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Shuttle Challenge v4 - The STS thread [Stock and Mod Friendly] [THREAD CLOSED 06.08.17]


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I reworked my shuttle again for STS-3. This Mk4 version has more cargo capacity and handles less like a brick.

Mods used: lots of parts mods (B9, NearFuture and such), TweakScale, KJR, KER, Trajectories.

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I have just completed the STS-1A using Mk 2 parts. I have used a modded install using the following mods:

B9 Procedural Parts

RSB Stockalike

RealChute

Procedural Parts

Mark One Laboratory Extensions

Probe Plus

Kerbalism

Spacex Launchers Pack

Tweakable Everything

Tweakscale

RealFuels Stockalike

Mk2 Extensions

64K scale

Mechjeb (DeltaV only.)

RemoteTech

Trajectories

I think that was all of the mods, I had quite a few more installed but those are the ones I used (150ish). It was probably a bad idea to use 64K as this is the first shuttle I have made and the DeltaV requirements are about double what was otherwise needed. Here are the images:

I landed near by not at the KSC, as I overshot. I might try again another time but this was the mission. If you want the craft file, it is here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7CVQZnOD4PJSzlabFhENWI4bTA .

Edited by Wardstone111
Added another mod to the list
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14 hours ago, foobar said:

I reworked my shuttle again for STS-3. This Mk4 version has more cargo capacity and handles less like a brick.

Mods used: lots of parts mods (B9, NearFuture and such), TweakScale, KJR, KER, Trajectories.

Nice looking shuttle.  One tip: it is better to have the shuttle main engines further back, as that allows for them to be less tilted. 

What payload capacity does that shuttle have to LKO?

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5 hours ago, Nefrums said:

Nice looking shuttle.  One tip: it is better to have the shuttle main engines further back, as that allows for them to be less tilted. 

What payload capacity does that shuttle have to LKO?

Thanks for the tip. Does less tilt translate to less torque change throughout the launch? Seems like with any tilt at all, the main engines are unusable after separating the fuel tank.

In terms of mass, I haven't tested anything beyond the 40T fuel pod. It probably can't do much more than that without using larger engines ... the TWR is barely enough to keep it in the air at launch. But more space means I can fit oddly-shaped things and side-by-side payloads, which is nice.

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3 hours ago, foobar said:

Thanks for the tip. Does less tilt translate to less torque change throughout the launch? Seems like with any tilt at all, the main engines are unusable after separating the fuel tank.

The engines need to gimball less if the they are further from the CoM. so they can handle more shift in CoM.  Moving the fueltank (and hence CoM) forward also helps.

If the main engines are tilted more then they can gimbal they can't be used after separation of the fuel tank.  But they should not be, only the vacuum engines should be used after tanks separation.

If twr is the problem try scaling up those vector engines.

 

 

Edited by Nefrums
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Endeavour STS-1a complete! 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0eMT8zRijNmX18xVVZUa3Bia3M

I was also going to do STS 1b, but the fuel pods were clipped into each other and would self destruct whenever I detached them. On a related note, I did reentry through a debris field! And did a retrograde burn in the atmosphere because I was overshooting the KSC at Mach 3.5 while pointing retrograde, and I haven't been able to land at the island runway during testing and aborts, and I had most of my fuel left!

Edit: forgot to mention that I had landed on the runway, then went off the left edge because I couldn't steer and the brakes weren't powerful enough. I then went into the water and turned around and went out of the water to go to the runway, and rolled over it again. 

Edited by 53miner53
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12 hours ago, foobar said:

STS-4 (reworked a bit after some tips from @Nefrums):

Mods used: lots of parts mods (B9, NearFuture and such), TweakScale, KJR, KER, Trajectories, docking port alignment indicator.

Another tip is to use spaceY decuplers, they have built in separatrons. :)

 

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Hey @Speeding Mullet!

I'm back with my crazy record breaking huge space shuttles!

This time what I have for you is SRDS 4 (Semi-Reusable Deployment System 4), launched by 4 KS-25 Vectors and 4 Twin Boar liquid fuel boosters. Its competing for stock, since my only mods are KER and Trajectories, which don't impact the shuttle itself but just give me useful information.

