Difference between revisions of "Kerbal X"

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[[File:Kerbal x launchpad.png|thumb|left|upright|Kerbal X on the launch pad]]
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[[File:2019-05-23.png|thumb|upright|Kerbal X on the Launch Pad ([[1.7]])]]
  
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The Kerbal X is a stock ship available to all players. It is a reliable, all-around ship capable of reaching orbit fairly easily and thus is a good way for new players who have issues building their own ships to make orbit. It has a total mass of 131.62 t and has 74 parts. One should be aware that the stock version had no SAS or ASAS on board and it is highly recommended to add one. It also has no RCS Fuel Tank nor RCS Port.
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The '''Kerbal X''' is a [[Stock craft|stock rocket]] available to all players in [[sandbox]] mode. It is a reliable, all-around ship capable of reaching orbit fairly easily and thus is a good way for new players who have issues building their own ships to make it into orbit. It has a total mass of 130.94 t and has 74 parts with the launch clamps. It has no [[RCS]] capabilities.  Between [[0.21]] and [[0.25]], it had [[SAS]] capability, but [[0.90]]'s change to SAS (to make it dependent on pilot skill) means it doesn't have SAS anymore.
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== Craft Description ==
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{{Quote|The Kerbal X is one of the most successful rockets that can be ordered from a catalog. Despite the original design having been meant for a plastic model, it's proved itself quite dependable as a full-sized craft.<br />The X is capable of achieving orbit around Kerbin, and even features a very optimistic set of landing legs on its upper stage.|Squad}}
  
 
== Staging ==
 
== Staging ==
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[[File:Kerbal x meco.png|thumb|Kerbal X after dropping all boosters and shortly before advancing to stage 2]]
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[[File:Kerbal x meco.png|thumb|left|Kerbal X after dropping all boosters and shortly before advancing to stage 2]]
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The first stage is compromised of three [[Rockomax X200-32 Fuel Tank]]s and a [[Rockomax "Mainsail" Liquid Engine]]. Also, six liquid fuel booster are staged in an [[Tutorial:Asparagus Staging|Asparagus design]]. It has aerodynamical surfaces and a strong structure. The first stage is easily capable of launching the second stage into a parabolic trajectory, with a good horizontal speed at around 90km, thus making it easy for the second stage to make orbit. The full stage with all of its boosters has 2700&nbsp;kN of thrust, for a thrust-to-weight ratio (TWR) of 20.51. The sole Mainsail and relative fuel tank has a TWR of 21.36 (the total mass of the Kerbal X at that time is 70.02&nbsp;t).
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The first stage is comprised of three [[Rockomax X200-32 Fuel Tank]]s and a [[Rockomax "Mainsail" Liquid Engine]]. Also, six liquid fuel boosters are staged in an [[Tutorial:Asparagus Staging|Asparagus design]]. It has aerodynamic surfaces and a strong structure. The first stage is easily capable of launching the second stage into a suborbital trajectory, with a good horizontal speed at around 90&nbsp;km, thus making it easy for the second stage to make orbit. However, skilled players may be able to push the second stage of the spacecraft into low orbit without completely expending the first stage. The full stage with all of its boosters has 2700&nbsp;kN of thrust, for a [[thrust-to-weight ratio]] (TWR) of 2.102. The sole Mainsail and relative fuel tank has a TWR of 1.995 (the total mass of the Kerbal X at that time is 76.64&nbsp;t).
  
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The second stage is a Mk3 capsule with a parachute, and a [[Radial size|large diameter]] [[Rockomax X200-16 Fuel Tank]] plus a [[Rockomax "Poodle" Liquid Engine]]. As it also has landing legs and a ladder, and hinted by the menu screen were a similar ship is seen, one can deduce that the Kerbal X was intended to land on the Mun, but it is not possible using conventional and autonomous means as the Kerbal X doesn't have enough to come back from the Mun, has it do have slightly enough fuel for landing.
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The upper stage is a [[Radial size|large diameter]] [[Rockomax X200-16 Fuel Tank]] plus a [[Rockomax "Poodle" Liquid Engine]], and the final re-entry stage consists of only a [[Mk1-2 Command Pod]] with a [[Mk16-XL Parachute]]. As the upper stage also has landing legs ([[LT-2_Landing_Strut|LT-2 Landing Struts]] to be specific) and a ladder, and it is hinted by the menu screen where a wreckage similar to the Kerbal X can sometimes be seen, one can deduce that it was intended to land on the [[Mun]]. It is capable of doing so, but it barely has enough fuel to get the crew back home.
  
