Munar Marooned!

[Buster Charlie]

3 hours ago, Foxster said:

So you blow the landing gear to drop onto the other craft? Neat. 

I like the lightweight RCS return craft. 

I lower the landing legs ( on the bottom of the  girder legs) to grab the craft, then blow them on takeoff to reduce weight and keep them from causing trouble with the craft on reentry. I have't tried it yet but I hope to parachute inverted and land on the heat sheild, i'm hoping the large reaction wheel will keep me upright on the 2.5m shield, This thing can spin very fast with the rescued lander attached so I think overall it should do it.

I chose RCS only because it's light enough on the mun that 3 (for minimal hover symmetry) of those little side mounted RCS engines gave me of TWR over 5! They're so light weight that even if I could have gotten a better isp out of LFO, it would have meant I needed another tank because I still need monoprop for translation (Sometimes I can land RIGHT on top of the target, other-times i'm a little off and need a short hop and hover to lock on. 

 

So in short, RCS allows me to have one main tank instead of two, so that keeps the whole thing from getting TOO long, although I added some small drop tanks to the legs since they lower the CG even more for landing, and keep my main tank full for ascent, orbit, and Rendezvous.

I think I may strip out some of the extra battery, it could almost do the whole misson with no solar at this point.

 

Also a little touch, you specified this is a manned rescue mission so the lander can is actually inverted in all these shots. At launch the legs aim up, covered by a fairing, so the lander can is the cockpit for most of the flight. After separating the lander from the orbital engine I 'control from here' a 1.25 stack control core that has been inverted so my navball will be facing the right way when landing, since the legs are actually facing 'up'. Then once I get back to the orbital return stage i'll switch back to the other orientation for a forward facing burn.

[Buster Charlie]

I hope this works, First Mission Attempt, I tried to make the most Kerbal Booster Rocket, and I lost control and had to abort during circularization.

Full mission details here.

http://gameframer.com/#/ksp/missions/56d630a8b030832620ba7f6c

 

On the plus side my Rentry worked!

[Jetski]

Great challenge @Foxster, had a lot of fun here.  I decided to use the cargo ramp, because I've never used it before and seemed like a good time.  Also, I tried about 7 different SSTO and Shuttle designs, and eventually gave up and slapped together possibly the sloppiest lifter I've ever made.  Took 2 mins and worked great!  Anyway, here's the album - missing the runway shot because I did a night landing in the Desert and plan to reshoot it with a proper landing.

Double Klaw truck (I call it the Crab) and a cargo bay/ramp.  Which has about the impact resistance of a solar panel btw.

 

[Buster Charlie]

Here we go.

 

Mission Profile here (I swear it captured the rentry and landing, but when I left the game and reloaded, it lost them, so frustrated. But at least it recorded I landed. I landed between the KSC and the mountain range, I hope that counts.

http://gameframer.com/#/ksp/missions/56d639898f27ef4537930018

 

I also feel proud that in order to recover 26,915.2 Kerbal Dollars, I launched a ship worth 269,790 and only recovered 15,702 worth of ship not including the Mun Lander. So.... The mission was a Net loss of 227,172.8 Kerbal dollars, Plus one Astronaut. I suspect even at current labor market prices we can say this was a Success!  BTW No snakcs were recovered...

Ship available here

http://gameframer.com/#/ksp/vessels/56d654cb124b585f38b5a471

 

Quote

Mun Marooned II

Mun Marooned II was a manned lunar flight that occurred about 2 hours ago. electron-shepard was the operator in a sandbox game on Year 1, Day 3, 4:32:17

USER DESCRIPTION

Our primary mission is to spend as much money to recover the Marooned Mun Lander. Secondary goal is to recover any leftover snacks. Optional goals include safe return of both astronauts, Not exploding (again), and not having to turn this rocket around because we forgot the flight computer.

Vessel recovered successfully (29.2Km from KSC)

Quote

• CREW SIZE

  1 x 

• FLIGHT TYPE

  Lunar

• OPERATOR

  electron-shepard

• DURATION

  About 8 days

• DISTANCE TRAVELED

  14 km

• TOP SPEED

  1,894.0 m/s

• HIGHEST ALTITUDE

  108.6 km

• CREATED

  2 hours ago

• GAME MODE

   

  Sandbox

Highlights

MET 0 LIFTOFF 

63 seconds in the first liquid stage and boosters separate, Rhino fires.

