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Shuttle Challenge v5 - The STS thread [Stock and Mod Friendly] - MAJOR CHALLENGE ANNOUNCEMENT! - 30.3.2020


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15 hours ago, The Dunatian said:

Having never built a shuttle before I thought I'd give it a try.

Welcome to the challenge! I hope you enjoyed building one, and will carry on to the next missions!

I'm not sure how to call your shuttle configuration, but a Falcon Heavy/Shuttle crossover comes to mind :) Nice spacecraft, and a nicely flown mission. Am I assuming correctly that the whole vehicle is stock? If not, please let me know.

Anyway, I'm gladly awarding you the first badge, hopefully the first of many more to come in the future ;)

QThe6Sf.jpg?1

Michal.don

 

EDIT: also, I almost feel guilty about ruining you perfect 400posts/500rep balance..... Sorry :D

Edited by michal.don
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@michal.donJust a clarification on the rules for STS 5-8:

As you may have guessed from my lack of recent activity, I'm working on something of rather excessive scale. Am I OK just to do 4 launches, 4 Runway Landings, and have everything docking to a station in the correct orbit? I've got a hitchiker, a lab, some reaction wheels and some engines, and a lot of other random stuff and I'm going to throw the entire lot into a 300km+ orbit.

Will that qualify me for the badge, or do I specifically need to send each of the sciences, hab, and core in each of the launch vehicles?

Also, @The Dunatian, that's a perfectly acceptable runway landing. You should see some of mine so far...mission_11.png

I had to use all my spare fuel to bump the nose up onto the tarmac, so that the aircraft tug could tow it home

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@michal.don I think the ‘Cassini Huygens’ mission should be renamed as the Shuttle didn’t launch the Cassini (it was launched by a Titan IV) Maybe you should rename it to ‘Galileo’ after the Jupiter probe that was launched by Atlantis.

Sorry, but I’m a stickler for accuracy and this was annoying me :)

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STS-1B "I can lift"

hIyNnuC.jpg

Its got a name now. The Solaire Shuttle on the pad.

9Mx0QXh.jpg

Liftoff!

JYTUEdY.png

Gravity turn.

6lxyVf8.png

Booster separation/Circularization

KHhuWIP.png

Circularization

z1poqHX.png

Raising orbit

kXanBOm.png

First stage separation

maZQcLy.png

Second stage separation (later in flight)

TtgYm8I.png

Fine-tuning orbit (final apoapsis shown)

MTX3LJa.png

Fine-tuning orbit (final periapsis shown) Final orbital tolerance: 10 meters.

XCCqqQn.png

Payload away!

31XnTJV.png

Re-entry (after orbit lowering)

so7SeV6.png

Approach to the KSC

dSaTakG.jpg

Landed on the runway. I think I'm getting the hang of this. :)

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I've discovered a problem with my UberShuttle that I thought I'd designed around - it was too small ;.; Have now redesigned it to have 18 Mk 3 cargo bays, including a run of 6 in a line to allow a 60m payload to be carried.

I've finally finished payload design, comes to 1800+ parts. The solar array alone is going to require 2 enlarged UberShuttles. I suspect that I will have c. 5000 parts in orbit to complete this one. I don't want to know what frame rate I get on that.

It's taken me a full day to try to load the payload into the Shuttles (and I'm less than half done) Will hopefully launch tomorrow evening. Assembly expected by Christmas...

 

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On 5/14/2018 at 5:12 PM, GKXS said:

As you may have guessed from my lack of recent activity, I'm working on something of rather excessive scale.

As if your shuttle wasnt excessive enough in the first place ;) Looking forward to seeing that madness!

About the modules - take it more as a reccomendation, than as a requirement. Four launches are a must, ant the station should have a bit of everything mentioned in the rules, but the modules do not have to be strictly divided between the launches as the rules state.

