M_Rat13

Well I think it's more about not overextending. You're doing multiple setups at once. If you just focused on Duna, for example, you could already be done, or at least have enough to where adding more isn't about practicality, but just becuase you can. I also think your order is off. Eve is by far the hardest planet to conquer. Gilly might be a nice place for fuel, but you still have to build craft capable of handling Eve, especially if you have Kerbals becuase you'll likely want at least some way to get them back. Jool might seem a pain, but it's very easy to get to, and colonize the moons of, outside maybe Tylo, but no atmosphere gives great Isp, and you can always refuel from the surface, as getting off is easier than landing. For me, it's all about the planning.

Do you really need that much Dv? Burning that long might give you a high top speed, but you'll need to also slow down. Oh, and TWR is also important. TWR allows you to do less burns to defeat gravity, which reduces Dv requirements also. TWR is also easier to raise with a lighter craft.

@Pthigrivi Well I'm actually thinking of something more permanent. You'd have everything in place for any mission you can think of, or just to test new craft. In fact, given enough time, the setup could help build entire 'cities'. It's all about truly conquering the solar system.

But isn't there diminishing returns the bigger the craft? It's not that I'm against classes, but I personally don't see much point in them. The numbers just support craft that won't unleash the kraken.

With the way this thread has been going, I think there will be plenty of low mass participants. Also I don't want to feel like I'm forcing people down a certain path. You wanna make a huge build with mammoth engines, go for it. You want to be the ultimate minimalist, nothing's stopping you. Your imagination should be the limitation, not me.

@swjr-swis I saw a video of an SSTO that could go from the surface of Kerbin to the surface of Eve and back again. I fully believe at least one person will figure this out, but it could be a huge pain to figure out. You've got to make a craft that can get off Eve, that carries a vehicle capable of getting from Eve orbit to Tylo orbit, that also has to carry a Tylo lander. Plus you have to land all of that on Eve to start the race. Would you do that, if you were good enough?

Currently, I have a post up about a race from the surface to Moho, to the surface of Eeloo. It's certainly going to be interesting, but it got my thinking of other race ideas. Specifically, a race from the surface of Eve, to the surface of Tylo. While I wouldn't be limiting designs, as I haven't for the Moho to Eeloo race, the designs will have to carry Kerbals, and stick to one craft, with no docking. Ultimately, I'm worried this race will be too cruel for even KSP players, but I'm not sure, and want your opinions, please. Also, I hope no one steals my idea, but I can't do much about that now. I just didn't want to post it without seeing what the likely reaction might be. Edit: Challenge likely to go ahead, with bonus mini challenges to decrease time. These would be (for now) - No ions: reduce time by 10%. No nukes: reduce time by 5%. No command chairs: reduce time by 5%. For every one extra Kerbal you bring (on top of your pilot): reduce time by 1%, up to a max of 20% (20 kerbals). Your vehicle is an SSTO (no staging): reduce time by 80%. Note: each mini challenge stacks. If you have no nukes and no ions, for example, your time is reduced by 15%. However, the maximum time reduction you can have is 90%. Thoughts?

Why this fascination with explosions? If you want to show a wreckage, add, I dunno, a year to your time.

If they are in a command chair, your craft picture will show them, without getting them out. Although 2 seperate screenshots could also work. Edit: And can someone explain to me this Ion fascination. I get that neither Moho or Eeloo have an atmosphere, but don't you need a TWR of >1 to get off a planet? Which is going to be hard with ions. I look forward to people's attempts though.

It's your ship, I just made the race. I'm glad we agree on a Kerbal on EVA being a different craft, it makes me feel secure about my decision (as in not going to cause a massive despute). As you said, the chances of the same time are minute, but it'll be fun to see if people worry about a tie break or not.

Different people will have different methods. But, I'm pretty sure a Kerbal on EVA counts as a different craft? Also, IF there is a draw, if someone managed to bring two Kerbals to the finish line, they'd win over the single seat designs, and are people willing to risk that?

