If you were assigned to go to Jool in JUST ONE HOUR...

[Ultimate Steve]

On 12/11/2020 at 11:43 AM, Ultimate Steve said:

 

KSP has a semi-active but existent speedrunning community. One of the categories is career all trips, which means "start a new career and go on a round trip to all the planets and back as fast as possible in real time." 7 months ago, someone who goes by mrshannon (I don't know his forum tag) used the IFTM drive in this category for the first time (I think, the run before it might have used it but I'm too lazy to check at the moment) and brought the record down to just over three hours. Five months ago, I optimized the route and took it down to one hour and 18 minutes. Then, four months ago, he took it back and it is currently standing at one hour 12 minutes.

Not only is it possible (but as of yet not achieved) to visit all of the planets and return in career mode in under an hour (only need to shave like 1/6 off, that's doable), going on a Jool flyby and return mission in under an hour is a cinch, even starting from nothing in career mode.

This thread inspired me to start trying to speedrun KSP again. And sure enough, on my second full attempt...

 

[sir rocket]

Cheats

[Lewie]

On 12/11/2020 at 7:17 AM, Fraktal said:

I have absolutely no idea. I only just recently reached Duna myself, though, so I don't think it'd be much more complex, just more dV-hungry.

Bingo. Jool is ridiculously easy to get an encounter with, and deltav is indeed a bit more then Duna. 

[linuxgurugamer]

On 12/11/2020 at 4:50 AM, Helvica_Ring_Scientist said:

...what'll you do? What will be the components of your ship? Will you do gravitational assists? Your choice. 

A wide open question.  You don't say anything about mods doc, etc.

Given that, the Kerbal X rocket and Hyperedit

[Kerbal Productions]

Any thing.

[Jack Mcslay]

The original post doesn't say anything about surviving, so it's a bigass rocket with mammoth engines and collision course into jool

[xub313]

I'd probably use the nuclear or ion engines and whatever big ol booster I need to get it into orbit. Though I'd also set up a gravity assist or two just for fun. 

[purpleivan]

Minutes 1-5: Build ungainly, absolutely impossible to fly contraption, possibly topped by a large collection of assorted wheels, at odd angles. I  mean... why not.

Minute 6: Wait forthe switch to the pad. Gravity has already been set to 0.01 to avoid your misbalanced tower of absurdity crashing Kerbinward in a fiery cataclysm. Start up Hyperedit and use it to quickly and efficiently (I mean... look a the savings in fuel) pop you "craft" into a neat, perfectly circular orbit of Jool (distance from Mr Green your choice of course).

Minutes 7-59: Quickly assemble the ingredients, some made beforehand (it's no more cheaty than the space based shenanigans) and bake a Jeb shaped cake.

Minute 60: Enjoy your sweet treat (might need to blow on it first to avoid burns though).

Declare victory.

[Kerminator K-100]

On 12/15/2020 at 9:09 AM, SpaceFace545 said:

i've been playing since 2014 and haven't been further than the mun, not even minmus. It's pretty embarrassing.

Same here. Duna is the farthest I've ever been.

[Curveball Anders]

I touched down and returned from every planet and moon in the stock system.

But that's in sandbox, in career I've landed (and returned) from Mun, Minmus, Duna, Dres, Moho and Gilly.

And orbited Eve (and obviously Kerbol).
 

[Souptime]

Use time warp obviously

[magnemoe]

On 12/12/2020 at 7:28 AM, Helvica_Ring_Scientist said:

1 hour REAL TIME.

As an tutorial, I would set it up so you was at launch window, pretty standard rocket, core, SRB, second stage and a probe. Second stage finish circulation and do the Jool injection burn. 
For realism get rid of second stage after correction burn inside Kerbin SOI. Probe get into Jool orbit and you can then play around the moons. 
Pretty realistic, but no gravity assist even if you might recommend trying to get an Laythe or Tylo one at arrival. Layte is easiest as it orbit so fast, Tylo is a bit more efficient however.