An Affordable Space Program: making the reusable spacecraft pay off.

[Remkeau]

Some impressive work in here guys, keep it up!

I really feel like undertaking this challenge so I made a backloading SSTO which can lay flat on it´s tummy for all those pesky refueling and reloading things.

Problem is, that as soon as anything wheeled gets in the cargo compartment it starts bouncing uncontrollably, slides around, breaks the wheels. It´s a mess.

Does anyone have any clue what to do about this? If I can't fix it I'll just have to add extra support columns across the top and remove the middle 3 lower boards of the cargo bay. (But from an aesthetic point of view I'd rather not )

edit: that fuel tank was empty by the way. So it can't have been that heavy I think

Edited May 23, 2014 by Remkeau

[gchristopher]

O-Doc I look forward to seeing this mission, it really looks like it will be exciting. And why name it Airwolf when it looks like a Swallow? You should have named it, Laiden Swallow.

It could join Unladen Swallow in this challenge.

[Hodo]

It could join Unladen Swallow in this challenge.

African or European?

The funny thing is I have launched two other SSTOs, SVP-407s, one that went Single Stage to the Mun and back, and another that just took my communications satellite network up in a single launch. And did the KSC Defense challenge, all the while the SP-406 is still parked by the SPH hanger with the fueling tanker right next to it. I should really load up one maybe two more modules and take them up and then park it for good.

You can see it here in the right edge of the picture.

And here.

[O-Doc]

That's pretty radical! Nice plane too. With that approach I'd reinforce the cargo bay edges with some I-beams or girders least your cargo demolish your Unladen Swallow's wings during the attempt.

Sorry you missed the reference, Monty Python....

Yep. To be honest my mind was thinking of something else which could have been the original joke.

Edited May 23, 2014 by O-Doc

[LordFjord]

Here's my 2nd go for the challenge, with a new SSTO that I called ASP Shade.

Sorry, not my real big SSTO that hauls 4 times the cargo as this one, but still a nice looking, very stable and easy to fly bird.

Also, my PC can handle the partcount of this one a lot better.

A few words to the plane:

~60 tons fully loaded when hauling an 18 ton fueltank on the test-flights.

6 turbojets, 2 nukes, ~24 intakes

Payload is attached on a docking port sr from the back.

Regarding effectivity, payload fraction, stability and handling its my currently best SSTO in the medium size (as I would call it) category.

Initial plan was to place each part of the station on a truck and never access SHP/VAB during the whole mission, but the framerate got so low that I abandoned it. So now I spawn one module truck after another.

I also intended to use a seperate Fuel-truck, which I also used at the 1st refuel action, but as the cargo trucks also have plenty of fuel as a counterweight to the cargo, I might as well just use that source.

The plane doesnt need much fuel in total to goto space, ~1300 liquid fuel and 500 oxydizer for a full roundtrip.

The station is placed in a 175km x 175km orbit, the plan is to have living space for 8 kerbals, some labs and escape pods for everyone.

Here's a gallery of the mission so far (2 flights so far, at least 6 more to come):

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More to come "soon"

Btw, anyone else noticed that the SPH CoL display is really messed up when you start with unusual parts? Root part of the plane is the connecting strut between the 2 hull sides, where also the cargo bay docking port and the intakes are attached. In the end balancing of CoM/CoL relied on luck and a bit experiance.

Fjord

edit:

I added some pics to the gallery (3rd flight), then I ran into this problem.

edit2:

Well, this project unfortunately never got finished, however the knowledge will be invaluable for 0.24

Edited July 17, 2014 by LordFjord

[Carsogen]

Hi all, this is my completion of the challenge:

The craft I used was a SSTO spaceplane named the "Shade" for its resemblance to an umbrella and is flown by Bilfrod Kerman.

Here's the good part though:

I used the KSC POOL as a loading dock!

Yes that's right, forget mods (100% stock except for KER, RCS Build Aid and Cockpit Internals) and never mind having to balance planes that sit meters above the ground, now you can design a simple, 'flat' spaceplane and load it with cargo too!

