SRV Ron

Grab all the science you can from Kerbal and testing contracts. Do manned flights with goo canisters and the material bay. You can pick up enough science to unlock the more advanced tech needed for low cost exploration. Soon as you can unlock oxstat panels and the Too Hot thermometer, fulfill the Mun and Minmus explore contract when this cheap design, then place the probe back in orbit to fulfill additional data contracts. You don't need to mess with complex Apollo style landings. Just build a simple ship to land directly on Mun and Minmus for missions that require a flag and bring back soil samples.

Minotaur 5. Like the NASA version, it looks much like the real one. Unlike the NASA one, the probe payload can land on Mun with enough fuel to return.

Tested out some of the new KW 5 meter rockets engines. Like the real ones, you have to hold them in launch clamps for a few seconds so they can spool up to full power. Likewise, it takes a couple of seconds for them to shut down. That giant SRB is nearly SSTO when the thrust is turned down on a small payload.

By weight, mono prop has far less delta V then the fuel oxygen mix. You can test this out the Kerbal way by building a small rocket using KW mod parts, their service module engine, and a couple of monoprop cans. Launch it straight up and note how far it goes. Then rebuild that rocket using an LV-45 which has the same thrust as the KW service module engine, and an equivalent amount of fuel cans. You will see a big difference in performance. You are better off to carry the extra fuel rather then the monoprop. If you do go the route of relying on monoprop thrusters as a backup, design the rocket so that you can stage the excess weight of the non functional rocket with its fuel cans.

Now that I see a picture of the plane, it looks like a light and speedy design. The turbojet tends to be slow in its response to throttle changes. Kerbal aerodynamics are weird at best. Keep trying to find that ideal flight path and pop a drogue chute on touchdown so you can slow down enough for your brakes to work.

Rapiers appear to be highly inefficient once they switch to rocket mode. Straight rockets vertical launch will have a hard limit as well. However, some creative designs using turbojet power with rockets could result in some surprising results. Nothing is mentioned that it has to be a SSTO design so the turbojets and intakes could be staged when they have done their job. Take advantage of an interplanetary intercept window and it may be even possible to go beyond Duna.

Not a criticism of your challenge but just an observation in which I did some testing to figure out how some contestants were getting those impossible around the world flight from a single SRB. Perhaps two all stock categories, one for infiniglide and one where you cannot use those parts that have that bug.

Looks like all the circumnavigation taking place is not due to fuel use efficiently, but from taking advantage of the infinite glide bug using those steerable fins. In theory, they will fly forever.

You may be experiencing an infinaglider effect as you maneuver for landing. In the example below, it was most annoying until I replaced the fins with non steerable ones.

Far may also be affecting the struts which are not exactly parallel. That can cause a slow spin. Far or not, some designs have a habit of swapping ends at certain speeds due to the calculated center of pressure being ahead of the center of mass. The same swapping ends can happen with model rockets as well. Since we don't have a wind tunnel in KSP to test different designs, the only way to find out if it flies or not is the Kerbal School of Hard Knocks. Just put it on the pad and fly it.

Steerable fins, exception the advanced Canards, will make your rocket float, different from a aircraft or glider, if you start steering it near zero acceleration. Infinaglider effect. In fact, with some experimentation, you can actually fly such a contraption with some degree of control. An eight pair, one stacked above the other is stable enough to point vertically hands and SAS control off. This bug is due to how KSP implements aerodynamics on steerable fins and would never happen for real. It also caused this problem when landing a booster.

The way to make bigger better is to use boosters that are lifting in substantial excess to their own weight. Asparagus or onion Staging makes sure that all engines are lifting for max efficiency. Three examples; Orange fuel can to orbit; Mod launcher; Five fuel cans to orbit. This one used onion staging. The key, making all engines work without wasting fuel going too fast, or lifting too much of their own weight.

An actual maneuver to do a 90* plane change using Ike as a slingshot; The results; With the new aids out there, that maneuver can be made more precise.

A definite requirement when the Eve and Duna - Ike window becomes available. You will want to launch a fleet of ships and place them in orbit before conducting missions from them. The ship types; 1. The contract one way landed probe. 2. The contract data from orbit probe. 3. Return with Goo and Material Bay missions from orbit 4. Return with Goo and Material Bay after landing on Duna and Ike 5. Manned landing to return with samples from Duna and Ike. 6. Establish a base on all 3 locations. 7. Return data from Duna and Ike. Lacking an actual timetable chart, you will want to have a probe, preferring one of those test a part while escaping Kerbal, in solar orbit to plot the best time for a direct launch from Kerbal orbit to Duna or Eve. Even with the timetable, have your ships in low Kerbal orbit ready for the window for a direct burn to Duna or Eve intercept. This will eliminate the delta v needed for a transfer burn from solar orbit. Plan on using aerobraking to further save on fuel.

