The KSC Kerbolith Challenge

[wired2thenet]

In an effort to study the closest known Kerbolith to the KSC, engineers and scientists have been working in conjunction to build a research station capable of long term study of the artifact. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to get the supplied research station as close to the KSC Kerbolith as possible.

EDITED TO ADD (D\'OH! Almost forgot!): You must head straight up on SRBs (or vectored toward the Kerbolith). When they cut out, drop them, and get yourself there!

Parts Required:

• 
  [li]NovaSilisko\'s Solar Panel (Part of the BACE Construction Co. pack -- since Kerbal rockets end up putting out a lot of fire & debris pollution, KSC wants this station to be as green as possible, once in place)[/li]
  [li]MechJeb[/li]
  [li]Tiberon\'s NovaPunch RCS fuel tanks[/li]
  

If you can do it without the MechJeb, extra points!

Since this is a distance test, the winner will be based on the lowest score. Non-use of MechJeb will subtract 25 points from your total score. Points are based on distance (1 meter per point).

Example & Baseline reference:

When I first conceived of this challenge, I was using a different engine with slightly higher thrust (220, instead of the stock part in the current design, which is 200). With the use of MechJeb, I was able to land within 112.6 meters of the Kerbolith, so I\'d have scored 112.6 points. I have NOT been able to get closer than 450 meters with the current design.

Top Five Challengers:

[list type=decimal]

[li][/li]

[li][/li]

[li][/li]

[li][/li]

[li][/li]

[wired2thenet]

Oh, and there should be enough fuel for 2-4 'hops' to get you closer Each hop, however, will at +10 to your score.

[Riplash]

What\'s a Kerbolith?

[wired2thenet]

What\'s a Kerbolith?

http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/forum/index.php?topic=9585.0

There\'s a number of them on Kerbin (called Kerboliths), and a number of them on the Mun (known as Munoliths).

I just managed to get within 39.1 meters of the target (MechJeb +1 hop)

[dylan1234]

do you get extra points subtracted if you go near the kerbolith in a geostanairy orbit.

[wired2thenet]

Seeing as it is a difficult challenge with the supplied rocket and doing it withOUT going into orbit, I\'ll give -10 points to anyone who can get closer even if they go into orbit first.

I\'ve been attempting this challenge about 20x now, and only about 4 or 5 have been successful without going into orbit first. It\'s a bitch very Kerbal challenge, to say the least. Derned thing just doesn\'t want to fly straight unless it starts in orbit.

If you can get within the 39 meters, I\'ll be impressed (as I only managed that because of an accident).

[Zephram Kerman]

do you get extra points subtracted if you go near the kerbolith in a geostanairy orbit.

Wait, whaaaaat? ??? Are you saying there\'s a Munolith in orbit? I didn\'t know about that one. Scramble the Albatross!

[wired2thenet]

lol

No, I think he meant going into orbit first, and then landing at the KSP Kerbolith ... slightly easier in some ways than a direct 'hover' shot, but a bit more reliable.

If there were an orbiting Kerbolith, I think we\'d have found it by now.

Hmmm ...

[Excalibur]

lol

No, I think he meant going into orbit first, and then landing at the KSP Kerbolith ... slightly easier in some ways than a direct 'hover' shot, but a bit more reliable.

If there were an orbiting Kerbolith, I think we\'d have found it by now.

Hmmm ...

You know I doubt we would have. Orbital space around Kerbin is huge so consider these factors;

• 
  [li]\'liths are only ~2 metres x 1 metre,[/li]
  [li]pitch black in colour, just like space,[/li]
  [li]unmarked on the orbital map.[/li]
  

Only chance would have been the Muon Detector, but even if your satellite managed to detect it, you\'d very likely be in a very different orbit.

This would probably make it appear as if you\'re passing over a ground target.

[Zephram Kerman]

Keosynchronous (kerbosynchronous? whatever) orbit is at 2868.4km, so my normal planetary scans would have been far out of range and not have detected it.

Just in case, I put the Albatross into orbit at 2821 km, so that it will eventually orbit Kerbin within range of anything that might be parked up there. I\'ll let you know in a few days.

[Candre]

Kerboliths, munoliths... orbiliths?

