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I think... if the poor kerman can stay indefinitely in the atmosphere until you get close to him, it would be easier to get into a 70km orbit, match plane and then plan your intercept... Trying to get him on a first try from the ground will be very hard. (I did have a look at the save file, and did two try: that poor kerman is going really fast)

I got a quick tip that may seem obvious, but rarely mentioned in tutorials. If the SAS "Target" mode is available to you, you can let it control all rotations. Only translations are required. Here's a little demonstration where I "dance" around the docking port, never using WASD in the whole video. Mostly IJKL and a little bit of HN to control distance:

Hello! Aerobraking and aerocapture is a more advanced technique but if you want to maximize efficiency, there is no way around it! A few challenge can be a lot easier if you use aerobraking! When I first started looking into aerobraking... I found these: Trials and errors by other people A complex website calculator A very nice and easy to use chart for Jool But I couldn't find any videos only about Mechjeb's aerobraking prediction! I might have found something about it buried inside some other longer video... so after experimenting a little bit I decided to share this demonstration: Unfortunately, you'll find my dark secret in this video... I'm from Montréal!

Think of the cost! How will those poor kerbal eat when all the money goes into monster rockets? I propose an Anti-rocket protest... let's meet in front of the VAB!

Hum... promising theory... unfortunately, the control algorithm for SAS Radial out is not the same as MechJeb's Surface Up mode... and it's not very good with both designs I just tested minutes ago (rover wheel or plane wheel with rocket engine) I think Mechjeb's feedback loop is too aggressive leading to oscillations... but still controllable! (The helium-balloon like wobbling) The default SAS Radial out feedback loop is too passive... leading to slow corrections like this: First 8 seconds are braking in normal SAS/docking mode... Then until around 0:55 we have radial SAS in linear docking mode: controlling forward motion is a challenge. After 0:55 I try a careless mix of radial mode and manual correction...

Sorry, was away all week for training... here is the craft file!

I got 103.2m x 5 = 516 points! If I would do it another way, I would try 4 x 50m launch assembled in orbit for a total of 200m x 4 x 2 = 1600 points! But, when we start that kind of fight, it can escalate and consume an infinite amount of time.

Got 94669.0 orbital speed and 90888.9 surface speed!

Kerbals on EVA can survive the kraken, according to the wiki and this video by someone else:

Concerning Jool... would a video with the capsule explosion and then a reload of a quicksave and an EVA just before explosion be acceptable?

There's a gear in the top right corner to open the full resolution image! 39d, 02:56:31 to touch down... a few more seconds to get out of the capsule (I think I ran out of battery will trying to rotate the hatch on top)

Flying train!!! +rep! (A few days ago I did this non flying train... but was waiting for the hype train to start! We'll be ready!)

I went to EVE!!! Video contain the first minute of launch, all manoeuver nodes planning, part of the slingshot burn, and the landing.

I liked pwlnw's design so I had to steal it! And I realised... removing throttle fro W and S key simplify the whole control scheme. No need to switch between the two docking modes anymore! Video also include bicycle design... it's a compilation of kind-of and could-have moments... more practice would be required! Edit: Craft files... all monowheels, the halfpipe and the ramp: Here

As reported in the craft file?

Best...? Some already said it was too arbitrary! Best style? Best efficiency? Best price? Best part count? Best seller? Best license? You need exact criteria or just a "what's your favorite" question!

I think the whole "Air" Cannon Division of this challenge is about this kind of device... it says "Use your engines to shoot the payload as far as possible" in the first post.

Concerning the question of control, I use the docking control and switch between linear mode (to go forward (W) and left (E) right (Q) control) and rotation mode (WASD for adjusting my "level"). The only control that is reversed is the left right in linear mode. I could try a few things to try to fix that but I didn't felt the need yet... it's not so bad controlling it this way. A big advantage of an upward facing okto pod is that a "one-click" mechjeb mode exist to automatically adjust the level. Concerning the balancing and counterweights. Around 0:48 in my video, I almost touched the ground. Just before that I was going in a straight line (let say between 0:46 and 0:48) but the rover was slowly falling on the left despite SAS. After, when I did manually correct the level of my rover, the Advanced Inline Stabilizer was strong enough to bring my orientation back to normal. My conclusion from these observations is that "automatic" SAS does not use the full power available from the stabilizer. (Or there is some other phenomenon involved that I'm not considering, like counter steering or whatever...) Also, during my tests with the Small Inline Reaction Wheel, I found it was not as forgiving when you add a kerbal's mass. So... with all that being said, I think balancing in itself is not a bad idea. That way, the SAS is not working against a fundamentally flawed rover, it's mostly working against centrifugal force when you're turning. The most important downside to the ballast I think is the ground clearance. You could lean much more on the left side without the ballast in the way. pwlnw, We don't even see a reaction wheel in the first picture! Style AND function? The whole package? Is there a hidden reaction wheel or that prototype crashed and burned soon after "launch"? And finally... yes... I wish I could hold some magic key so I could use the mouse to steer or something (without mods). Analog controls would be awesome. I do know some mods exists for that but... but... I wish all the good mods were stock! I want KSP to be more awesome... awesomer? Thank you everyone!!!!!!!!!!

Another minimalist design!!! Why do you need so many wheels??? And the frame, and all that? Trim that excess weight! With a single wheel, you can have a relatively maneuverable rover that can still take some jumps! The video show SAS assisted manual control without mechjeb. Imagine what the Smart A.S.S. Surface Up mode can do... It get from relatively maneuverable to easily maneuverable! All craft files from this thread (monowheels, ramp, halfpipe): here

Ladies and gentlemen... THE HYPE TRAIN!!! (With an old and creepy train song!) I had 15 bombs wagons at the beginning, but I only destroyed the VAB (+20), the astronauts complex (+30), an R&D building (+20) and part of the runway unintentionally (+5)! With more determination (lots of debris and lag) and without an exploding runway, this concept could probably decimate the whole population of Kerbin!

There are two categories with NO submission? Here's an minimal attempt at gravity and tension!

I refuse to jeopardize Jeb's life... Here's my failed attempted at respecting the others rules: I think I need moar roketz!

So... here's my suboptimal submission!!! I've included more data (F3 screen in the video!)

Kuzzter... it is my pleasure to award you... A COCONUT! (I don't know why, there seems to be a coconut fetish scene around here!)

Enhanced Navball: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/50524-0-24-Enhanced-Navball-1-3 You can also scale it!