[1.0.2] Single Engine To Orbit (SETO) challenge.

[mattihase]

SETO CHALLENGE!

Challenge: create the lightest crewed craft capable of reaching low kerbin orbit you can using no more than one engine.

Additional rules:

no RCS thrusters

the craft must be able to return safely to kerbin with it's engine intact.

I am currently working on my own submission, pictured above.

Current Leaderboard:

1st: Totalitor at 4.44 tons

2nd: Foxster at 4.46 tons

3rd: Triop at 8.23 tons

4th: Tomas H at 9.415 tons

5th: T3HJimmer at 9.46 tons

6th: Kagame at 10.68 tons

7th: Alberto de beni at 14.2 tons

8th: me (mattihase) at 16.5 tons

Edited July 1, 2015 by mattihase
re-jigging leaderboard

[Ojimak]

Does "crewed" mean inside a command pod or are the external seats allowed?

[mattihase]

Does "crewed" mean inside a command pod or are the external seats allowed?

i don't see why they wouldn't be. go ahead!

[mattihase]

the N00by OP's attempt: Mass? 16.5 tons

since i posted the challenge i've somewhat changed my design from the example, i haven't got round to giving it a name but i have taken off the chutes and top reaction wheel to save on weight. i originally wanted to parachute the drop tanks down a la the space shuttle boosters but gave up on that.

how did i launch it? i take off from the launch pad at full throttle and at maybe 100m up slightly tilt the prograde vector to the east then point the craft straight up again.

after the first drop tanks have... dropped, funnily enough, i tilt the craft over slowly so that it's about halfway to 45 degrees east when the tanks run out at hopefully 12 km up.

for the next stage i continued thrusting towards the surface prograde vector till 18 km up when i switched to orbital mode and burned in the bottom of that prograde for a bit before just going for the centre.

this got me to space with an Apoapsis of a bit over 80, i created a node and although the node read 16 seconds past experience has taught me that for some reason 7-8 hundred m/s delta v in this craft takes 12 seconds yet the prediction is always at 16 before i fire up the engine. i guess that that's a bug.

anyway i get into orbit with a suprising amount of fuel left.

so then i try to be all fancy and land at the KSC

yeaaaahNOPE, some batteries explode but they're neither crew or the engine so i'm fine.

and i bring the ship down under 4 drogue chutes, one small paracute and some help from the engine.

as you can see it has splashed down intact sans batteries and with a little fuel left.

and that was my attempt. it's probably not the best way to go about this (as i hope the rest of you will prove) but seeing as it inspired this challenge and took all day i'm sharing this with you anyway.

Here is the craft file.

Edited June 19, 2015 by mattihase
embiggening title

[dewkiller72]

Nice solar eclipce in picture 2

[Alberto De Beni]

14.2T without clamps, not the lightest possible, but i wanted to make it cool.

Only 3 parts out of 18 are discarded, all the rest is recoverable

Download:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/n0a8psdvcf7z7oi/S_E_T_O_.craft?dl=0

Action groups 1: decouple main fuel tank

Edited June 20, 2015 by Alberto De Beni

[TheSpaceKenguin]

Can I use mechjeb? I'm not necessarily the best pilot, andni want to get as effecient as possible. I wouldn't say it is cheating since this challenge is based off of building

[t3hJimmer]

Here is my submission:

"Dayman"

17 parts

9.46 tons at take off

Powered by a single RAPIER

Take off and landing from the KSC runway

Javascript is disabled. View full album

I ended up landing with plenty of extra fuel.

Cheers!

[mattihase]

Can I use mechjeb? I'm not necessarily the best pilot, andni want to get as effecient as possible. I wouldn't say it is cheating since this challenge is based off of building

yes go ahead.

i'd say that mods are ok to use... as long as it isn't an engine edited to have a billion thrust and isp.

[Thomas H.]

Not realy progress (the Jimmer would just need ro drain the fuel bevor lunch to beet my 9.415t's)

But it was fun.