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==Specifications==
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== Specifications ==
 
[[File:Kerbal x 150km.png|thumb|The Kerbal X in a 150&nbsp;km orbit around Kerbin]]
 
[[File:Kerbal x 150km.png|thumb|The Kerbal X in a 150&nbsp;km orbit around Kerbin]]
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The first stage's central engine and relative fuel tank has 3177&nbsp;m/s of ΔV, not mentioning the radial ring of boosters which has approximatively 1003&nbsp;m/s. This sums up to about 4180&nbsp;m/s, just about enough to make orbit (4500&nbsp;m/s), making the Kerbal X a suitable option for orbiting small payloads. These payloads, for a proper [[orbit]], autonomous propulsion would be require to achieve orbit (320&nbsp;m/s). Such payloads should be less than 16.7&nbsp;t to keep the standard configuration of the rocket. Still, if one would be willing to use the Kerbal X first stage as a launcher, the maximum weight of this assembly would be 68.1&nbsp;t of mass, as this is the minimal weight for a 2.2 [[Terminology#twr|TWR]], which is seen as the acceptable ratio of a rocket. Note that in this situation, the first stage derived from the Kerbal X wouldn't have 4180m/s as the mass to carry is significantly bigger and as such wouldn't prove as efficient.
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The first stage's central engine and relative fuel tank has 2973&nbsp;m/s of Δv, not mentioning the radial ring of boosters which has 1063&nbsp;m/s. This sums up to about 4036&nbsp;m/s, enough to make orbit (3500&nbsp;m/s) with some to spare, making the Kerbal X launch vehicle a suitable option for orbiting small-to-medium payloads. The maximum payload to Kerbin low orbit of the unmodified Kerbal X launch vehicle is slightly less than 24&nbsp;tons.
  
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The second stage has 2494&nbsp;m/s Δv, and the total Δv is 6674&nbsp;m/s.
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The second stage has 2392&nbsp;m/s Δv, and the total Δv is 6428&nbsp;m/s.  This total impulse is sufficient for landing on the [[Mun]] with the piloting skill of the average player, but not for returning to Kerbin afterwards. This is probably intentional: the purpose of the Kerbal X is to present a new player with a flyable and somewhat capable rocket design, that nevertheless needs some improvement in order to be fully successful. However, skilled players have demonstrated that the design as-is will conduct a round-trip [[Mun]]-landing mission.  The Kerbal X is also capable of going into interplanetary orbit, able to land on [[Eve]] or [[Duna]] (or their moons, in which case landing and returning is also possible with careful planning) or fly by any other body.
  
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==Potential uses==
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As the usage of [[electric charge]] increased in version 0.21 because [[reaction wheel]]s now require it, the second stage is now equipped with two [[OX-STAT Photovoltaic Panels]].
  
