Atlas Jetpack - Get your non-air-breathing SSTO's into orbit with this!

[xtoro]

So I don't know what this is or how I came up with it, or what to call it, but it works. TSTO maybe? (Two Stage To Orbit? But it's not 2 stages so...?) This is an evolution of my Roamer piggyback interplanetary transport system. Except with this, it can be launched from the runway on Kerbin. This allows me to send my spaceplane which doesn't have any jets into orbit from the Kerbin runway.

Entire album:

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Once the jets run out of air, hit [9] to switch to ClosedCycle RAPIERs. Once the Jetpack is out of fuel, hit [0] to jettison the pack, which looks like so:

Then the spaceplane is already at 60km apoapsis and 1300m/s, so all that's needed is to circularize using Aerospikes or Nervas. You do unfortunately lose the Jetpack's parts, but I think there's a mod out there that lets you recover stages, so you could attach chutes to it or something.

Couple more tweaks and I'll post the upload in the next hour or so if anyone's interested.

EDIT: I've reconfigured the Jetpack so that it can now land on its own:

Because I added the MK2 probe core, landing gear and extra fuel, it takes a bit more coaxing to get out of the atmosphere due to the extra weight. However, now using this craft along with the Flight Manager for Reusable Stages mod, you can decouple the Jetpack, switch to it, land it, and then use FMRS to switch back to the spaceplane and get it into orbit.

Ascent profile has changed due to the extra weight and I haven't figured it out yet.

Launching tips:

First disable crossfeed on the docking port!

Hit the spacebar to start the jets and pull up (S on the keyboard) the entire way down the runway to keep you from drifting like crazy.

While in flight, use the [2] action group to toggle the Aerospikes and get a bit of extra speed when you need it.

After Jetpack separation, right-click the tanks on the spaceplane and turn on the o2 flow again. It's disabled so that the RAPIERs don't burn up the spaceplane's o2.

Action Groups:

[1] Toggle LANTERN nuclear engine on space plane

[2] Toggle Aerospikes on space plane

[9] Switch mode on RAPIERs

[0] Decouple JetPack from SpacePlane.

DOWNLOAD link from Mediafire

Required mod : Atomic Age (For the nuclear engines on the space plane)

Mod-less version will be uploaded soon, however, Atomic Age is the one mod everyone should have (only adds 3 nuclear engines).

Edited May 21, 2015 by xtoro

[SHiftER2O]

What this is called, is a SATO, a Shuttle Assist To Orbit I wonder why not many use this concept when having trouble with SSTOs

[xtoro]

I like SATO Unless the parts can be recovered it's only good for sandbox or science mode. Going to bed, I'll upload the craft tomorrow.

[SHiftER2O]

I like SATO Unless the parts can be recovered it's only good for sandbox or science mode. Going to bed, I'll upload the craft tomorrow.

Basically, it's a piggy-back ride to space (In your case, a reverse-piggy-back ride) I'll show some examples

[Keymaster89]

This is really cool! and good looking! Looks soo hi-tech ^^ have REP!

U should tweak it so the Atlas ones detached can maybe fly alone and get back to runway, maybe cutting half the engine out so save fuel in some "reentry mode".

That will make this design amazing

[eddiew]

What an interesting idea... that makes so much more aerodynamic sense than sticking a shuttle on top of a rocket!

[Roflcopterkklol]

Hmmm this makes me want to make an SSTO that carries a smaller interplanetary plane to orbit.. maybe one that connects to an interplanetary engine in orbit.. complicated and cool sounding. i like the idea a lot.

[xtoro]

Thanks all! I updated the craft so that you can now land the JetPack. I also found a mod that lets you land the JetPack, and then return and fly the spaceplane out of atmo (see above). OP updated with new info and craft download link.

Hmmm this makes me want to make an SSTO that carries a smaller interplanetary plane to orbit.. maybe one that connects to an interplanetary engine in orbit.. complicated and cool sounding. i like the idea a lot.

Actually this Atlas evolved from my first piggyback design, the Roamer:

It's exactly what you said, an interplanetary engine to get the space plane to other planets. It uses the Atomic Age mod's Lightbulb nuclear engine and has over 5500 dV while towing the space plane. So I'll use the Atlas Jetpack to get into orbit, then dock with the Roamer and head to Duna or Laythe...

Edited May 21, 2015 by xtoro

[Chris_2]

Very cool!

[Roflcopterkklol]

Thanks all! I updated the craft so that you can now land the JetPack. I also found a mod that lets you land the JetPack, and then return and fly the spaceplane out of atmo (see above). OP updated with new info and craft download link.

Actually this Atlas evolved from my first piggyback design, the Roamer:

http://i.imgur.com/YM7yrpKh.png

http://i.imgur.com/C3j4fIfh.png

It's exactly what you said, an interplanetary engine to get the space plane to other planets. It uses the Atomic Age mod's Lightbulb nuclear engine and has over 5500 dV while towing the space plane. So I'll use the Atlas Jetpack to get into orbit, then dock with the Roamer and head to Duna or Laythe...

Haha ahead of me again "You have given out too much Reputation in the last 24 hours, try again later." ill tag ya later

I like your interplanetary engine design more than mine it actually looks kinda like my SATO craft without wings, i cant get something looking good that will be easy to get to orbit with a lot of delta v haha

and i just finished my SATO btw, still working on the interplanetary engine,

The SATO is fairly part heavy though, making the SATO shuttle a SSTO made it 317 parts, that on top of the smaller plane its just over 500 parts which is ok after you ditch the carrier i guess lol

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/122680-Thunder-Storm-Did-someone-order-an-advanced-SATO-90-tons-to-LKO

Edited May 23, 2015 by Roflcopterkklol

[xtoro]

Haha ahead of me again "You have given out too much Reputation in the last 24 hours, try again later." ill tag ya later

I like your interplanetary engine design more than mine it actually looks kinda like my SATO craft without wings, i cant get something looking good that will be easy to get to orbit with a lot of delta v haha

http://i.imgur.com/pGAfDU3.jpg

and i just finished my SATO btw, still working on the interplanetary engine,

The SATO is fairly part heavy though, making the SATO shuttle a SSTO made it 317 parts, that on top of the smaller plane its just over 500 parts which is ok after you ditch the carrier i guess lol

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/122680-Thunder-Storm-Did-someone-order-an-advanced-SATO-90-tons-to-LKO

That's a .... plane! Yeah I kinda went a different route with Atlas and Roamer. The Atlas Jetpack gets ditched and falls back down to the surface with chutes to be recovered. The Roamer is what brings you from planet to planet and never has to come back down to Kerbin. I'll be posting up an album soon of my first Duna mission with my spaceplane, the Happy Rooster

EDIT: Here's my mission to Duna using the Atlas and Roamer, worked out great!

With my latest tweaks, I manage to get the plane at a 42KM altitude doing over 2000m/s with an 85KM apoapsis by the time the Atlas runs out of fuel and decouples. At this point, the Space Plane is still full of fuel because it feeds off of the Atlas during launch.

Edited May 24, 2015 by xtoro