Apollo, but everything is tiny (Or: "Low Tech Apollo") - KSP 🚀

This week was the anniversary of Apollo 15 my dudes, and next week is Neil Armstrong's birthday! Felt appropriate to do something Apollo-y, so I decided to try my hand at making everything as small as possible!
Buy my clothes!............►goo.gl/bVprwh
Instagram......................► / mattlowne
Twitter............................► / matt_lowne
Discord...........................► / discord
Patreon...........................►goo.gl/lLDt79
Second channel.............►goo.gl/cww3Ik
This video is intended for audiences 13+ years old for the following reasons.
#Apollo #KSP #Recreation
Craft file:
mega.nz/file/1...

[@Azzarii]

Matt: ''I want them to have some sort of luxury'' Also Matt: *Straps a chair to a gas tank with some scaffolding as landing legs*

[@theotherside931]

*Well, doesn't sound bad sitting next to a gas tank in use.*

[@Bluefox-Dev]

*while your life support is your suit*

[@Kellan0453]

robot gameplay yessir

[@3ctjhseolere]

@@Bluefox-Dev Is the guidance, navigation and control his brain?

[@TeamGrimm07]

Yes

[@alex57633]

Sea Dragon! Now that you can have the open ended fairings for 'engine bells'

[@dragur3077]

Yes! I would love to see that

[@redstonecat1232]

Yesss!

[@BingusTheWockis]

That is a brilliant idea! I'm going to make my own Sea Dragon now haha

[@spacebeans4985]

thanks i'ma steal your idea

[@theolivegaming4503]

Sea dragon is a creature in subnautica

[@MrSWEETJohnny]

Honestly I'd love to see a career mode play through, maybe pick up a tip or two 👀

[@oogityboogity6644]

Would love to see a career mode play through he could probably make it seem a lot more fun.

[@prcvl]

I think it could be more interesting with some mods that make it harder

[@Aereto]

I remember in my KSP career mode runs that instead of rockets to space, I built airplanes doing contracts for science while collecting as much science when possible.

[@hubertszy]

@@prcvl Do You mean Real Solar System mod? :D

[@prcvl]

@@hubertszy Yeah, but also some other good mods like outer space and procedural parts

[@Emir-wd8bs]

Can we buy apollo? Mom: We have apollo at home Apollo At Home:

[@crissylopez1110]

13 or 11

[@crissylopez1110]

?

[@Emir-wd8bs]

@@crissylopez1110 DOES IT MATTER AT ALL

[@fortyforty-seven1061]

yes, definitely

[@David-vz4yk]

Crissy Lopez Apollo 1....

[@arjun_amin]

No matter what mode, I think we’d all like LOWNE AEROSPACE 3: THE THIRD ONE.

[@krakenite8444]

and its carrer mode?

[@arjun_amin]

maybe

[@Ze_Boss07]

KSP playthrough, in Career mode, in RSS,

[@jeffamo]

or the second second one

[@Giantsquid-kf8zh]

I thought Mat Lowne was becoming Shadow Zone with all of the big spacecrafts he’s been building. Now he’s turning in Bradly Winstance

[@ProGamer_69420]

sort of a mix of both, you can also say…. *his own style.*

[@eekee6034]

Bradley Whistance made the biggest craft before he made the smallest. For instance, he built something like the Empire State Building and took it on a Jool 5 mission.

[@Sam-JS]

5:50 space polar bears you say? sounds like something merch worthy *Cough cough*

[@PistachioCracker]

Yep definitely

[@Carnasa]

An electronic music producer I listen to has a fascination with space bears, has branded his entire image around them (and has a song called space bears). He’s currently working on a first person shooter all about it.

[@ditsokar4168]

90% of players don't go past the mun Me having done a soft unmanned landing on duna : hehehe well guess I'm good at something after all

[@moraleschavezemilio1344]

I thought the same thing after hearing that XD

[@alwinstock8795]

Me with 2 unmanned missions: oh well im not actually that bad Edit: i can go anywhere now..

[@Truescreen]

Does Minmus count?

[@omsi-fanmark]

Keep going. There is a lot to be learned and not going past Mun / Minmus just means many people are just too lazy to do so.

