hmm... i've seen this around a few times but haven't actually read any. Got a question, is this kinda like Kerbal Space Program: The Quest?

>>27502710
Yes except prettier and with hopefully less explosions.

We must invade the sun.

But that's for later. What we absolutely have to do is see if we can get the big rockets ready before storm season, realistically.

How are Minerva and Klaus doing on the they-know-what?

>>27502710

More than a bit. There have been a few kabooms, but no casualties yet. There's also cute people in classy things and tribal getups, which is always a bonus.

>>27502674
We must get as much ready as we can.
We can test the Trailblazer now, by using the Cheribum Rocket.

Budget Turn 14:
24RP Build Cheribum Rocket
36RP Improve Seraphim 10/12
Launch Trailblazer and Titan on 2 separate Cheribum.

This will allow us to test both the Trailblazer and the Titan Upper Module.

>>27502904
The radio pile has been tested successfully and produced the radio elements used in the Radio Isotope generator powering the Voyager probe currently orbiting the sun outside of earth's orbit. It has however been inactive since then. It could be improved, or you could order the construction of a larger pile powering a steam turbine, but that would cost resources.

>>27502975
The Titan Service Module has no internal guidance system, it is designed to be controlled by another capsule. Consider waiting until the Seraph is ready to test it?

>>27502975
Wait, we could use a mostly empty Titan Thruster Module to test the Trailblazer, and only use a single Cheribum.

Trailblazer
- 1 Mass
- 1 Mass RCS
- 1 Mass Pilot
Titan
- 1 Mass
- 4 Mass Orbit Injection Fuel

Total Mass = 8

>>27503009

We'll have to launch very close to the storm, but that's a better bet. Wait a bit.

>>27503037

Looks good, do we have room for secondary payloads?

>>27503043
We have the room but the Cheribum can't handle anything more than Mass 8.
So effectively the answer is no.

>>27503060
The Cheribum has a payload size of 12. You must be confusing it with the AngaVIII.

>>27503060

Let's see if there is time for "hey, does anyone want to send up something in a naturally decaying orbit" thing, maybe. Put a call to our universities. This will also let us know if there's anyone out there clever enough to build a working satellite in two weeks, so we can talk to them later...

>>27503106
That's a stupid suggestion. No university has expressed any interest in our space program, and the only one that might have, is now refusing all interactions with Royal Midland agencies because they don't want to endanger their funding from Western interests.

>>27503089
We could use the extra Capacity for fuel and an Engineer in the Trailblazer, in order to attempt an orbital docking with the SSC's space station.
Has it fallen out of orbit yet? I recall that they were going to let it fall out of orbit due to not being able to get supplies up there.

>>27503127
No need to be rude. And the Western Academy did express interest before the political situation changed. They helped you build MVAC remember.

However it's highly likely that any such satelites they might build would be launched by Mr Piccolo's company.

>>27503163
No that was there old station, this new one has recently been expanded and re-crewed. You would need permission, and it's probably best not to send an untested spacecraft.

>>27503177
>that was there old station
I didn't realize they had recrewed their new station.

Since we won't be docking with the 10/15 Trailblazer, there's no need to have additional cargo.

Turn 14 Budget:
12RP Build Cheribum Rocket
36RP Improve Seraphim 10/12
10RP Improve Taurus Radio Telescope 6/11
2RP Improve Lunar Buggy 10/13

Launch Cheribum/Titan/Trailblazer
Trailblazer
- 1 Mass
- 1 Mass RCS
- 1 Mass Emergency Fuel
- 2 Mass Pilot (Cobham, Orion)
Titan
- 1 Mass
- 6 Mass Orbit Injection Fuel

>>27503428

Second this. Is the old station still there?

>>27503325
>>27503305

Wait, what?

>>27503428
Perhaps this might be safer?

Trailblazer
>Pilot
>Co-Pilot
>Rations (Just in case)
>Rations (Just in case)
>RCS
Titan
>RCS
>Emergency fuel
>De-orbit fuel
>Injection fuel
>Injection fuel

Slightly more expensive, but it has several redundancies in place.

>>27503468
No the old station de-orbited last year.

>>27503483

Is there any way we can work in an EVA suit? Our spacederps could use practicing.

