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spacetechnique · 7 years

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Slowly towards completing Step 2 and starting on Step 3

Status Update

I've followed up the Rainbow-01 satellites with new more streamlined Rainbow II, this satellite is smaller and it's far easier to pack multiple of them aboard a single mission. The Rainbow II should give me a great idea of the kind of satellites I'll need to likely bring 4-8 of on the prep missions prior to the final Jool mission.

Rainbow II satellite

There won't be much to change in this design for quite some time as the OKTO2 is the only thing that's going to lighten it up--though I may consider going to ROUND-8 tanks if there's enough Δv in them.

Other than that, I've launched 3 small probe science missions as part of the DBuster program. Two probes were sent to the Mun and the third to Minmus after the first two probes determined that the LV+delivery system had more than enough Δv to handle the trip with fuel to spare.

And on that note...

RCS engines are not so bad, but they are bad

I'd always known about RCS engines as an ultra-light low thrust alternative to parts like the 48-7S and LV-1 Ant, but had always done the mental math as "well, it's clearly going to be heavier because there are more nozzles." Still, no time like the present to try it out, eh?

The current Dbuster program probe, which has flaws (namely, 2x RV-105 instead of 4x, what was I thinking?), looks like this:

DBuster I in the VAB

This probe's 4x Place-Anywhere 7 RCS ports and 2x RV-105's provide 10kn of thrust amounting to 792 m/s Δv with 0.315t in fuel from a single Stratus-V (I'll probably have to add more thrusters later)

For the weight, you'll all agree, this is terrible! An Oscar-B tank + LV-N? 2.23 TWR (Thrust-to-weight ratio) with 1400 Δv, Oscar-B + 48-7S? 19.5 TWR + 1200 Δv (the RCS thrusters in the example yield about 10~ TWR thrusting aft)! So what's the edge? Landing safety, and only landing safely, exclusively and entirely only and exactly landing safely.

There is no other upside.

650 Δv is more than enough to hit the ground at the Mun or Minmus, and with the RCS thrusters you gain 100% control over the ship as it comes down. My three test flights, while far more expensive than regular engines, had 0 difficulty landing or adjusting their landing zone once down. A polar landing that would have put me in shadow below a hill with a standard engine (or with a requirement to do some dangerous hops, constantly fighting to zero out angular velocity while stabilising from a hop) with the RCS thrusters I was able to slide sideways on descent and land squarely on a comfy plain nearby.

1. Initial landing location. 2. After adjustment landing location at 79° 41' 12" N by 3° 27' 57" W

So for 14x the price you can guarantee a safe landing in an optimal location. I enjoyed my fiddling with the RCS engines and can recommend them firmly on ease of use during descent -- however, anyone more price-minded should absolutely steer clear. Reaction Systems Ltd. and STAEDLER Engineering Corps have completely failed to deliver cost-effective engines... which makes sense because these things aren't engines..... so good on them I suppose.

Satellite alignment for optimal constant coverage.

IT WAS THIS EASY THE WHOLE TIME?

The inner two axes have the 4 Rainbow II probes. One at 45° degrees and the other at 135°

Set yourself into an orbit that is exactly some #of hours, for example, 2 hours, once into that circularised orbit break off a relay and burn up to an orbital period of 3 hours.

As soon as that's done, set your node to circularise at your periapse again.

This will allow your first relay to travel halfway around it's orbit, then slow yourself on the other side.

With 3 probes it's about the same idea, except you add 40 minutes (putting you 40m behind, or 1/3rd of 120 mins) and then run the orbit.

I can't believe it was this easy. Thanks to Youtube channel Matt Lam for the tutorial that finally put it all together for me (I've set this to approximate start of the important bit)

With a total success around the Mun we've just got to send the Minmas probes next and then step 2 is complete.

A final note: I've gone with this pattern of two axes to try and guarantee signal to all parts of the Mun at once, if 2 craft on 1 axis are at N and S pole, then the 2 craft on the other axis are at W and E poles, giving nearly total coverage. Obviously my setup didn't go perfectly but Minmus is the goal and that's where it needs to be perfect.

Electrolux II and the Rainbow II mission.

