Rocket Science News

Tiny patch that fixes two bugs reported by players.


[h2]Changes:[/h2]

• launchpad collider is more accurate now;
  

[h2]Fixes:[/h2]

• "Zarya" engine explodes on launch (the engine manufacturer discovered a defect and deeply apologizes for this inconvinience);
  
• a lot of errors in the console and the game sometimes crashes if collision LOD was set lower than planet surface LOD.
  

A small patch following big game update v0.13.0 "Space Stations". It adds some new parts, changes three of existing ones and brings a couple of fixes and improvements. If you haven't tried an update yet, it's a good time!



[h2]Features:[/h2]

• added tooltip for all time warp buttons;
  
• added a small indicator for all probe cores for better orientation readability;
  
• construction of the launchpad continues! Workers made a little progress here;
  
• Adapter 1.2-0.5 was splited into two new parts with different set of connections;
  
• Adapter 1.2-0.35 was splited too;
  

[h2]New rocket parts:[/h2]

• Adapter Square-hexagonal;
  
• FT "Sticky" O
  

[h2]Part changes:[/h2]

• fixed effective volume for fuel tank FT "Zvezda-parallelepiped" О: it was two times capacious, than it should be;
  
• changed bottom sockets for Standard Reaction Wheel from hexagon to heptahedron;
  

[h2]Changes:[/h2]

• improved localization loading error messages;
  
• fixed "out of view frustum" erros spamming into console while loading the first scene of the game;
  

[h2]Fixes:[/h2]

• exceptions in the console when rocket start exploding and quitting to the assembly shop at the same time;
  
• broken ascending / descending lines if two orbits have the same inclination;
  
• spacecraft is placed not in the exact center of a launchpad;
  
• "hide UI" doesn't work for the time panel in the spaceport.
  

[h2]Changes:[/h2]

• reduced same game internal resources recreation on return to spaceport and then back to flight (should slightly improve loading speed);
  

[h2]Fixes:[/h2]

• Phobos and Deimos missing surface textures;
  
• sometimes patches of planet surface have too low detail and cracks;
  

This is the biggest update in terms of gameplay and new parts so far. I would say all previous updates were just a preparation for this one. Let’s get right into it.


Reaction control system is a set of monopropellant-fuelled small thrusters primarily intended for vessel orientation and translation in a vacuum. Players have requested implementing RCS from day one. But it was not easy because of the game's rocket construction system. You need to place rcs engines precisely near the rocket’s center of mass or symmetrically from both sides of it or spacecraft will constantly get unwanted torque. But the fixed-slot attachment system doesn’t allow that. So the only solution I found is to implement an auto balancer, which will adjust the throttle value of each RCS thruster to minimize unwanted forces and fuel consumption.

I’ve done that, but my solution is far from ideal. It is very resource-intensive and could fail to solve the current set of constraints (for example, if some thrusters on some axis are missing). Also it requeres reasonable placement of rcs thrusters across the rocket (at least two in each axis). I will definitely improve it in the future versions of the game, but right now if you have any problems with that you can always switch to simple rcs mode, which will skip the autobalance step and just fire all thrusters according to user input. Note, that if autobalancer could not solve current RCS it will automatically fallback to the simple mode which could lead to unwanted torque.

H and N to translate forwad/backward, I and K to translate up/down, J and K to left and right

For rotation use regular keys

You can turn on / off RCS by pressing the R key and switch to the simple mode using the new RCS panel near the Navball.
You can also control RCS modes separately for translation and rotation

One more thing: currently rcs is not used by the autocorrection system, this will be implemented in the next update.

And one more. RCS thrusters consume monopropellant (hydrazine). It was added as an additional fuel configuration for all small fuel tanks.


Docking ports were previously missing because it is almost impossible to dock spacecraft without RCS. Also you should be able to connect two docking ports during rocket construction from the hatch side. Which again didn’t work well with the game’s slot system. After much thought I decided to introduce a new “docking” connection type. You can attach two docking ports to each other if they both have the same radius. No connector or slots needed for that.

So the docking port not only allows to couple two spacecrafts on the orbit, but also gives an ability to transfer fuel and oxidizer through it. You can also control spacecraft from the docking port. It will still use the spacecraft's command module, but it will reorient all controls and navball relative to it.

The docking process is surprisingly satisfying

Resource transfer is as simple as that


Another very important feature needed for docking. You need to predict intersection with target spacecraft orbit and also target position to be able to intercept it. Maneuver planner allows that and produces two new orbit nodes for that: intersection node and target position at intersection node.

None, one or two intersections could be found for any two orbits

So, when these two nodes are combined during maneuver planning, you will be able to intercept target spacecraft.

