bit older but I have a question. The contract said the station needed to be completely assembled when launching. Doesn't that mean you can't do separate launches and dock the pieces together while in orbit?
Hey, ur videos are rlly grt and informative. I just wanted u to make a video about how to use the maneuver nodes and how to use them to go frm one planet to another cuz I have a hard time to understand these things and often my fuel burns out before even reaching the planet.
How much of a difference would it have made to the aerodynamics if you just stuck a nosecone to the top docking port, considering docking ports act as decouplers anyway. If you'd get more drag, would the reduction in weight counteract that? 🤔
I always use a nosecone in this situation because once ejected, and yes the docking port can eject it, all of the weight is gone whereas with the fairing some of the weight remains with the base of the fairing. However, as Mike said, if you don't have the nosecone yet, the fairing is the best option. (I assume the drag of the leading docking port would be more of an energy waster than the extra weight of the fairing.)
Contract said the station must be fully assembled when launched. Then at 13:50 you said you can do this in multiple launches. As someone new to Kerbal, what am I missing?
It is very poorly worded. The requirement is that the first module requires a docking port, communication, and power generation. Other requirements can be met with seperate modules.
What happens to/what is it used for, the upper stage booster (tug) after you undock it? Didn't see it in your next video. Cheers again for your brilliant videos. PS 2:25, it's not a Probody, it's a proBoDoBoYaBaDaBaDoooBodyne!!!!!!!! lol
Today after an eve flyby i really got an contract which neede an station in orbit of gilly with all the requirements, 10 kerbals, a cuppula and 6000 liquid fuel. I have no idea how to do something that hard. Can u probably make a tutorial on it ?
I'll be honest, it's not likely. In this series there are a few videos making a large station around the Mun, as well as a video on getting to Eve (though not Gilly). Hopefully, they will help.
Quick question what does my periapsis and apoapsis need to be to maintain stable and infinite orbit because sometimes I get orbit but then fall back presumably cause my periapsis is too low
@@MikeAben I totally agree. A real rocket I can think has a similar look would be the the sputnik rocket. The stubby top with the side boosters separated
Wow I guess I just needed a good night's sleep in order to do it I just did it first try, spent hours yesterday at 3 am trying to do it to no avail but now I got it first try and I didn't even add deltaV tysm I love you no homo
You've probably already figured this out long ago, but for anyone else reading this who also can't find autostrut - you have to enable "advanced tweakables" in your options before it will show up while right-clicking a part. I had the same problem and the "advanced tweakables" was disabled for my by default.
@@MikeAben must have for any space station, a huge pile of fuel. I still don’t understand what is the benefit of first delivering fuel to the station and then refueling from there.
Up Next: How to Dock - ruclips.net/video/-een_jCHm90/видео.html
Every few weeks I start up ksp and never get past putting a ship into orbit. Watching tutorials and how to’s has never gotten me far by you my good sir elaborate and actually give an understandable explanation of what needs to be done. I appreciate that!
Just keep at it. Took me watching Mike's beginners series a couple times. Then after a year of playing off and on I did my first successful Mun landing. That gave me the confidence to feel comfortable trying bigger and more complex things.
Just wait till rendezvous. Orbits are child’s play
Really good tutorial, as always! Specially interesting is the detailed explanation about the efficiency during ascent and orbital insertion.
Regarding autostrutting, a word to the wise: some people think it is usually the reason why stations and docked ships get kraken attacks from time to time, specially if the autostrut was to the heaviest or root part: after docking ships or parts of a station, the heaviest or root part might have changed from the one when the autostrutting was done, resulting in undesired tensions, spaghettifying and, well, kraken chaos in general. I guess autostrutting to grandparent part should be safe-ish...
I've been a victim of that myself and am still wrapping my head around how that exactly works. I think the heaviest part is safe with a rocket like this, because that heaviest part are booster tanks, and those struts should disappear when the main booster is staged. I still need to confirm that, though. At some point I'll likely work this into a tutorial.
I've heard of it but never actually experienced it myself and I auto strut everything as soon as it becomes available. I have far more problems with wobbly parts on ascent or reentry.
Since you can add or remove auto struts at any time during the flight, maybe removing them prior to docking and re-setting them after seperation may help avoid the Kraken?
@@MikeAben I've always thought that "heaviest part" is based on current item weight, if so it would move the anchor from the booster tanks to the second stage tanks at ignition on this vehicle! - since your using T400's everywhere once the first stage starts to use fuel the second stage T400 is now the heaviest part! Which is probably OK given that there's very little load on the rocket at that time and with just two stages there won't be any other anchor moves!
OTOH the display when you auto-strutted seemed to suggest it was linking to the three T400's just below the tri-coupler, *if* it uses their combined weight it would still move but much later in the ascent. And if they instead links to all "connected identical parts"! (9xT400, perhaps we just didn't see because it was internal) it might either move very late or not at all (don't remember how much the dry weight of tanks are is).
