The "Cheap Rocket" Challenge

[VictoryNeverFail]

Here at Victory Aerospace, the guy in charge of the money thought it would be a smart idea to waste it at the slot machine. Because of him we hardly have any money to build a space craft. We can't come up with a design for a cheap enough rocket so we asked other space programs to help us out.

CHALLENGE:

Launch a rocket that cost less than 7000 funds to a specific location

RULES:

All engines are allowed

No cheats (infinite fuel or low/no gravity)

Must use stock parts

Making history and breaking grounds parts are allowed.

RANKS:

Basic contract: Fly a satellite into a low Kerbin orbit

Appreciated contract: Fly a Kerbal in to a low Kerbin orbit and return him alive

Basic Lunar contract: Fly a Kerbal into space, get an encounter with the Mun, and return him/her safely

Advanced Luner contract: Land a Kerbal on Minmus and return him safely

Victory appreciation contract: Impress me

Good luck and have fun with the challenge!

 

[Orc]

Greetings,

 

I am pretty sure I can do the Satellite and Kerbal to LKO.

But the Fly-by-Mun-and-Safe-Return, is that even possible? Can you cram enough Delta-V into less than 7000 funds? As for landing... well... I don't think I can even think about.

 

I look forward to seeing what people come up with.

 

Regards

Orc

[VictoryNeverFail]

1 hour ago, Orc said:

Greetings,

 

I am pretty sure I can do the Satellite and Kerbal to LKO.

But the Fly-by-Mun-and-Safe-Return, is that even possible? Can you cram enough Delta-V into less than 7000 funds? As for landing... well... I don't think I can even think about.

 

I look forward to seeing what people come up with.

 

Regards

Orc

I mean bit saw a guy on YouTube land on the mun and back using around 6000 funds so ya it is possible

Just now, VictoryNeverFail said:

I mean bit saw a guy on YouTube land on the mun and back using around 6000 funds so ya it is possible

The trick to doing this challenge is to use small fuel tanks but even smaller engines

[neistridlar]

Minmus and back for 4,365. It's in 1.3.1, but I don't think that gives me any advantages in this case.

[Nich]

In old versions of KSP I could do a singe stage reliant Mun flyby.  With kerbal parachutes is should be even easier these days if they haven't messed with the ISP too much.

 

HAHA did anyone notice the name of the craft?  First Shot 4

Edited May 16, 2019 by Nich

[VictoryNeverFail]

18 hours ago, neistridlar said:

Minmus and back for 4,365. It's in 1.3.1, but I don't think that gives me any advantages in this case.

I would like it if there was more footage of the mission, but since you have followed all rules, and you used not even 4500 funds, we have decided that you didn't complete the "Advanced Luner" contract, but you have completed the "Victory Appreciation" Contract. This design will truly help us with our umm.. recent dept.. Thank you for making a rocket so cheap and officiant!

-Victory Kerman

Edited May 17, 2019 by VictoryNeverFail
Misspelled

[neistridlar]

32 minutes ago, VictoryNeverFail said:

I would like it if there was more footage of the mission, but since you have followed all rules, and you used not even 4500 funds, we have decided that you didn't complete the "Advanced Luner" contract, but you have completed the "Victory Appreciation" Contract. This design will truly help us with our umm.. recent dept.. Thank you for making a rocket so cheap and officiant!

-Victory Kerbin

I do have more images to show, but could not upload all of them due to bandwidth restrictions.

Also, I already started working on a Duna lander for under 7000. Not sure yet if it is possible, but I think it might be.

[Muetdhiver]

Here is my entry : https://imgur.com/a/cGoReI3

What I did is two SRB's then 2xLFT400's under a capsule with decouplers to ditch them 1 by 1. Engine is on the top of the capsule.

No chute, Jeb has to do it old school soviet style with the personal parachute.

I was able to do a Minmus landing first (to improve TWR) then a Mun landing, then return to kerbin with ~200 m/s left.

I think it's pretty good

I go to LKO with 3750 dV left, so there is a lot of thing one could do, like multi planetary flyby's.

Thanks for the challenge, it was pretty fun and showed me that one could do a dual Mun+Minmus as the second mission in career mode (probably).

 

[dnbattley]

As someone who always enjoys a good low cost mission challenge, I offer for your consideration a mission video of Jeb flying to Duna and back in a rocket, costing a mighty 4978 credits. Shot in a single take this evening, with no editing (other than time-acceleration to bring overall video time down to a manageable level), so apologies for any jerkiness.

Edit: this video now fixes the audio sync issue.

Edited May 26, 2019 by dnbattley

[Coolinee Kerman]

Would Duna, Ike, and back qualify for the Impress me tier? 

[VictoryNeverFail]

On 5/21/2019 at 4:38 PM, Muetdhiver said:

Here is my entry : https://imgur.com/a/cGoReI3

What I did is two SRB's then 2xLFT400's under a capsule with decouplers to ditch them 1 by 1. Engine is on the top of the capsule.

No chute, Jeb has to do it old school soviet style with the personal parachute.

I was able to do a Minmus landing first (to improve TWR) then a Mun landing, then return to kerbin with ~200 m/s left.

I think it's pretty good

I go to LKO with 3750 dV left, so there is a lot of thing one could do, like multi planetary flyby's.

Thanks for the challenge, it was pretty fun and showed me that one could do a dual Mun+Minmus as the second mission in career mode (probably).

 

Jeb not using a parachute sounds about right, but you have completed the "Victory Appreciation" for you excellent achievement. Thanks for the design, it will really help with our... umm... budget problem...

-Victory Kerman

Edited May 26, 2019 by VictoryNeverFail
Misspelled