New Ganymede Surface Base

[Flexilis Anatis]

I’ve never actually tried to make a large surface base. The largest “colony” that I have is left over from my first month in the game.

Not very impressive. I had another one on Mars that disappeared, probably glitched out due to how many crafts there were in close proximity to each other. So for this new base, I wanted to make it one craft, which means building a platform to put the buildings on. And, just to annoy myself, I want it to be on Ganymede. Io’s terrain is too rough, Europa is flat and boring (and the obvious place for a base), and Callisto just isn’t fun. Of course, I suck a gravity assists, but what better time to learn than when lugging large buildings around the solar system?

But, without further ado, the first launch, the main platform.

Once I reached Ganymede orbit, I realized that I didn’t have a landing stage. Great. Time for another excruciating trip to Jupiter.

Switched it in where the transfer stage was, and began the descent.

And I waited too long to start burning, so I had to use the engines in the drones. So, I now need fuel. You can probably tell where this is going.

Yay... Another trip...
It’s just a modified version of the landing stage, fewer engines, and side docking ports. Also, the first time I got more out of a gravity assist than I thought I would!

But with the drones refueled, the disassembly could begin.

And after moving it to a level area, it is ready for the actual base. Granted, looking at it now, it may be too small, but that can be fixed later. I don’t know how fast I will finish this, nor how big it will be. I think there was a reason why I had ignored Jupiter for so long.
Why couldn’t I have chosen Mars? Mars is fun...

 

[Altaïr]

Impressive, you've not chosen the easiest destination
That's a good start, I'll keep a look on this.

 

[TtTOtW]

Now this is nice. The age of large base have finally gained some impetus.

 

[Flexilis Anatis]

This did not go well. First, a power building.

So... I landed it. I brought one of the drones over, and for some reason, the docking ports would not connect. I think it might have something to do with the two ports back to back, but I have no idea. So... I launched it again, and added in some stronger drones for good measure.

And now... mistake two. At the connection between the building and the lander, there is a utility block. This utility block was somehow connected to the fuel tanks above it preventing it from seperating, like this.

So... I can either relaunch it, or try to break the lander stage through brute force. After a lot of trial and error, it finally worked.

And the first building is in place. The next one completes the set.

My first launch where I successfully completed VEEGA! Normally I need an extra gravity assist or two.

Yeah. So when I designed these, I used an older version of the platform, and the docking ports must have been further apart. Which means... another launch.

And finally, the first two pieces are in. I really need to start double-checking my designs, because each mistake is a lot worse than when I was building in LEO.

 

[Roger Jolly]

This did not go well. First, a power building.
View attachment 37159
View attachment 37160
So... I landed it. I brought one of the drones over, and for some reason, the docking ports would not connect. I think it might have something to do with the two ports back to back, but I have no idea. So... I launched it again, and added in some stronger drones for good measure.
View attachment 37161
And now... mistake two. At the connection between the building and the lander, there is a utility block. This utility block was somehow connected to the fuel tanks above it preventing it from seperating, like this.
View attachment 37162
So... I can either relaunch it, or try to break the lander stage through brute force. After a lot of trial and error, it finally worked.
View attachment 37163
View attachment 37164
And the first building is in place. The next one completes the set.
View attachment 37165
View attachment 37166
My first launch where I successfully completed VEEGA! Normally I need an extra gravity assist or two.
View attachment 37167
Yeah. So when I designed these, I used an older version of the platform, and the docking ports must have been further apart. Which means... another launch.
View attachment 37168
And finally, the first two pieces are in. I really need to start double-checking my designs, because each mistake is a lot worse than when I was building in LEO.

Yea for brute force...

ya, back to back ports don’t work as connectors for some reason, but a structure or battery or anything in between oddly fixes that

I’m actually sitting here at this moment eating beans and rice while watching a guy bang on trailer with a block of wood trying to get it to shut right...
Nothing unusual here, just another day banging away

 

[TtTOtW]