>>27503482

I think someone wrote a ficlet about... uhm, making out with a rocket, I guess. Gone now.

>>27503517
Possibly, it would mean removing some rations or RCS.

>>27503483
Does the Titan really need an RCS and De-orbit fuel?
It's not meant to de-orbit, or survive re-entry at all.

Also, we will need to remove the Lunar Buggy from the budget in order to afford the 2 RCS modules that would be used with this plan.

>>27503619
The Titan will not survive re-entry, but it will de-orbit the capsule. Both the capsule and the service module can carry RCS, putting RCS in both, along side two burns worth of de-orbit fuel just gives extra redundancy. Which is a good thing on a prototype. Remember if this thing can't de-orbit, the crew might die of asphyxiation before a rescue mission gets to them.

>>27503483
Turn 14 Budget:
12RP Build Cheribum Rocket
36RP Improve Seraphim 10/12
10RP Improve Taurus Radio Telescope 6/11
2RP 2x RCS Modules for Titan and Trailblazer Test

Launch Cheribum/Titan/Trailblazer
Trailblazer
>Pilot
>Co-Pilot
>Rations (Just in case)
>Rations (Just in case)
>RCS
Titan
>RCS
>Emergency fuel
>De-orbit fuel
>Injection fuel
>Injection fuel

>>27503670
I suppose we can't afford any fatalities yet.

I suggest Cobham and Orion to test these vehicles.
We can then have Harker, Palmer, and Grenefeld for the Seraphim launch test and orbital docking test.

>>27503716
>We can then have Harker, Palmer, and Grenefeld for the Seraphim launch test and orbital docking test.
Or, before that, we do the docking test with a Meteor-3:
Meteor 03
>Pilot
>Engineer
>Rations
>Rations
>RCS
Cherubim Upper
>Transfer Fuel
>Transfer Fuel
>Launch Fuel
>Launch Fuel

Trailblazer CM
>Pilot
>Engineer
>Optional Cargo
>Rations
>Rations
>RCS
Cherubim Upper
>De-orbit Fuel
>Orbital Maneuver Fuel
>Launch Fuel
>Launch Fuel

>>27503748
Either way, it's best to test the Trailblaizer first.

>>27503716
Confirm budget?

>>27503773
Confirm Budget.

>>27503834

eyup!

>>27503834
>>27503716
>12RP Build Cheribum Rocket
>36RP Improve Seraphim 10/12
>10RP Improve Taurus Radio Telescope 6/11
>2RP 2x RCS Modules for Titan and Trailblazer Test

Confirming budget, updating wiki.
What will you do while you wait for the launch?

>We shall personally inspect inspect the capsule as it is fitted onto the Cherubim.
>We shall contact Ms Kenaway, to discuss possible emergency contingencies for this mission and possible future collaborations.
>We shall Talk with Klaus and Minerva about they know what.
>We shall Talk with Adell about MVAC.

>>27504000
>We shall Talk with Adell about MVAC.
She had mentioned a new system architecture for the MVAC system. The electronic computer has been a mainstay of our program and a good deal of the RRC's technological lead. We must maintain our technological edge.

>>27504022

More interested in the power source, here.

>>27504031
Are you prepared to make the 30RP investment to invent the steam turbine, when we're in a race with Kenaway and the SSC to get to the Moon?
We may have the larger budget, but they are designing a smaller, cheaper rocket and lunar vehicle that they can get ready for cheaper. Our lead on them is more precarious than it ever was, especially as they just received a funding injection from Piccolo's aeronautical company.

>>27504102
...good point.

>>27504022
>We shall Talk with Adell about MVAC.

While the Trailblazer is loaded precariously on top of the Cheribum, you head into the basemen of Tanhauser Manor where Sergent Adel is working on MVAC.

"Good morning your highness." She says as you enter. "What did you want to talk about?"


(sorry for the delay)

>>27504445
"Sergeant Adel, we wished to discuss the improvements you had in mind for the MVAC system. As you know, with the current Moon race taking priority, we cannot promise as much support to your project or for Professora Minerva's project as in the past, but we shall do what we can."

>>27504651

This. And also, is there a way to mass produce the MVAC and make it a comercial commodity?