101 seconds in the horrible stock farrings confetti at 50k & 0.06 Day 2nd Stage Separates on Ejection burn, 3rd stage payload engine takes over.

 

0.16 Day correction burn on course to mun & 1.09 days. Nausea inducing Mun Transfer and SOI change.

1.27 Days Lucky for me I packed too much fuel, because I was coming in hot to the mun and had to circularize at a very inefficient profile.

1.31 Days Preparing for Landing & 1.32 Separating from Payload Booster, give it a little nudge by accident but that actually helps it keep clear on slowdown burn.

 

5.37 Day, huge time lapse because I wanted to make sure landing happened on day side of Mun, otherwise I would have landed shortly after 1.32 & Deploying KLAW

 

 

Day 5.38 Awkwardly descending onto target and trying to get klaw to engage & After bouncing up and down to get a dock I Launch to 30k and Jettison the Landing legs and fuel.

 

Day 6, Matching Speed with payload booster & Day 6.01 RCS less docking manuver

6.03 Docked and ready to ejection burn, hello kerbin! & Day 6.29. goodbye  mun!

Day 7.82 Correction burns before rentry

 

This is where it lost my mission, hope you enjoyed it.

Edited March 2, 2016 by Buster Charlie

[Buster Charlie]

24 minutes ago, Jetski said:

Great challenge @Foxster, had a lot of fun here.  I decided to use the cargo ramp, because I've never used it before and seemed like a good time.  Also, I tried about 7 different SSTO and Shuttle designs, and eventually gave up and slapped together possibly the sloppiest lifter I've ever made.  Took 2 mins and worked great!  Anyway, here's the album - missing the runway shot because I did a night landing in the Desert and plan to reshoot it with a proper landing.

Double Klaw truck (I call it the Crab) and a cargo bay/ramp.  Which has about the impact resistance of a solar panel btw.

 

I think your mission was about 100X more sane than mine, Great job!

[Jetski]

Then again, what if we just didn't rescue the ship?  What if, instead, for some bafflingly crazy Kerbal reason, we built a giant temple for it on the Mun?  What if we parked it next to Neil's memorial, and then flew the entire space program out there to admire it?

 

[Foxster]

16 hours ago, Buster Charlie said:

Here we go.

So, you lost it during re-entry? If so then that's a real shame, so close. Going to try again? Because that was one hell of a mission!

16 hours ago, Jetski said:

Great challenge @Foxster, had a lot of fun here.  I decided to use the cargo ramp...

Excellent solution! Very Kerbal. 

I make your score...umm...carry the one...wind factor...allow for continental drift and the price of cheese...17.4 points and a badge!

Edited March 2, 2016 by Foxster

[Buster Charlie]

16 minutes ago, Foxster said:

So, you lost it during re-entry? If so then that's a real shame, so close. Going to try again?

No I landed between ksc and the mountain range, but the flight recorder lost the last part.

I did however forget I was suppose to land at the ksc so I almost ditched it, then had to do some fancy stuff to make my landing. Good thing I had plenty of fuel left over.

I could have even landed engine first with the booster stage, but I decided once I was on target I'd jettison it to lighten my load and hopefully have less drag, then deploy air brakes and parachutes if it looked like I was going to overshoot. I landed short, but east of the mountain range. The mission planner said I think around 23km.

 

Overall a fun and challenging mission. I'd be fun to see if it could be done for less than the cost of the lander, maybe with stage recovery. 

Edited March 2, 2016 by Buster Charlie

[Foxster]

5 hours ago, Jetski said:

Then again, what if we just didn't rescue the ship?  What if, instead, for some bafflingly crazy Kerbal reason, we built a giant temple for it on the Mun?...

That's some weird stuff you have going on there! Quite, well, odd. But lovely really. 

So, you don't get a badge but you do get a score. Let me see...

4 points for use of colour

8 points for pointlessness

127 points for number of Kerbals deployed

1.7 points for weirdness

-140 points for gratuitous use of religious symbology

For a total score of 0.7. Congratulations! 

[Foxster]

9 minutes ago, Buster Charlie said:

No I landed between ksc and the mountain range, but the flight recorder lost the last part.

I did however forget I was suppose to land at the ksc so I almost ditched it, then had to do some fancy stuff to make my landing. Good thing I had plenty of fuel left over.

I could have even landed engine first with the booster stage, but I decided once I was on target I'd jettison it to lighten my load and hopefully have less drag, then deploy air brakes and parachutes if it looked like I was going to overshoot. I landed short, but east of the mountain range. The mission planner said I think around 23km.

