Ore return contract

[KerikBalm]

So, after I unlocked ISRU tech, I immediately sent a mission to set up ISRU on Minmus.

Shortly thereafter, I got a contract to return ore from minmus - so I accepted.

Whereas:

* my ISRU+ tanker operation is not set up to survive rentry to Kerbin - and even if it was, I don't want to have to launch a new base just for that,

* I've read some people having issues with ore tanks exploding when setting them down on kerbin with parachutes

* I rely mostly on SSTOs now

I decided that I'd simply launch an SSTO with an internal ore tank, and then after a docking even, transfer ore into it, and recover the SSTO...

But I'm wondering if the contract will recognize this as completing the contract.

I'm concerned that doing a resource transfer of docked craft will result in the ore in the SSTO not being considered as being freshly derived from Minmus.

Can anyone advise me?

[FancyMouse]

Resources don't have launchID tracked so they're fine. The only place where it could screw up is when you dock with the ISRU tanker, which is launched before the contract. Not sure whether this will contaminate your SSTO with the old ID (so that after docking it might be recognized as old) - I'm just suspecting. No evidence for either side. I guess it should be fine, but I'm not confident myself (and didn't get a chance yet to have a try)

[KerbMav]

Funny how you only think about something when questioned about it ... I have no clue how the game decides if the ore is from Minmus - worst case: it wants you to build a whole new rig, in which case the contract is description might be misleading. Maybe the designer had in mind to first send the player to build a base and later to have him add a mining rig and return some ore (in a tank that was launched at the same time).

[kulkan1]

What exactly does the contract ask of you?

Does it sound like this:

"- Mine x amount of ore from Minmus"

"- Have x amount of ore in craft"

"- Landed on Kerbin"

Or is it simply "- Orbiting Kerbin"? I have seen a lot of contracts that just requires you to be in orbit for a ore return contract. Even though it's named "Return ore to Kerbin", it might just ask you to deliver it to orbit. But if it sounds like the criterias I listed, then it shouldn't be a problem. I have a stationary mining base on Minmus, and for the "return ore to kerbin orbit" contracts, I just have a designated ore lifter which I send out of Minmus SOI, and then right back after being in Kerbin SOI for 10 seconds. Not sure if it works in a special way because I have the vehicles docked while mining, but I think I remember it working after transferring the ore over too.

[KerikBalm]

TL:DR version- The game doesn't care where the ore is from. Just mine the amount needed from the target, and you can spawn a new vessel with ore, have it do a 2 meter hop, and complete the contract.

So... I launched a craft to go to minmus and collect the ore, to bring back to kerbin....

I had 1 condition checked: Mine 500 units of ore from minmus

The next condition: have 500 units of ore in your cargohold (My ISRU operation didn't have that much... because.. conversion and all, but I could easily get it)

Next condition: land the ore (?) 500 units of ore (?) on Kerbin

Next: maintain stability for 10 seconds...

I wondered... after the first condition completes, could I just launch a vessel with 500 ore, and immediately recover it to complete?

So I filled up some ore tanks in the VAB... I got the 500 in cargohold checked, but not the landed on Kerbin condition.

I attached some basic jet engines, got up a few meters, and set back down: CHECK!

10 game seconds later, all conditions were met, and the contract was completed.