Extended Kerbol Grand Tour

[septemberWaves]

Grand Tour of the extended Kerbol system

Many of us have done a Jool 5 mission, or at least have attempted one. Some of us may even have done a grand tour, visiting every celestial body in the Kerbol system. The latter is what this challenge is about, but with a big twist. Using a couple of planet mods, namely Xen's Planet Collection and Outer Planets, I propose a mission of a scale that few players have ever attempted. That mission: using one enormous spacecraft, explore every planet in this new extended version of the Kerbol system.

My attempt at this challenge is ongoing here.

The extended Kerbol system

Spoiler

Moho
Eve
    Aden
    Neith
    Gilly
Kerbin
    Mun
    Minmus
Duna
    Ike
    Nyke
Mios
    Glac
    Serc
Dres
Richell
    Iber
Jool
    Laythe
    Vall
    Tylo
    Bop
    Pol
Sarnus
    Hale
    Ovok
    Eeloo
    Slate
    Tekto
Urlum
    Polta
    Priax
    Wal
        Tal
Neidon
    Thatmo
    Nissee
Plock-Karen
    Beros
    Kyx

With more than double the number of celestial bodies than a stock grand tour, this is truly a monumental challenge.

Rules

Spoiler

1. No cheating (anything like Hyperedit or the debug menu counts as cheating).
2. You may cheat in science points and funds to a new save if you are not doing this in sandbox.
3. Mining is allowed (and quite honestly it's probably impossible to complete this challenge without mining).
4. You must state any and all mods used (except for the obvious planet packs). List of permitted mods will be found below (I will add it in soon).
5. You must provide images and/or video documentation of all relevant parts of your mission. This means any launches, maneuvers, and landings. All coverage (with the exception of aesthetic-based screenshots) must include an open resource tab, as well as delta-v statistics if you are using a mod which provides that information.
6. Post your attempts in this thread. You may use multiple posts (within reason) but make sure you add links into the first post so that the rest can be accessed. Alternatively, you could make a thread in Mission Reports and post a link to that here.
7. When posting your attempt, it would be appreciated if you include statistics about the vehicle. Dimensions, mass when fully fuelled, number of launches to assemble, cost to assemble, etc.
8. Any number of launches from the KSC are permitted to assemble the vessel initially, however nothing more may be added once any part of the grand tour vehicle has visited any SOI other than that of Kerbin (this includes Mun and Minmus).
9. You must plant a flag at every landing location (unless it is in an ocean/lake).
10. Your kerbals must be in a command pod or habitation unit for all interplanetary transfers. Every lander must also have a command pod; they cannot use a seat.
11. Every part of your mothership must be in the same planetary SOI. For example, if you want to send a lander to the Joolian moons, your mothership and other functional landers must be in orbit around Jool, or in orbit/landed on one of its moons. This doesn't include debris or things like the non-reusable upper stage of a multi-stage lander.

Mods

Any mods not listed below are prohibited. Please notify me if there is a mod that you think should be allowed and is not listed below.

Spoiler

Required

Kopernicus (you must also have Modular Flight Integrator, which is included with the current Kopernicus download)
Outer Planets Mod (you must also have the CTTP folder which comes with the current OPM download)
Xen's Planet Collection

Permitted

Any basic mod required for the ones in this list to function (e.g. Module Manager and Community Resource Pack)
Any visual mod that does not alter gameplay
Any information-providing mod that does not add parts or alter game mechanics
Any life support mod (a note will be added by your leaderboard entry if you use life support)
Colour Coded Canisters
Colourful Fuel Lines
Cryogenic Engines
DeepFreeze Continued
DMagic Orbital Science
Editor Extensions Redux
Fuel Tanks Plus
GPO Speed Fuel Pump
HabTech
Infernal Robotics
Interstellar Fuel Switch or similar fuel switching mods (but you may not write your own configs)
K2 Command Pod
Kerbal Alarm Clock
Kerbal Atomics
Kerbal Joint Reinforcement
KIS and KAS
Lithobraking Exploration Technologies
MechJeb
Moar Mk1
Mk2 and Mk3 Expansion
Mk4 Spaceplane Systems
Modular Rocket Systems
Any Near Future mod (Except Near Future Propulsion)
Orbital Utility Vehicle
Planetary Base Systems
RemoteTech
RLA Stockalike
ScanSat
Sigma Binary (highly recommended)
Sigma OPM Recolour (in case you are unfamiliar with this mod, what it does is change the colours of the gas giants from OPM)
SpaceY Heavy Lifters and SpaceY Expanded
Stockalike Station Parts
Tantares and Contares
Universal Storage
Any Umbra Space Industries mod (except for Alcubierre Warp Drive)
Vx Series II Engine Pack

Challenge categories

There are several different ways that you can complete this challenge.