 

Overall a fun and challenging mission. I'd be fun to see if it could be done for less than the cost of the lander, maybe with stage recovery. 

 

Ah, cool. Well done! You have earned the badge - help yourself to the image from the first post to add to your sig. 

So, now the important part - your score: 

1 point for excellent visuals

-1 point for lack of visuals at the end

1 point for a good forum name

-1 point for too many struts

1 point for a cool lifter

-1 point for supporting Trump

17.3 points for your birthday

For a total of 17.3 points. Well done!

Edited March 2, 2016 by Foxster

[Nich]

So no one had posted my idea.  I had not done it because I thought it was too obvious.  Anyways here it is.  I did this in my career game and had not unlocked the nuke power supply so I added batteries and solar panels until it had the same weight.  I also had to add some LS so my kerbal would survive.  Dropped that before I took off.  Used infinate fuel to put it on the Mun.  The claws were a pain in the but couldn't get one to connect no mater how many time I rammed the craft.  Finally took it to a flatter spot and did some reaction wheel angling and it finally connected.

How many kerdits and rep do I get?

Edited March 12, 2016 by Nich

[Foxster]

3 hours ago, Nich said:

So no one had posted my idea.  I had not done it because I thought it was too obvious.

It certainly wasn't obvious to me! It was a very interesting solution. You tackled the fact that a picked up load would be offset very well. 

I was surprised you managed to get it down on Kerbin in one piece. It didn't look like you'd have the dV or maybe even the TWR for a landing without 'chutes but it seems you pulled it off OK. 

Congratulations, you may use the coveted badge and here is your score:

+7 points for the innovative double craft solution

+2 points for a thin launcher

-1 point for the rescue craft's boring name

-1 point for being a Sagittarius 

+10 points for your prayer for world peace

+0.5 points for the number of wheels used

To  give a total of: 17.5 points!   

 

[Nich]

I am probably going to lose points but I actually had four parachutes just didn't include it as the landing sequence was getting a little pic heavy.  The hardest part was hitting KSA in 1 pass.  Landing gear and claws were really temp sensitive when attempting to use body lift at high speed.

I had to do the mission twice I quick saved before just before entering atmosphere.  Blew up mashed F5 attempting to reload.  realized after about 10 second my game was not going to reload and I had to do it all over again   Second try I quicksaved just before atmosphere lost a landing gear from the target payload.  Third try I got it close enough.  I should have just done multiple braking passes would have been quicker.

Oh and since it was a pretty heavy, required maned, required landing at KSA and it was my career save I have awarded my self

1 free kerbal

1,000,000 kredits

50 rep

Which is inline with hulk rescue mission I currently have

1/3 the weight, 450ish total credits 32 rep

Edited March 12, 2016 by Nich

[Foxster]

1 hour ago, Nich said:

I am probably going to lose points but...

Ah, yes, unfortunately we are applying Hopkins Constrictions to the scoring. So your score is reduced because, even though you did achieve it, you failed to declare Mornington Crescent on your third turn, as required under Revision 7C of the 1883 Amendment. 

Your score is therefore now: Less. 

Edited March 12, 2016 by Foxster

[superstrijder15]

On 12-3-2016 at 5:32 PM, Foxster said:

you failed to declare Mornington Crescent on your third turn, as required under Revision 7C of the 1883 Amendment.

That must be a long rulebook, probably as big as a bible.

[Foxster]

1 hour ago, superstrijder15 said:

That must be a long rulebook, probably as big as a bible.

Indeed. Some, when faced with stranding on a desert island, have opted for the complete Mornington Crescent Rules Book rather than the Holy Bible. 

Personally, I'd always go with the Bible because of the higher calorific value. 

[max_creative]

I'm sending a mission! ...after I figure out craft files and screenshots... And I'm completing this and the no chutes, wings, or engines challenge!!!

Edited March 19, 2016 by max_creative
250th post!

[HalcyonSon]

I have a very similar contract in my (still early) career game right now.  Thanks for the ideas.  

Since I don't even have 2.5m parts unlocked yet, this should be a real challenge.  I'm thinking of either using two small unmanned klaw rovers to provide balance, or somehow turning a manned pod onto side rover wheels and going brute force.  The Tracking Station shows the stranded Kerbal separate from the part to be recovered, so I'm not sure what to expect yet.  Oh, and yet more fun... this is on the south pole of Mun.