Mesklin

Low tech touristic SSTO powered by "Panther" engine [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/28rsgUJ.jpg[/IMG]

Here is example of simple launcher with cost only 98531$. Stages: 2.5 (for last stage I used engines on payload with additional tanks)

For eliminating this situation probe on lander should be a root part, in this case game switch to second stage correctly after detach empty tanks. I had same problem in Jool-5 missions before, in version 0.24.

Incredible mission, Nefrums, especially Tylo lander, very clever organization fuel flow from first stage tanks, almost no additional mass. I did no see this trick before.

You can create usefully SSTO very early in carrier, almost from start: Download link: http://kerbalx.com/Mesklin/SSTO-Spaghetti-Low-tech-Sc

My ion lander has only slight more then 500 m/s of dV.

Additionally information for my entry: - Which game versions did you use? - 1.0.4 - What mods did you use, if any? - KER, MechJeb (info mode only), Kerbal Alarm Clock, Precise Node, Critical Temperature Gauge, several visuals mods - How many Kerbals are on the mission? - 1 - How many launches was needed to start your mission from Kerbal? - only 1 - How much did your mission cost? - 136 876$ - Did you needed a refueling mission? - No - Did you bring a Living Quarter (Hitch-hiker's Storage or Passenger Cabins) for the guys during the long journey? - No, it is flight for really hard women or men - Did you bring additional stuff like satellites, rovers, etc? - No And, WOW, Nefrums, 15t only?!, very, very cool.

Here is my report for Jool-5 minimalist trip: Start weight: 18.821t Route: Kerbin -> Laythe -> Pol -> Bop -> Laythe orbit -> Vall -> Tylo -> Kerbin fly-by -> Kerbin Engines: 1 RAPIER and 2 ion All details in 2 imgur albums

kStrout, for craft like yours (high atmo TWR and relatively low rocket TWR ~0.5...0.6) main task is reach edge of turbojets area with enough vertical speed (>300 m/s) and enough horizontal speed (>1100 m/s) for fast transition from 20 km of altitude to 35-40 km for greatly decrease drag and prevention big AoA angles in thick atmosphere. For your craft try to set pith after takeoff to 15 degrees and do not touch pith control until your turbojets will be suffocated, engage LV-909 at 15 km of altitude and maintain pith 15-20 degrees after stopping turbojets until your reach 2000 m/s of orbital speed, then set to prograde and start maneuvering only again after escaping of atmosphere. Try to minimize pith maneuvering in time of atmospheric acceleration, each maneuver is lost of your final speed in atmosphere.

Thanks all, for so warm words. The longest departure single burn was about 20 min, this final maneuver was divided to 4 steps (after forming high elliptical orbit with right inclination):1. Small kick in AP for drop PE below surface 2. Long burn in prograde direction under solar rays before reach PE (rise PE above atmosphere and forming right departure angle) - ~600 m/s 3. Maximum burn on batteries only near PE (about 80 m/s) 4. Final burn after sunrise again in prograde direction - ~700 m/s - - - Updated - - - Val returned home (safely) after more then 11 years flight, detail report will be later (with only 35 units of xenon left):

Minimal expedition with Val in progress: Laythe, Pol, Bop finished and looks like I have enough xenon for completing mission. Start mass - only 18.821 t. Direct transfer to Jool (for Kerbin orbit -> Laythe orbit transfer I spent 2481 m/s of dV and 6264 units of xenon). Craft on runway (with proud name - "Jovian fork" ): On orbit, ready for departure: Normal ascent sequence - explosion of empty overheated tank with empty forward wings is a standard procedure in rocket science, do not worry Accurate detaching Laythe lander (be carefully, Val, do not destroy solar panels): After Laythe landing Pol landing:

How about this piece of engineering art: extremely fast rover "Ghost". Safe speed on Duna - ~70 m/s, almost safe speed on Tylo - ~100 m/s. This device can be dropped from 30m altitude on Kerbin without damages. It was designed in version 0.90 but keep work in current version of KSP except Kerbin, Eve and Laythe (too dense atmosphere for ion engine). Imgur album: http://imgur.com/a/myzRG#0 Download link: http://kerbalx.com/Mesklin/Ghost%20rover

Most efficient way for delivering something on Kerbin orbit is air-breathing SSTO, you can use my mid-tech tanker 'Hippo' - http://kerbalx.com/Mesklin/SSTO-Tanker-Hippo-midTech This craft can deliver to orbit 3 orange tanks of fuel.

Here is my low tech SSTO, horizontal takeoff and landing, without science it has ~400 m/s dV on orbit (can be used as rescue ship). Abort system equipped, in case of water landing or rapid unplanned disassembling.

You can find ascent instruction in download link aka "Flight guide", follow this instruction by exactly manner and you should have no problem with ascent to orbit. This craft has tight margins for piloting errors with full load.

"Trudyaga" - low tech SSTO launcher for career mode: 20t payload + 4 passengers to 100x100 km orbit. Low parts for SSTO, only 80. Low cost - only 74000$ and low launch cost - ~4000$. Big space for payload. For launch you need SPH and runway with level 2. Need only 2 tech with 300SP: High Altitude Flight and Heavy Aerodynamics. Download link: http://kerbalx.com/Mesklin/Trudyaga

One less turbojets, one more nuke can really help, see my craft as example: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/117415-SSTO-to-laythe-and-beyond?p=2151601&viewfull=1#post2151601

One small tank was placed behind cabin, main tank was placed before cabin and hided by "Structural fuselage" for aesthetic purposes.

Sporting SSTO "Protazan" - almost 1600 m/s on air in time of ascent, be carefully, do not burn Download link: http://kerbalx.com/crafts/4821

Agreed, MOAR wings, wide placed gears and small thrust for maintain horizontal speed about 50-70 m/s and vertical descent speed 1...5 m/s works very good for Dune. Also 2 wide placed drogue parachutes opened as soon as possibly after touchdown can prevent override craft and slowly and safely decrease speed.

panzer1b - More advices for low TWR crafts: 1. use forward control surfaces - forward control surfaces increase lift when rotated in time of ascent vs backward control surfaces (minimum backward elerons/elevons - only for roll control, if possibly) 2. use minimal quantity of control surfaces and as far as possibly from CoM of craft - it is minimize control surfaces moving -> minimize drag 3. make CoL as much as possibly to CoM - it is minimize control surfaces moving -> minimize drag (but not exactly close for avoid problem with stability) 4. use wet wings, these wings have same lift to mass ratio as standard wings, but also have some fuel inside - completely free fuel 5. you can replace fuel ducts for side vacuum engines by "Small Hardpoint", this detail lighter then fuel duct and, what is more important, has much less drag (struts and fuel ducts produce enormous drag, be carefully with it).

Turbojet is cool device - 1 (one) turbojet + 2 LV-N = 4563 m/c dV on Kerbin 100x100 km orbit with mass 22.6t. Start TWR is only 0.41 and start mass - 30t. Spaceplane is comfortable enough for piloting and has good space TWR on orbit - 0.54, more then start atmospheric TWR . Note: dV was calculated by my Excel spreadsheet, KER dV calculation is incorrect (nonstandard fuel routing to LV-Ns from central tanks - less drag and mass then fuel duct).

Are you sure about right direction of your orbit? You could make backward orbit as per requested.

And my next entry, now with minimal cost: only 8108$, 39,9t on launchpad with 12 parts. Download link: http://kerbalx.com/crafts/4239?download=true

My entry with minimal mass craft: 4.188t on launchpad with pilot. Who is need cabin? Fresh vacuum is perfect today. Craft drawings: http://kerbalx.com/crafts/4146