>>27504651
"well I designed the MVAC system to be modular your highness. But If we keep expanding we might run into problems. Right now there is a limit to how many systems can be talking to each other. In theroy the only limit to MVAC's computing power should be the total number of cores, but in practice the individual cores are the biggest limiting factor. If I could build a next generation core with integrated circuits I'd be able to expand the network further and everything would work faster." She explains.

"Eventualy energy will be a limiting factor, but I think I can make the next generation MVAC with just a bit more funding.

(Inventing Integrated circuit MVAC will cost 9 points, upgrading it will cost 3 per level, starting over at 5/10)

>>27504763
"A commercial commodity? I suppose with the new integrated circuits it would be possible to build a portable terminal that would connect via satellite radio. We'd need investors though, this island lacks facilities for mass production."

>>27504864
"Sergeant Adel, would this new Integrated Circuit MVAC be more or less reliable than the current version? A more fragile but much improved MVAC would be acceptable for terrestrial work, however we are concerned about its robustness for use in the deep Void, such as in interplanetary probes."

Given that we will have extra points lying around depending on which components we upgrade on a given turn, we should be able to afford it.

>>27504955
"It could be made just as reliable with the investment of time and resources I believe."

(Timeskip to launch?)

>>27505031
Timeskip to launch.

>>27505031

Timeskip to launch.

Rolled 8, 9 - 2 = 15

Trailblazer CM Prototype (10/15)
>Dame Cobham (Stamina 3, Piloting 4, Engineering 2)
>Prince Orion (Stamina 4, Piloting 3, Engineering 2)
>Emergency Rations
>Emergency Rations
>RCS (19/20)
Titan SM Prototype (10/15)
>Reserve RCS (19/20)
>Reserve Fuel
>De-orbit fuel
>Injection fuel
>Injection fuel

The Pathfinder sits on top of the Cherubim Launch Vehicle. While technically the same weight as the other payloads, it is volume wise the largest and causes the rocket to bulge awkwardly at the top. You hope the increased aerodynamic drag won't be an issue.

>>27505275
>15
Okay, that just barely scrapes a success for the Cheribum, as it's a 16/18.
I think we may need to take a turn to improve some of our older designs before resuming work on the newer ones.

File: 1380578630527.jpg-(34 KB, 412x600, Atlas missile launch.jpg)

34 KB JPG

Rolled 9, 2 - 2 = 9

>>27505275
At very least it gets off the ground. Cobham reports all systems normal during the first few minutes of the launch before jettisoning the first and second stages and coasting to the apogee.

>>27505359
A fail in the launch step just means the launch is delayed due to warning lights going off. It's not critical unless you need to get into space like RIGHT NOW.

>>27505399
>A fail in the launch step just means the launch is delayed due to warning lights going off.
16/18 may be fine for the Cheribum, but the Meteor-3's 14/15 has a Boom Rating a little too low for comfort.

Rolled 5, 5 - 2 = 8

>>27505399
Everything goes as planned as the final stage burns and the capsule enters orbit. You hope everything stays this smooth.

Now that the capsule is safely in orbit, will you de-orbit it now, or leave it up there for a turn to fully test it's systems?

I think we have time for one more turn today, but I'm going to have to go pick up a Tenant and help her move in in 1 and a half hours.

>>27505700
Fully test its systems. It can't be reused and we have plenty of backup pilots if we need to launch something else.

>>27505700

Leave it in space for now.

>>27505933
>>27505791
You sign off from mission control and let your void knights prepare for a 14 day orbital test.

Meanwhile you receive a message from home. Piccolo/Bruscoloni Airspace has just launched what they claim was a sub orbital test flight. As the launch vehicle was a Anga 4 bought from the SSC, you think it is more likely a failed attempt to put a satellite into orbit. They must be using there own upper stage which didn't quite work.

General Clay is apparently furious and is trying to claim the SSC is violating some sort of arms export treaty, which, as far as you can tell, does not exist.

>It is now turn 15, you have 60 RnD points to spend, you have one luck point. Storm Season begins next turn.


Alright, I have to go pick up a Tenant in an hour, but I'll be back after that. Let's see if we can fit in another turn of budgeting and finishing the mission and then I'll continue plot things next week. I'm sorry for any inconvenience by schedule has been causing.

>>27506121
Well, we must prioritize the weather satellite reports on developing storms. We shall continue working until an actual storm forms and comes our way.