[@ditsokar4168]

Furthest flyby I have done I think it's dres

[@carlhostner7261]

Nasa: THE BIGGER THE BETTER!!!! Matt: Smoll

[@alwinstock8795]

Smol bois

[@omsi-fanmark]

Elon Musk: "The best part is *no* part." 😁

[@pianoraves]

@@omsi-fanmark *Straps 29 engines on first stage*

[@omsi-fanmark]

@@pianoraves Not yet. ;-) Also, he was talking about avoiding UNNECCESSARY parts.

[@pianoraves]

@@omsi-fanmark true. And the nine 1-D already payed off in one flight.

[@light6666]

"this is the smallest posible craft" *laughs in 13 ton mini rocket*

[@Sharpless2]

watch brad whistance make a 900kg rocket to jool and back

[@Hlebuw3k]

Laughs in 1 kerbal 0 ton kracken launcher

[@johnt3606]

*Laughs in averages Kerbal sized space shuttle*

[@tooktookdamuffin]

When you accidentally add 9 zeros to your school projects budget...

[@seantaggart7382]

In front or back?

[@jimmysavile69]

@@seantaggart7382 Back

[@pugs6357]

Yeah just make a smol rocket to the moon

[@pugs6357]

The ultimate school project

[@tossicamckinnon]

@@pugs6357 lol

[@Hlebuw3k]

"The average viewer attention on this channel is 3 minutes" I guess im more loyal than average

[@simonkimberly6956]

Praise be matt lowne!

[@BingusTheWockis]

I bet that's because people watch the assembly portion over again for their own builds

[@casual235]

Meh to

[@chickenspaceprogram]

Me too... and I don't even play KSP! (no, i don't play planet coaster either!) I play a space game called Spaceflight Simulator, it's for phones and is free, but you can buy a $7 expansion pack with better parts (used to be $4, but things change...)

[@trucksarenoisy]

@@chickenspaceprogram be careful the chickens need snacks too

[@SpaceDave1337]

Pfft who needs notification squad when you can have the "watched the video longer than the 3 minutes everyone else is watching" Btw I'd watch Career mode

[@Sharpless2]

id watch career mode as well.

[@krakenite8444]

@@Sharpless2 same

[@dnglchlk]

*nasa watches video* Admin: "Why are we making Artemis so expensive? Why can't SLS be like this?" Engineer: "It's cheap but it's also not safe, we can't possibly do that" Admin: "But it's cheap." Engineer: "You're right let's do it"

[@minimumsolow.7535]

Stonks > Lives

[@benjaminpujol711]

Ksp

[@BingusTheWockis]

^^ The soviet space program summed up ^^

[@VMMP531]

Dun, Dun, DUUUUUUUN!

[@colorbz1888]

@@BingusTheWockis HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[@jeffvader811]

"Apollo, you're shorter than I expected."

[@Doctor699]

"Your lightrockets will make a fine addition to my collection."

[@molecule8611]

*COUGH COUGH*

[@InventorZahran]

"Aren't you a bit short for a Saturn V?"

[@exoticsaga-1238]

You: give comment *Apollo reads it on Olympus Apollo: I'm about to get really unhappy, and you're about to get really unhealthy. *asks Zeus to zap you with his master bolt *zaps you and sets fire to your new air jordans You: Curses Apollo and he tries to kill you for the rest of your life

[@exoticsaga-1238]

call out to all demigods: tell apollo that I love him

[@burgerbacon1451]

New title: *"Extreme Budget Apollo Mission"*

[@tomr3422]

I think we need a Kerbal deathstar - so Matt can live out his "Darth Lowne" fantasy

[@samsonguy10k]

That has a mass driver to launch asteroids at planets.

[@wilk746]

10:44 That statistic drove me to actually open up KSP and land on Duna for the first time. Thanks, Matt.

[@skydarkbomber1728]

"very smoll craft"

[@zntei2374]

ok so basically im very smol

[@lanikilchrist2399]

Ok so basically, sm0l apollo

[@codygaming181]

smol*

[@jimmysavile69]

@Vaughn he ultra gay

[@shadelz3305]

I would LOVE a heavily nodded career mode series.

