Jack wooster

Wow! that ion plane is small, I too have trouble with ion missions as the burns take so long, or you need multiple goes at them. Although I did use ion drive to return from Laythe as by then the payload only consisted of the pod and a parachute.

I chose the QBE because it's nice and boxy to store your samples in for return to Kerbin. Kerbal on a seat, ahh what times we live in!

Challenge is to land the QBE pod on Lathe take a sample using the Antena as a drill, and then return the pod to KSC with the smallest possible ship, using stock parts plus mechjeb. So far I have managed 62.37 tonnes. 3.4KM off Target!

I've been trying a Laythe sample return mission, with a launcher that co-incidentally has a three ton payload to orbit limit. I got a rover to Laythe in one shot, the sample return looks as if it will take three or four launches. Maybe when I've finished I could rerun the mission using the launchers here, I've done much of the development already.

Got a Rover onto Laythe, I used chemical rockets as I am too impatient to use Ion drives, I mean honestly it takes hours, I'd go down the pub get back and the engines would still be firing, and physics warp seems to mess up the fuel consumption. I would love to do a Laythe sample return, or Manned return, even if that takes two launches of the cut price system.

There are some really great efforts here, and the performance some of you get from the jet, looking at you Tavert, is brilliant. My Duna probe landed safely but Jeb is still on his way to Laythe.

Aye, it's a turbojet, as long as the jet engine and the Solid get you into space, then put what you like on top of it. Soranno maybe right about ion drives, once you are up there with a bit of Xenon in your tanks the potentional range is enormous. I've got a lander to Dunna, a sample return mission is on it's way to Ike, and Jeb is on his way to Laythe, don't know if he'll make it though!

My Kerbin SOI test was with a probe (with an engine) that only weighed half a tonne.. Th great thing about using just one jet engine is that you can tank it to over 1000m/s then when it flames out nothing is thrown off balance and you can lite up the solid.

Double post, trying to launch whilst posting!

Well the probe will have an engine, but as long as the second stage as an above atmosphere apogee, a third stage would be within the spirit of the challenge.

The aim of this challenge is to use a cheap launcher, to send a small probe into space and get as much exploration done as possible. The launcher, based on the Virgin jets then solid concept, is to be made of one jet engine first stage with one RT-10 Small solid booster second stage, it doesn't have to be a space plane though. Rules 1. First stage must be one jet engine only. 2. Second stage must be one RT-10 Solid. 3. Mechjeb allowed. 4. All other parts must be stock. 5. Probe must have an apogee out of the atmosphere when the RT-10 has finished firing, out of Kerbin SOI is possible. Submission Requirements (example below) 1. Screenshot on the launchpad. 2. Screenshot of any achievements you're claiming. Achievements Extra cudos for Landing Double extra for Sample return Triple for a manned mission, but not a one way one! The further you can explore the better. Eample of what I mean:

Now Jool, that really is a challenge!

Lovely pic, Foamyesque.

Excellent metaphor! I wondered about suborbital capture, when I was trying to build a ship that could make orbit and kept failing, that must have taken some real seat of the pants flying.

Sadly not, the frame rate on that initial Kerbin launch was dreadful.