Notice how separation becomes much lower after both nodes was brought closer to each other


All nearby spacecrafts will be marked for you. You can hover over the mark to get the spacecraft’s name and distance to it. You can change marking range in the game settings and turn it on and off by pressing F4. You can also set spacecraft as target by holding ALT and clicking on this mark. And switch to it by double clicking (same as on solar system map).

Default range is 200m - 50km


Autocorrection system now accounts for forces produced from TVC, RCS and reaction wheels at the same time and produces more correct control action. It also works in the predictive mode now and tries to proactively predict the future rocket orientation and apply needed forces accounting for this knowledge. This should make autocorrection more stable especially during the physics time warp.


This update introduces 18 new parts. That's almost as much as it was during the first game release! Let’s look at them.

New command module and probe core

Two RCS thrusters

Two RCS mount points

Two docking ports

Two new decouplers. The first one also splits in two halfs during decouple (for payload fairings)

Two new fuel tanks

Four new structure parts

And one adapter and battery

The one thing I didn't have time to do again is to make a new tutorial. Game changed a lot since the initial release and many new features were added during all updates. I think the next update will be almost exclusively devoted to the new tutorial. And also probably to the part’s window system during the flight. But this is the story for another time.

As always there are a lot more in this update, like new heat emission effect for all rocket engines, new docking camera mode, more sounds for spacecraft and ui and tons of fixes and improvements as always. The game becomes bigger and more complex with each update. And it is almost impossible to test everything solo now. So you can expect a bunch of new bugs that I did not find during local verification. Just report them to me and they will be fixed ASAP. You can find full release notes below. I am waiting for your feedback and will see you soon.


[h2]Features:[/h2]

• added RCS and rcs control panel for navball;
  
• added docking port: it not only allow to dock two spacecrafts, but also can transfer fuel and oxidizer between them;
  
• new connection type: docking port;
  
• added intersection and position at intersection nodes to the maneuver planner;
  
• added "Target" navball mode and manual switch between navball modes;
  
• spacecraft markers are now shown within a radius of 50 km around current spacecraft during the flight (F4 to toggle);
  
• implemented RCS autobalancer: it will try to select such rcs throttle values, so spacecraft can be moved or rotated without unwanted forces, even if rcs engines were placed not optimally;
  
• added new fuel type — monopropellant (Hydrazine) used by RCS;
  
• autocorrection now works in the predictive mode, that should improve rocket stability, especially during time warp;
  
• autocorrection from tvc, rcs and reaction wheels now work coherently with each other;
  
• added new camera mode: docking;
  
• added new part category "Control" where rcs and reaction wheels are placed;
  
• rocket plume will change its shpe depending on atmospheric pressure;
  
• added heat emission effect to all engines;
  
• added more sounds to navball and flight UI;
  

[h2]New rocket parts:[/h2]

• "Druzhba" Command Module;
  {*] "Grezy" Probe Core;
  
• "Ruby" embedded RCS;
  
• "Citrine" external RCS;
  
• "Fenek" Docking Port;
  
• "Navarin" Docking Port;
  
• "Ochrea" Radial Decoupler;
  
• "Hornet" Decoupler;
  
• FT «Zvezda-tzilindr»;
  
• FT «Zvezda-parallelepiped»;
  
• Circular Connector Block;
  
• Circular Crisscross Block;
  
• RCS Mounting Block;
  
• RCS Mounting Point;
  
• Hexagonal adapter;
  
• "Azimuth" Station Branching Module;
  
• "Axis" Station Branching Module;
  
• Medium Battery;
  

[h2]Part changes:[/h2]

• "Siphon" Radial Decoupler visual rework;
  
• Micro Decoupler now have smaller size and also received visual rework;
  
• reduced length and mass for Adapter 0.35-0.6-H by 25%;
  
• deprecated C-2 and S-2 connection variants for "Seeker" Decoupler (it was replaced by "Hornet" Decoupler);
  
• added hydrazine configuration for fuel tanks FT-800 Fuel Tank, Series S Fuel Tank, FT «Zvezda-sfera»;
  
• reduced time between staging parachute and actual parachute spawning;
  
• parachute spwaner's mass is now reduced by the mass of parachute on deploy;
  
• increased power consumption for all reaction wheels;
  
• slightly increased mass for "Osnovanie" Probe Core
  

[h2]Changes:[/h2]

• rocket landed on any surface object (except directly on launch area) will no longer disappear after exiting to spaceport;
  
• rocket part animations now properly animate physics (no more exploding landing legs on low framerate);
  
• [Assembly] reset button now also resets rocket name if it was changed;
  
• pressing Q will also repeat last placed subassembly;
  
• improved connection search performance in the assembly shop;
  
• changed order of part categories in the assembly shop;
  
• updated all icons for part categories in the assembly shop;
  
• added decouple sound for all decouplers;
  
• moved space context menu to UI, so it will no longer be hidden by planets on solar system map;
  
• orbit tooltip will update its position, if hovered node is moving;
  