[@Treeman1]

agreed a nodded series would be pretty epik

[@sam99960]

when kerbin experiences the apocalypse and has to evacuate EVERONE to the mun

[@charliefrater7143]

You could say, "this video was smaller than I expected"

[@dat1pengu1n]

hehehhehehe

[@ryanspence5831]

*_General Grievous. You're shorter than I expected._*

[@RubenvanKuik]

If there's going to be a new series/save, I'd love to see one that highlights the KSP Interstellar Extended mod and Kopernicus + a planet pack. There's very few good tutorials on it and it's fun to gather the insane amounts of science needed for interstellar missions.

[@ConsciousAtoms]

2:58 "so its gonna complete our actual ascension" - I knew it! Jeb IS the Messiah :). Maybe "ascent" was the word you were looking for, but I like this version better!

[@anonymous_bacon2383]

I love such low tech kind of missions, matt. Please do make more of these kinds of videos

[@sirbob430]

12:26 when I attempted that, the force of the decoupling set my kerbin periapsis to about 60 kilometers, so I figured I could just wait until I finally could land. But then the Mun had other plans, and gravity “assisted” me into a stable orbit. Jebadiah Kerman was never heard from again...

[@PistachioCracker]

Put him put out of his misery 😭😂😆

[@sirbob430]

Gus Guz_gaming Yeah I had to terminate the craft. Luckily he’s immortal and respawned in a couple of hours

[@lachlanthomas4179]

The 90% of players not going past the mun would have included me if I had not found your videos.

[@gash06]

In response to when you said "90% of players don't make it past the mun". After a good week of playing the game when I first got it, I didn't even see myself getting into earth's orbit. Just over a month later, I'm comfortably docking crafts, mining planets, building stations around Jool and just about to do the Tylo Rally. It's a very tough game. But videos like yours actually helped me learn the game as it doesn't really teach you as you play. And plus I play on xbox so even that has its drawbacks.

[@ber936]

Funnily enough, I did almost this exact mission in my stock RSS save, but with 3 launches, each of around 750 tons. The lander and CSM looked almost exactly like yours.

[@maorbar6957]

When nasa didnt have enough money This is sarcastic so just dont take it seriously

[@danboy12342]

so right now?

[@t2hk_]

@@danboy12342 for quite a few decades now actually if only America sent more funds to space exploration than to military.. we'd probably already have the first settlement on Mars

[@fridaycaliforniaa236]

@@t2hk_ So true...

[@codygaming181]

They still get funded like 2 billion dollars or something

[@t2hk_]

@@codygaming181 yes, but they need like 20 to 40 billion dollars just for a moon settlement

[@Red-dz6ix]

Forget “low tech tree parts”. Let’s see solid rockets only Duna lander 😉

[@jacko5451]

nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[@seagotsick]

Jeb says yus

[@DarthMerlin]

Another reason to get science after you unlock the entire tech tree: certain Strategies in the Administration Building will actually pay you funds for science, which comes in handy in the later game when contracts aren't as frequent.

[@hydrolox3953]

The radial mounted engines on your first stage are called "Twitch engines". im not kidding

[@qbradq]

I love low tech builds! Just yesterday I was looking for a low tech ssto design and really wanted to find a video from you 😁

[@The_Egomaniac]

Love the Mk.1 parts above all in KSP!

[@dmichaell]

I've used these videos to learn so much. Even the simple task of docking 🤦‍♂️. Makes the game so much better when you can actually accomplish more than just direct flights to the mun and back. Thanks Matt!

[@jamesmanger4392]

Great video, Matt. Would love to see more small/low tech missions in the future. Also, props for docking the hard way! Definitely a nice change of pace.

[@ВикторФирсов-е9ф]

This zooming makes watching on phone so much better! Thanks, Matt)

[@0xC47P1C3]

I’ve been lurking your channel for a couple months since I started playing KSP. After listening to you work/yt grind you gained a sub. Keep it up man!

[@laytonvu8957]

I’ve been watching so much of Matt Lowne I might develop a British accent. Edit: you people are mean.

[@kituschownus4335]

Brutish? No, I don't think that's an accent old chap.

[@the_jcbone]

Meanwhile, I still hear that music in the background. Phantom music.

[@butchboyyt2267]

You might? I already have

[@tetie_]

I hope u also learn to spell. (No hate)

[@aquabob9335]

Same with Lucifer for me!

[@JohnsontheFly]

Good progress being made on not going on long tangents, I appreciate it!

[@pixieloco]

love the minimalist approach.

