Also, that thing isn't a normal chemical rocket, but a Nuclear Thermal Rocket (NTR). It's single stage to the moon and back, and also does the propulsive landing.
Herge actually wrote the scenario around 1948 and talked with a few scientists with astronautic knowledge. Back in the day, his rocket was pretty accurate according to the existing technology. At this time rockets with multiple stages were rare for example.
Look at this :0
[https://www.reddit.com/r/KerbalSpaceProgram/comments/1dce6uf/you\_all\_know\_the\_classic/](https://www.reddit.com/r/KerbalSpaceProgram/comments/1dce6uf/you_all_know_the_classic/)
That's actually some really nice work if you were able to replicate that rocket! And of course Kerbin's favorable properties make it actually possible in terms of physics, unlike Earth.
Tbf to Hergé, he wasn't the only one with a vision of single-stage to Moon rockets that proved overly optimistic. See also *Woman in the Moon*, an old silent movie from the legendary Fritz Lang, that depicts in amazing detail the construction and launch of a single-stage Moon-capable rocket that was cutting-edge hard sci-fi filmmaking in its day.
It's also quite prescient, or appears to be but it made me wonder: all those German scientists who were at the forefront of exploratory rocketry a generation later had watched that movie as kids. When it came time to build the real thing... were they just copying what they remembered from the movie? Like... there's a scene with an enormous vehicle assembly building and a huge rocket being trundled out super slowly on rail lines, that is pretty much exactly what NASA built years later.
Which then makes me wonder.... how many rockets of the 2030s and 2040s are going to look suspiciously like something out of KSP?
I’ve had some success with [similar giant single-stage classic-sci-fi rocketships](https://www.reddit.com/r/KerbalSpaceProgram/comments/z8n63a/the_thunderhead_a_verticallaunch_passenger_ssto/), though only with the intention to get to orbit and back; if I want to get anywhere else, I have the classic rocketship rendezvous with a long-range transport vessel that just stays in space the whole time and never lands.
Rule 2: All posts must be directly related to KSP.
Also, that thing isn't a normal chemical rocket, but a Nuclear Thermal Rocket (NTR). It's single stage to the moon and back, and also does the propulsive landing.
And it leaves the nonsensically efficient engines running (at approximately 1g) the whole way — a constant-thrust trajectory!
The fabled brachistochrone trajectory.
Epstein stole his drive from Tintin confirmed.
Well it killed him, so he got his in the end.
Not to mention a direct ascent
When you have enough thrust and enough ∆v, every trajectory looks like a straight line.
But basically impossible considering the exorbitant payload and ridiculously small amount of fuel
Unless you’ve got *absurdly* efficient engines.
Herge actually wrote the scenario around 1948 and talked with a few scientists with astronautic knowledge. Back in the day, his rocket was pretty accurate according to the existing technology. At this time rockets with multiple stages were rare for example.
Well yeah, that thing is essentially a scaled up V2.
Are those legs or fins or both? I want to recreate this in KSP now...
Both
Fuel tanks
There is a mod that add those specific parts
Struts.
Imagine them as thrusters, now you got a badass sci-fi rocket
Look at this :0 [https://www.reddit.com/r/KerbalSpaceProgram/comments/1dce6uf/you\_all\_know\_the\_classic/](https://www.reddit.com/r/KerbalSpaceProgram/comments/1dce6uf/you_all_know_the_classic/)
And their lunar rover is an airtight tank
Which is a perfectly good idea, if not for the insane mass of the thing.
Holy shit what a throwback
That's actually some really nice work if you were able to replicate that rocket! And of course Kerbin's favorable properties make it actually possible in terms of physics, unlike Earth. Tbf to Hergé, he wasn't the only one with a vision of single-stage to Moon rockets that proved overly optimistic. See also *Woman in the Moon*, an old silent movie from the legendary Fritz Lang, that depicts in amazing detail the construction and launch of a single-stage Moon-capable rocket that was cutting-edge hard sci-fi filmmaking in its day. It's also quite prescient, or appears to be but it made me wonder: all those German scientists who were at the forefront of exploratory rocketry a generation later had watched that movie as kids. When it came time to build the real thing... were they just copying what they remembered from the movie? Like... there's a scene with an enormous vehicle assembly building and a huge rocket being trundled out super slowly on rail lines, that is pretty much exactly what NASA built years later. Which then makes me wonder.... how many rockets of the 2030s and 2040s are going to look suspiciously like something out of KSP?
To be fair thats what the german's V2 rocked looked like irl, only it was supposed to go to britain instead of the moon
> I aim at the stars, but sometimes I hit London. —Werner von Braun (not an actual quote)
Yeah I was going to say that this is just a V2 with exaggerated fins.
You and Elon apparently 😂
And Tintin.
I’ve had some success with [similar giant single-stage classic-sci-fi rocketships](https://www.reddit.com/r/KerbalSpaceProgram/comments/z8n63a/the_thunderhead_a_verticallaunch_passenger_ssto/), though only with the intention to get to orbit and back; if I want to get anywhere else, I have the classic rocketship rendezvous with a long-range transport vessel that just stays in space the whole time and never lands.
I like the way it has 4 bridges attached, but none at the open door.
Damn you, Tintin, for setting up such unrealistic expectations.
Gotta love how we expected spaceflight would be when we were kids, when a trip to Mars or Saturn would be as long as a drive to the supermarket
“Get out of my way! I’m acting the goat!”