Almost immediately after developing the Bissel II I mirrored the success by creating the Electrolux II, a medium lifter capable of carrying 3x the Bissel's load into orbit. I did opt for less Δv to spare by using a pair of BACC Thumpers, but at $21,000 and utilizing 2x Advanced Inline Stabilizers I felt I was already pushing the limits of cost effectiveness as I know I'm able to move that payload to orbit for 15k or 16k from past experience.

The Electrolux II-01-LV.

What's the real difference? The Electrolux II is the same base shape as the Bissel, but with double the fuel and an LV-T30 as the central engine. The BACC boosters fall away and the first stage has fuel pipes to equalise the fuel supply, guaranteeing they all run out at the same time and fall away together.

I chose to develop the Electrolux II so quickly because of the MIGHTY need to move 4x Rainbow II satellites into an orbit at the same time. I wanted to make sure I had enough fuel in the second stage to do multiple fairly significant inclination changes once in the desired moon's orbit. I figured an LV designed to lift 7.73t into space lifting a payload of barely 2.5 (the individual Rainbow II sats are 0.48t) would end up with a ton of Δv remaining, and I was right, the Rainbow II mission entered Low-Kerbin Orbit with roughly 2000 Δv remaining, practically the entire second stage's fuel supply.

The Minmusian landing was actually driven to action by this mission (ah how things fall into place) as I'd completed the Rainbow II satellites and the Electrolux II but was uncertain if they'd be aerodynamically sound without a fairing - surprise they were not. I could not manage to keep any of the earlier Rainbow II test flights stable and eventually had to launch launch DBuster 3 to Minmus to gather the science required for the AE-FF1 Airstream Protective Shell.

The results were not pretty, but eminently stable, as the four probes on top of each other stacked higher than the fairing wanted to go so I had to resort to a four-leaf clover shape (as an aside, I love the internal attachment points on fairings! I need to find a way to use those!)

Okay let’s try a grossly high-quality image here then. On a personal note I love that all the antennae fit together snug but don’t touch.

This somewhat awkward layout is fine as the Rainbow II mission releases 2 probes on the same orbit anyway, then rotates 90° to release the other two, maintaining comfortable stability.

I'd say the downside here is the Electrolux II's second stage is meant to be a second stage, not a craft capable of operating independantly, thus it has no CPU, turning it into space junk once the communication satellites are launched. Nuts.

In it's current arrangement, a single Rainbow II program mission launch costs $10,409 per satellite put into orbit.

The Infinite Possibilities of a real open world - what's next?

I need a bit more cash, so I've accepted satellite missions for Goliath National Products, StrutCo, and Kerbal Motion LLC. None of these three satellite missions are particularly difficult, and will likely lead to me putting another 300k~ in the bank. This will provide me the cash needed to comfortably upgrade my Research and Development facility.

That's the real big thing though, once I hit R&D level 2 the Kerbol system really is my tiny green cartoon oyster. Once the R&D facility is upgraded I think I will attempt 4-6 more DBuster missions to the Mun to acquire Advanced Electrics, Advanced Exploration (and pre-req. Space Exploration), and then Specialised Construction. This new science will allow me to start putting space station parts up (starting with the science station core) that aren't terrible, using Clamp-o-Trons, BZ-52s, and empty fuel tanks (what!? I'll have Cubic Octagonal Struts some day!)

That segues into the real challenge: mid-term science acquisition to unlock all of the scanning and other science equipment. I'll do as much of this as possible before mounting some fairly major science missions within the Kerbin system, lugging every bit of science equipment into orbit, perhaps on a reusable system, before finally merging that craft with the station I've built.

This sets up a great situation for mining, fuel processing, and storage to be added to the station to create that lovely "all-in-one" station.

During this period of rapid growth, I'll need to find time for rescue missions and station missions, rescues are a fantastic source of free Kerbals and station missions are simply bursting with $.

I'll also need to start thinking about reusable craft for science gathering.

Yes, we're almost at the interesting bit.

+ What did we learn?

RCS thrust is pretty alright for a lander, but the cost is extreme compared to traditional LFO systems.

I am on the cusp of "the big part of the game" and I haven't even left Kerbin influence.

Parts drag is as real as it ever was, don't try and stick 40~ parts at the top of a rocket with no fairing.

Oh my gosh comm networks are so much easier than I thought.