Ok, so I get now people can get anywhere in KSP, and build amazing crafts for the jobs. Let's push that: This is a literal race. Your start line is the surface of Moho, your finish line is the surface of Eeloo. Your route and craft have no limitation, bar two. It must be manned by a Kerbal, and it must be 'stock', paid DLC counts. You can get your craft to the start line however you like. However, once you've set off, you're stuck in that one craft. No craft switching after that point, and no docking to other crafts. You'll need one screenshot of you on the start line, with the start date showing, and one screenshot of you on the finish line, with the end date showing. If there is somehow a draw (unlikely, but not risking it), the craft with the highest crew count will win (please show Kerbals in screenshot at finish line). If that is also a draw, I'll think of something.... Ready? Set? Go? Edit: Leaderboard (first to last): @purpleivan 229 days.

Not again....

You shouldn't land on a body you can't return from, at least with Kerbals. That's sort of why I made the thread, to see if some consensus could be reached, that people might find handy. Like, oh, I just landed and returned from Duna, where next? Or, where should my first interplanetary mission go? Granted, for rovers, you only need to care about landing, but that should probably be in a different list. In fact, I'll edit this thread to point that out.

In the game of increasingly impressive stunts of KSP, I give you a way to truly test your ability, but forcing you to make a space craft that can handle anything space can throw at it. Your craft must: -Be able to carry Kerbals (in a command module) -Be an interplanetary SSTO -Be able to survive the heat of Moho. -Be able to operate in the low light of Eeloo. -Be able to survive the air of Jool. -and be able to refuel itself. If it achieves these goals, it is safe to say you have the ultimate spacecraft. Screenshots for proof. Edit: RIP (again)

Again, I'm a little behind. I need to start thinking more extravagant... My challenge will be to challenge others lol.

I only recently came back to KSP, so yes, I have some catching up to do. Also, while there is the Jool 5 mission, I have yet to see someone do it in one launch/craft

'Challenge'. I feel a little dim for posting that thread now. I will try not to underestimate this player base ever again lol.

And this is why you don't skip links.... That vector one seems perfect for an idea of mine, too.

Well the setup would be to make that easier. Space stations around every moon, with SSTO landers attached. As you said, Tylo could be hard, but you could mine from the surface to fill up, to then make the return to orbit (easier to launch than land).

Something just clicked for me lol. When you said plane, I though of those electric powered prop planes people have built. On Eve, in atmosphere, it'd be perfect. How high can one of those go in Eve atmosphere? And how far from that is space? You might be able to get away with a cheap and dirty booster on an electric prop plane, if I'm on to something.

Exactly. Theoretically possible, but maybe not practically.

So is Jool actually easier? Granted, you have to figure out lander designs for each seperate moon (well, it's more a time sink, although Tylo will be a challenge-ish), but I guess getting an encounter is easier. Then it'd be Kerbin+moons, Duna/Ike, Jool+moons, Dres, Moho, Eeloo, Eve/Gilly. Unless of course you think an Eve SSTO lander is easier than plotting courses to the three planets before it.

I need this forums help. We need to come up with as many challenges as possible that are probably impossible. To give you an idea of what we are up against, here's an example that backfired on me. I asked to see if anyone could make an SSTO Eve lander, that could make it from the surface, to orbit. Not only have people done that, but at least one person has also done an SSTO from the surface of Kerbin to the surface of Eve and back again. Respect to anyone that completes any of these probably impossible challenges, and to those that weed out any challenges that aren't actually probably impossible. With that out the way, let the challenges, commence.

I've seen (on YouTube) a 1.3 ton Minmus rocket, a 3 part Gilly rocket, and an SRB only rocket to the Mun. You might want to reconsider your challenges. Heck, I thought recently that an Eve SSTO lander might be impossible (gets into orbit), let alone an SSTO that can fly from Kerbin to Eve's surface and back again without refuelling. Then I was proven wrong....