• orbit raycast will be hided if mouse is hovered over spacecraft, press ALT, to show it anyway
  
• maneuver handle will change its color depending on selected maneuver;
  
• when active command module is destroyed it try to transfer control to other command module if it exists;
  

[h2]Settings:[/h2]

• added RCS translation keys: H and N to translate forwad/backward, I and K to translate up/down, J and K to left and right
  
• added toggle RCS R
• added toggle targeting F4
• added min and max distance setting for celestial target
  
• ALT+click on spacecraft's marker during the flight or on solar system map to set it as a target;
  

[h2]Fixes:[/h2]

• gimbal controls work incorrectly, when command module is rotated relative to rocket;
  
• when flying up to other spacecraft in the space it may suddenly warp at huge distance;
  
• parts sometimes acquire wrong parameters after another part of similar type was destroyed on rocket;
  
• connection section in rocket part tooltip is showing even if there are no connections available;
  
• [assembly] rocket name not saved if it was changed but save button not pressed:
  
• symmetry doesn't work for some cases: heptahedron connector + heptahedron socket and hexdual connector + rectangle socket;
  
• some parts have noticeable gaps on edges, especially colored in orange;
  
• some text is not localized in the assembly shop;
  
• rocket controls not reset, when control buttons were pressed and switching to another spacecraft during the flight;
  
• the lit status of solar panels doesn't change if autocorrection is disabled and the rocket is rotating.
  
• some inconsistencies in part materials;
  
• sometime predicted orbits looks broken;
  
• game stuck when trying to create subassembly from cloned part;
  
• sometimes batteries are not charging;
  
• sometimes decoupled parts disappear after main spacecraft crashes onto surface;
  

[h2]Known issues:[/h2]

• resource separation is broken for crafts with decouplers that was saved as subassembly (including first command module) and then loaded (found today, will be fixed soon);
  

Hello folks!

Today I've released a small patch that adds a "Save" button during the flight. This should help to make reproducible saves when the game rarely crashes during that time. If you encounter this kind of problem just hit this button right before the moment the game usually crashes. And if crash occurs, just send the contents of %USERPROFILE%/AppData/LocalLow/unbeGames/HDYLIEM/ folder at [email protected]. This will help me reproduce the problem and fix it ASAP.

This patch also adds several quality of life improvements, you can read about them in the patch notes below.

Thank you!

[h2]Release notes v0.12.6[/h2]

Features:

• added Save button to the main menu during the flight;
  
• added Drag Sensitivity setting for maneuver planner;
  
• added numeric values for all settings sliders;
  

Changes:

• added unique burn sounds for "Vega-072" and "Yuzhniy-348" Liquid Fuel engines;
  
• improved "Seeker Decoupler" physics collider;
  

Fixes:

• fixed tutorial failed if it was interrupted during rocket launch and later continued.
  

[h3]18.08.2021[/h3]
Fixes:

• fixed loading issue of huge rockets in the assembly shop.
  

Today’s update finally extends the explorable boundaries beyond Earth and Moon. It also brings a lot of loading time and performance improvements, new Navball and several new rocket parts you've been waiting for. Let’s get started.

[h2]Martian system[/h2]

Implementing this one was not that easy. I needed to add a new atmospheric physics for Mars, and also develop a new visual model for it. Procedural texturing was challenging too, because you have a lot less visual references compared to Earth. I am not completely satisfied with the result, but it is good for the first iteration. As for Phobos and Deimos it turns out that they have non-spherical shapes so adding support for non-spherical shapes for the Solar system map took a while too. In the end, the red planet and its two tiny moons are waiting for brave explorers!

Elon Musk's dream

Phobos

Deimos

Night on the surface of Phobos

[h2]Navball[/h2]

Navball not only includes visuals rework but also provides more information such as a fuel indicator and heading angle. Every part of navball now has a tooltip where you can also find numerical values of current throttle and fuel amount. You can also switch between stage and rocket fuel using a new button at the top of navball.



As a bonus I’ve added a new Navball mod type where you can customize its appearance. I will update the mod guide later this week, but you can already try a KSP-like navball from the workshop! (Just don’t forget to select it in the game settings after subscribing to the mod).



https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2534826336

[h2]Solar System Map [/h2]

New space context menu will make your life easier! You can left click on a spacecraft or celestial body and get context-dependent options, like “Switch to” or “Focus”.



The “Set as target” option from the context menu will show ascending/descending nodes on your orbit and will add “Target” and “Anti-target” autocorrection modes to Navball.



Last but not least, the maneuver raycast handle will automatically snap to orbit nodes, so the maneuver can finally be placed exactly on periapsis or ascending node! You can hold the ALT key to switch to the old behaviour.