[@Doctor699]

So a Mercury style capsule, on a transmunar trajectory, launched in an Apollo all up ascent profile, landing a single Kerbinaut on the Mun on a tin can which looks like a Soviet LK lander. And you made it all work flawlessly.

[@Cruzz999]

Career mode would lend itself perfectly well to a youtube series, I think. The only caveat is that it needs to be more of a consistent story, justify whatever grinding you need to do by explaining how funding is limited, etc etc. Find out ways to earn vast amounts of money (potentially mods to add rare and valuable resources to asteroids etc), and explain why you need to do them. Having to consider cost for missions is a lovely extra challenge.

[@ommurg5059]

Honestly low tech high ambition is what I love. You can accomplish anything in this game by adding huge tanks and boosters, but the true elegance an difficulty for me comes from tailoring a craft just right to suit a mission.

[@_colonial_]

Really enjoyed watching this while waiting for the interplanetary transfers on my Jool-5 entry to complete!

[@Closer2Zero]

Id love to see small scale/low tech missions to all the coolest places in the system. i dont play the game myself so it would be super interesting to get a tour thru the system set of videos

[@MattLowne]

I'm definitely considering Eeloo! Probably Duna too. I've done a couple of low-tech Gilly missions already

[@Closer2Zero]

@@MattLowne Wonderful! I dont even know which bodies those are xD I do remember your various base set up missions on various bodies was alot of fun when i went back and watched them. it was nice to start to understand the kerbal system from my outsider perspective. Like i said, ive never played and dont play on it for the time being. but its fun to watch

[@camerondon3712]

@@Closer2Zero Duna is the equivalent of Mars, while Eeloo is the equivalent of Pluto, as I would imagine.

[@matthewreynolds8068]

The fact that Matt does these videos while working full time. He's an absolute Mad Lad! 👏👏 (Edit: I've learned a lot about maneuvers just from watching these Matte Lowne missions, and I too can never really seem to get bored of KSP. Orbital mechanics are fascinating, and I love watching 🚀 launches. It never gets old!)

[@Valentine_Valley]

"Apollo on a budget of the same people who created the room"

[@cygntauri2348]

A low tech mission to Eeloo or one of Jool's moons would be amazing, i'd love that

[@siriusa4404]

4:48: Beardy Penguin: I' m 4 Paralel universes ahead of you.

[@eliaskjrbo8142]

Matt: what is the smallest apollo mission you can do? Me: *puts an engine a fuel tank and a capsule* you’re going to the moon bucko

[@brijekavervix7340]

-tfw the furthest I've been is Dres (or Gilly, in the other direction) and I still consider myself a noob (I mean, I only got the game earlier this year!) -tfw 90% of players don't go beyond the Mun. ... Am I underestimating myself?

[@TheTrueMichael]

Imo yes. You really underestimate yourself. The only places I went, since quite a while ago really, is duna and mun (except kerbin orbits and out of the system) and I'm technically not fully a noob. You made it far. You are a good player. Congrats on your achievements! YOU are GREAT, you are NOT a NOOB!

[@brijekavervix7340]

@@TheTrueMichael tbh, in the 5 months since I wrote that comment I have visited every system except Eeloo and built working SSTOs. By comparison, younger me still feels very noobish. Nonetheless, it never ceases to amaze me how many people comment on Matt's vids that they've never been beyond the Mun (or never even achieved Kerbin orbit). Like, with how staggeringly easy that is once you've done it a few times, it makes me wonder if those people simply don't actually play the game (or played it once, crashed then gave up etc...). Like really, once you've unlocked the tech tree, all you need to go to most places in KSP is the will to do so. Just do it!

[@jasonnemeroff3353]

I would like to see more low-tech missions. I'm a fan of seeing how rudimentary I can make my craft and still get the task done.

[@97marqedman]

I enjoy watching missions like this. They’re all entertaining to me, but stuff like this is more in my “current skills wheelhouse” so to speak.

[@mattr7994]

Hey Matt, I’ve been watching for 2 or 3 years now, and I would LOVE to see a Lowne Aerospace career mode series.