The space station to be constructed is the

"Fully Reconfigurable Orbit 'N' Translation Experimental Research" or "FRONTIER" Station,

which will be constructed in a 200km equatorial circular Kerbin orbit to prove the Shade's cargo carrying capacity and to sit just above the terrain detail lag line.

FRONTIER Station consists of 6 modules and 6 crew members, each of which will be delivered by the Shade one module and crew member at a time. All up it has >16,000 electric charge, 1 science lab and uses panels for power so it complies with the challenge rules.

Ground support vehicles:

- 'Wombat' Fuel Tanker - Operated by Ground Crew Chief Hudson Kerman

- 'Shuttle' Crew Transport - 'Flown' by Bilfrod's younger brother Mitfrod Kerman, who changed the name from the "Bug" and added a jet engine while jealous of his older brother for getting to fly the Shade.

- 'Shark' dock loader - So named when Jeb evacuated KSC after seeing something "black and spiky" in the Administration Centre pool during testing.

Each module and crew member while be introduced and described as it is put in space: Onwards!

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And there you have it! FRONTIER Station is ready and able to go on its secret true mission:

To Minmus!

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May the threat of eternal space drifting spur Bill and his crew on to great discoveries!

Scoring:

-Modules: 6

-Mass (Before Minmus Trip): 17.3

-Kerbals: 6

-All Stock: 10

-Refuel: -5

-Bonus: *At discretion of OP, maybe if I smile really nicely? *

-Total: 34.3

If there are any questions or requests for more info/images (or challenge checking by OP) just put up a comment and I'd be happy to elaborate on anything .

Thanks OP for making such a cool challenge, it really inspired me to play a lot while in the middle of a bored spell

Cheers!

Cas.

Edited February 2, 2015 by Carsogen

[GoSlash27]

I'm not physically capable of running this mission right now, but here's my concept:

The trucks trundle out the modules and refuel the tanks on the loader.

The loader places the modules on the orbiter and refuels it.

The orbiter handles orbiting and assembling the modules, then deorbits back at KSC to be reset, reloaded, and refueled.

I won't be going for a big score, I just want to see if all the pieces work together.

Best,

-Slashy

[peachoftree]

Just to clarify, we can use the SPH to load modules onto the runway, just not the plane itself?

[Carsogen]

Just to clarify, we can use the SPH to load modules onto the runway, just not the plane itself?

My understating is that you can do everything however you want, the only limitation is that one your craft (SSTO, spaceplane etc.) is launched it cannot be relaunched or recovered.

Cas.

[Hodo]

My understating is that you can do everything however you want, the only limitation is that one your craft (SSTO, spaceplane etc.) is launched it cannot be relaunched or recovered.

Cas.

The last post in this challenge was almost a year ago. I would say it is time for a new challenge if you want to submit a new entry.

[Carsogen]

The last post in this challenge was almost a year ago. I would say it is time for a new challenge if you want to submit a new entry.

Woops sorry!

It showed up on the top of the challenge forum so I just assumed it was new

Cas.

[LordFjord]

Ah, some memories you have dug up there

From time to time its nice to look at all the old stuff we've built and crashed.

The "new" recover features kinda replaces what this challenge was about and the scoring system wasn't optimal (I don't think it needed one, a simple "yay I did it" was more than enough satisfaction). Regardless this was one of the most interesting challenges I've done so far, definitely the one where I learned the most.

It would be interesting to set up a new heavy SSTO challenge with stock/NEAR/FAR - vertical/horizontal takeoff&landing categories.

Edited February 5, 2015 by LordFjord

[gchristopher]

Hi all, this is my completion of the challenge:

The craft I used was a SSTO spaceplane named the "Shade" for its resemblance to an umbrella and is flown by Bilfrod Kerman.

http://i.imgur.com/2z6SHDy.jpg

Nice job! It's fun to see people still doing this challenge!

re: Hodo: unless there's some new aspect to consider, I don't think we'd need a new challenge. The scoring system was never great, or really necessary, but the challenge of "re-load on the ground and fly again" hasn't really changed.

That is, assuming SirJoab is still around to update the first post, I guess.

Edited February 7, 2015 by gchristopher