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


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

Your mission here involves some design and orbital construction - you are to launch a Space Telescope into orbit and deploy it. This will require assembly with the 2 MMUs (Manned Maneuvering Units, like this one) you will design, as the solar panels need to be attached on-orbit with Kerbals.

For the STS-3 mission, the description doesn't say anything about the disposition of the MMUs.  I'm planning on bringing them back, does it really matter?

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38 minutes ago, linuxgurugamer said:

For the STS-3 mission, the description doesn't say anything about the disposition of the MMUs.  I'm planning on bringing them back, does it really matter?

Up to you - you can leave them in orbit, let them burn in the atmosphere, or bring them back. I brought mine home, too, felt wasteful to do otherwise :)

Michal.don

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I decided to roleplay this as much as possible, so I've installed a couple of telescope mods to get nice looking parts. I also added the Kerbanov parts mod, which includes a heavy-duty external seat.  

The cargo bay is extremely tight on space, in my tests I've had the entire thing just blow up into little pieces when decoupling a module in the bay

.The director of the space program, Kelon Kerman, has released a this photo of the final assembly of STS-3.  The shuttle is the medium length version with the narrow wings:

mbWz4c7.png

 

Edit:

Kelon managed to get another pic past the censors:

ZytapZn.png

Edited by linuxgurugamer
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STS-3 completed.   25.05030 degree orbit, Ap of 585km, Pe of 573.7 km high.  Landed back at the KSC

Complete video (1:53 long)

Spoiler

 

And some pics

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Ascent

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xz9HEuc.png

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Building the telescope

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XvnzQp1.png

FbeweSC.png

HFn1wDU.png

 

Continuing the build

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oS2jXTm.png

8R3XMqI.png

mRqV3DG.png

 

Now for the second set of panels

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ngfyb3q.png

Ji9eYZC.png

agRY7kn.png

 

Deploying the panels

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ihjPUxD.png

 

Undocking from telescope, very carefully. and docking the MMUs back in the shuttle bay

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WB2WLGd.png

PnYgPQI.png?1

Reentry and flight back

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GyILphS.png

Post-mission pics

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2gu25lm.png

0uyR2go.png

Map view showing telescope

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MsgtyrE.png

 

Edited by linuxgurugamer
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My second mission last night went rather badly, I was unable to dock the two shuttle together (I know, wasn't part of the challenge, but I was trying it) and then KSP just went a little weird.

I took a look at the shuttle this morning, and realized that in my zeal to add in hidden RCS thrusters, I totally messed up the controls.  I've fixed that, and hope to finish the STS4/4B tonight.

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Spoiler

tl44nf.jpg

New shuttle design based on the original SpaceShuttle, it has more dV (4300m/s top) than my regular Artisan but less thrust on Nukes (0.2 vs 0.25 without cargo !).

Now that I settled on double Vectors main engines, I have to create the rest of the lifting vehicle ! :D

 

Edited by Kerbolitto
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21 hours ago, linuxgurugamer said:

STS-3 completed.   25.05030 degree orbit, Ap of 585km, Pe of 573.7 km high.  Landed back at the KSC

(The video is not working - at least for me - it's the video of the STS-2b mission. But I can see enough in the screenshots)

It seems you have quite an affection for cargo bays packed to the limit :) Very nice telescope design and good job on the orbital assembly part of the mission! I can't help but wonder how the spacestation from STS-5 ti STS-8 will look like, but I think it's going to be quite special!

Here's your badge, congratulations!

qZ10w1g.jpg?1

 

Michal.don

 

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1 hour ago, michal.don said:

(The video is not working - at least for me - it's the video of the STS-2b mission. But I can see enough in the screenshots)

It seems you have quite an affection for cargo bays packed to the limit :) Very nice telescope design and good job on the orbital assembly part of the mission! I can't help but wonder how the spacestation from STS-5 ti STS-8 will look like, but I think it's going to be quite special!

Here's your badge, congratulations!

qZ10w1g.jpg?1

 

Michal.don

 

Oops, I guess I uploaded the wrong video.  Uploading the correct one now, will update the post

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3 hours ago, michal.don said:

It seems you have quite an affection for cargo bays packed to the limit :) Very nice telescope design and good job on the orbital assembly part of the mission! I can't help but wonder how the spacestation from STS-5 ti STS-8 will look like, but I think it's going to be quite special!

Well, when you don't have a lot of space, you have to be inventive in order to fit things in.

I'll have to find some hab and science modules which are 1.875 size, otherwise I'll have to start using a larger shuttle.