[@kspforlife9536]

Every build leaves me in awe cause I can barely reach space without any amount from 2 to 3 engines blowing up

[@nevadatorres2865]

Matt , literally whatever you make is entertaining. Do you , do what you want

[@thetobi583]

Yeah, low to mid tech stuff sounds fun and informative, as that's where my KSP knowledge currently extends

[@tyxfit]

"MERR WEEHH, FURRST, I'M FURRRST"

[@viktorvanchov3093]

Hahahahahhaha underrated. I mean it can't be rated becaudr it's posted 30 seconds ago

[@tyxfit]

@@viktorvanchov3093 Top kek

[@alwinstock8795]

It might be actually true lel

[@3ctjhseolere]

How... comfortable?

[@KC-yk5xe]

i remember when i first land on the mun where I broke 2 landing gears,an engine and forgot to autosave before landing. So i end up spending weeks thinking how will I save the two kerbals i stranded there

[@shaunhoadley2676]

Another great one Matt. I can’t speak for anyone else, but a career mode series would be very welcome from myself.

[@SRFriso94]

3:16 Nah dude, giant Moho SSTO :P

[@Jesin00]

As much as I've loved the more varied high-tech builds you've done, I would also love to see how you handle career mode.

[@richardhussar2521]

Me: Okay just gotta focus and get this assignment done. Matt lurking in my suggestion feed: *Tiny rocket* Me: *Sigh*

[@lucassomerlate7784]

I really like those micro scale/low tech missions. U should do more of them!

[@ConsciousAtoms]

And a tip for your cluttered VAB / SPH: the actual ships are in the directory /saves//ships/SPH and ../VAB. You can archive the contents of those directories in a different directory and get a decluttered VAB / SPH craft file list. The same works for save game files. But seriously: I hope KSP2 will make a decent directory structure for craft files. I have the same problem that you described in that browsing through my list of craft and craft prototypes is becoming very, very tedious.

[@mekafinchi]

Campaign/science friendly rockets are much appreciated

[@SadXM1]

@Matt Lowne Those Smaller Engines on the reliant stage are called "Cub" Enhines

[@carrotylemons1190]

It’s too small... Apollo-gise now

[@3ctjhseolere]

Yes, Gemini-ah should. It's bad, I know.

[@carrotylemons1190]

@@3ctjhseolere Dont worry it was a real space grade pun

[@3ctjhseolere]

@@carrotylemons1190 Thanks.

[@inactive9948]

Wow, that one was out of this world.

[@nbond-hd5db]

This is absolutely NASA-ssary

[@jackboil84]

What about "low-tech-challenges"? like "low-tech to Eeloo"? ^^ edit: i wrote this comment before matt himself actually mentioned "low-tech to Eeloo" xD

[@Twirltong]

Hi Matt, keep up great work ! It would indeed be nice to see how you would succeed in reaching other planets (even eelo) with a low-tech craft

[@tinear4]

Matt, you should definitely do career mode. For one thing, Lowne Lazy Docking (TM) doesn’t work until your pilots get a lot of experience - experience you can’t get until they visit other planets.

[@hexamethylenediamine7934]

You already made a mini apollo recreation, Matt, you rageous rocketeer!

[@daynerogers8133]

Definitely want to see a career series, I could always use the help and inspiration

[@soulman7675]

I think I kind-of agree that there's a "relatability" appeal. All things considered, unless they added some stuff and I missed it, KSP doesn't *directly* teach you much of anything, so it makes sense to me that the Kerbin system is kinda the tutorial sandbox that a lot of people play in. Kerbin orbit is like the beginner tutorial, the Mun/Minmus are like the intermediate tutorial, and if anything Duna is like the advanced tutorial. So, to me, it makes sense that a lot of KSP players would be most fascinated by watching someone do Kerbin system stuff. They have tried or are actively trying to play in this area, so this kind of mission has meaning to them. Meanwhile, a Tylo landing may only appeal to the more learned KSP players that understand the significance of it, either because they have tried it themselves, or because they have the experience to imagine it. It may be in some part an outsider crowd too. People that aren't necessarily KSP players but either know what it is or are being freshly exposed to it. The Kerbin system would be instantly recognizable to these kinds of people. They probably wouldn't watch a Tylo landing because "What even is that and why would I care?" On top of that, they wouldn't search for it because they wouldn't have even heard of it unless they got invested in KSP content. Just my hypothesis. Matt, if you find this buried under all these comments and read, you're a real king. You make some real high-quality KSP content, and you come by it really honestly. Keep up the good work.