[h2]New parts[/h2]

Rocket parts from this update include two new engines! Since every engine in the game is based on real analogue from the USSR or Russia, it requires a lot of research to create and add it to the game. That’s why all previous updates didn’t include them. But this time everything came together and you can try the most powerful single-chamber liquid fuel engine ever created in the USSR for the lunar program (sadly, it wasn't used in real flights because its development was stopped in 1970).



The second engine added to the game has the highest specific impulse in vacuum in the game (but lowest thrust). You can try to guess on which real engine it is based.



[h2]***[/h2]

There are a lot of changes and fixes in this update too. Most important are loading times and performance improvements and a bunch of flight fixes. You can find a full changelog below. I am planning to release one more big sandbox update in the future (which will include a rocket instruments feature I talked about in the previous dev update) and then switch to spaceport building.

I hope you will enjoy this update. If you encounter any bugs or problems with it, don’t hesitate and leave it on the forums or in the official Discord channel. Thank you and see you in the next update.



Features:

• added Mars, Phobos and Deimos to the game;
  
• added atmospheric pressure models for Mars and Venus;
  
• added space context menu with contextual Switch To, Focus and Set Target options;
  
• you can set target for spacecraft, two new autocorrection modes will appear (Target and Anti-target);
  
• ascending/descending nodes for spacecraft orbits with target set;
  
• redisigned navball UI + added tons of tooltips to it;
  
• new mod type: navball, new celestial bodies were also added to the surface mod;
  
• orbit raycast is now snapping to the closest orbit node (you can hold Alt key to disable this behaviour);
  
• significanly reduced game launch time, especially on old GPUs;
  
• imroved perfomance of spacecraft gravity, engines and drag calculations (again);
  
• flight loading time reduced by 3-5 seconds; when spacecraft is in a deep space it is almost instant now;
  
• max possible planet quadtree level now equals 30 (previously was 17), this means that the same LOD could be achieved on the planets with pretty much any radius;
  
• new engine parameter "Throttle limits" (for now it was only added to engine 4)
  

New rocket parts:

• "Vega-072" Liquid Fuel Engine
  
• "Yuzhniy-348" Liquid Fuel Engine"
  
• "Dvutavr" Stroage Bay
  
• Storage Fairing 1.4m
  
• Adapter 4c-7s
  

Changes:

• focused body no longer reset when closing and opening solar system map;
  
• real planet surface now loaded instead of the fake surface in the spaceport and assembly shop;
  
• perfomance settings now affect planet surface in the spaceport and assembly shop;
  
• unified sun look on map and during the flight;
  
• Sun disk has proper size now and depends on distance to the Sun;
  
• earth atmosphere on solar system map and startup system uses proper exposure and color correction;
  
• fixed exposure is used on the solar system map until different exposure modes will be implemented (back planet side will be a bit dark becuase of that);
  
• water quads under the planet surface will no longer render (perfomance improvement);
  
• changed planet's surface triangulation, it is less stretched along one axes right now;
  
• greatly decreased amount of geometry rendered during the flight (moderate perfomance improvement);
  
• changed how rocket part impact is calculated: now it is using force, applied to part to resolve collision and not just a relative velocity;
  
• added mod type icon to mods in the mods list;
  
• for some very small sattelites with no its mass data available set a minimum mass;
  
• for some very small sattelites with SOI less than radius set minimum SOI size equals 1.75 x radius.
  

Settings:

• added navball selector to the game settings;
  
• added hotkey: ` - reset focus on map;
  
• added hotkey: Alt + Shift - step increase throttle;
  
• added hotkey: Alt + Ctrl - step decrease throttle;
  
• changed hotkey: from ` to Alt + ` - pause/resume time;
  
• hold ALT key to disable maneuver snapping.
  

Fixes:

• encounter prediction doesn't work outside of Earth's SOI;
  
• distant celestial bodies dissappear when turning on any light during the flight;
  
• rectangle connector not attaching to heptahedron socket if it already have hexdual connector attached;
  
• planet's atmosphere disappeared when switching from spacecraft orbiting the Moon to spacecraft orbiting Earth;
  
• rocket parts exploded when decoupling them in the atmosphere at the speed over 5000 m/s;
  
• reattaching rocket part with symmetry turned on not creating symmetry parts;
  
• spacecraft fly into abyss if engine is working and spacecraft changes SOI;
  
• grounded spacecraft explode when starting engines;
  
• collisions between grounded spacecraft and active not work or work incorrectly;
  
• impact node sometimes displayed when shouldn't
  
• impact node not showing after closing and opening map;
  
• orbit nodes sometimes placed incorrectly during encounter prediction;
  
• stars are too bright at night in the spaceport;
  
• predicted orbits are incorrectly scaled, if map scale was changed, when orbit was not active;
  
• camera keep high rotational damping, when changing camera mode and then switching to map and back;
  
• save panel is not showing in the surface mod constructor;
  
• Eris have no gravitational parameter;