+ N.B. and mods

I've removed USI as it is simply too much part clutter. Kronal Vessel Viewer (KVV) I've finally found a version that works and will be giving money to LinuxGuruGamer as soon as possible in thanks.

Sorry there weren't many pictures, here's some shots of earlier vessels exploded in Kronal Vessel Viewer.

Bissel II-01-LV

The defunct Rainbow 01.

A preview of the section for the Goliath National and StrutCo satellites, nothing exciting here.

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gigglingbean · 5 years

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Wow, it’s been almost 6 months since I’ve been on this site and typing furiously away on my MacBook. I can’t believe I’ve just been posting one post a month from January to July – Explodingbelly is such a letdown. I even tried refreshing the site because I thought the posts weren’t updated.

In the past couple of months, I’ve been to so many places and ate so much, I think I have a lot of content to generate, provided if I stopped procrastinating and drowning myself with work.

The reason why Wine & Chef comes up to be the first post after such a long hiatus on Explodingbelly, is obviously because I think the place is worth recommending lah. Affordable menu, wines and a good ambience to boot, it’s been a damn long while since we’ve came across a place that checks off all the boxes on the list.

The Place [Nearest MRT: Outram Park]

As I sauntered down the stretch of the very happening Keong Saik Road where Wine & Chef was located, I simply can’t phantom why each and every restaurant there is bustling with throngs of crowds even with the sky high prices of the menu. Sorry, I guess I’m just a peasant.

As you step into the restaurant, one would be greeted with a large collection of wine bottles on the side, a chalk board of their best sellers and a dimmed “atas” ambience with expats filling the front of the restaurant with everyone having a glass of wine on their tables. If you’re like me, you’d go something like HUH YOU SURE HERE THE FOOD AFFORDABLE MEH?

We took the table right at the end of the restaurant where we had some good privacy but the semi-open kitchen was quite a bane, cause we could smell everything that was being prepared and WE WERE STARVING.

The Menu

Before I go into what their menu entails, I need to rave over how affordable their drinks are – can you believe their house pour wines start from just $7++ a glass and a full pint beer at $9++? Apparently they get their wines directly from wineries which allows them to keep their cost low, and hence keeping it affordable for their diners!

They serve up a decent mod-sin (Modern Singaporean) menu, incorporating Asian twists into their Italian cuisine, which I 10/10 approve because this keeps their menu fresh and certainly stands out from what the rest had to offer. You could expect dishes such as Har Cheong Gai glazed with honey and soy (Chicken Little – $10++) and Bak Chor Mee Linguine.

As great as being different is, I also am wary about fusion dishes usually as some tend to try a little bit too hard ah. Well, let’s see how they fared.

The Food

Anything with mushrooms on the menu is a MUST ORDER when you dine with me. So very naturally, we went for the Mushroom Trio ($10++) for a start.

3 types of mushrooms in this one (DUH) – white button mushrooms, oyster mushroom and shiitake. OK la, mai hiam buay pai (translated as, umm.. don’t nitpick, is not bad) HAHA! This had the buttery fragrance they’ve used to sauté the mushrooms and it complemented perfectly with the “mushroom juice”. I don’t know about you but I usually tend to dislike the fact that restaurants use shiitake as part of their mushroom dishes as shiitake tends to have a stronger/distinct flavour profile and lingering aftertaste as compared to the other kind of mushrooms, which overpowers the combination. BUT all in all, I’m just really nitpicking – this was pretty decent.

We went for their pastas because Explodingbelly loves pastas and hey, they pride themselves in Italian food, so pastas must be very good right?

1) Scallops Capellini ($28++)

Ah, the classic combination of scallops, capellini and truffle dressing, let’s see how well they fare and stand out from their competitors. Probably the most instagrammed dish over here, but was it worth the hype?

My eyes lit up as I took the first morsel of this dish – BAM! There were just so many things going on in my mouth. The flavours slowly unveiled itself starting with the aroma of truffle diffusing across my palate (wa very long never use the word diffuse, since my secondary school Chemistry days), and then I was hit by the umaminess of the soy dressing, followed by the crunch of the sesame seeds, burst of the tobiko, the al dente linguine, and finished off with my teeth meeting the smooth, light chewy texture of the scallop, releasing that tinge of sweetness to finish off the entire mouthful – that hallmark sweetness of fresh scallops.

