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This is an UNOFFICIAL wiki for the Bluedog Design Bureau mod for KSP, plus some other bits. Credit for 99% of this goes to the mod authors (Cobaltwolf and JSO for BDB and Benjee for reDirect). I just filled in the gaps. All errors and omissions are strictly mine and nothing to do with the original mod authors. If you spot errors feel free to stick it in an issue ticket and I'll amend. Just don't go bothering the mod authors about it or the mod gods will have to start killing puppies.
This is a game inspired by real events, not a simulation striving for realism.
Quite apart from the massive engineering challenges, space programmes have been riven by political, economic, budgetary and legal issues throughout a long and exciting history. For every rocket that launched into space, there are hundreds of theoretical design concepts that never made it. Many are simple variations on a theme. Some are really interesting. A few are truly bonkers.
This wiki does not claim to cover every US rocket ever conceived. There are plenty of lovingly maintained resources for that. The aim here is to highlight some of the more popular, unique or interesting rockets that can be built using the BDB mod parts (and a few other bits), with instructions for how to put them together and call them roughly the right thing so that you can at least pretend you're playing a credibly realistic space programme.
Most of the Launch Vehicle variants listed flew at least once in reality. Some rockets are included that never actually reached production but might have done if different historical decisions had been made. These are clearly marked to avoid confusion.
It's mighty confusing for the uninitiated. When is a Thor a Delta? Is Delta the upper stage or the whole rocket? What is the difference between Atlas Centaur and Common Centaur? Is it Common Booster Core or Common Core Booster? Why is Saturn II a later version than Saturn V but not the same as Saturn MLV? Why can I find no reference to Saturn IC? Is Juno I the same as Juno II the same as Jupiter the same as Redstone? Who ate all the snacks anyway?
BDB uses Kerbalised names by default, which can make it quite challenging to cross reference with real life rockets. The historical background notes and variants refer to rockets by their real names but the tags and build guides use Kerbalised names to make finding parts in the VAB easier.
The process of getting a payload into orbit goes something like this:
- Launch rocket into space.
- Boost the payload into a "parking orbit" - typically by circularizing at the Apoapsis.
- Boost the payload into an elliptical "transfer orbit" by raising Ap to the final desired altitude (or escape velocity if going interplanetary)
- Kick the payload into final orbit by raising Pe to the final desired altitude.
Typically the first stage will launch the rocket into the upper atmosphere and the second stage will circularize. "Apogee kick motors" are small, cheap and reliable solid rocket motors such as the BDB Staara (Star), which are used for boosting payloads the final two steps when they reach the apoapsis (apogee). Some upper stage designs can deliver a payload direct to it's final orbit. This requires the engine to be able to restart multiple times, which requires more complex engineering and thus more prone to going wrong (though this is not an issue in KSP unless you're running a parts failure mod).
Calculating the exact burn time needed for solid rocket motors is challenging. Thankfully BDB SRMs can be manually shut down once the desired altitude has been reached (using Part Action Window, an Action Hotkey or a mod like Smartparts). It is recommended to include an Orbital Adjustment Module (such as the HAPS/PIBS or Athena OAMS) to tweak your orbit & trajectory before releasing the payload.
