Commercial Crew Transport: Shoestring Budget Challenge! 3 Kerbals/station rendezvous/<$50k!

[boosters++]

So, I've been playing around today with building crew transport vehicles, and it isn't too hard to build a cool one for trips to LKO for under $50,000. But it's challenging enough to become, I think, a moderate challenge on the forums - one a bit less daunting than Jool-5 or Eve return.

NO PARTS MODS OR PHYSICS/AERODYNAMICS MODS! Use any utility mods you like (MechJeb, KER, etc), but don't use anything that changes the way aerodynamics works or how any of the stock parts function.

OFFSETTING AND STOCK BUILD TOOLS ARE FINE. NO PART CLIPPING. Don't use the debug menu to stack on attachment nodes.

Here's what I'm thinking: build a stock spacecraft and its lifter for under $50k, with the following requirements:

Lifter

The lifter must be able to put the spacecraft in a 75 x 75 km or higher orbit.

Spacecraft

The spacecraft must be able to carry 3 Kerbals, dock with another vessel in orbit, and return the 3 Kerbals safely to the surface of Kerbin.

SCORING

Each entry is scored by tallying points from the following features:

• SCORING
  
  • Cost
    
    • For every full $10k saved from the $50k budget (+1)
      
    • Lifter costs less than the spacecraft itself (+1)
      

    [*]Lifter

    • The lifter leaves no stages on orbit - it delivers only the spacecraft, and can de-orbit any upper stages (+1)
      
    • The lifter has retrievable boosters or stages (+1)
      
    • The lifter can deliver the spacecraft to a 100 x 100 km orbit (+1)
      
    • Lifter orbits both the spacecraft and a Mun-capable upper stage (~850m/s dV) (+2)
      
    • For every 1000m/s dV remaining in orbited upper stage (+1)
      
    • Spacecraft is launched with a launch escape system (+1)
      

    [*]Spacecraft

    • Spacecraft has an RCS system for translation & easier docking (+1)
      
    • Spacecraft has method of generating power (+1)
      
    • Spacecraft stores >1000 units of electric charge (+1)
      
    • Spacecraft uses medium docking port (+1)
      
    • For every 500m/s dV the spacecraft has (+1)
      
    • For every 500 units of monopropellant (+1)
      
    • The spacecraft can perform a partially-powered landing (+1)
      
    • The spacecraft can perform a fully-powered landing (uses no parachutes) (+1)
      

This list might grow as entries are made - if you do something cool you think is worth some points, let me know in your entry.

SUBMISSION RULES

Make a post with:

1. The total cost of your spacecraft, lifter, and spacecraft + lifter.
   
2. The total mass of your spacecraft and spacecraft + lifter.
   
3. A screenshot of your spacecraft and lifter in the VAB.
   
4. A screenshot of your spacecraft docked with another vessel in Kerbin orbit.
   
5. Any other screenshots you need to substantiate your score (e.g. with resource panel displayed while undocked, etc).
   

OK! To space!

- - - Updated - - -

Here's an initial entry: the Artemis CTV!

Total cost: $41,580

Spacecraft cost: $14,053

Lifter cost: $27,527

Total mass: 92,905kg

Spacecraft mass: 9,245kg

SCORING

• Cost
  
  • For every full $10k saved from the $50k budget (+1)
    
  • Lifter costs less than the spacecraft itself (+1)
    

  [*]Lifter

  • The lifter leaves no stages on orbit - it delivers only the spacecraft, and can de-orbit any upper stages (+1)
    
  • The lifter has retrievable boosters or stages (+1)
    
  • The lifter can deliver the spacecraft to a 100 x 100 km orbit (+1)
    
  • Lifter orbits both the spacecraft and a Mun-capable upper stage (~850km/s dV) (+2)
    
  • For every 1000km/s dV remaining in orbited upper stage (+1)
    
  • Spacecraft is launched with a launch escape system (+1)
    