This did not go well. First, a power building.
View attachment 37159
View attachment 37160
So... I landed it. I brought one of the drones over, and for some reason, the docking ports would not connect. I think it might have something to do with the two ports back to back, but I have no idea. So... I launched it again, and added in some stronger drones for good measure.
View attachment 37161
And now... mistake two. At the connection between the building and the lander, there is a utility block. This utility block was somehow connected to the fuel tanks above it preventing it from seperating, like this.
View attachment 37162
So... I can either relaunch it, or try to break the lander stage through brute force. After a lot of trial and error, it finally worked.
View attachment 37163
View attachment 37164
And the first building is in place. The next one completes the set.
View attachment 37165
View attachment 37166
My first launch where I successfully completed VEEGA! Normally I need an extra gravity assist or two.
View attachment 37167
Yeah. So when I designed these, I used an older version of the platform, and the docking ports must have been further apart. Which means... another launch.
View attachment 37168
And finally, the first two pieces are in. I really need to start double-checking my designs, because each mistake is a lot worse than when I was building in LEO.

Rhea taught me to check... my... port positions... very... VERY... carefully!

 

[Flexilis Anatis]

Only one module this time, but I wanted at least one post that didn’t have something go terribly wrong in it. So, this next module is a habitation module.

Some quick touch-ups in orbit, and then off we go. Then, upon arrival at Jupiter, I wasn’t paying close attention to my Ganymede gravity assist, and I only realized my mistake once I was thrown out of time-warp by being too close to the ground. The game froze right before the rocket hit the ground, and I got a nice screenshot of where it was about to hit.

Have I ever mentioned how much I love quicksaves?

After this... mishap... it was just the usual landing and insertion into the base.

 

[TtTOtW]

one post that didn’t have something go terribly wrong in it

right before the rocket hit the ground, and I got a nice screenshot of where it was about to hit

Dude, I hate to break it to ya, but um...

 

[Roger Jolly]

Only one module this time, but I wanted at least one post that didn’t have something go terribly wrong in it. So, this next module is a habitation module.
View attachment 37430
View attachment 37431

Some quick touch-ups in orbit, and then off we go. Then, upon arrival at Jupiter, I wasn’t paying close attention to my Ganymede gravity assist, and I only realized my mistake once I was thrown out of time-warp by being too close to the ground. The game froze right before the rocket hit the ground, and I got a nice screenshot of where it was about to hit.
View attachment 37437

Have I ever mentioned how much I love quicksaves?

After this... mishap... it was just the usual landing and insertion into the base.
View attachment 37438

That is a remarkable catastrophe, your random accidental collision with Ganymede was just right at your station!?!

 

[Flexilis Anatis]

That is a remarkable catastrophe, your random accidental collision with Ganymede was just right at your station!?!

Well, my base is situated at the very “top” of the moon, and since it doesn’t rotate, it stays there. This collision happened when I first entered Jupiter’s SOI, since I was trying to use Ganymede to slow me down so I could get into orbit. The moon was at the “bottom left” of it’s orbit, so my craft would have entered from the left of the SOI, gone over the top of the moon, and exited on the right, so the base should be right below my periapsis.

Now, how did I crash? Well, I have no idea. I may not have been paying attention, and accidentally left the engines on (since I usually tune gravity assists at very low power), but I usually very careful about turning off engines. I also have encountered a glitch where the periapsis will raise or lower by itself until the craft enters time-warp.

Even with all this, I would have to be very lucky (or unlucky) to hit the base. Of course, there is a third option. I could have staged it. If you choose to think this, then you clearly have more confidence in my abilities than I do, because I am not yet skilled enough at this game to hit a target so small from outside the SOI.

 

[Horus Lupercal]

I also have encountered a glitch where the periapsis will raise or lower by itself until the craft enters time-warp.

It does this when you're aiming direct from one SOI to another, like Earth to Mars. It's cos the game is trying to calculate accurately where you are going but everything is moving still and tiny variations give massive movements. I tend to aim roughly and then once on solar orbit, adjust it to exactly where I need it again and it won't move then.

 

[Pink]

Some quick touch-ups in orbit, and then off we go. Then, upon arrival at Jupiter, I wasn’t paying close attention to my Ganymede gravity assist, and I only realized my mistake once I was thrown out of time-warp by being too close to the ground. The game froze right before the rocket hit the ground, and I got a nice screenshot of where it was about to hit.
View attachment 37437

Damn, 5800 m/s.
I don't think it survived...

 

[Flexilis Anatis]

I added a few additions back in 1.4, and some more in 1.5. Still, the base looks a lot better now.

 

[TtTOtW]

Dude I wanna go there!