I am trying to avoid Tweakscale, but if I have to use it to shrink down some 2.5m modules, would that be acceptable?

Also, I gather that STA5-8 means that it will need 4 shuttle flights to assemble, is that correct?

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5 minutes ago, linuxgurugamer said:

Well, when you don't have a lot of space, you have to be inventive in order to fit things in.

I'll have to find some hab and science modules which are 1.875 size, otherwise I'll have to start using a larger shuttle.

I am trying to avoid Tweakscale, but if I have to use it to shrink down some 2.5m modules, would that be acceptable?

I agree, the 1.25 m habs do not look as good as the 2.5 m. I generally do not use, or like tweakscale very much (I prefer procedural parts for more diameter variability), but since the station doesn't have any size requirements, I do not see any reason to ban it. Or, there's a possibility to tweascale the shuttle so the 2.5 m parts fit in :D 

 

7 minutes ago, linuxgurugamer said:

Also, I gather that STA5-8 means that it will need 4 shuttle flights to assemble, is that correct?

That's correct.

 

Michal.don

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I've been able to design a simple station using 1.875 and 1.25 parts, which should be doable in 4 flights.  I'll continue to not use tweakscale if at all possible (not even installed)

Also, even though you said it was ok, I haven't used any atmo autopilot for long, straight flights

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1 hour ago, michal.don said:

Or, there's a possibility to tweascale the shuttle so the 2.5 m parts fit in :D 

I'll just note here that the Mark IV cargo bays can fit 3.75 m parts with some room to spare for constructing additional pylons.

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18 minutes ago, sturmhauke said:

Shuttles have no business being that maneuverable. Oh wait, you exploded at the end, carry on.


Messing around in this way needs to end in an explosion, otherwise, you've done it wrong :D

(The gimbal range helps a lot during these maneuvers but the orbiter will not carry any oxidizer, so they are pretty useless after ET separation^^)

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20 hours ago, sturmhauke said:

I'll just note here that the Mark IV cargo bays can fit 3.75 m parts with some room to spare for constructing additional pylons.

I realize that, thanks.  But I'm trying to do as much as possible with the Mk2.5 Spaceplane parts.

If I used a Mk IV, i could assemble the entire station in a single flight :D

.

Edited by linuxgurugamer
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nYmI370.png

The fleet grows :)

Just a few more tests, some tuning on the new launch vehicle and I should be ready to go for a visit of Eve :)
*crossing fingers that the new orbiter will survive the aerobreak*

I get the feeling, that I should finally find a name for the beauties, 'First', 'Boxed' and 'Big' somehow becomes silly xD

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@michal.don Quick question regarding EVE STS - 1:

Am I allowed to perform a flyby of Eve before I actually perform the aerobreak and still qualify for the commander badge?

The usual hohmann transfer creates an encounter around the Pe but even after hours of trying, my best attempts still loosing a part due overheating (the shielded docking port on the nose), or I just don't get captured. I want to try to perform a flyby which kicks me into an orbit below Eve and allows me to create an encounter around the Ap. I hope that the lower orbital speed will allow me to aerobreak without loosing any parts :) 

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Been looking at this challenge for a few days now and I just wanted to confirm a few things about it.

Firstly, FAR is allowed? Because I don't think I've seen anyone use FAR for any of their missions.

Second, while the Orbiter has to have crew capacity, is it required to be piloted by a Kerbal, or can the piloting be done remotely/via probe core, with the Kerbals acting solely as passengers? I've seen -maybe- only one other person forgo a dedicated traditional cockpit.

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On 1/18/2019 at 3:00 AM, 4x4cheesecake said:

The fleet grows :)

Just out of curiosity, how did you put the planes there?

The last time I tried to arrange such a screenshot it was an hours' work of spawning and directing vessels, and that was using rovers which at least can steer for themselves. 10/10 won't do again...

In other news, I've been scripting an autopilot to return my shuttle to the runway. Reentry and landing both were easy, but transition from one to the other was a lot  more complicated that I expected. Stll, I'm confident that I'll have a working solution Real Soon Now(TM).

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1 hour ago, Laie said:

Just out of curiosity, how did you put the planes there?

Probably Vessel Mover or Hyperedit.

1 hour ago, Noir said:

Firstly, FAR is allowed? Because I don't think I've seen anyone use FAR for any of their missions.

Building a shuttle is hard enough with stock aero. Attempting one in FAR does not sound remotely fun to me. Maybe once I figure it out more.

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