Mesklin

Low tech heavy tanker, 9000 fuel+11000 oxidizer+1000 mono-propellant on 100x100 km Kerbin orbit. Need only 2 techs with 300 SP: "Heavy Aerodynamics" and "High Altitude Flight"

Best place in Jool system for mining is Pol: 1. Easy landing, you do not need to do pinpoint landing as on Laythe 2. Easy ascent, you do not need big engines and tanks for deliver ore from surface to conversion station (you need to make complex craft for deliver ore from Laythe surface) 3. Cheap delivering, almost same dV as for Laythe for delivering fuel from Pol to another bodies

I did spaceplane with similar dV - 5+ km/s, but no one time fled to Laythe on it

I used KER only in VAB and SPH, not for flying. Constructing ships without instruments looks like masochism for me. In any case, I can construct right ships in different game session and move it to challenge session.

Pike - Mun round-trip capable compact SSTO (LF only) - 2750 m/s of dV on orbit 100x100 km. Very simple and fast ascent to orbit (minimum pilot activities). Empty craft is a good glider. Download link: http://kerbalx.com/crafts/3568?download=true

My submission for challenge, good training for piloting skills

Aerobreaking about Jupiter is not fantastic. It was happened at 1995 by Galileo probe, 47 km/s was arrival speed with strong g-force in 230G.

It was my miscalculation, I missed XP for Kerbin orbit. And about Eve landing, it will be interesting challenge : creating Eve return lander with low tech (without Mammoth engine).

1. Mod for take off helmet in breathable atmosphere is Texture Replacer (by default this mod off helmet on Kerbin only) 2. I hided return ship in service bay for minimizing size of ship and for more neat design. In one service I placed cabin for embarking, in second - rover, last one service bay was empty and have enough space for return ship.

Moho/Eve combo does not generate enough XP, 17.5 for Moho landing - total without Eve landing - 59.75, but should be >64.

Galileo - junior brother of my last SSTO with unlimited range. Same possibilities, fully fueled dV with ore conversion to liquid fuel - ~5.4 km/s, can reach any body in Kerbol system, then land and return to orbit (except Tylo and Eve). Thanks Rune for inspiration. In 3D Galileo by Mesklin on Sketchfab

3 km/s to orbital insertion + 1.2 km/s for landing with low TWR Picture with orbital insertion burn, it was my minimal burn for Moho insertion in my space carier

When you switch SAS to prograde at 10 km (important action) and then set back to stability assist at pith 5 craft will start losing altitude a bit, it is normal, do not worry (vertical speed should not exceed -10 m/s). After several tens second craft will start to rise altitude again. Also see video for help in flight instruction spoiler (I added it on the first page).

You are right, name for craft was inspired by this Robert A. Heinlein's book. I am very like Heinlein's books Sorry for delay gentlemen, I was out of internet access for several days. Flight profile is next (almost standard for me): 1. After take off set pith to 25-30 and wait until you reach 10 km (speed at this tine should be 260-270 m/s); 2. Set SAS to prograde and wait until 5 degrees of pith, set SAS back to stability assist, relax and watch fire show until you reach ~20 km of altitude; 3. When speed stopped to increase (speed should be >1200 m/c at this moment) on nukes (press 1); 4. When speed stopped to increase again switch RAPIERs to vacuum mode (press2) and set pith to 20, several seconds late turbojets will be stopped without air (you can hear this moment very exactly), off turbojets by press 3; 5. Maintain pith about 20 until RAPIERs stay online, then off it (press 4), set SAS to prograde mode and wait to desired apoapsis, in apoapsis make circularization burn. Also you can watch video example of ascent .- - - Updated - - - Very interesting craft, Rune, really neat design. And for Gilly-Moho travel: for this trip you can spend only about 3 km/s dV for reach Moho orbit (in my first attempt with previous design of ship), I was to relaxed in second attempt and it was very nervous landing (only third try was successfully). Start trip in periapsis Eve orbit to perapsis Moho orbit in orbits node, set periapsis of departure ellipse close as possibly to Eve atmosphere, match inclination of orbits when you make first deceleration burn. Departure maneuver (only 1056 m/s) After leaving Eve's SOI, inclination to Moho orbit is only 0.3 degrees Final math inclination Burn on solar orbit for meeting with Moho (after several rounds around Kerbol) Moho's circular orbit reached

Rune, maximum efficiency of atmospheric engines is not so important for this craft. It is not a big deal: achieve you Kerbin or Laythe orbit with dV 2700 m/s or with 2400 m/s on board (in any case, it is enough for reach the nearest atmosphere less body for refueling). Here is more important total vacuum dV with minimal quantity of oxidizer and in this situation turbojets are lighter and also make more comfortable and fast ascent. For break Mach barrier I am using "dive" technique: climb to 10 km with 25-30 degrees of pith, then down nose to 5 degrees above horizon and see miracle of turbo bust.

Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce new generation of science ships "Rolling stone" - SSTO with unlimited range of flights. You may ask, how is it possibly? And I have simple answer: ISRU converter and ore drills on board that marvel of engineering. This craft can ascent from sweet Kerbin to dark and harsh space with no left behind and reach any body in Kerbol system, then land on it for researching and refueling (except Tylo and Eve only). And later repeat it so many times as you wish. Ship has on board perfectly equipped mobile lab with full set of science instruments and comfortable crew apartments for 6 brave kerbals (2 pilots, 2 engineers and, of course, 2 scientists). Brief tech stats: Fully fueled mass (on launchpad) - 142t (140 parts) maximum dV after refueling - ~5400 m/s (with 440 units of oxidizer on board and ore conversion to fuel in flight) Horizontal landing on atmospheric planets and vertical landing on atmospheric less bodies. Horizontal takeoff. Engines: 4 turbojets, 4 RAPIERs and 4 LV-N "Nerva" Full set of science equipment Full set of ISRU equipment Download link Flight profile is next (almost standard for me): 1. After take off set pith to 25-30 and wait until you reach 10 km (speed at this tine should be 260-270 m/s); 2. Set SAS to prograde and wait until 5 degrees of pith, set SAS back to stability assist, relax and watch fire show until you reach ~20 km of altitude; 3. When speed stopped to increase (speed should be >1200 m/c at this moment) on nukes (press 1); 4. When speed stopped to increase again switch RAPIERs to vacuum mode (press2) and set pith to 20, several seconds late turbojets will be stopped without air (you can hear this moment very exactly), off turbojets by press 3; 5. Maintain pith about 20 until RAPIERs stay online, then off it (press 4), set SAS to prograde mode and wait to desired apoapsis, in apoapsis make circularization burn.

Z - fuel-to-dry mass ration for tanks (almost all cells are linked to B10 or B34, with exception for LV-N and O-10 engine, see notes for cells) C and C1 - middle calculations for simplifying formulas (simple copy it) For new engine addition simple copy whole line of table and replace values in columns G, H, I, J and maybe column K, if your new engine is using only liquid fuel, like LV-N. For atmospheric part of calculations you also need to change value in column P, Q

Thank you, but be careful, when are using this table for atmospheric calculation, results are not very exactly (error can be 5-10%, especially on Eve)

On Dune with some friends

Gliding on Dune much better right now, you can easily land craft in 70-80 t with only 2 big delta wings (with small help from engines) on surface with 2 km altitude with some maneuvers before (include 180 degrees turn).

Start mass (fully fueled) - 140t (139 parts). Crew - 6 brave kerbals (2 pilots, 2 engineers and 2 scientists). Full set of science equipment (mobile lab included) and full set of drilling equipment. Almost any bodies in kerbal system are reachable, with landing of course (except Tylo and Eve). Moho Drilling equipment Mun Gilly Moho orbit (landing preparation)

This journey was done with pure stock aerodynamic model, without FAR.

I used for crew embarking stock crew transfer from upper cabin to bottom with ladder (and back), in this case all science data will be stored in the bottom cabin and lost on Eve surface after ascent. If you want to return science data to Kerbin, you need to make long ladder from the bottom to the top of craft with no parts placed in the main ascent vehicle (all details should be trowed away before ascent). And ladders at the bottom of craft should be covered by some way, because ladders very like to melt in time of aerobraking. It is not very complex, but time locust task and i am too lazy for it

Expedition to Eve with landing: 1. One launch, no nuclear on ion powered engines, fast transfers burns; 2. Start mass on launchpad - 919t (parts - 184, cost - 514 782$); 3. Eve lander mass - 116t, 84 parts (ascent craft 94.4t, 26 parts). Lander can return capsule from sea level, but not designed to land in liquid. Lander has 4 stages (3 stages for ascent vehicle); 4. Unusual scheme for Val's embarking to surface (not for science expedition), rover included. Download link

Of course, yes, see example of craft "Athlete" with 90t payload (download link)