- - - Updated - - -

Well not really progress, but it was fun doing it.

9.415t MK2 single RAPIER Design.

[Alberto De Beni]

Isn't using rapiers kinda cheating since they are technically 2 different engines?

[TheSpaceKenguin]

yes go ahead.

i'd say that mods are ok to use... as long as it isn't an engine edited to have a billion thrust and isp.

Ok, working on my design right now!

[Triop]

Single rapier, 5 parts 8.23 T.

Nice challenge, I liked it !

[Foxster]

The Floppy Woppy. 5.053t (and could probably be shaved down)...

Update...

I kinda like this version as it flies better, has more dV left in orbit and does come in a little less at 4.990t...

Update 2...One last effort with this design at 4.768t...

Edited June 21, 2015 by Foxster

[Triop]

5.053t....Dang it, I need to go back to the drawing table

But how did you get that Kerbal in there ? Should'nt there be a pod or something for him to climb out first ?

And if so does that weight of the pod then not count ?

Edited June 20, 2015 by Triop

[Triop]

So I came up with this....4.68 T

Only problem I have now is getting it in to orbit, LOL (not gonna happen...)

[t3hJimmer]

the Jimmer would just need ro drain the fuel bevor lunch to beet my 9.415t's

You son of a b*tch

[Foxster]

5.053t....Dang it, I need to go back to the drawing table

But how did you get that Kerbal in there ? Should'nt there be a pod or something for him to climb out first ?

And if so does that weight of the pod then not count ?

I think its generally agreed for challenges not to count whatever it takes to get a Kerbal into a command seat. Same way that launch stability enhancers aren't. As long as once used they are discarded and provide no fuel or lift.

Edited June 20, 2015 by Foxster

[Triop]

Thanx Fox, learning something every day.

[rocx]

The Floppy Woppy. 5.053t (and could probably be shaved down)...

I see your 5,053t (and your feeble attempts at 4,768t and 4,68t) and raise you 4,1125 tons... WITH A CAPSULE!

Javascript is disabled. View full album

For some reason I named my craft Jeb's Finger. Perhaps because it appears to give the finger to the other runway on the island.

I have spent a lot of time trying to get Jeb into orbit on a Spark engine, but I always fall short about 200m/s. Respect if someone manages it.

[Foxster]

I see your 5,053t (and your feeble attempts at 4,768t and 4,68t) and raise you 4,1125 tons... WITH A CAPSULE!

http://imgur.com/a/ujJgC

For some reason I named my craft Jeb's Finger. Perhaps because it appears to give the finger to the other runway on the island.

I have spent a lot of time trying to get Jeb into orbit on a Spark engine, but I always fall short about 200m/s. Respect if someone manages it.

With no 'chute you are not going to meet the rules of the challenge. Gotta get it down OK.

Edited June 21, 2015 by Foxster

[rocx]

Ouch, missed that! I'll try again tomorrow.

[Kagame]

Mine's not really tailor-made for this competition, but I thought I'd enter it anyways as the first 1.0.3 entry.

Javascript is disabled. View full album

10.68 tons. Meh.

[rocx]

My new try, now in 1.0.3! 7 parts, 5,1025 tons, "Try again, Jeb". As imgur is still not working for me, here are some old-fashioned pictures:

Here's the ship. More than enough liquid fuel, but oxidiser was quite tight, so a little Oscar is added.

Starting TWR is a comfortable 2,1.

The gravity turn is started right away.

When approaching 1000 m/s while below 10 km, the RAPIER is throttled down by half.

Above 12 km throttle goes back to full.

The engine flames out at 27 km with a nice horizontal speed.

A 70x71km orbit is achieved with a little bit of oxidiser to spare.

And then right away it is used to bring the orbit back to the ground.

After a warm reentry Try again, Jeb comes down on parachute with jet assist.

No Jebediahs were hurt during this flight.

[Foxster]

A 1.0.3 entry from me @ 4.563t...