 

On 5/14/2018 at 10:01 PM, RealKerbal3x said:

 I think the ‘Cassini Huygens’ mission should be renamed as the Shuttle didn’t launch the Cassini

I am aware of the fact that STS did not launch Cassini, but other than the launch (and several gravity assists to get to Jool), the mission mimics the flight profile of the Cassini-Huygens mission. And, Cassini is more famous of these two, so I chose to call it like it is. Sorry if that bothers you, but there is probably an unpleasant surprise or two coming your way quite soon.... :D

 

On 5/15/2018 at 12:37 AM, The Dunatian said:

STS-1B "I can lift"

A slight modification by adding a small stage, and look what your shuttle is able to do :)

Good job, nice landing this time ;)

However, could I ask you to provide a screenshot of the fuel pod in orbit, with resource tab open? Just to make sure it is properly full? Thanks :)

 

12 hours ago, GKXS said:

it was too small

:D :D :D 

 

Michal.don

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I saw a truly Kerbal style shuttle and I had to replicate it with the new parts. MqEfGg0.jpg

3,100 tons on pad.

50 engines and 2 SRBs

Delivers slightly over two of the biggest fuel tanks (S4-512)in game to orbit. (700 tons)

 

Edited by macktruck6666
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3 hours ago, michal.don said:

I am aware of the fact that STS did not launch Cassini, but other than the launch (and several gravity assists to get to Jool), the mission mimics the flight profile of the Cassini-Huygens mission. And, Cassini is more famous of these two, so I chose to call it like it is. Sorry if that bothers you, but there is probably an unpleasant surprise or two coming your way quite soon.... :D

That's alright :D Plus, Cassini-Huygens is the largest space probe ever built so it adds an extra challenge.

Also I'm planning to make an entry for the ALT test flight. I have a Cormorant shuttle ( @Pak's awesome mod) ready to go. It's already been into orbit four times, but I have never landed it successfully on the runway. Here goes.....

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3 hours ago, michal.don said:

A slight modification by adding a small stage, and look what your shuttle is able to do :)

Good job, nice landing this time ;)

However, could I ask you to provide a screenshot of the fuel pod in orbit, with resource tab open? Just to make sure it is properly full? Thanks :)

I actually had too much fuel left and had to burn it off prior to re-entry.

As for the fuel pod, I thought you might want to see that so I took a screenshot. The aesthetics for the pod have changed with the 1.4.x updates.

INs3kGS.png

Regarding the other challenges, I have a few questions.

1. For STS-2A how is it possible to have a 350+ Km geostationary orbit when the exact altitude needed for a geostationary orbit is 2,863.33 Km?

2. Are commander badges also mission dependent? For example, can I earn the pilot badge on STS-2 and still earn the commander badge on STS-3?

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In answer to your questions:

1: The Shuttle has to be in a 350+km orbit. From there it launches the commsats which boost into a Keostationary Transfer Orbit, and they they circularise themselves. My mission log is here if you want to take a look (Ignore the slightly OTT Shuttle piggyback combo - I was attempting to put 15 shuttles up in 2 launches)

2: You can earn pilot/commander on each mission based on that missions merits, doesn't matter what came before.

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16 hours ago, macktruck6666 said:

I saw a truly Kerbal style shuttle and I had to replicate it with the new parts. 

Wow, that really is the definition itself of "Kerbal spacecraft" :D But I guess it's a very capable one, given all the engines and fuel......

 

15 hours ago, RealKerbal3x said:

but I have never landed it successfully on the runway. Here goes.....

My experience is similar - it's not that hard to make a shuttle go up.... But to get it down where you want it and how you want it - different story..... :)

 

15 hours ago, The Dunatian said:

As for the fuel pod, I thought you might want to see that so I took a screenshot. The aesthetics for the pod have changed with the 1.4.x updates.

Thanks! The looks have changed, but it's still the good old Mulletdyne pod, so, here's your badge, congratulations!

giYU8fw.jpg?1

 

15 hours ago, The Dunatian said:

Regarding the other challenges, I have a few questions.