Turn 15 Budget
54RP improve Seraphim 10/15
3RP gift MVAC core to the SSC for secure communications
1RP Improve Grenefeld Engineering
1RP Improve Palmer Engineering
1RP Improve Lunar Buggy 10/12

We may as well make Grenefeld and Palmer into dedicated Engineers while Harker, Cobham, and Orion serve as pilots.

Also, this will let us test the Seraphim on turn 16, much earlier than originally expected.
And giving the SSC and Kenaway a means to securely talk about our lunar plans and te City is important, thought we might need to be prepared for Clay making a stink over the RRC cooperating more with the SSC, until Father can find a replacement.

>>27506431
You gave an MVAC to the SSC two turns ago, but you could send one to Tarus island.

>>27506473
Really? I do not remember that at all. I'll have to check the archives.

And if we send MVAC Core to Taurus Island, we won't have the Budget to improve our pilots.

Rolled 4, 8 - 2 = 10

The Trailblazer has completed it's mission. So far everything has been working perfectly. Now it's time to de-orbit.

>>27506548
"Trailblazer to Tannhauser, we have a problem. Titan is displaying a warning light." Cobham's voice comes in over the radio.

Fail roll ,use reserve fuel, spend stamina, or re-roll?

>>27506572
Spend Stamina. Cobham' stats should be enough to bring it down to a success.

Rolled 8, 2 - 2 = 8

>>27506599
"Switch to manual and be careful on the throttle." Is the order given back to Cobham as she manually adjusts the fuel flow and times the burn with her wristwatch while Orion controls the spacecraft's attitude. The de-orbit burn goes perfectly and the titan SM is decoupled as the capsule begins to re-enter the atmosphere.

>>27506572

Spend stamina.

"Better now than later, if you can deal with it, we'll write down a procedure!"

Rolled 4, 7 - 2 = 9

>>27506645
"Drogue chute deployed. All systems nominal" Is the first message you hear over the radio as the re-entry blackout ends.

>>27506671
"Main chutes open, Floatation bags deployed!" The capsule splashes down in the ocean.


Alright, I need to go now. Feel free to chat until I come back.

>>27506671

>>27506739

That went well.

Can we do the big launch next turn?

>>27506431

Not a bad idea to specialize now that we know we can fit two people in a capsule reliably.

>>27506739
We should hype up this success of our next generation vehicles. We have that contract with the Nestle corporation to consider.

>>27506794
Only if we spend almost everything this turn on the Seraphim.

Turn 15 Budget
54RP improve Seraphim 10/15
6RP install MVAC Core at Taurus Island

>>27507112

Let's. I am for the go for broke approach.

We can launch our prototype Seraphim on Turn 16. It won't have a payload, though, since the Hecate is not ready for launch, and we need to develop the Trailblazer and Titan now that they've been tested.

I recommend Turn 16 Budget be:
40RP Improve Hecate Lander 10/10
20RP Improve Titan 10/17
Launch Prototype Seraphim

Can't the lander be tested on the planet instead of the moon?

>>27507281
Assuming no storms stop our work:
Turn 17
40RP Hecate 10/15
20RP Titan 10/19
Turn 18
30RP Titan 13/19
24RP launch Hecate with Cheribum and Titan
6rp for training
Turn 19
54RP Seraphim 10/18
6RP lunar buggy

>>27507464

Preliminary testing has gotten done, but you have to go and do stuff. See Apollo 10 IRL

What should our cutoffs be for Failure/Boom Ratings?
The Boom is the most dangerous, and would be difficult to recover from.
I'm for 17 Failure, 19 Boom.

((I made it while the thread's still running, hooray.

Aaaand then I realise that I have to be up in five and a half hours, and if I skip sleep today I'll be even more wrecked when I inevitably end up staying up til 2 or 3am tomorrow night. Dammit.))

Ok, so.
>>27507886
Remember that our pilots can spend Stamina to reduce a roll. We can move a Boom towards Fail by the pilot's Engineering stat, or a Fail towards success by their Piloting stat. (A co-pilot or engineer can do exactly the same, although God Mother has previously ruled out letting several crew members all spend Stamina at once). We've currently got one guy with a Piloting of 4, Harker, so he can fly any tested craft with a Failure rating of as low as 15 at no risk whatsoever. The best we've got in Engineering at the moment is a 3, so (assuming an untested component, since that's where a Fail is fine but a Boom is potentially catastrophic), we can afford a Boom rating of no less than 18 for critical components.