[@RailPrime]

Matt you have got know idea how many times I look at your videos section on your channel just waiting for the second you release a ksp video.

[@CanadianTeaMaker]

I wouldn't mind a career mode series. It'd be fun to watch you go through it without things like perfect SAS.

[@kingdededethegod5313]

I would love a low tech tree mission to jool/eeloo, and a low tech spaceplane would be cool

[@adnzip8198]

This rocket looks a lot like an earlier-game rocket, something you would build if you aren’t that far in the tech tree.

[@nousername8162]

Damn, I just realized that this channel has more subscribers that the official ksp channel

[@GhostHostMemories]

I'd like to see a career mode. May even be able to lay along? Also, I think a mission(s) to "clean-up" the space debris would be cool

[@Aereto]

Low-Mid tech runs are nice. In my career runs, I tens to use solid fuel rockets more than liquid rockets for launch engines just to save money while using aerodynamics to handle the control until air is too thin. The thin air is when my rockets start to point straight down due to weight distribution, but solid fuel to into space before orbiting with a significant payload mass is a challenge for a rocket builder.

[@Aerosmith9927]

Hey Matt, what do you use for editing your videos and how long does it normally take? Been thinking of making my own videos for fun in a style similar to yours. Also, what do you do for recording your voice overs? Do you just narrate over the edited/sped up video? Sorry for all the questions and idk if you’ll even see this but just wanted to this opportunity to learn about what it takes to make KSP content.

[@MattLowne]

- I use Sony Vegas to edit - Usually takes 1-4 hours to edit - I edit the entire thing (sped up) and then commentate over it - I will then pause to slow down playback if I need more time to talk about specific things on screen

[@Aerosmith9927]

Matt Lowne Thanks so much Matt, love your work. Definitely will make use of this information! Thanks again!

[@GhalidiusTrident]

"The actual stock apollo rocket that comes with kerbal space program is two stages to orbit as well" the mission saturn V is effectively a multi stage SSTO unless you're talking about the kerbal X.

[@runem5429]

Whenever you find yourself competing with yourself in the field of "small Apollo style mission" KSP videos you know you've become a bit of a capacity on KSP..

[@randoms2222]

hello matt. from your video about 4 years ago teaching me how to do it i finally did an apollo style mission yesterday!

[@JackFroid1]

Hi Matt, carrer mode isn't that much grindy, especially for an experienced player like you, except maybe at the very begining, but you can always give yourself a bit more cash when you start your save. Having to upgrade your buildings and manage cash aslo forces you to be creative in your rocket designs, that's what I love about career mode

[@sf-1_raptor]

Dang, actually just managed a Laythe mission. I don’t feel so bad about not getting there until now after hearing how many folks never leave the Kerbal system.

[@samuel15097]

A starship-style destination Duna mission would be kewl

[@matthewwikaryasz]

Minimalist mission to Eeloo. Take X tonnage to Eeloo on an insanely minimal DeltaV. Using intercepts for the extra DeltaV

[@dafeous7887]

10:50 that’s so true It took me 1 year to accidentally crash onto eve And it took me 3 years to get a probe to Duna intentionally

[@carlsmith2641]

I’ve made landings on Dana, mun, minmus, and gilly. I have put the return ship of my Jool mission in high jool orbit, and once I get the landers and refueling station I can begin my landings.

[@oogityboogity6644]

I just made an Apollo replica and this is great for me to watch while I try to get it to the moon

[@g4l4x83]

hmm, bad comments, “fIRsT”’s everywhere... yep. i’m early

[@cmdrvaneia1498]

A lowest tech as possible SSTA would be both interesting and exceedingly difficult

[@lasarack]

After watching this, I have a feeling a bunch of kids competing in TARC are going to have very similar looking rockets...

[@beckiverson1531]

what I'd like to see is matt sending a perserverance-like rover to layth, complete with sample return schiz

[@FlyingBaco]

I love the videos Matt. I am a new ksp player. I have learned lots of interesting things and i would have never played the game if I never watch your videos

[@sinner5452]

Carrier mode will be awesome i suppose. Atl least you will have some reason to build efficient crafts, tourists cruisers, space stations and other stuff like "bring "37 heatshield to escape trajectory of Ike :)