It's exactly as @GKXS said. Shuttle goes to 350+ orbit, releases sats, sats do the rest of the work. And you can get (for example) STS-9 commander badge, despite scoring only "pilot" in all the previous missions. But most of people here aim for the commander badges only, and the bragging rights that go with it ;)

 

Michal.don

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STS-2A "I can hear"

This is what I've been up to in my spare time today.

10PKGWp.jpg

On the pad

9ZR4opd.jpg

Liftoff & gravity turn

BVIAggs.png

Booster separation

XDwn5S2.png

Circularization

ScGIHKN.png

Circularization

4P5qJg3.png

Primary booster separation

LCrWkzR.png

Raising orbit

JGVVJBF.png

Deploying comsats

if3nRb5.png

Comsat constellation (following insertion in geostationary orbit)

gSr3qjp.png

Same as above

Ra2To7m.png

Secondary booster separation

GWYq7w5.png

Satellite info

NoQvuus.png

More satellite info

AYTVQZx.png

Same as above (more satellite info)

7RejuPM.png

Re-entry

cto6l5h.png

Approach to the KSC

05mEkTA.jpg

Landed on the runway. This is perhaps the most nerve-wrecking yet enjoyable time in the mission. :)

Edited by The Dunatian
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My Space Station is underway. 

As I type I'm 10k up and just scraping through 350ms-1

Frame rate is c 2/second, and I'm getting 1 second of physics every 10 seconds on the wall clock. These 2 launches are going to take a while...

I've managed to fit the entire station into 2 shuttles, and I'm intending to use the other two for crew and inevitable spare parts. 

Now reached 17km and 500ms-1. Blistering...

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On 5/19/2018 at 7:13 AM, The Dunatian said:

This is what I've been up to in my spare time today.

Yeah, the landings are probably the most intense part of most of the missions, I really enjoy them as well :)

Good job on building your comms structure, nice satellite design, too! It looks like you're really getting the hang of it, I curious how the more advanced missions will go.

Here's your badge, congratulations:

Jm6F4Br.jpg?1

 

9 hours ago, GKXS said:

Frame rate is c 2/second, and I'm getting 1 second of physics every 10 seconds on the wall clock.

Wow, you must have the patience of a saint, or some serious self-torture issues :D I get slightly annoyed any time the mission clock turns yellow, and if it starts blinking red, I really reevaluate my life and design choices :D

However, I'm really curious what behemoth of a design is causing you this trouble....... :)

 

Michal.don

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I spent the roughly an hour it took to get to LKO remembering how to solve a Rubiks cube, browsing the forum on my phone, and wishing I had got around to writing a savefile editing script.

I hope you won't disqualify me for it, however I used a large amount of savefile editing to remove all of the RCS thrusters from the RCS key command. The payload RCS was being used, and the massively varying TWRs and COMs was shaking the craft to pieces. I could have manually clicked on every port, but I REALLY don't have time for that. (especially at that frame rate)

I've now got to orbit with STS 5, and STS 6 is just being finalised. (forgot the batteries)

Presumably an STS 8 that doesn't actually add a component to the station is OK as long as it does a rendesvous and dock? I don't particularly want to launch a token extra component if I can avoid it. My current STS8 plan definitely has enough rendesvous and docking for a lifetime!

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1 hour ago, GKXS said:

Presumably an STS 8 that doesn't actually add a component to the station is OK as long as it does a rendesvous and dock?

Well, I'd like to see the mission first before saying it's ok, but hearing about the scale of the endeavour, I'd say I won't mind too much ;)

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10 minutes ago, michal.don said:

Well, I'd like to see the mission first before saying it's ok, but hearing about the scale of the endeavour, I'd say I won't mind too much ;)

I hoped you'd say that. 

STS 6 is circularising now, the Rubik's cube has been solved twice this flight already, and the frame rate is predictability low...

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After literally 6 hours of rendesvous and docking, STS 5 & 6 are combined in orbit, and ready to begin unloading.

