Cassini-Huygens Probe Memorial Challenge

[rev_dude]

Rest in Peace Cassini-Huygens Probe

As many know, today (at the time of writing) the Cassini Saturn Probe will be completing its mission to the ringed planet in a spectacular grand finale.

After spending nearly 20 years in space, Cassini will be plunging into Saturn in an effort to protect potential lifeforms on its moons.

It has given us much insight as well as fascinating pictures of Saturn and its moons, and is a scientific marvel.

This challenge is to remember and memorialize the Cassini-Huygens Probe.

(So its not meant to be super hard, but that's what bonus points are for! )

CHALLENGE INFO

Send a probe weighing at least 4 tons to Jool, visit (flyby) at least 1 moon. Then destroy your probe in Jool.

      *Substitute Jool for Saturn (RSS/RO) or another Saturn alike planet with at least 1 moon for other planet packs

      *Parts from any publically available mod allowed, as long as they are balanced. (I.E. No 10,000 thrust, 1,000,000 isp engines)

Bonus Points  

Realism - realistic looking probe (screenshot required)

Real Scale Solar System - Mission is done with RSS/RO, challenge is exactly the same, but going to Saturn

Huygens Lander - send a battery powered lander to Laythe (or Titan for RSS players) That means no solar panels, RTGs or fuel cells!

Maneuverer - use a gravity assist to get there

Realistic Maneuverer - use 2 Eve gravity assists, followed by a Kerbin one

Explorer - Flyby at least 2 of Jool's moons

Explorer plus - Flyby every Jool moon

Minimalist - entire rocket masses less than 60 tons

Maximalist - Largest probe by mass and/or size

Direct route - Fastest mission time

 

Badge available! (Thanks CraterCraker for the artwork)

 

GOOD LUCK KERBONAUTS!

Don't forget to post your attempts, as well any bonus points in this thread

Craft files & screenshots welcome too!

-Rev

Edited October 10, 2017 by rev_dude
Clarification

[Dman979]

Is there a separate RSS/RO category?

[TheGuyNamedAlan]

yessss this is great! im on it

[Ultimate Steve]

Okay, I can guarantee that I will be a while (if I ever finish this) but in my RP-0/RO save the next Saturn window is approaching soon-ish. If I'm incredibly lucky and the prototype hardware I'll be using doesn't explode (this will be only the second flight of new probe hardware and two new flight stages) then I might just be able to get something out to Saturn. I can't guarantee it will look anything like Cassini, and it may not even get into orbit, but I'll do my best.

[rev_dude]

8 hours ago, Dman979 said:

Is there a separate RSS/RO category?

I have just added a bonus points category for it  

[TheGuyNamedAlan]

alright it's done with a video 

 

enjoy!

[invision]

finally finished

this took hours, much longer than expected. it was fun tho

using laythe as my way to slow down and drop huygens in

Huygens decoupled

[Bottle Rocketeer 500]

@invision What mod's Huygens in you replica

[invision]

 

5 minutes ago, Bottle Rocketeer 500 said:

@invision What mod's Huygens in you replica

D-magic orbital science mod

tweak scale

munar industries for orange tank used for Huygen

Edited September 17, 2017 by invision

[maceemiller]

Yes!! Im loving this idea! Ok, so im using RSS without RO and I'll be using my own mods so I cant really enter the challenge as such but I will follow your rules anyway.....just got to send my scanning probe to Mars then im all over this

[Ultimate Steve]

I completely did this without realizing that my probe was 1.8-ish tons and not 4, but if you don't mind I'll post this anyway (mine is in RO/RP-0).

Part 1:

Spoiler

It is Year 17 of the space program (1968) and man has landed on the moon three times, several years ago. However, to engage scientists in research a five year gap was planned to design a lifter that didn't nearly explode after every launch. This spawned several programs to fill the gap, including Avalon Station (LEO), Eclipse Station (LLO, using the last Gravity III moon rockets), Planetoid (Interplanetary flights to Venus, Mars, and Mercury with a Mu IV rocket), LunarComm, and many more.

One of these programs was Gravity-Planetoid. Since Mu-Planetoid had reached its limit (the recent Mars lander didn't have nearly enough Delta-V) it was decided to launch advanced interplanetary missions on the Gravity IB. Gravity 1B is basically a really large version of Falcon Heavy, with 3 4.6 meter diameter kerolox cores, and a liquid hydrogen upper stage. The first destination was Saturn.

However, even with a two ton probe, the necessary Delta-V could not be attained without gravity assists (which I have no patience for). So, the engineers decided to take Gravity 1, convert the core to hydrolox, and use four boosters instead of two. The result was Gravity 1B XL.

The Saturn mission, dubbed GP-1 Cassini, was the first ever flight of a G1BXL, and it was hoped that nothing would go wrong.

The vehicle passed Max Q and rose above the clouds.

Unfortunately, the four boosters, with six engines each, were accidentally detached a fraction of a second early. Fortunately, the rocket pitched up and avoided certain doom.

Shortly later, Earth orbit was achieved and the Saturn maneuver plotted. A closer look at the spacecraft reveals the hydrolox core, a hydrolox second stage, a hypergolic interplanetary stage, and the probe itself.

Hydrolox second stage ignition. This stage does most of the escape burn work.