Accomplish multiple missions with one launch when possible. Example, when you get the Explore Mun or Minmus contract, build one ship to do the science from orbit, science landed, then place it back into orbit to do further contracts requesting data. Then, upgrade that ship for manned missions to gather further science. Later placed back into orbit for the data contracts. While your ship is headed for Minmus, continue your exploration and contract program as it will take about 7 Kerbal days to get there. You should have the tech to launch both a explore and manned mission by the time you get that contract. Manned, to return science data; All stock variant; Later, leave a base there to fulfill the plant flag contracts.

My ship in use has the far cheaper SRBs. The jets used are only economical if they can be recovered. Stock parts can be subbed for the KW ones on this career launcher. A stock 23.5 version that did the same mission. However, it is quite tippy. A variation that gives a bit more fuel for landing. From the pre money days in Sandbox

The big challenge is getting the science points to unlock the tech as quickly as possible. That makes exploration a high priority followed with contracts that yield science points. With Mun off limits, the next closest high yield biomes are on Minmus some 7 to 14 days away. Several flights need to be launched at one time to cut the total time to wring out all the science available there in the shortest time. Currently testing out how quick I can get this done. I can easily see this challenge taking several real days of playing or quite a few hours to reach the goal of unlocking the parts required for the challenge. With the scrounging for all the science points possible from Kerbal, I have noticed a host of new contracts coming up that, combined with goo canisters and the material bay, yielded a bunch of money and science points on one orbital flight alone. ( test launch clamps, test LV-45, test SRB, set altitude record, reach space, all on one flight.) Also turned a bunch down for the time being as they become too time consuming.

In the Kerbal School of Hard Knocks, send a simple probe one way. Then work to a return mission and finally go manned.

As you can only mount a SRB to a single radical decoupler, do so at its center. Use braces if necessary to stabilize. They should drop straight off so long as you are not turning. The extra long ones will need to be braced like this design.

Good attempt. Plenty of room remains for weight reduction, possibly for a faster completion of the mission unlocking needed tech wise.

Test flight of the redesigned Turbo Orbiter. Canards made a huge difference in performance in the high speed dash to orbital velocity. The two stage rocket; On the pad; Orbital turn The high speed dash; Burnout; Stage to orbit; There is enough fuel for a Mun flyby and return. In addition, additional fuel can be removed from the turbo booster for better performance. Flying this design is very critical especially the flight profile for the high speed run. Ideal is reaching 2,400 m/s just prior to flameout near 40,000 meters while still climbing to an apogee of over 100,000 meters. Then, very little fuel is needed to complete the orbit.

A single probe launch, example below, can inexpensively fulfill the Mun or Minmus Explore contract. Then, you place it back into orbit where it can perform additional request contracts for data at no additional cost.

Back in the early 80s, when Apple Computers ruled, My nephew invited me to bring in my Amiga to his elementary school computer lab. (They even had an RGB projector.) The teacher and the class had a blast with what that computer was capable of especially how fast D-Paint could play with brushes and the music composition program that used actual,voice tracks. Given the political climate of today with the Feds micromanaging the curriculum and the Common Core agenda, it may be nearly impossible for your teacher to incorporate KSP into the classroom experience. I doubt that I could even be allowed to set up such a demonstration in today's public school climate even if it was my own kid attending that class. If so, don't give up. You may be able to work with that teacher to set up an after school club activity for students interested in using KSP.

Would a flying aircraft carrier, an airstrip or tube of panels supported by Hooligan lab balloons fill the bill?

Just a note and bump. If you have the Mun Contract and send Jeb to do science, land, get science and a sample and return, you will be unable to complete the challenge since the contract will have been completed. If Jeb, or a probe, goes to Mun before the contract shows up, you may never get it. Place Mun off limits until you can send the Minotaur 5 there. Jeb can go to Minmus for the science points instead. A Too Hot thermometer, which you can unlock quite early, is all the scientific instrument that will be needed for the mission. To fulfill the contract, transmit the data back to Kerban. Orbit Mun, get a temperature reading, transmit back the data, land on Mun, transmit the data and get a screenshot showing the contract completed. Then, to log the total time of your space program once the mission is complete, get into the tracking station where the date and time of your space program, not the mission date and time, will be displayed along with the status of the Minotaur rocket on Mun.