Kickback and Relax Challenge

[Crocket]

KSC is running low on appropriate parts for launch stages, so they gave you the last Kickback booster they had to do a mission!  The thing is, with the whole running-low-on-parts thing, they want that booster back.

Rules:

1. No parts mods or "cheaty" mods allowed (eg. Hyperedit). Other mods are fair game. Brownie points for using mods that make the challenge harder, like FAR.

2. Pics or it didn't happen. Craft file is always nice too. Post a video if you can.

3. No Noclip allowed. Ever.

4. Rockets only, no spaceplanes.

 

The Challenge!

Normal: Launch a manned mission using a single Kickback booster, making sure it (and all other parts) return safely to Kerbin. Make it to a circularized 100km orbit, then deorbit and land safely.

Completed by Reactordrone, Drake1050

Hard: Launch a manned mission using a single Kickback booster, making sure it (and all other parts) return safely to Kerbin. Make it to a circularized 100km orbit, create a parking orbit around and land on Minmus, fly back to Kerbin, make another 100km orbit, then deorbit and land safely.

Completed by Reactordrone

Crazy: Launch a manned mission using a single Kickback booster, making sure it (and all other parts) return safely to Kerbin. Make it to a circularized 100km orbit, create a parking orbit around and land on Minmus, create a parking orbit around and land on the Mun from Minmus, fly back to Kerbin, make another 100km orbit, then deorbit and land safely.

Completed by Typrax, funk

 

(Poorly made) Badge:

Good luck and happy landings, my friends.

Edited March 15, 2016 by Crocket

[SpaceplaneAddict]

Wait, how are we supposed to circularize, or de orbit? The booster cant throttle.

[Crocket]

12 minutes ago, SpaceplaneAddict said:

Wait, how are we supposed to circularize, or de orbit? The booster cant throttle.

You don't have to circularize or anything with the booster. You can stage it, so long as it ends up unharmed on the Kerbin surface.

[SpaceplaneAddict]

2 minutes ago, Crocket said:

You don't have to circularize or anything with the booster. You can stage it, so long as it ends up unharmed on the Kerbin surface.

Gotcha, may I use the Stage Recovery mod? It lets you recover stages not within the physics range, very helpful.

[Crocket]

Just now, SpaceplaneAddict said:

Gotcha, may I use the Stage Recovery mod? It lets you recover stages not within the physics range, very helpful.

Okay. Just so long as it's not a parts mod or a cheaty mod, it's good.

[Reactordrone]

Here's a normal to get the ball rolling, chutes are staged when the kickback decouples outside the atmosphere with their pressure switches set to 0.6 so you can circularize the second stage before switching back and watching the booster re-enter and touch down. The rest of the ship re-enters and touches down in one piece. Interestingly, I forgot to deploy the airbrakes on the booster but was able to open them by setting them from normal to deployed despite the lack of a probe core on the stage.

 

[HoloYolo]

Can I bring the booster full to orbit with me, use it to de-orbit, and bring it back (I'm stock all the way)?

[Crocket]

4 hours ago, HoloYolo said:

Can I bring the booster full to orbit with me, use it to de-orbit, and bring it back (I'm stock all the way)?

The booster is meant to be used as a launch stage, but if you can find some way to use it as the only source of propulsion, more power to you.

[HoloYolo]

1 hour ago, Crocket said:

The booster is meant to be used as a launch stage, but if you can find some way to use it as the only source of propulsion, more power to you.

What I mean is bring it with me (I use it until it empties), then bring back down near the KSC?

[Crocket]

28 minutes ago, HoloYolo said:

What I mean is bring it with me (I use it until it empties), then bring back down near the KSC?

Sure!

[HoloYolo]

3 minutes ago, Crocket said:

Sure!

Oh yus.

[Drake1050]

This is level normal. I will do the other mission after.(sorry for english but I'm italian.) http://imgur.com/a/W4kLd

Edited March 13, 2016 by Drake1050

[Crocket]

1 hour ago, Drake1050 said:

This is level normal. I will do the other mission after.(sorry for english but I'm italian.) 

The image isn't showing up for me.

[Reactordrone]

A quick trip to Minmus thanks to the Ion drive.

launch and recovery of the first and second stages. (technically I recovered the second stage after I'd landed the capsule but in real life its orbit would have decayed during the trip to Minmus)

establishing a 100km circular orbit followed by the flight to Minmus and getting into a 100km orbit before landing.

Return to Kerbin with an aerobrake manoeuvre to bleed off most of my speed before getting back into a 100km orbit.

and finally a safe re-entry and landing with all parts of the ship (except the fuel and ablator material) being recovered.

 

[Typrax]

Hello there!

first post here, i thought i will try the crazy challenge with a 3 stage rocket.

first stage is of course that one kickback that ksc permittet us, fit with chutes for a save return

second stage uses the powerful aerospike. still not enough to complete orbit though, and it needs a heatshield (since it needs recovery)

final stage utilizes ion drive to the fullest. 

 

now, this is also the first time im using imgur, so i hope this works: http://imgur.com/a/kNjyv

[funk]

Hey!

Do it crazy challenge! Who needs heatshields - Or pods? Kickback and Dawn is what I need. Then you can relax during reentry.

The first orbit around kerbin was around 150k, due to heating and timing reasons. I hope you will see all maneuvers in my video. Unfortunately it seems I cutted the moon insertion and some small mid-course corrections. But after playing 2.5h and making the video I had no more patience, sry.

Plus I wasted a lot of dv at the end, because I underestimated the dark side of the mun. But I had more than enough fuel left, so it was ok. As it was ok to do the second Kerbin circularization in a oneshot, more or less. With more careful planning and time the craft should have more than 1000m/s left.

craftfile here: KerbalX - Funkyndustries

 

Edited March 15, 2016 by funk

[DMSP]

I have a question. If I did, let's say, 3 launches with Kickback boosters and recovered all parts from all of them, would that still count as a submission? I'm wondering as I am thinking of doing so.

[Edit] To prevent a Necro from happening: @Crocket

Edited August 22, 2016 by DMSP

[Crocket]

On 3/28/2016 at 3:29 AM, DMSP said:

I have a question. If I did, let's say, 3 launches with Kickback boosters and recovered all parts from all of them, would that still count as a submission? I'm wondering as I am thinking of doing so.

That would most likely be 3 submissions.

[DMSP]

Just now, Crocket said:

That would most likely be 3 submissions.

Aha. Even if I docked the payloads in orbit? 

[Crocket]

Just now, DMSP said:

Aha. Even if I docked the payloads in orbit? 

That would make it one, then.

[DMSP]

Just now, Crocket said:

That would make it one, then.

Alright sweet! I am now motivated to throw something together over the next few days. I'll be back...

[DMSP]

@Crocket, I have developed a fully reusable booster, that to my surprise, worked so well, I will use it in my saves from now on.

I have my target in sight. Let the launches begin.