Goddard rocket Challenge

[frizzank]

For those that dont know Goddard is basicaly the father of modern rocketry, and your challenge is to build a "Backwards" rocket where the engine is above the fuel source.

Some pics of his rocket

You dont have to build it just like this or copy it, the only rule is your engine that is providing the thrust has to be above its fuel source.

largest mass to a 72km stable orbit wins!

Can I use mods? - yes just state them

Can I cheat? - Yes part clipping, just no infinite fuel

Can I just attach the engines to the top of the fuel tank? - NO, No part of the engine can be at or below any part of the fuel tank at launch!

Can I use staging? Yep.

My attempt, I did not make it in orbit and almost didn't make it of the pad!

OdinYggd is in the lead 142t

Edited July 29, 2013 by frizzank

[Patupi]

I haven't tried this, but I suspect non-gimbaled engines and using lots of stabilizing fins/RCS should at least get somewhere. I know gimbaled engines get their vernier controls wrong above center of mass.

[capi3101]

...this one's tougher than it sounds.

[frizzank]

Yes if you dont disable your gimble it will pitch in the opposite direction! Also much harder than I suspected....

[Giggleplex777]

Well, it can't get past 3km, but it looks like his rocket (plus, his rocket didn't fly higher than 14m).

[maackey]

I slapped together some parts and managed to do it pretty easily with the gimbals off.

Mods used: FAR, Mechjeb (for info only, it doesn't fly it that well), NovaPunch, KW, and B9. I really just slapped together the first parts I could find that looked similar to what I wanted. I could easily recreate this stock :s

Anyway, its 8.4 tons at the moment and still has 1km/s dV left.

edit: forgot a picture of it whole!

2nd edit:

now stock!

All stock parts, although I'm still using FAR, but I've still got over 1000m/s dV left, so I'm pretty sure it can make it to orbit in stock as well.

Edited July 26, 2013 by maackey

[frizzank]

awesome job! I know some one is dying to make a 100t monstrosity.

[Eric S]

Well, I hit 23.84t on an escape trajectory. Need to work on the gravity turn :-)

[Coneshot]

Here's mine, call it "Goddard's belltower" 22.47T in orbit,

Mods: Mechjeb

[Sumyunguy]

Here it is...

Goddards Revenge!

It only took about 3,034 tries, but 'Goddards Revenge' in now seated in Kerbin orbit at around 78/80 km.

All stock, only mod used is 'SteamGauges' for knowledge reference. No Mecjeb or any other autopilot.

Mass in Orbit:

43.45t

Original plan was to jettison fuel tanks, but I used RCS for the last bit of orbit trim instead of less mass/more LV manuvers.

== Warning! Many Pictures Ahead! ==

A moment of silence for our hero Bill, who braved many feats to bring that horrible death-machine into orbit...

[koshelenkovv]

[Coneshot]

Here it is...

Goddards Revenge!

It only took about 3,034 tries, but 'Goddards Revenge' in now seated in Kerbin orbit at around 78/80 km.

All stock, only mod used is 'SteamGauges' for knowledge reference. No Mecjeb or any other autopilot.

Mass in Orbit:

43.45t

Original plan was to jettison fuel tanks, but I used RCS for the last bit of orbit trim instead of less mass/more LV manuvers.

== Warning! Many Pictures Ahead! ==

~snip~

A moment of silence for our hero Bill, who braved many feats to bring that horrible death-machine into orbit...

lol I tried one like that but either it snatched the top off at launch, or if I was VERY careful it snatched it off at first staging.. regardless of the number of struts... Well done Bill!

[Slugy]

I'd like to present the Goddard Challenge Mk6 - 125.74 Tonnes to 103Km orbit, and a return for the brave Kerbals, just.

There is a lot to improve on this ship, it's very hard to control and really strains my pc, so I think I'm done for now

Javascript is disabled. View full album

This was an evil and fun challenge, and it took me many attempts to get a large ship up (struts everywhere for 1-2 fps - the slowest I've had KSP run).

[Sumyunguy]

lol I tried one like that but either it snatched the top off at launch, or if I was VERY careful it snatched it off at first staging.. regardless of the number of struts... Well done Bill!

Yeah, I had major problems with the craft snapping off just under the command pod. Finally just went crazy with struts and such but the real difference was made when I zoomed in and placed the struts in between the two parts. Even so, no sudden change in velocity on launch or it will sever.

[capi3101]

First try: The Random Task 7

That pile of Reaction Wheels was originally two lengths of Structural Fuselage and the rockets originally were pointed straight down. Reverting was the only thing that kept me from a pile of about two dozen dead Kerbals...

You can see that the can actually separated from the the SAS stack. First time I tried this configuration I was at full thrust when I lit the stage and the whole top came right off. Second time I lit it at 2/3 thrust and throttled up to full. She was remarkably controllable with that many wheels turning all at once.

