Tourist would like to go on a suborbital flight of the Sun

[MalfunctionM1Ke]

The Contracts need a major overhaul. They are just way to randomly generated and follow in no direction.

[Zenji]

Came here to say ... at this very thing, not surprised to see it on the top of the list. I *guess* it's ok if the money is a lot more, but really... supposedly the mission rewards were balanced for 1.0, but they're still a LONG way off.

[Jarin]

I'm wondering what a minimum-mass two-seat craft would cost to fulfill this contract. You need what, 5500dV to escape Kerbin's SOI, then another... oh, call it 15-16k to slow down to sub-orbital and speed up again to re-enter Kerbin's sphere. Shouldn't be too much after that for aerobrake, so call it 22k dV, with a payload of two kerbals. Budget of 400k... can't use command seats because tourists... I dunno, should be doable. The profit margin is pathetic though. Maybe use an ion sailer.

Of course, if you have orbital infrastructure and can fuel up after launch, it becomes a fair bit easier.

(and yes, I know, the contract is silly; I'm just looking at it as an engineering challenge, not a game balance one)

[MalfunctionM1Ke]

Wait... why not do a swingby of Jool to get a suborbital trajectory on Kerbol?

[RocketPilot573]

Only issue with this: How do they pay me if they're dead?

[Panzerbeard]

Only issue with this: How do they pay me if they're dead?

They take out a Life Insurance policy. Most companies will cover "death by vaporization in a blazing inferno while plummeting into the burning heart of the sun" as standard, right?

[katateochi]

I'm wondering what a minimum-mass two-seat craft would cost to fulfill this contract. You need what, 5500dV to escape Kerbin's SOI, then another... oh, call it 15-16k to slow down to sub-orbital and speed up again to re-enter Kerbin's sphere. Shouldn't be too much after that for aerobrake, so call it 22k dV, with a payload of two kerbals. Budget of 400k... can't use command seats because tourists... I dunno, should be doable. The profit margin is pathetic though. Maybe use an ion sailer.

Of course, if you have orbital infrastructure and can fuel up after launch, it becomes a fair bit easier.

(and yes, I know, the contract is silly; I'm just looking at it as an engineering challenge, not a game balance one)

It is a pity you can't strap them into a command chair for their solar experience! Two mk1 lander cans would be the lightest with a probodobodyne HECS to fly the mission (no sense risking a Kerbal pilot on this). I was thinking an ion craft for this too.

Wait... why not do a swingby of Jool to get a suborbital trajectory on Kerbol?

Would it be possible to use Eve and skim the atmo to drop the Pe into the Sun?

Some form of aero-braking + ion power is going to be how I attempt this when I get round to it (I don't have the ion node unlocked yet).

Only issue with this: How do they pay me if they're dead?

Well, the cost for failure for the contract I've picked up is -22 rep, no monetary penalty. We could just write the rep and potential earnings off as an experiment in ultra-tanning. Maybe if we hurl them into the sun, then no-one else will want to book another solar cruise?

[SaturnV]

Kerbals are the kind that need many of them evaporated before they noticed that the Kerbol is hot.

[Hannu]

They do not have to fall to sun. It is enough that you decelerate orbital velocity to near zero and then accelerate again. Kerbin's orbital velocity is about 9000 m/s. It is possible but payment is far too low compared to costs.

Is there some reason why tourist contracts are so low paid compared to satellites? Small satellite on Kerbin's orbit gives typically about 100000 money and it takes less than 10000 to build it. Tourists want to orbital and suborbital flights here and there and pay about as much. However, a manned craft with ability to return costs many times more than a small satellite. I have not made any tourist missions yet.

[Skeltek]

I dont get you guys. Just build a Spacecraft with 2-3 Hitchhiker containers and haul 6-12 tourists at once. With proper gravity assists at planets all thats required is the delta-v for achieving a mun-gravity-assist and a bit extra for fine manouver adjustments.

For speeding up again, just use Eve, Gilly. Gillys very eliptical orbit also allows for a lot of delta-v gains when its periapsis is facing away from the sun.

If all else fails you can still adjust course and use a few m/s to get a third gravity assist at Moho.

The only reason this mission feels bad is the large amount of time consumed, wasting a mission slot until completition; though some players dont have a problem with making excessive use of the limitless resource "time".

The 1.5-2.5 mio for hauling 8-12 tourists to suborbital sun trajectory is worth the bit extra fuel for the challenge.

Also you dont really need to slow down for the suborbital. Another possibility is to translate the transversal velocity part of the orbital velocity vector into radial velocity.

Just use a gravity-assist to trade the orbital velocity around the sun into radial velocity away from the sun. That way your overall kinetic energy is conserved, making it a bit easier energy-wise to reestablish a stable orbit with another gravity assist.

Edited September 20, 2015 by Skeltek

[daniel l.]

Im walking on suuuuuunshiiiiine Whooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaa AND DONT IT FEEL GOOD!

[More Boosters]

Well you can save quite a bit on DV by throwing yourself to a very high apoapsis and then burning retrograde there to make your orbit eliptical. You can save further DV by repeatedly getting gravity assists from Kerbin or getting a single well placed one from Eve (you'll need that periapsis to get suborbital anyways) if time isn't a factor.

[Pixel of Life]

But, but only glorious leader of Best Korea can walk on the Sun...

Kerbals can too! They just have to do it at night