Does my description even make sense? I’m trying very hard to let you guys imagine how good that mouthful was. I just kept nodding my head and said wa good good good right after that. Haha! The only gripe? CAN GIVE ME BIGGER PORTION NOT?

2) “Bak Chor Mee” Minced Meat Linguine ($24++)

I keep saying I love fusion food, if I don’t order this, I’ll be quite the joke right? But honestly, I had MASSIVE doubts about ordering this dish initially. What I envisioned would be a pasta dish that tasted flat, with the only saving grace of it qualifying as a BAK CHOR MEE, was the bakchor and wanton. But for the better good and for the love for you guys reading this, I STILL ORDERED IT.

That very familiar aroma of BCM struck me as it was set right in front of us – oh my! It’s my very favourite vinegary smell of what I reckon as a good bowl of BCM. I couldn’t wait to dig in already. After snapping just 3 different angles of this dish (LIES), I took a huge mouthful of this pasta.

SHIOK. It was what you’d define a successful fusion pairing with it preserving the elements of the BCM, yet with elevated ingredients and preparation to make me want to part with my $24++ for a plate (uh bowl?) of bcm. It retained the vinegary taste of our usual bowl of bcm goodness with a hint of spice in the back of your throat with the sliced chili and spicy minced chicken. I appreciated how the minced pork and chicken were in slightly bigger chunks for a greater bite and also make me feel like my money is worth la.

The truffle infused wanton was what I was pretty much excited about when I ordered this dish, turned out to be the only thing that was lacking in this plate. It was a tad too oily, 0 taste of truffle, and was a little odd. I think put the Pontian fried wanton would be better ah. Haha!

I WOULD come back for this dish again even though it doesn’t look as aesthetically pleasing as the capellini.

We were left very, very satisfied after a 100% hit rate from the earlier dishes, and that tempted us to look through the dessert menu to finish off this meal on a mind-blowing note.

Just as mushrooms are synonymous with Explodingbelly, if you’ve followed me long enough, I’m also the self-proclaim master of SALTED EGG YOLK. Hello, who got the dedication to write and research for idk how many dishes of salted egg yolk dishes and eat most of them? AM I THE MASTER? You better say yes.

Anyway I digressed. For desserts, we got us a Salted Egg Cheesecake ($12++)

For those who are shaking your heads, thinking that I better not complain because I asked for it when I placed an order for such an unorthodox and try hard combination, let me make several disclaimers that led to this choice:

COCONUT GELATO leh

This honestly sounded like fun to me – Salted egg, cheese cake, graham cracker and coconut gelato, YUM

Their BCM linguine was a win.

I’m the master of salted egg yolk, hello?

I excitedly took a scoop of a little of everything and well… let’s put it this way, not every can go well with salted egg. This was slightly shy of revolting. Okay, I thought the salted egg would have been the “dessert kind” of salted egg, you know? Like those in your salted egg ice cream – lighter, sweeter, and yet still has that slight saltiness and hint of spice. This was just the FULL ON Tze char salted egg crab kind of salted egg sauce on CHEESECAKE and COCONUT gelato. Oh gosh.

The coconut gelato was way too sweet and lacked flavour. It was more of a vanilla gelato with a hint of coconut kinda combination. This was bad. This was FUSION GONE WRONG. Sigh, this was me being naive as well.

Closing Remarks

Well, even though the dessert did not quite end off the entire meal on a good note. We were still pretty impressed by the dishes served by Wine and Chef. You could tell how impressed I am when I’m even motivated to write about them on my already dead blogging brain and dead blog.

I’d say if you’re looking for a fresh date idea, or simply a slightly cheaper alternative for some good food and affordable drinks for a hang out evening, Wine and Chef is a darn solid recommendation.

You can find them at:

7 Keong Saik Road Singapore 089115 (Nearest MRT: Outram Park, also can walk from Tanjong Pagar MRT if you want to lose weight)

Opening Hours:

Closed on Sundays Monday to Saturday – 12pm to 11pm

Wine & Chef – Great Ambience, Affordable Wines, Food & an Amazing Date Night Idea Wow, it's been almost 6 months since I've been on this site and typing furiously away on my MacBook.

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