Unfortunately, this design failed. But not bad for a first attempt to fulfill the conditions of the challenge.

[OdinYggd]

I need a clarification-

Can an RCS tank be included in the structure at or above the engines? Or does that get counted as fuel and have to stay below the engine bell at all costs.

[Sumyunguy]

I need a clarification-

Can an RCS tank be included in the structure at or above the engines? Or does that get counted as fuel and have to stay below the engine bell at all costs.

I believe so, but I'm not sure if OP has any exceptions. Stock RCS thrusters should work even if not attached directly to a tank.

[sal_vager]

Okay here's mine, I designed this before realizing that the winner was the most mass to orbit, but I'm submitting it anyway

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Edited July 28, 2013 by sal_vager

[OdinYggd]

Second clarification- are we allowed to use separatrons. Or do they count as rocket motors in this challenge.

[Sumyunguy]

Second clarification- are we allowed to use separatrons. Or do they count as rocket motors in this challenge.

Separatrons are solid fuel boosters, so the fuel is already self-contained in the top portion of the part while the nozzle is underneath.

So no, I don't think so.

[OdinYggd]

Alright guys, brace yourself for a big one. I claim 142 tons at 80km x 79km.

This is all-stock except for a single MJ2 AR202 glued to the side of the probe body. No RCS or separatrons either, since I wasn't sure if I could use them.

Powerplant is a total of 28 LV-30 engines, 4 groups of 3 on the inner pylons with 4 groups of 4 on the outer pylons.

8 stacks of 2 1000 unit batteries.

48 reaction wheels. Yes, that many. Action grouped into 3 banks for power management- the largest bank is 32, second bank is 8, and the remaining 8 are always-on for station-keeping.

It actually has four RTGs on one of the engine pylons as well as 24 of the 1x6 solar panels for power.

And all of the stacks have a 2 meter docking port on the bottom as well as the visible one on top. I can later on add a docking tower to this to create the largest fuel repository I have ever launched.

VAB overview On the pad

Up we go:

This view made my night. That glorious moment of roaring engines cruising towards the sunrise..

Circularizing

80km x 79km circular orbit, fully deployed with solar arrays open and 40 of the 48 reaction wheels powered off to conserve energy.

And the vessel's name is, Mother of Goddard. (Build designation Goddard-4D)

Craft file for those interested: http://www.seraphimlabs.net/KSP/VAB/021Mother_of_Goddard.craft

Make sure if you try to fly it that you adjust the action groups to something you like. It is important to deploy the solar panels quickly after engine cutoff, and power manage the reaction wheels once circularized to avoid burning up the battery bank.

Edited July 29, 2013 by OdinYggd

[frizzank]

I think for the record we all know that using a billion decouplers or 250000 seperatrons violates the spirit of most challenges. If your exploiting a loophole in the rules don't do it....

OdinYggd

Awesome rocket...!!!

[sal_vager]

:/

That's more to orbit than my second craft masses on the pad.

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[Pbhead]

Let me tell you about massive crafts.

not for this challenge, but fitting, due to the engines in front of fuel whole thing. but you get the idea.... all those orange tanks full, save one... that last little tank on the end with the mainsail got ejected after I took the screeny.

Still. its over 1000 tons atm.

[Coneshot]

Alright guys, brace yourself for a big one. I claim 142 tons at 80km x 79km.

This is all-stock except for a single MJ2 AR202 glued to the side of the probe body. No RCS or separatrons either, since I wasn't sure if I could use them.

Powerplant is a total of 28 LV-30 engines, 4 groups of 3 on the inner pylons with 4 groups of 4 on the outer pylons.

8 stacks of 2 1000 unit batteries.

48 reaction wheels. Yes, that many. Action grouped into 3 banks for power management- the largest bank is 32, second bank is 8, and the remaining 8 are always-on for station-keeping.

It actually has four RTGs on one of the engine pylons as well as 24 of the 1x6 solar panels for power.

And all of the stacks have a 2 meter docking port on the bottom as well as the visible one on top. I can later on add a docking tower to this to create the largest fuel repository I have ever launched.

VAB overview ~snip~

Up we go:

~snip~

This view made my night. That glorious moment of roaring engines cruising towards the sunrise..

~snip~

Circularizing

~snip~

80km x 79km circular orbit, fully deployed with solar arrays open and 40 of the 48 reaction wheels powered off to conserve energy.

~snip~

And the vessel's name is, Mother of Goddard. (Build designation Goddard-4D)

Craft file for those interested:~snip~

Make sure if you try to fly it that you adjust the action groups to something you like. It is important to deploy the solar panels quickly after engine cutoff, and power manage the reaction wheels once circularized to avoid burning up the battery bank.

Holy Cow! The screenies alone caused my fans to wind up and my FPS to drop into SPF (Seconds Per Frame) lol