So it seems a bit up in the air, not sure if it's even known how this is actually handled? It IS known that wheels and legs always have "autostrut heaviest" (even without the autostrut tweakable off) and that this can't be turned off.
I have to admit I've not actually had that much problem with this myself, I tend to way overbuild things and not do THAT much orbital construction so it's not surprising I don't see that much of it.
Re: auto-strut being cheat - I'd argue it's a result of KSP apparently using wet noodles as their primary construction material, the amount of flex by default is rather unrealistic. But instead of strengthening things they introduced auto-strut which can make things too stiff instead...
@@Torbjorn.Lindgren I agree. I think it likely that the devs were nervous getting rid of "wet noodle" rockets as it was getting the game a lot of attention back in the alpha days. Frankly, it still kind of does, but I rather hope that KSP 2 rockets are rigid from the get go.
Thanks for making these videos, it’s helping me a lot with exploring the kerbal system
Your ability to introduce new information at the correct time is second to none in the KSP community. Quite a number of times throughout this series I have been asking myself why you are not touching on certain aspects of topics as you go over them only to see them pop up later at more appropriate points. As the son of a teacher I am going to take a guess and say these video scripts read more like the lesson plans I saw my pops painstakingly create each evening during the school year. This is a step away from a miniature KSP university course.
Thanks
Dang these are awesome tutorials. Definitely gonna sub here. I don't really play career mode, but the build and flight tips are still just as useful.
Need to send you huge thanks Mike - it took me a while to understand the physics of launches and getting to orbit, and your videos have helped enormously! Thanks for such accessible and instructive content. 👍
yeah, i think i got what he did. How taking off into orbit looks like in tutorial? We just fly up with a bit pitching, but as soon we get our Apoapsis to 80km we just stop the engine and..... and we are loosing speed, but still make to 80 km height and then we turn engines back on and just have to gain all the lost speed + necessary speed to get 2287 m/s.
and here.... it seems i understand why my rocket with 3600 deltaV didnt get into orbit... cause i lost maybe 200 maybe 300 deltaV into atmosphere when i stopped the engine. And THAT was fixed in this video. You never stop the engine, you left at least a little force to maintain speed.... ok, ok, i'll try it
I experimented with your thrust management method. I got more efficient ascents when using the height difference to apoapsis as a measure rather than the time. A value between 7 to 10 km works very fine for my vessels.
Interesting. I'll have to give that a go.
Thank you for another new video. Very informative and clear
Hi Mike, I'm veriy impressed about the super balanced rocket and I got the first time this riding the time to apoapsis thing working right. I did not use autostruts and to get the wobbling unter control it is necessary to decrease the authority limiter to 5° as you showed in your great tutorial. Thanks.
Oh wow this is a new video? I think you showed off this method before. I just got back into the game and I definitely need to start putting low thrust engines on my upper stages because I already throttle way down and try to keep my time to periapsis decreasing or staying the same.
Wasn't one requirement for the mission being a fully assembled station at launch? If so how could you piece together to ships in orbit to satisfy the mission? Adding to a station already in orbit would be simpler and more cost efficient with fuel and funds.
Haha good catch. Correct
Yup, I noticed that after the edit. I know it's something that used to work. Not sure if that's changed or not.
Ty Mike
I usually build booster, but not with solid engine
Thanks for the video
If you're ever out of ideas for content to make, seeing you do a tutorial-ish USI LS/MKS playthrough would be great, even if it's just you explaining things you've learned along the way.. Lots of not very well explained mechanics in that mod, and not a whole lot of in depth content explaining it on youtube. What content does exist is mostly ancient in Kerbal years and not always accurate anymore. I learned quite a bit from your Kerbalism series, I think you would do a great job. Food for thought.
Also, great tutorial on the gravity turn. I've been doing things that way for years and except for extraordinarily awkward rockets that are too draggy in the front and have no business being launched in such a condition, it always leads to an efficient ascent to orbit.
I've never played with USI, buy it's a thought, but I'm more leaning towards Realistic Overhaul at some point.
My upperstages are usually around 0.45-0.7.
But I've played quite a bit of RO so that's probably why.
RL-10 lyf
i got a question does the space station need to be built when its launched or assembled in orbit because when i did my contract i did everything that was required but it didnt complete the contract and it said "Space station must be assembled when launched" and i dont know if thats even possible for the station i was going for
I find the way these contracts are worded to be confusing, but it likely reads:
The station must have a docking port, antenna, and power generation. The station must be fully assembled at launch.
The second sentence is only in reference to the first. That is, you must launch something that has a docking port, antenna, and power generation together. Further contract requirements can be met with multiple modules.
If a contract doesn't satisfy, while on the vessel open the contract window by clicking the button from the menu at the top right. Look for a requirement that does not have the green check beside it. This is what the game thinks you haven't done yet.
@@MikeAben so your saying you have to launch an antenna, docking port, and a way to generate EC in your first launch? As like a core module??
@@Sledgeskitty Yes, though I'm not even sure it has to be the first module.
