Lazy man No Contract Career Challenge

[TheFlyingKerman]

How hard can the no contract career challenge be?

The challenge

The setting: everything normal, except I always enable action groups

First launch

Spoiler

The first launch. Flea mission as everyone does, but with a twist: by arranging the fins the rocket sits titled on the pad. Because the rocket auto stabilizes there is no need for SAS, so I put Bob in the capsule. The first launch was pad only, the second launch splashed down in water, the third launch splashed down shore to the north.

 

Before the first space mission I gathered as much fund / science as possible from Kerbin.

Spoiler

With the science I unlock the plane parts first

Flew to Island airfield and monolith on the NW mountain range

That unlocked the material bay, built a rover to collect science at KSC and mountain range (it is safe to drive at 60-70 m/s on the grassland)

Another plane, with a rocket engine to study science in the upper atmosphere

And more flea missions... After that there was enough cash to upgrade the Astronaut complex

 

First orbit

Spoiler

Finally first space mission. The S-2F lifts Val into a polar orbit

Did eva report over all biomes, then boosted into higher orbit before returning

S-2F is SSTO and is supposed to be fully reusable

 

More Kerbin science

Spoiler

With Val's new skill I could fly a supersonic plane to the temple and KSC2 at 550 m/s. Just prograde lock and watch...

Upgraded Tracking station afterwards.

Given the limited payload of the S-2F and lack of mission control I'd not want to risk my astronauts. So I did a Mun flyby first.

Spoiler

Again with the S-2F lifter, slightly modified with 2 FT-800 in place of 4 FT-400

It took a few tries to hit the Mun. I am no good at caveman. Fortunately I got extra cash once into Mun SOI, upgraded Mission control immediately and that is the flight plan. A small boost at Mun Pe (gravity assist helps) and I was escaping Kerbin SOI. Then about 100 m/s of maneuver to get back. 

Safely landed

 

As for the lifter, this time it landed back on the runway.

 

 

Edited December 22, 2021 by TheFlyingKerman
Got the picture links working?

[18Watt]

3 hours ago, TheFlyingKerman said:

The setting: everything normal, except I always enable action groups

Yep, I've started doing that too!  I've been playing Kerbal too long to not use the action groups.

That's an interesting start!  Going a different direction, which I like.  I've avoided the aviation parts of the tech-tree, but I've been wondering how well this challenge could be completed by using re-useable planes more.  I'll be watching your progress for sure!

[Superfluous J]

Welcome to the fracas! I hope you enjoy the challenge, I sure am on my 2nd go-through on it.

Nice sticking the landing there at the end. I usually accept anything in the same hemisphere as the KSC as "close enough"

[TheFlyingKerman]

Update

More KSC trickery

Spoiler

Had a small problem. After upgrading the VAB to level 2, I was left with 54k funds. If I upgraded the launch pad there would be no cash for new rockets. Then I came up with this

Instant profit of 20k for surface docking and crew transfer. Then I learned that refueling requires upgrading R&D. Fortunately this all happens on the ground. At the end I did not upgrade the launch pad and redesigned my mission around it.

Minmus

Spoiler

To get the docking bonus I must send my payload in two launches. That I shall do. First the transfer module, again with the S-2F lifter

Then booster was recovered, and lifted off again the following day, sending Val into orbit.

Docking was routine

Landed on Minmus. I originally planned to land on the Lesser Flat but the landing point was off by about 20 meter. Val ended up getting off and pushed the capsule that distance to get science from two biomes. Then she forgot to do EVA science

Then she lifted off again, docked with the transfer module again (just for money - the module is not going back), and went home

 

I made about 430k in this mission and after upgrading the launch pad is sitting on 440k funds. Should be able to upgrade R&D soon.

[Superfluous J]

11 hours ago, TheFlyingKerman said:

Val ended up getting off and pushed the capsule that distance to get science from two biomes.

Way to go Val!

11 hours ago, TheFlyingKerman said:

Then she forgot to do EVA science

Val! (shakes fist)

[Watermel00n]

What about Jeb?

[TheFlyingKerman]

Update 2

Mun mission

Spoiler

The Mun mission was similar to Minmus, just a little bigger. So I strapped a pair of Flea SRB to the S-2F rocket.