Spoiler

General

Complete the Extended Kerbol Grand Tour. Simple as that.

Low Mass

The complete mass of your mothership and lander(s) before departure from Kerbin's SOI is what will be judged for this category. It's probably best to launch with empty ore tanks for this one.

Low Cost

The amount that your mothership costs to assemble (including any and all cargo) is what this category is based on. You may subtract the costs of recovered launch vehicles from this total (so launching components with spaceplanes would probably be one of the cheapest methods).

Shortest Mission Time

The quicker you complete your mission, the better you will score if you are attempting to make it onto this leaderboard.

Fewest Launches to Assemble

This one is pretty self-explanatory. Note that you will be included in this category if your mothership (and its cargo) take 5 launches or fewer to fully assemble.

Fewest Mining Stops

How much can you limit the number of times that you have to stop off on your journey to refuel? Please note that in cases where your mothership has a separate mining lander, staying in orbit of a planet/moon whilst your mining lander makes multiple trips to the surface still counts as one stop.

Most Science

For this category, you must be in science or career mode for it to work, and your science returns must be set to 100%. If you are attempting to make it onto this leaderboard, you must recover all science data back on Kerbin, and you may not use a science lab to increase returns. If you only use stock science equipment it will be noted by your attempt.

Leaderboards

Spoiler

General

Anyone who has completed the challenge and does not fall into any of the categories below is mentioned here.

 

Low Mass

 

Low Cost

 

Shortest Mission Time

 

Fewest Launches to Assemble

 

Fewest Mining Stops

 

Most Science

 

Special Mentions

This is for anyone who does anything unusual, intriguing, beyond the main purpose of the challenge, or otherwise significant.

 

Notes

There is likely to be a badge for signatures in future for those who have completed this challenge.

The rules are currently subject to some change.

Edited August 29, 2016 by eloquentJane
Added link to my attempt.

[Obsidian_mc]

Seems like a pretty nice challenge, might try it once  I clean out my KSP files, since they are beyond use.

 

[sdj64]

On 8/24/2016 at 6:24 PM, eloquentJane said:

Grand Tour of the extended Kerbol system

*other text snipped*

using one enormous spacecraft, explore every planet in this new extended version of the Kerbol system.

My attempt at this challenge will hopefully be added somewhat soon.

Cool idea, I haven't used either of these planet packs so it might be nice to see all of the planets.  However, a few things:

First, how strict is the "one spacecraft" rule?  Can the ship send a smaller shuttle to a minor planet (ex. mothership stays at Eve, shuttle to Moho, or mothership heads straight Duna to Jool, shuttle stops at Dres)?

Second, "somewhat soon" might be a bit optimistic.  I would be lucky to finish by Christmas if I started today.  Epic challenges like this unfortunately have the problem that the first finisher would probably be necroposting!

[septemberWaves]

7 hours ago, sdj64 said:

First, how strict is the "one spacecraft" rule?  Can the ship send a smaller shuttle to a minor planet (ex. mothership stays at Eve, shuttle to Moho, or mothership heads straight Duna to Jool, shuttle stops at Dres)?

Second, "somewhat soon" might be a bit optimistic.  I would be lucky to finish by Christmas if I started today.  Epic challenges like this unfortunately have the problem that the first finisher would probably be necroposting!

By "one spacecraft" I mean that the mothership and any vehicles it deploys need to be in the same planetary SOI. So if you're going to the Joolian moons then your mothership needs to be in Jool orbit or in orbit around one of the moons. Thank you for pointing out the lack of clarity, I have amended the original post to include this information (under "Rules").

By "somewhat soon" I mean I'll be starting it within a week or so (though actually posting documentation of it may take longer since Imgur is currently plagued with issues) and probably finishing by around mid-October. I already have all the necessary lander vehicles designed (though I'm currently attempting to adapt them so that they function more effectively) and my mothership design is partially complete. I've also planned out the order in which I'm going to visit every celestial body.

Edited August 26, 2016 by eloquentJane

[septemberWaves]

Update: I have begun my attempt at the challenge; it can be found here (there is also a link in the original post). I have currently uploaded only the mission plan and one image of my Astarael mothership (below) but I have launched the vessel and all components and will upload all of those imgur albums tomorrow.

Here is the mothership that I'm using:

[The Minmus Derp]

Maybe kerbal origins too?

[Kernel Kraken]

Holy crapowski... If I could get out of Kerbin's SOI without being fired into the vast emptyness if space with No remaining Delta-V I would definitely try this. (If I could figure out interplanetary). I've had an idea for a Nerv- based SSTO bouncing around my head for a while,.I might build it then use it as a base for a mothership down the line.