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{| class="wikitable" style="float:right;"
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{| class="wikitable"
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!
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! 6× Booster
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! Stage 1
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! Stage 2
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! Stage 3
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|-
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| Engine
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| [[LV-T45 Liquid Fuel Engine]]
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| [[Rockomax "Mainsail" Liquid Engine]]
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| [[Rockomax "Poodle" Liquid Engine]]
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| none
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|-
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| [[Radial size|Diameter]]
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| {{Radial Size|s}}
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| {{Radial Size|l}}
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| {{Radial Size|l}}
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| {{Radial Size|l}}
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|-
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| Mass (t)
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| 9.05
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| 60.52
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| 11.70
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| 4.42
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|-
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| Burn time (s)
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| 13.7, 29.7 (+16), 49.8 (+16, +19.8) <ref group="Note">After dropping one booster pair the next one fed all engines except the previous (dropped) two engines causing a longer burn time.</ref><ref group="Note" name="as" /> <!-- KER 1.0.18.0, KSP 1.0.4 -->
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| 97.3 <ref group="Note" name="as" /> <!-- KER 1.0.18.0, KSP 1.0.4 -->
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| 109.8 <!-- KER 1.0.18.0, KSP 1.0.4 -->
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| 0
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|-
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| Δv (m/s, vac)
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| 1063
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| 2973
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| 2392
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| 0
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|}
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{{Stages table notes|y}}
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== Capabilities ==
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{| class="wikitable float-right"
 
! Action !! Δv (m/s) !! Feasible
 
! Action !! Δv (m/s) !! Feasible
 
|-
 
|-
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|Orbit || 4500 || {{Yes}}
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|Orbit || 3500 || {{Yes}}
 
|-
 
|-
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|Munar Injection || 910 || {{Yes}}
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|Munar injection and capture || 1170 || {{Yes}}
 
|-
 
|-
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|Mun Landing || 1000 || {{Yes}}
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|Mun landing || 580|| {{Yes}}
 
|-
 
|-
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|Mun surface orbit || 700 || {{No}}
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|Mun surface orbit || 580|| {{Yes}}
 
|-
 
|-
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|Mun orbit return || ? || {{No}}
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|Mun orbit return || 310 || {{Yes}}
 
|-
 
|-
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|Minmus Injection || 1010 || {{Yes}}
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|Minmus injection and capture || 1090 || {{Yes}}
 
|-
 
|-
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|Minmus Landing || ? || ?&nbsp;Unkown
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|Minmus landing || 300 || {{Yes}}
 
|-
 
|-
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|Solar orbit injection || 1400 || {{Yes}}
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|Solar orbit injection || 950|| {{Yes}}
 
|-
 
|-
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|Interplanetary travel || ? || {{No}}
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|Interplanetary travel || 90+ || {{Yes}}
 
|}
 
|}
  
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The ability of the Kerbal X to reach orbit with a relatively small rocket for a medium payload (16&nbsp;t), is significant in its reliability as bigger rockets tends to be more prone to exploding randomly or being unsuited for space travel. The two-stage to orbit leaves no debris and could be economically healthly when in-game budget is implemented.
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The ability of the Kerbal X to reach orbit with a relatively small rocket for a medium payload (24&nbsp;t) is significant in its reliability as bigger rockets tends to be more prone to exploding randomly or being unsuited for space travel. The two-stage to orbit rarely leaves any debris (the Mainsail first stage, if the ascent profile was efficient, may remain in [[Kerbin]] orbit), and is quite cost effective in career mode, though a rocket with solid boosters could do the same job at a lower price.
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 +
The Kerbal X is also suited to place payloads in a [[synchronous orbit]] around Kerbin as it has the required Δv to do so and deorbit thereafter.
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With the help of [[Tutorial: Gravity Assist|gravitational assists]] it is possible to reach other planets or moons without changing the configuration.
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 +
=== Modified ===
  
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Interesting use of the Kerbal X, with added RCS and a docking port (+SAS), is a space station docker, allowing crew transfers or module delivery and docking as the ship has a good marge of additionnal weight it can carries. If placed properly, the RCS thrusters assures an easy docking and the low chance of failure justifies the uses of the Kerbal X as a crew transfer ship has the chance of seeing the crew being killed near zero.
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An interesting use of the Kerbal X, with added RCS and a docking port, is a space station crew transfer vehicle, allowing crew transfers or module delivery and docking as the ship has a good margin of additional weight it can carry to [[LKO]]. If placed properly, the RCS thrusters assure an easy docking and the low chance of failure justifies the uses of the Kerbal X as a crew transfer ship. To fully make the X into a crew transfer vehicle, one should remove any lander-related parts, such as the legs and ladders.
  