Again the craft consisted of a transfer module

and a crew module. Again I sent Val because Jeb didn't have the skills to pull this off

Again both rocket and boosters were recovered

The two modules docked in LKO, then went to the Mun,

Val landed on the Mun

Then went back to orbit, docked with the transfer module again, then flew back to Kerbin.

Made about 250k, upgraded R&D. Duna / Ike next.

[TheFlyingKerman]

Update 3

It is time to use admin strategy. Shortly after I arrived at Duna, I upgraded Admin to lv 2, then went all in, setting leadership initiative to 56%, that was all cash / reputation I got. Later when I got more science I also setup 50% science to cash.

Duna/Ike mission

Spoiler

For this mission I needed a bigger lifter, the S-3E was 61.3 t on the pad, rated for 9.5t to LKO, and powered by a Skipper.

First the relay/tanker module was launched. Then the crew/science module, carrying Bob.

Again everything recovered

The two docked in LKO, then went to Ike. In Ike orbit the two modules separated.

Crew module landed on Ike

Then lifted off and rejoined relay module

The whole ship moved to low Duna orbit. Then the crew module landed on Duna.

After a few days, the parachutes and science gear were dumped. Prepare to lift off.

Dock again in Duna orbit (note that another docking port on the crew module is used).

Returned to Kerbin.

 

As Bob was waiting in Duna orbit for the return window, I sent Jeb to Eve. Upgraded tracking station to lv 3 just before the mission.

Spoiler

This time I sent everything in one launch.

Arrived at Eve orbit

After doing some science, the transfer stage separates, Jeb went to Gilly.

Transfer stage was deposed of by landing on Eve

It landed in its side, the antenna broke, and rolled downhill for some time, but did not go down to the nearby lake.

Jeb arrived at Gilly, then landed. The legs were behaving funny, almost topping the ship for no reason. So I did not hop to other biomes.

Backed to Kerbin a few days after Bob.

 

After these two missions, I made > 2.5M funds and 7500 science, upgraded SPH, runway to lv2, Launch Pand and Admin to lv3. I was still about 1.4M short to upgrade everything.

Edited December 29, 2021 by TheFlyingKerman

[TheFlyingKerman]

Update 4

A correction on the last update: I actually made >3.5M and updated R&D to lv 3 as well. The only lv 3 technology I needed was the 88-88 antenna.

Because I am lazy I decided to just send a probe to the Jool system, and quit when I made enough to complete the challenge.

Spoiler

Again the craft was launched using the S-3A lifter. It just works.

The lifter was recovered. Note the building upgrades.

The probe was captured into Jool orbit using a Tylo gravity assist.

Then flew by Laythe and Vall

That put me in a favorable intercept with Pol. Went into Pol orbit. Originally I planned to land on Pol but I had made enough cash already. So I claim challenge complete.

 

Challenge complete!!!

I reckon the missions cost about 100-150k combined. This shows how ridiculously profitable KSP contracts are.

[Superfluous J]

@TheFlyingKerman Well done! I like how you did Duna and Ike with 2 launches that docked in LKO, and then basically did a Kerpollo mission

I am considering doing similar on Eve, only with a probe lander with a car docked to it. So the two probes land docked, the car undocks and drives away and back to dock again to get "building a base".

If I'm cruel, I'll also send a Kerbal to plant a flag and live there >:)

[Jacke]

4 hours ago, Superfluous J said:

If I'm cruel, I'll also send a Kerbal to plant a flag and live there [Eve] >:)

Or you could make up a new challenge, where you put Bob on Eve.  "The Evetian - BRING HIM HOME"

[Superfluous J]

11 minutes ago, Jacke said:

Or you could make up a new challenge, where you put Bob on Eve.  "The Evetian - BRING HIM HOME"

True I could win with him on the surface and THEN go save him by taking some contracts and making the money to build a rescue ship.

Or I could just leave him there. Yeah I like that better.

 

[Nazalassa]

You could try to focus on Xenon tech and then make a "grand tour" and suborbit every celestial body in the system (I mean, reach orbit and then lower PE to -1).

And try to land!

The price of Xenon (30,000) will be refunded as soon as you reach Moho.

Edited February 13, 2022 by Nazalassa
fixed typo