For mission 1a I take a relay satellite to orbit and land at KSC for the Stock Commander Badge! Here's the (hyper)link for the Imgur album (I'm not embedding it in the post because I have two links for you today)

 

For mission 1b I (again) break the Stock record and take the 40t pod to the edge of the SOI: 83,546.696 km

Again, only mods are KER and trajectories, so I think I can take the stock badge! Here's your Hyperlink to the Imgur album

 

So now I have a question: Since your post says "Missions must be completed in the logical order unless you are certified from either STS v1, v2, or v3 challenges to the relevant level", can I skip straight to the asteroid mission? Because I have completed all the way to the space station mission and I just wanna make sure I can skip those because some missions are slightly different in V4 of the challenge.

 

Anyway, I'll be waiting your reply, thanks for continuing the shuttle challenge!

Edited by Cipher_077
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A long while ago I tried to build a "bobsled" space shuttle that has a side-mounted tank without a side-skewed center of mass.  Today I revisited that concept with a much smaller shuttle, and it works!  It's nice to use a Mainsail again, I've barely used them since Mammoths and Vectors were introduced, but it was exactly what this shuttle needed.  

This isn't officially an entry but it does complete STS-1.  I'll keep using my Mk3 shuttle for the real missions since this shuttle's cargo bay is too small for the later ones.

 

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2 hours ago, sdj64 said:

A long while ago I tried to build a "bobsled" space shuttle that has a side-mounted tank without a side-skewed center of mass.  Today I revisited that concept with a much smaller shuttle, and it works!  It's nice to use a Mainsail again, I've barely used them since Mammoths and Vectors were introduced, but it was exactly what this shuttle needed.  

This isn't officially an entry but it does complete STS-1.  I'll keep using my Mk3 shuttle for the real missions since this shuttle's cargo bay is too small for the later ones.

wait, are imgur albums working again now?

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On 4/4/2017 at 4:01 AM, 53miner53 said:

I wonder how @Speeding Mullet is doing...

I've been putting in a huge amount of hours at work to support my team as one of us is off following an injury.  We run incredibly lean so when someone is away there's a huge impact that needs to be addressed.  I've also been ill and working from home myself, coupled with that the builders finally decided to sort out my bedroom floor so it had to be removed and rebuilt to make sure it didn't collapse into the void.

As a result of being ill, very busy, and living on the edge generally I haven't been able to check in on the thread in some time.  Rest assured I will and this challenge is still very much alive, but advanced warning, it's my Birthday this Friday and I'm away for a long weekend, so it's unlikely I'll be able to check in and catch up until next week.

Sorry everyone and see you all soon for what will be one mammoth catch up haha!

SM

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I have completed STS Pilot Rank 1 using a kerbalized version of the Von Braun ferry rocket. Here is the album 

mods used are mechjeb, Kerbal engineer redux, B9 wings and B9, Galileos planet pack, TAC LS, Navball texture changer, and a slew of other part mods.

Edited by helcustom
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1 hour ago, Speeding Mullet said:

I've been putting in a huge amount of hours at work to support my team as one of us is off following an injury.  We run incredibly lean so when someone is away there's a huge impact that needs to be addressed.  I've also been ill and working from home myself, coupled with that the builders finally decided to sort out my bedroom floor so it had to be removed and rebuilt to make sure it didn't collapse into the void.

As a result of being ill, very busy, and living on the edge generally I haven't been able to check in on the thread in some time.  Rest assured I will and this challenge is still very much alive, but advanced warning, it's my Birthday this Friday and I'm away for a long weekend, so it's unlikely I'll be able to check in and catch up until next week.

Sorry everyone and see you all soon for what will be one mammoth catch up haha!

SM

I hope everything sorts itself out.

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On 3/24/2017 at 4:04 PM, Fdkhio said:

I can never make a shuttle work:/

@Fdkhio I assume you have the usual problem of it spinning around wildly after launch, or just the engines inducing torque. What you have to do is make them thrust into the center of mass.

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