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Another uses of the Kerbal X would be to land on the moon, with added basic functionnalities such as RCS, SAS and docking port, it would be fairly easy to refuel the ship in Kerbin orbit, possibly with another Kerbal X, and fly it to the Mun, land and eventually come back, or at least, go back to Munar orbit.
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For the docking port, one should use radial parachutes to make room for a Clamp-o-Tron docking port (it is not advised to use the Shielded version in order to make room for a Launch Escape System).
  
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If one would be willing to be upgrade the Kerbal X, adding a small intermediate stage that can almost finish orbit would be a big increase in performance as 12% of the fuel is used to finish orbit in optimal situation (accounting you used exactly 4500m/s to make orbit). Of course, one willing to use the Kerbal X often must absolutely add both RCS and SAS.
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Another upgrade is to replace the LV-T45s with LV-T30s because it allows an additional payload of 1.5 tons from the reduced mass of the T30s (0.25t more payload per engine replaced).
  
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The Kerbal X would also be suited to place payloads in geosynchronous orbit as it has the required Δv to do so and deorbit thereafter.
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{{SpoilerBox
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|description=Easter egg
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|content=In the [[Scenarios|scenario]] Station One, there is a spacecraft named [[Kerbal XX]] in orbit around [[Duna]]. It is similar in design to the '''Kerbal X''' but it only has the upper stage and it has a [[LV-N Atomic Rocket Motor|LV-N "Nerv" Atomic Rocket Motor]] instead of a [[Rockomax "Poodle" Liquid Engine|Rockomax RE-L 10 Poodle Engine]]. It is completely flyable.}}
  
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[[Category:Stock crafts]]
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{{Stock craft}}
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[[Category:Stock craft]]

Latest revision as of 21:36, 2 February 2022

Kerbal X on the Launch Pad (1.7)

The Kerbal X is a stock rocket available to all players in sandbox mode. It is a reliable, all-around ship capable of reaching orbit fairly easily and thus is a good way for new players who have issues building their own ships to make it into orbit. It has a total mass of 130.94 t and has 74 parts with the launch clamps. It has no RCS capabilities. Between 0.21 and 0.25, it had SAS capability, but 0.90's change to SAS (to make it dependent on pilot skill) means it doesn't have SAS anymore.

Craft Description

“ The Kerbal X is one of the most successful rockets that can be ordered from a catalog. Despite the original design having been meant for a plastic model, it's proved itself quite dependable as a full-sized craft.
The X is capable of achieving orbit around Kerbin, and even features a very optimistic set of landing legs on its upper stage.

— Squad

 ”

Staging

Kerbal X after dropping all boosters and shortly before advancing to stage 2

The first stage is comprised of three Rockomax X200-32 Fuel Tanks and a Rockomax "Mainsail" Liquid Engine. Also, six liquid fuel boosters are staged in an Asparagus design. It has aerodynamic surfaces and a strong structure. The first stage is easily capable of launching the second stage into a suborbital trajectory, with a good horizontal speed at around 90 km, thus making it easy for the second stage to make orbit. However, skilled players may be able to push the second stage of the spacecraft into low orbit without completely expending the first stage. The full stage with all of its boosters has 2700 kN of thrust, for a thrust-to-weight ratio (TWR) of 2.102. The sole Mainsail and relative fuel tank has a TWR of 1.995 (the total mass of the Kerbal X at that time is 76.64 t).

The upper stage is a large diameter Rockomax X200-16 Fuel Tank plus a Rockomax "Poodle" Liquid Engine, and the final re-entry stage consists of only a Mk1-2 Command Pod with a Mk16-XL Parachute. As the upper stage also has landing legs (LT-2 Landing Struts to be specific) and a ladder, and it is hinted by the menu screen where a wreckage similar to the Kerbal X can sometimes be seen, one can deduce that it was intended to land on the Mun. It is capable of doing so, but it barely has enough fuel to get the crew back home.