3252 parts, 1488.68T, 8 crew and I think the biggest thing I have ever constructed in orbit.

The depressing thing is I have only done 2 of about 100 docking manoeuvres required;.;

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On 8/5/2017 at 2:06 PM, michal.don said:

you are to launch a Space Telescope into orbit and deploy it. This will require assembly with the 2 MMUs you will design, as the solar panels need to be attached on-orbit with Kerbals.

Are 2 MMUs required? Or can I use one MMU to assemble the telescope? I understand how 2 MMUs would make sense for a sterio-typical hubble style telescope with twin solar arrays but it doesn't make much sense for the telescope that I have built.

xLoWywz.jpg  O6uSXO0.jpg

As you can see, the telescope uses a single solar array mounted on the detachable flare shield. During assembly, only one MMU would be needed to attach the flare shield/solar array to the telescope. In case you are wondering the IRL telescope that this one closely resembles is the Herschel space telescope.

 

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8 hours ago, The Dunatian said:

Are 2 MMUs required? Or can I use one MMU to assemble the telescope? I understand how 2 MMUs would make sense for a sterio-typical hubble style telescope with twin solar arrays but it doesn't make much sense for the telescope that I have built.

Alright, in your case, one MMU is probably enough. Nice payload design by the way ;)

 

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STS-3  "I can see you"

3Bh3mH9.jpg

On the pad. Due to the resemblance of the launching system to a falcon rocket I've decided to name

this shuttle the Faucon. (french for falcon) Jebediah is aboard to put some life into the mission.

ckiAYgl.jpg

Gravity turn.

5M90TQQ.png

Asparagus booster separation

URHPj3D.png

Circularization

1t4JiQr.png

Circularization

EAzUWTF.png

Primary orbital booster separation

56TGukC.png

Here we are raising the orbit and increasing inclination

MuSNKri.png

Secondary orbital booster separation (following final orbital adjustment burns)

zgj6PPQ.png

final orbital inclination: 26.9

Dmjvsnw.png

Edemy attaching the flare shield/solar array using the manned maneuvering unit

8IOwrqJ.png

Assembly complete!

B6V1oXM.png

After completing assembly Edemy re-docks the MMU and the excess docking port is decoupled from the flare shield

ufuUojA.png

Herschel space observatory is off! I love this screenshot.

uLmMVbF.png

Reducing inclination and orbital altitude. Fuel margins were tight, but the ever reliable poodle engine

saved the day.

ieRBw5n.png

Beauty shot.

vq10D4O.png

Re-entry

FSNi0Mc.jpg

Approach the the KSC. Jebediah overshot the runway, forcing us to perform a turn-around before

landing. Fortunately the orbiter had just enough glide left to reach the runway.

YEaR6iw.jpg

Down and safe

b7S494h.png

Final telescope apoapsis: 6,013,447m.

ecGTN1m.png

Final telescope periapsis: 5,970,811m. The telescope is inclined at 26.9 degrees.

 

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On 5/26/2018 at 11:33 PM, The Dunatian said:

STS-3  "I can see you"

An unusually high orbit, and a very pretty telescope - what's not to love? :)

Good job, here's your badge, commander!

9E708Vn.jpg?1

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About that landing script - still some more polishing needed

It starts like this
4e3b71372824.png
87a243840b57.png

And yes, I actually deliberately set it up for 180 degrees turn. To make the script work even like this (actual reentry navigation would need to evaluate the energy costs and be able to chose the far end or costlier turn if overshooting).
Which it still doesn't exactly fulfill - need to optimize the smoothness, or it loses too much energy - still need to fire jets a bit so it doesn't stall

On a good note, there is enough length for this:
10693e62529c.png

Had to even drive a bit to make this screenshot...
3297b6b111c5.png

Could be fun to have them land simultaneously...

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Ok, this looks about as good as it gets

 

certain parts aren't exactly perfect, but strangely enough, the attempts to further improve that somehow ended with it failing to keep up with the required glissade altogether

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