@@MikeAben alright then well thank you for your help
@@Sledgeskitty no problem
I know this video is a bit older but I have a question. The contract said the station needed to be completely assembled when launching. Doesn't that mean you can't do separate launches and dock the pieces together while in orbit?
The wording of the contracts is very confusing, but no, as long as the core module has an antenna, docking port, and power generation, you're good.
Hey, ur videos are rlly grt and informative. I just wanted u to make a video about how to use the maneuver nodes and how to use them to go frm one planet to another cuz I have a hard time to understand these things and often my fuel burns out before even reaching the planet.
This series will get there at some point. In the meantime, I have this older getting to duna video.
ruclips.net/video/mnVrmogmhGQ/видео.html
@@MikeAben thnx
How much of a difference would it have made to the aerodynamics if you just stuck a nosecone to the top docking port, considering docking ports act as decouplers anyway. If you'd get more drag, would the reduction in weight counteract that? 🤔
The small 0.625m nose cone would likely be better. Unfortunately, I've yet to unlock it.
I always use a nosecone in this situation because once ejected, and yes the docking port can eject it, all of the weight is gone whereas with the fairing some of the weight remains with the base of the fairing. However, as Mike said, if you don't have the nosecone yet, the fairing is the best option. (I assume the drag of the leading docking port would be more of an energy waster than the extra weight of the fairing.)
@@gptiede You can also use an upside down fairing with a bigger nose cone on top of a staged docking port. I do this next episode.
I have never done that. Clever idea. Sort of like an inverse interstage as it ejects off the front instead of the back.
I used sooooo many of those tri couplers in 0.25 when I didn't know what I was doing...
13:21 - ah yes, the "AV-10" winglet
this video helped a lot, my upper stages were having way too much TWR, terriers can be overkill sometimes
i follow step by step, but for some reason even keeping it at a steady 44 i run out of fuel a lot faster then you are, any clue what it could be?
Contract said the station must be fully assembled when launched. Then at 13:50 you said you can do this in multiple launches. As someone new to Kerbal, what am I missing?
It is very poorly worded. The requirement is that the first module requires a docking port, communication, and power generation. Other requirements can be met with seperate modules.
What happens to/what is it used for, the upper stage booster (tug) after you undock it? Didn't see it in your next video. Cheers again for your brilliant videos. PS 2:25, it's not a Probody, it's a proBoDoBoYaBaDaBaDoooBodyne!!!!!!!! lol
I just undocked it and burned retrograde to deorbit it.
Today after an eve flyby i really got an contract which neede an station in orbit of gilly with all the requirements, 10 kerbals, a cuppula and 6000 liquid fuel. I have no idea how to do something that hard. Can u probably make a tutorial on it ?
I'll be honest, it's not likely. In this series there are a few videos making a large station around the Mun, as well as a video on getting to Eve (though not Gilly). Hopefully, they will help.
@@MikeAben ok understandable. thanks for the advice 😃.
Quick question what does my periapsis and apoapsis need to be to maintain stable and infinite orbit because sometimes I get orbit but then fall back presumably cause my periapsis is too low
They need to be above 70 km.
@@MikeAben thatd be why it was 69 km lol, i had to use the rest of my fuel to get it up more
What is the key for thrust reduce?
Left Ctrl. All the key bindings are listed in the KSPedia at the top right of the screen.
@@MikeAben oh thanks
I am not going to lie, the top of your rocket does look a bit like the third leg on the mail body 😁😁😁. But in all siriousness good video.
It's hard to avoid, sometimes.
@@MikeAben I totally agree. A real rocket I can think has a similar look would be the the sputnik rocket. The stubby top with the side boosters separated
I HAVE 400 HOURS IN KSP AND I HAD NO CLUE THAT YOU COULD ROTATE PIECES IN THE VAB
I'm having issues no matter how hard I try when my periapsis starts rapidly declining I run out of deltaV also I don't see auto strutting
I'm gonna try to add more deltaV and see how that goes
If I still can't do it I will try the one where you do it over multiple launches
Wow I guess I just needed a good night's sleep in order to do it I just did it first try, spent hours yesterday at 3 am trying to do it to no avail but now I got it first try and I didn't even add deltaV tysm I love you no homo
You've probably already figured this out long ago, but for anyone else reading this who also can't find autostrut - you have to enable "advanced tweakables" in your options before it will show up while right-clicking a part. I had the same problem and the "advanced tweakables" was disabled for my by default.
@@kvineyard infact i did figure this out long ago, so why couldnt you just make a new comment instead of replying to mine?
Today, with 500 hours of this game, I have learned you can put fairings on the middle of the craft and not close it at a point.
Interesting
haha pferd
How about station must have 400 fuel
When I get the contract, I'll do it.
@@MikeAben must have for any space station, a huge pile of fuel. I still don’t understand what is the benefit of first delivering fuel to the station and then refueling from there.
@@sanane9790 I'm not a fan of those contracts myself, but you can use it as a refueling depot for landers and runabouts.
@@MikeAben sorry not 400 unit, 4000 unit fuel