  [*]Spacecraft

  • Spacecraft has an RCS system for translation & easier docking (+1)
    
  • Spacecraft has method of generating power (+1)
    
  • Spacecraft stores >1000 units of electric charge (+1)
    
  • Spacecraft uses medium docking port (+1)
    
  • For every 500km/s dV the spacecraft has (+1)
    
  • For every 500 units of monopropellant (+1)
    
  • The spacecraft can perform a partially-powered landing (+1)
    
  • The spacecraft can perform a fully-powered landing (uses no parachutes) (+1)
    

Current first-place-holder-by-default: boosters++, with 7 points!

Edited May 7, 2015 by boosters++

[Radam]

SSTO spaceplane, 35k. SSTO spaceplane with 1900ms dV left over 65k...

[wossname]

Sounds like fun but perhaps not suitable for newbies (I used to be one not long ago, I remember the pain and the electro-shock therapy after landing)...

IMHO, there are too many constraints on the lifter stage to make this an "easy-to-moderate" challenge. Currently it's more like a solid moderate with many fiddly details.

[boosters++]

Sounds like fun but perhaps not suitable for newbies (I used to be one not long ago, I remember the pain and the electro-shock therapy after landing)...

IMHO, there are too many constraints on the lifter stage to make this an "easy-to-moderate" challenge. Currently it's more like a solid moderate with many fiddly details.

Hmm, I think you are right - I'm throwing around some fairly advanced terminology, there, I suppose. Not a challenge for anyone still having trouble reaching orbit = not a challenge for newbies.

[Serassa]

• For every 1000km/s dV remaining in orbited upper stage (+1)
  

• For every 500km/s dV the spacecraft has (+1)
  

By these you mean m/s? Cuz you know, it's kinda impossible to achieve 1,000,000 m/s of dV.

[boosters++]

By these you mean m/s? Cuz you know, it's kinda impossible to achieve 1,000,000 m/s of dV.

Haha, yes, thank you.

[Squiggsy]

Lifter

The lifter must be able to put the spacecraft in a 75 x 75 km or higher orbit.

this seems a bit odd, i have an entry but it's airlaunched, and so the lifter technically only takes it up to 30km and then the spaceplane does the rest, but does this mean that is not allowed?

EDIT: entering anyway, just for funsies:

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The Craft:

Pegasus CT01, Airlaunched spaceplane (unfortunately couldn't afford to make the launch vehicles reusable)

Overall Mass: 29,869Kg

Spacecraft Mass: 16525Kg

Overall Cost: 49,862

Spacecraft Cost: 20,060

The Scores:

• Cost
  
  • For every full $10k saved from the $50k budget (+1)
    
  • Lifter costs less than the spacecraft itself (+1)
    

  [*]Lifter

  • The lifter leaves no stages on orbit - it delivers only the spacecraft, and can de-orbit any upper stages (+1)
    
  • The lifter has retrievable boosters or stages (+1)
    
  • The lifter can deliver the spacecraft to a 100 x 100 km orbit (+1)
    
  • Lifter orbits both the spacecraft and a Mun-capable upper stage (~850m/s dV) (+2)
    
  • For every 1000m/s dV remaining in orbited upper stage (+1)
    
  • Spacecraft is launched with a launch escape system (+1)
    

  [*]Spacecraft

  • Spacecraft has an RCS system for translation & easier docking (+1)
    
  • Spacecraft has method of generating power (+1)
    
  • Spacecraft stores >1000 units of electric charge (+1)
    
  • Spacecraft uses medium docking port (+1)
    
  • For every 500m/s dV the spacecraft has (+4)
    
  • For every 500 units of monopropellant (+1)
    
  • The spacecraft can perform a partially-powered landing (+1)
    
  • The spacecraft can perform a fully-powered landing (uses no parachutes) (+1)
    

  Total Score = 10

Edited May 23, 2015 by Squiggsy