Beauty shot of the probe and the interplanetary stage on their way to Saturn.

 

My bad, I totally forgot a close up of the probe. It is built around a propulsion module with about 2.8km/s of Delta-V, and is powered by 6 RTG's. The rest of the probe are radiators, a high gain antenna, and lots and lots of science experiments.

I'll keep you updated and post when it gets to Saturn.

 

 

[[insert_name_here]]

Hey, just wondering - Would Sarnus from OPM count for this challenge?

[NSEP]

Sounds like fun! 

Im might try it in RO/RSS Sandbox. Im not going to do it with gravity assist though, so i might use a bigger and different launcher than the Titan used for the real Cassini. 

[maceemiller]

So, I've started to build my version of Cassini. Im using mods and will post a picture of my Game Data folder when Im ready for this challenge.

I did install the US Probes mod and while it was excellent I decided to uninstall and build with what I already had installed as Im not the greatest builder of spacecraft in KSP and a pre-made Cassini would not fulfill the objective....... i really want to give this challenge a go.

Enough tittle-tattle from me...back to building my Cassini.......

Edited September 20, 2017 by maceemiller

[rev_dude]

17 hours ago, [insert_name_here] said:

Hey, just wondering - Would Sarnus from OPM count for this challenge?

Sure!  Assuming it is a Saturn counterpart.

(I'm not too familiar with OPM, prefer to play a mostly stock game)

[maceemiller]

WOW!! All I can say is im loving this challenge from the building of my Cassini's point of view......

Shes a lot smaller version of the original as im trying hard to keep in the 4 ton limit that was set but my god Im learning about things here.......

Normally I'd say an unmanned probe, just to kill it, was a waste of time but this, oh this I am loving

Thankyou @rev_dude for giving my brain new things to think about, even after playing KSP for the last 3 years or so......

Once Ive finished my Cassini I'll post some images of her before I set about getting this mission into operation.........

*EDIT* - I've just re-read the rules on the weight....for whatever reason I thought it said Cassin-Huygen should be under 4 ton, not at least 4 ton...ive been working hard to keep it under 4 so ill continue....this is 1 build im enjoying

**EDIT** - Here is my Cassini. Ive stuck science stuff on her just to make her look like she has a reason for going all the way to Saturn!

.

Edited September 22, 2017 by maceemiller

[maceemiller]

So, I cant believe there is not more interest in this however I do get the whole mentality of "why build and fly just to die" but thats KSP isnt it

Anyway, back to the mission, Ive now put my Cassini - Huygens on its Saturn transfer stage. Never really messed around with generators but getting used to how they work now.

Really cant wait to launch this however I have about a 2 year wait before my transfer window.......which means I'll have to do other stuff in-game while I wait......Oh its a hard life eh?

Edited September 28, 2017 by maceemiller

[maceemiller]

Soooo....im sorry for now triple posting however I for one want to continue with this mission/challenge and as there are no other members posting I will continue (unless told by a forum mod to stop).

With an amendment to my last picture I'm not going to go with a full-on prograde blast to Saturn....im going to try a Venus slingshot, twice if I can.

Ive never performed a slingshot manoeuvre before but I've been researching online so will perform some tests over the next couple of days.

If anyone is reading this thread join in! Dont do the mission if its not for you but I feel its important to keep Cassini-Huygens alive for as long as possible considering all that they have and will give us in the very near future when we unravel the data sent home.

@rev_dude where you at mate?

Right, back to some testing......

Edited September 29, 2017 by maceemiller

[scottadges]

I just found this challenge and would love to do it. I'll see what I can work up as far as Cassini-Huygens replica.

Is there a badge maybe somebody could do for this one?

[maceemiller]

22 hours ago, scottadges said:

I just found this challenge and would love to do it. I'll see what I can work up as far as Cassini-Huygens replica.

Is there a badge maybe somebody could do for this one?

That would be a great idea. Im not technically minded that way but I may have a go....maybe someone more talented could help here?

[Abpilot]

A: would RSS be allowed B: am I allowed to use RN us probes & rockets, cus it comes with Cassini and the titan IV

[rev_dude]

 

A: would RSS be allowed B: am I allowed to use RN us probes & rockets, cus it comes with Cassini and the titan IV

A:yes, see notes of challenge

B:also yes, but since you didn't design Cassini, you just don't quality for the realism bonus points

-Rev

[Abpilot]

On ‎5‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 11:56 AM, rev_dude said:

A:yes, see notes of challenge

B:also yes, but since you didn't design Cassini, you just don't quality for the realism bonus points

-Rev

ok

 

[cratercracker]

@rev_dude

Here is a patch for this challenge!

----------------------

@invision  @maceemiller

------------------------------------------

"I realised, that i am crawling on an eggshell"

-------------------------------------

You welcome.

 

Edited October 6, 2017 by cratercracker

[maceemiller]

15 hours ago, cratercracker said:

@rev_dude

Here is a patch for this challenge!

----------------------

@invision  @maceemiller

------------------------------------------

"I realised, that i am crawling on an eggshell"

-------------------------------------

You welcome.

 

I like it but if im honest I dont.....dont be offended please, its just seems a little cluttered and hard to make out what it is. 

I dont know how to make these so if you could explain to me how maybe we could work together on one?