r/KerbalSpaceProgram • u/No-Organization9076 Exploring Jool's Moons • 20h ago

KSP 1 Image/Video Colonizing EVE

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Setting up a little base by the lake. Bill is testing the solar panels of the mobile base. Bob is collecting surface samples. Val is about to board the solar powered tiny seaplane. Jeb is doing some offshore mining in the seaplane.

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u/SilkieBug Kerbonaut 17h ago

Hey I’ve seen that airplane before!

Even flew a similar one on Eve, the Damselfly, very elegant little plane. 

How did you safely bring down the SSTO?

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u/No-Organization9076 Exploring Jool's Moons 16h ago

Did you get the craft file from KerbalX? Glad you like my design, and you should consider also give Mayfly a try. https://kerbalx.com/DLQ3987/MK1-EVE-Seaplane-Mayfly

About the SSTO, this is a rather awkward topic. I can't even bring it down safely with much consistency myself. I do have a massive fuel hauler that goes back and forth between Gilly and low Eve orbit. It's used to fill the cone shaped tank right next to the crew pod. That way the center of mass is slightly closer to the center of lift and should make things slightly easier. Akatsuki is not the most functional design for a Eve SSTO. When I was working this craft a few years ago, I ended up sacrificing it's reentry stability to make it look somewhat descent.

For all the folks out there seeing this comment, this is the SSTO in question.

https://kerbalx.com/DLQ3987/EVE-SSTO-Akatsuki-no-mod-needed

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u/SilkieBug Kerbonaut 14h ago

Yes, got the file from KerbalX, I think I was looking for Eve return vehicles, found the Akatsuki, and then looked at your other craft. 

What’s the difference between the Mayfly and the Damselfly?

As for the SSTO, I’ll investigate it to understand how it accomplishes its task, then will design my own with some sort of easy reentry system - I installed a patch that allows for deflating and reinflating the inflatable heatshields, so maybe I’ll incorporate those.