[Excalibur]

Keosynchronous (kerbosynchronous? whatever) orbit is at 2868.4km, so my normal planetary scans would have been far out of range and not have detected it.

Just in case, I put the Albatross into orbit at 2821 km, so that it will eventually orbit Kerbin within range of anything that might be parked up there. I\'ll let you know in a few days.

I\'m anxious to hear your results... and I may just try something similar myself...

[Zephram Kerman]

Nothing so far.

I\'ve checked the area above KSC, where I figured it would be most likely. Now, Albatross is slowly advancing eastward, as its period is slightly shorter than the Kerbal day. We\'ve checked about 90° of the equatorial sky.

Bear in mind the detector range is only 150 km. So there is a huge belt of space in between the areas I\'ve checked. From 220 km up to 2671 km, as well as eccentric orbits, have not been checked.

I really doubt there is anything up here. Except for likely spots like the one I just checked, the odds of anyone visiting random spots this high up are extremely remote. But it couldn\'t hurt to waste a few CPU cycles while I mess around on the forums.

[wired2thenet]

Can you post the craft you\'re using? I\'ve been wanting to do the same, actually, since the erroneous post about the possibility. Unless a Dev comes in and says it\'s pointless, I\'m also eager to find out.

I\'m imagining it will most likely be in geo orbit, if it does exist, as that will allow the easiest discovery (I doubt the devs are so sadist to make one in a highly elliptical orbit). I don\'t think one exists myself, however. I think they\'d reserve that until and when other planets are introduced.

Still trying to find the Munoliths on the Mun. I\'ve narrowed it down to a small region for one, but for the life of me can\'t get to it. One in orbit around Kerbin ... oy vay!

[Zephram Kerman]

Still nothing. But we collected a lot of data about exactly how empty space is. I feel a bit like S.E.T.I.

Here\'s the Albatross. It is named this way, because it is a goofy-looking bird designed to soar in orbit for extended periods, then make a clumsy running/rolling landing like the lucky sea bird. It has some nice features:

• Designed for hunting monoliths on Kerbin, it\'s also just fine on the Mun.

• No need to cancel out lateral motion before landing, just align the wheels to the direction you are moving and hit the ground running.

• The wheels are more forgiving of impact than normal landing gear, so get your vertical speed down to 15 m/s and then keep the wheels straight until they come up through the flight deck.

• The descent stage should have plenty of fuel after landing, in case you feel like hopping over some rough terrain, or down into a crevice, etc.

• The combination of the cart and long-range muon detector work very well together.

• None of this matters in geo-synchronous orbit, but it has plenty of fuel to get there.

Beware: the launcher is prone to explode on staging. When the first stage expires, shut off the throttle before jettisoning. Otherwise, the radial decouplers damage the three main engines. The other stages work fine, but I don\'t use this launcher anymore.

[dylan1234]

lol

No, I think he meant going into orbit first, and then landing at the KSP Kerbolith ... slightly easier in some ways than a direct 'hover' shot, but a bit more reliable.

If there were an orbiting Kerbolith, I think we\'d have found it by now.

Hmmm ...

yes that\'s what I mant

[dylan1234]

Can you post the craft you\'re using? I\'ve been wanting to do the same, actually, since the erroneous post about the possibility. Unless a Dev comes in and says it\'s pointless, I\'m also eager to find out.

I\'m imagining it will most likely be in geo orbit, if it does exist, as that will allow the easiest discovery (I doubt the devs are so sadist to make one in a highly elliptical orbit). I don\'t think one exists myself, however. I think they\'d reserve that until and when other planets are introduced.

Still trying to find the Munoliths on the Mun. I\'ve narrowed it down to a small region for one, but for the life of me can\'t get to it. One in orbit around Kerbin ... oy vay!

Iv\'e found an arch It\'s in the largest crater on the mun

[TheCardinal]

Here\'s the Albatross. ....

snip

Beware: the launcher is prone to explode on staging. When the first stage expires, shut off the throttle before jettisoning. Otherwise, the radial decouplers damage the three main engines. The other stages work fine, but I don\'t use this launcher anymore.

When you spin the ship along it\'s z-axis just before staging, the centrifugal forces are sufficient to give the boosters such a sideways motion that damage to the main engines is prevented. The Albatros is a magnificiently efficient design, by the way!