Radam

It also only takes about 3000 from kerbin with the right approach, aka very high twr. Hmm, maybe even less that 6000 dv from Eve! Or just 5000 if you start from 7km up.

Ok, this is kinda a mk2 spaceplane. Missing a few things, but still I got 4.5t tank inside a cargo bay into orbit with 25t spaceplane. http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/534018071206922903/8C58AF189E7F312CE376907215FC6B7AAC196B53/ http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/534018071206923264/2CC1F32526D764B53B018EC2ADAD188362B8DE9B/ No fins, no frontal intakes... Mechjeb is reporting this has drag coefficient of 4.

Not exactly a ssto, but a similar one with same path got 22% payload fraction. Its either theres like no atmosphere, or just the fact kerbin is small.

Even before 1.0, my sstos had a cargo fraction of about 30% and were cutting their air engines at about 1300ms. Same is here...

Hmm, someone try disabling all drag forces and do a run as if there was no atmoshere. As it even seems that asparagous is dead becouse it keeps a constant twr.

There really is a profile like that: just about 3000 dv to orbit. Not sure how to get to 2800 tho. More thrust I guess.

It was, no name, I think there was 1 ton left, didnt really make sure it was more than 70x70.

You should post that in stock payload challenge!

Someone made a SSTO rocket with 22% payload fraction... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpvCr-9wQ2w

I heard kerbin was supposed to have atmosphere... Asparagous seem to help very little or almost nothing. 85.7t payload with a 369.6t launcher, 23.187% lets try some aerodynamics now. On the pad after fairingfication... http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/534018071203213662/97DCA32A9E4FAA077EBC90A39E57C505B74C9AB9/ Just cruisin... orbit: http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/534018071203215485/969176E2C664DD68AC07166DCBA8A3AD9D3C4A43/ Basically: about 90.5t in orbit (fairing adaptor is still on), 375.8 on the pad == 24.08% Mechjeb is reporting I used about 3000 dv. http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/534018071203235039/45558DA5802BD355E9B466C74B7C55B43EC2FF4F/

Right, it was more like a big middle finger to the concept of aerodynamics. Still, somewhat comparable "payload".

Just got show this new aero isnt the end of asparagus... Just watch. Ok sure, maybe Ive clipped the tanks a bit. This is a 0.9 craft I havent even touched since. Started with 4260t craft, ended up with 863t of fuel left. Thats 20.2% fraction just in fuel. If you add the fraction for lightest tanks, this becomes 23%. Curiously Ive only used 3230 ms of delta V.... Some say it can be done with even less.

So far I got a payload fraction of about 32% to orbit with an ssto spaceplane. Altho might have a bit small fuel amount for proper return which I havent tried yet.

Does heat transfer trough the claw? As in that case it would be simple to "ground" the temperature of the device...

Yeah maybe not what one would consider cool. But still, in the IR spectrum, 300k is preety much cold red, going ever brighter as temperature increases.

Try using 9t fuel tank as a base to attach drill and isru to. Then attach solar panels to the tank.

... are you talking about, in my experience more thermal mass the better. If possible use 14t lf tank and you can do 10 minute burns at full bore.

Well i did get an orange tank into orbit. If i move to pure LF and smaller cockpit i might get around 66t plane into orbit with about 36t of fuel. Going slow with a single nerva that means maybe 4000 dv?

Press alt f12 and turn on thermal debug things under physics section.

It does drain the ablator, but its one time use.

There used to be, dunno whether it was caled a flight recorder or something. Its 1.0 which means it has to be updated.

Ive tried both precoolers and solars. But just use long mk2 liquid tanks, or if you only have one nuclear engine, a short mk3 liquid tank. If 10 minutes is enough to burn.

SSTO with cargo!

Well all engines give off heat, just that others dont tend to run as long. Still, cfg file says heat production figure is 240. Mainsail has 180! Proper figure should be say 60 as even "terrier" has 20. But as there are problems with ISRU overheating, there should be a radiator of sorts. Or even just coolant pipes, like fuel pipes.

I wouldnt mind if it just got up to say 2000 K, but it has to have enough emmisivity to stay there by itself.