>>27507487
This seems like a reasonable overall plan, but I suspect we'll have at least one typhoon to deal with. We should consider our plans for future turns but we can't really set them in stone.

>>27507464
We need to see how it behaves after having been fired through the atmosphere on the nose of a giant metal tube full of explosives, and whether it can stand up to the g-forces involved.

>>27507112
Support this budget - we do still have a Seraphim in storage, don't we? Otherwise we'll need to divert a chunk of turn 16's budget for an actual rocket.

>>27508336
But we still have to take into consideration the number of steps, and rolls, involved in a Lunar Fly-By and a Lunar Landing. Even with our larger vehicle, we don't have a very large margin for error, especially since with the amount of Stamina that our best have, we will only be able to use them 6 or 7 times (both Pilot and Engineer).

>>27508336
((Dammit, I can't read the wiki today. It's Dame Cobham that has a Piloting of 4, Harker has a *Stamina* of 4. Which makes him valuable for our eventual long lunar mission but less so for unreliable components.))
>>27508509
((Flight manoeuvres, including burns, don't take a point of Stamina to perform. And the margin of error that I gave was sufficient in the event of a 20 on 2d10, a 0.01 chance. Unless you plan to put the ratings up to 19/20, a hideously expensive proposition with something the size of the Seraphim, we're just going to have to accept a little bit of risk.))

>>27508611
No, I'm saying that a 17/18 on the Seraphim should be what we go for, and a minimum of 17/19 on all other critical components such as the Titan, Hecate, and Trailblazer.

And while the flight maneuvers themselves don't take a point of Stamina, if they Fail or Boom, then we will need the Stamina to bring the result down.

Also, you're not taking into account the Positioning Bonus we have to Piloting.

Okay I'm back. It's nice to see people can chat without me.


There is an unfinished Seraph in storage, which will probably be destroyed by the first storm if it's not launched. 15 is the last turn before storm season, but your satellite does not predict any storms on turn 16. (It can predict one turn in advance)

You could use it to test the Hecate landing a probe on the lunar surface. It would have a high margin of failure, but would be useful testing either way. You could use it for something else but you don't have a payload ready and I cannot advise you test the Seraph with humans onboard until it has been proven.

>>27507886

That sounds sensible, since we have well trained spacederps.

>>27508864
(( I am taking the positioning bonus into account; that's where I'm getting the 15 (assuming that when we do a full unmanned lunar mission test, we leave a waylight in lunar orbit). Also, while there are a grand total of 9 burns involved in a lunar mission, counting God Mother's house rules, it is extremely unlikely that we'll get more than 7 results at more than 15 on 2d10, and even less likely at more than 15 on 2d10-2, which is what we'll get if we do a proper test beforehand. Getting even 7 such rolls has a probability of just under 1 in 50,000, or 1 in 10,000,000 on 2d10-2. ))

>>27509048
>I cannot advise you test the Seraph with humans onboard until it has been proven.
Then the best course of action is to launch the prototype Seraphim rocket on Turn 16, after we boost its ratings on Turn 15.

Rolled 6, 1, 10, 10, 3, 3, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 2, 9, 5 = 81

>>27509168
We won't get the -2 until after the Lunar Fly-By. Until then, Never Been Done Before applies.

>>27509048
I strongly approve of test-landing a Hecate on the near side of the moon. It's a propaganda victory, a good test of a lot of important systems, and potentially a chance to leave some handy emergency supplies in place for our manned lunar mission.
>>27509189
We need something to launch *on* the Seraphim, though. I mean, we could just launch it on its own, but Seraphim are so expensive to produce that we'd rather not waste it.
>>27509221
As far as I recall, Never Been Done Before transfers over from unmanned to manned missions performing the same steps, yes? So if we test Hecate all the way to the lunar surface we should resolve a lot of those.

Also, it's now 3am where I am, so I'm signing off for the night. Thank you as always for being awesome, God Mother.

Colonel smith proposes this payload for the Seraph. It will be a tight schedule but it's should be possible to get this off the ground before the storms hit, testing the Hectate and Seraph at the same time.

