Lowest Airspeed to Orbit

[sevenperforce]

The Ridiculously Oversized Space Telescope has arrived at Kerbal Space Center just in time to catch the anticipated merger of two black holes near the Kerbol system. However, during payload integration, tragedy strikes! The telescope turns out to be too large to fit into the prefabricated fairing. With no time to order another fairing, the Kerbals must find a new way to get the telescope into orbit.

CHALLENGE: Launch an oversized payload -- something too large to fit into a fairing -- into LKO at the lowest possible airspeed. Airspeed is defined as the surface-relative speed below 70 km. To complete this challenge, you'll have to lift your payload completely through the atmosphere before accelerating it to orbit. The orbit must be anything over 70x70 km.

Scores are based on your highest speed during the ascent. Be sure to keep your navball set to Surface relative tracking until you're over 70 km, or you'll show orbital speed, which includes the velocity of Kerbin's rotation. No performance mods. You can use a mod to track your highest speed, or you can just use the honor system.

Bonus/tiebreaker: keep your orbital acceleration under 1.5 gees.

I'll submit my entry shortly!

[Combatsmithen]

This is cool. But this is going to be very very hard lol

[sevenperforce]

Note -- in testing, aero forces tend to break exposed radiator panels at around 60 m/s at SL. Just for reference. 

[Kermunmus]

Maybe award bonus points based on payload mass, like if someone had a payload made out of ore tanks they would get more points then a payload made out of structural parts. Just an idea

[Human Person]

Unfortunately, we're not able to measure dynamic pressure. You should be able to move faster the higher up you are in the atmosphere.

My suggestion:

Divide your velocity by the ambient pressure in bar, so when the pressure bisects, you can move at twice the velocity.

Edited May 26, 2017 by Physics Student

[sevenperforce]

8 hours ago, Physics Student said:

Unfortunately, we're not able to measure dynamic pressure. You should be able to move faster the higher up you are in the atmosphere.

My suggestion:

Divide your velocity by the ambient pressure in bar, so when the pressure bisects, you can move at twice the velocity.

Nah, that makes it too complicated. The winner is whoever can reach orbit with the lowest maximum velocity relative to the surface below 70 km.