Specifications

The Kerbal X in a 150 km orbit around Kerbin

The first stage's central engine and relative fuel tank has 2973 m/s of Δv, not mentioning the radial ring of boosters which has 1063 m/s. This sums up to about 4036 m/s, enough to make orbit (3500 m/s) with some to spare, making the Kerbal X launch vehicle a suitable option for orbiting small-to-medium payloads. The maximum payload to Kerbin low orbit of the unmodified Kerbal X launch vehicle is slightly less than 24 tons.

The second stage has 2392 m/s Δv, and the total Δv is 6428 m/s. This total impulse is sufficient for landing on the Mun with the piloting skill of the average player, but not for returning to Kerbin afterwards. This is probably intentional: the purpose of the Kerbal X is to present a new player with a flyable and somewhat capable rocket design, that nevertheless needs some improvement in order to be fully successful. However, skilled players have demonstrated that the design as-is will conduct a round-trip Mun-landing mission. The Kerbal X is also capable of going into interplanetary orbit, able to land on Eve or Duna (or their moons, in which case landing and returning is also possible with careful planning) or fly by any other body.

As the usage of electric charge increased in version 0.21 because reaction wheels now require it, the second stage is now equipped with two OX-STAT Photovoltaic Panels.

6× Booster Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3
Engine LV-T45 Liquid Fuel Engine Rockomax "Mainsail" Liquid Engine Rockomax "Poodle" Liquid Engine none
Diameter Small Large Large Large
Mass (t) 9.05 60.52 11.70 4.42
Burn time (s) 13.7, 29.7 (+16), 49.8 (+16, +19.8) [Note 1][Note 2] 97.3 [Note 2] 109.8 0
Δv (m/s, vac) 1063 2973 2392 0
  1. ↑ After dropping one booster pair the next one fed all engines except the previous (dropped) two engines causing a longer burn time.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 All engines of the booster and first stage ignite at the same time.

Capabilities

Action Δv (m/s) Feasible
Orbit 3500 Yes
Munar injection and capture 1170 Yes
Mun landing 580 Yes
Mun surface orbit 580 Yes
Mun orbit return 310 Yes
Minmus injection and capture 1090 Yes
Minmus landing 300 Yes
Solar orbit injection 950 Yes
Interplanetary travel 90+ Yes

The ability of the Kerbal X to reach orbit with a relatively small rocket for a medium payload (24 t) is significant in its reliability as bigger rockets tends to be more prone to exploding randomly or being unsuited for space travel. The two-stage to orbit rarely leaves any debris (the Mainsail first stage, if the ascent profile was efficient, may remain in Kerbin orbit), and is quite cost effective in career mode, though a rocket with solid boosters could do the same job at a lower price.

The Kerbal X is also suited to place payloads in a synchronous orbit around Kerbin as it has the required Δv to do so and deorbit thereafter.

With the help of gravitational assists it is possible to reach other planets or moons without changing the configuration.

Modified

An interesting use of the Kerbal X, with added RCS and a docking port, is a space station crew transfer vehicle, allowing crew transfers or module delivery and docking as the ship has a good margin of additional weight it can carry to LKO. If placed properly, the RCS thrusters assure an easy docking and the low chance of failure justifies the uses of the Kerbal X as a crew transfer ship. To fully make the X into a crew transfer vehicle, one should remove any lander-related parts, such as the legs and ladders.

For the docking port, one should use radial parachutes to make room for a Clamp-o-Tron docking port (it is not advised to use the Shielded version in order to make room for a Launch Escape System).

Another upgrade is to replace the LV-T45s with LV-T30s because it allows an additional payload of 1.5 tons from the reduced mass of the T30s (0.25t more payload per engine replaced).

Spoiler: Easter egg
In the scenario Station One, there is a spacecraft named Kerbal XX in orbit around Duna. It is similar in design to the Kerbal X but it only has the upper stage and it has a LV-N "Nerv" Atomic Rocket Motor instead of a Rockomax RE-L 10 Poodle Engine. It is completely flyable.
 
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Planes
 
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