Hectate LM
>Unmanned control unit
>Television camera
>RTG
>Reserve Fuel
>Reserve Fuel
>Landing Fuel
>Landing Fuel
Titan Engine
>Reserve Fuel
>Reserve Fuel
>Reserve Fuel
>Capture Fuel
>Capture Fuel
>Injection Fuel 2
>Injection Fuel 2
>Injection Fuel 1
>Injection Fuel 1

>>27509333
That's quite a lot of reserve fuel. If we take out one unit of reserve fuel, can we free up enough mass to strap a Waylight Beacon to the Titan's hull, to be activated once it's floating in lunar orbit (while the Hecate goes down to the surface)?

>>27509267
>Never Been Done Before transfers over from unmanned to manned missions performing the same steps
God Mother, can we get confirmation on this?

>>27509377
Wait I messed up, I forgot to add the orbital insertion burn, that's what I get for copy pasting, it only has one extra. And sadly no, the titan engine lacks a dedicated guidance component so it can't do anything without the Hectate. Both the titan and Hecate have enough fuel for one repeated attempt at a burn.

Hectate LM
>Unmanned control unit
>Television camera
>RTG
>Reserve Fuel
>Reserve Fuel
>Landing Fuel
>Landing Fuel
Titan Engine
>Reserve Fuel
>Capture Fuel
>Capture Fuel
>Injection Fuel 2
>Injection Fuel 2
>Injection Fuel 1
>Injection Fuel 1
>Launch Fuel
>Launch Fuel

>>27509393
They do indeed.

>>27509468
It lacks a dedicated guidance component so it can't make any burns or fly anywhere, right. But surely just sitting in lunar orbit not doing anything, with a radio beacon strapped to you, doesn't take a guidance component? Or does it need a guidance component for its orbit not to decay?

>>27509500
It does however need a power source which a guidance component would contain, there is no room for solar panels and the titan lacks batteries.

newcomer here, what kind of component is the 'MVAC'?

I can't seem to locate it on the wiki and am a bit confused why it is being 'gifted' to what I assume are competitors

>>27509678
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multivac

MVAC is an extremely primitive computer. We're gifting a terminal to our *friends* who we happen to be in a small amount of friendly, jovial competition with to see who gets to the moon first. This terminal will also allow us to communicate with the SSC in an unbreakable code.

>>27509267
>Seraphim are so expensive to produce that we'd rather not waste it.
And potentially waste whatever is on the Seraphim if it goes Boom.
The Seraphim is at 10/12 right now, and without a Pilot or Engineer on it, there's no way to bring a Boom down to a Failure.
And the Hecate is still at 5/10 right now.
In order to get it ready for launch this turn, we would have to do:
40RP Hecate 8/12
3RP Camera, RTG, MiniVAC
10RP Titan
?RP Fuel

A consensus is needed for the turn 15 budget.

And keep in mind, the Seraph won't survive a storm and is too large to transport. Launch it or lose it.

>>27509969
... You realise we can safely launch it next turn, right?

Supporting >>27507112

>>27510041
Turn 15
40RP Hecate 8/12
18RP Seraphim 10/13
2RP Camera Module, RTG Module

Turn 16
10RP Build Titan
1RP MiniVAC
32RP Hecate 10/14
17RP left, Launch Seraphim, Titan, Hecate

>>27510157
>You realise we can safely launch it next turn, right?
Yeah, by launching a Hecate Lander at 8/12. Limit of 5 point improvement per turn.

>>27510041
Since people seem to want to launch a Hecate Lander, this is the only budget that will give us a landing with some possibility of success >>27510204
Voting for this

Turn 15
40RP Hecate 8/12
18RP Seraphim 10/13
2RP Camera Module, RTG Module

>>27510345
Turn 15
40RP Hecate 8/12
18RP Seraphim 10/13
2RP Camera Module, RTG Module

Confirming budget, updating wiki. Klaus and Minerva are producing radioelements for the RTG.

Rolled 4, 7 - 2 = 9

>>27510702
Whoops.

>>27510727
Everything goes smoothly and the Radiopile produces a fresh chunk of enriched radioactive materials.

Now it's time for me to go to bed. See you next week.

>>27510780
Maybe we'll improve the test pile when we have the spare RP's.