(RemoteTech) Kerbal Dynamics: LAPES Redux: Land Based Relay

[ihtoit]

Back in the foggy mists of time, as some of you might recall, someone laid down a LAPES challenge (0.24 era?) which seems to have been mislaid. Sooo... for v.1.0.5:

 

Scenario: Something's happened in the Kerbol system which means that robot probes are useless as are long range communications. This means we have no satellites. We need to fix this, as we have an expedition at the North Pole which absolutely relies on unbroken communications with KSC. Unfortunately the issue with the computers means there is no engine management system capable of tuning rockets either, so they're unavailable with the exception of the hardened MechJeb units. The Green Brigade have kyboshed the idea of sending rovers out to plant relays, as they claim the tyres rip up their fairways and disturbs the groundhogs.

The Mission, should you choose to accept it:

Deploy, using a low altitude parachute ejection system or a LALO (Low Altitude Low Opening) wingdrop, a series of relay probes on the surface of Kerbin, which should be line of sight to each other and relay back to the KSC from the North Pole. The proof of a successful mission lies in your being able to see a yellow line (indicating a comms relay) from your plane to the KSC in map view.

The Rules:

1. Stock parts only with the exception of RemoteTech and informational/autopilot mods such as MechJeb.

2. Relay probes should consist of, at the absolute minimum, a probe core, a short range antenna, a parachute and an RTG.

3. Relay probes should be deposited on land masses ONLY. I will accept a maximum of 10% water deployment but only in sight of shore.

4. Relay probes should be allowed to fall where they may once released (ie no terminal guidance). You may want to orbit the descent path keeping the probe in physics range until it touches down, I've found they like to disappear if you just drop it and fly on.

5. I am aware of a bug that causes a CTD if you try and drop something on a peak near the Pole. I will accept relays beyond the ice cap boundary.

6. Your carrier aircraft should be propelled by airbreathing LF jets. RAPIER systems or rockets not permitted (see scenario).

7. Your aircraft should be landed on the ice field and showing, in map view, communications established via relay to KSC.

 

[Challenger's Note: Randomly dropping probes definitely doesn't work - the curvature of the planet defeats just dropping probes on large "flat" plains. You have to know how fast you're going and the path your probe is taking on the way down. Obviously the lower you are the more accurately you can drop the probe. It is possible to drop one on top of a mountain. Finding out if the chain is working or not is a continuous process of clicking back to map view and checking for that magic yellow marker between aircraft and KSC.]

 

The plane:

Dropped right on the side of the mountain... that's KSC off in the distance, about 35km away:

 

I crashed while trying to turn the plane up a mountain (it tripped over the front landing gear, not pretty), but the relay is started - most of those probes are in the wrong place! I could have got another 600km with 'em!

Edited March 17, 2016 by ihtoit

[silks]

Challenge completed!

Solar panels seemed more eco-friendly, so I used those instead. Some probes slammed against the cargo bay while deploying which broke the panels. The trick was to pull up before staging. A few annoying bugs also tried to ruin the mission but with the help of quicksaves it was manageable. You might wonder why I left the last probe attached - I just forgot to put an antenna on the plane itself ...and a ladder.

 

[SpaceplaneAddict]

I have the BEST idea for this, @ihtoit!
 

Stay Determined....