Strongest ship!

[daniel l.]

My challenge is simple. yet difficult, Build a ship that has enough structural integrity to survive an impact with the surface of one of three worlds, and still be in a somewhat repairable condition. There are three modes to this challenge, EASY: Try to make something that can survive crashing on Eve, MEDIUM: Survive crashing into kerbin, HARD: Survive DUNA!!!!!!!!! (Only jeb can do this )

Yep, TRUE BADASSS!! ITS LEVELS ARE OVER 9000!!!!!

[wossname]

If I drop my ship from a height of 3 inches, that's still an impact right?

I think you'll have to provide some ground rules for this challenge.

For instance, what is the minimum acceptable vertical velocity at impact. Are wings allowed? Are cheats allowed? (believe me, people will cheat unless you tell them not to).

[HoloYolo]

If I drop my ship from a height of 3 inches, that's still an impact right?

I think you'll have to provide some ground rules for this challenge.

For instance, what is the minimum acceptable vertical velocity at impact. Are wings allowed? Are cheats allowed? (believe me, people will cheat unless you tell them not to).

This guy isn't the best at challenge making, believe me. His other ones were beyond words.

[Mister Dilsby]

Then maybe the thing to do is help him out, gentlemen. That's the Kerbal way.

OP, it sounds like you mean you want the ships to come from orbit, impact the surface, and survive without benefit of lifting surfaces, parachutes, or retrorockets--basically drop a crewed brick from orbit and see what can survives. Yes?

You might want to think about a way to rank entries. Mass might be a good one: what's the minimum amount of hardware you can use and still survive? Also maybe specify which capsules/cockpits/cans are acceptable. For example the Mk3 cockpit has a VERY high tolerance, maybe enough to hit Eve surface at terminal velocity. I'd make everyone do it in a Mk1 lander can if it were me

This is not a bad challenge at all if properly specified. It'll teach entrants about terminal velocity and design for survivability. I'd encourage the OP to try a few crash landings himself, think a bit about how entrants are going to try to bend/break/exploit, and come up with a short ruleset and ranking system that makes it fun for everyone.

[Foxster]

I think this looks interesting too. As it stands its too vague though.

My suggestion would be for a ship containing a Kerbal that falls unpowered, without parachutes and without lifting surfaces (i.e. a dead weight other than than part drag) from a minimum stable orbit (70km for Kerbin) and survives so that it can be launched again to a 70km orbit.

Edited April 6, 2015 by Foxster

[daniel l.]

What i mean is to survive an orbital drop.

[Draconiator]

NOTHING can survive an unassisted orbital drop. Not even structural elements. at least I don't think so.

[jarmund]

NOTHING can survive an unassisted orbital drop. Not even structural elements. at least I don't think so.

Build your ship out of EVA suit helmets, and the planet will give in first.

[hoioh]

maximise drag, it will slow you down to a velocity that makes the drop survivable. so find the parts with the highest drag to weight ratio and make your ship from lots of that. in ksp stock atmosphere only the values matter, not the shape, so you can make this ship and surround it in cube struts, or balance it to fall onto a landing gear of a fashion to make it bounce more than crash. should be doable.

[Foxster]

NOTHING can survive an unassisted orbital drop. Not even structural elements. at least I don't think so.

Craft with a de-orbit engine ready to be hyper-edited to 70km orbit.

De-orbit burn complete and engine discarded.

Coming in a tad hot but slowing rapidly.

Just a couple of broken struts on landing.

And for Eve...

A couple more broken struts than for Kerbin but our Kerbal easily survived

And Duna...

Took a few bounces and some minor crash damage

But he's down safe

...and just for yuks, somewhere with no atmosphere: Eeloo. Bounced forever, maybe 25 times but made it down OK...

...and with a minor modification: Moho...

Edited April 6, 2015 by Foxster

[daniel l.]

Craft with a de-orbit engine ready to be hyper-edited to 70km orbit.

http://i.imgur.com/3XkP1ib.png

De-orbit burn complete and engine discarded.

http://i.imgur.com/YSnRXQ6.jpg

Coming in a tad hot but slowing rapidly.

http://i.imgur.com/qkinz85.png

Just a couple of broken struts on landing.

http://i.imgur.com/MEl0bJC.png

And for Eve...

http://i.imgur.com/IOQG1Bh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/xPZ4ErV.jpg

A couple more broken struts than for Kerbin but our Kerbal easily survived

http://i.imgur.com/5j37HPY.jpg

And Duna...

http://i.imgur.com/bIjHwgE.jpg

Took a few bounces and some minor crash damage

http://i.imgur.com/tcakA9b.png

But he's down safe

http://i.imgur.com/PgSrxbg.jpg

Congrats!