What's the heaviest SSTO you've gotten into orbit? How much could it carry?

[guitarxe]

Curious to know if people have tried making MK3-sized SSTOs and if they can get them into orbit? How much mass were you able to launch? Can you get an orange tank into orbit from an SSTO plane?

[nfpinto]

Yes you can.

If you do a quick look at the spacecraft exchange, will see a lot of nice space planes ssto

I saw one who could carry like 2 oranges

[Mesklin]

Of course, yes, see example of craft "Athlete" with 90t payload (download link)

[Ferdoni]

Of course, yes, see example of craft "Athlete" with 90t payload (download link)

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

What a beast!

[Pecan]

*sigh* Do you mean SSTO, or spaceplane?

I've made SSTOs that can get several hundred tonnes to orbit, rockets are easier to build and fly than spaceplanes.

[Mighty1]

I made a 100t payload for extremely large payloads using TTs Mk4 fuseladge (not the new one from Nertea). I never had any use for larger payloads so no need to make anything larger but I am in no doubt that even larger crafts can be made if neaded. Sadly, that monster has gone the way of the dodo because the Mk4 does not work in 1.0.x

[eddiew]

Built this with FAR. Unique looks, but only carries one orange tank cos it's not really very efficient

[Requia]

several hundred?

Was this just like, 9 mammoth engines and a ludicrous amounts of fuel?

[TheXRuler]

I have seen a Spaceplane capable of putting several hundred tons in orbit, will post a link when I find it.

My best plane so far can manage ~68 tons to orbit.

[capi3101]

Most I ever did with a spaceplane was in the neighborhood of 170 tonnes; put a full orange tank into orbit. Of course, this was pre-1.0 and prior to my switchover to FAR. Coolest thing I ever did with a spaceplane in those days though was the launch and recovery of a Geschosskopf Munar lander - twenty tonnes of not-fitting-into-a-Mk3-Cargo-Bay...

Since 1.0.x and FAR, the best I've done with a spaceplane is about six tonnes...

[imaspacestation]

Wouldn't there be a point where the cost of fuel spent would be more than the cost of disposing of rocket stages?

[TheXRuler]

Never, basically rocket fuel in stock KSP is for free.

For the price of a single Mainsail engine (13000) you can buy 16250 units of liquid fuel, now, while this disregards the cost of oxidizer my point is you can buy ~three orange jumbo tanks worth of fuel for the price of a single mainsail. If you can build a plane that uses much more than that to get to orbit you have my respect

- - - Updated - - -

Did some quick math and figured 16k LFO mix to orbit isn't actaully that much but still, if you add the cost of tanks, fins decouplers and engines the amount of LFO mix you can buy for one stage, never mind a 3 stage rocket with external boosters, becomes ridiculous.

[ajburges]

Wouldn't there be a point where the cost of fuel spent would be more than the cost of disposing of rocket stages?

Technically yes, practically no.

Most the cost in fuel is the container (50% or more). Recovery refunds that. Additionally, you have the lifter engines, which pushes the wet to dry cost ratio lower.

Staging also has dead weight in the form of unused engines and decouplers that a SSTO doesn't need.

[guitarxe]

*sigh* Do you mean SSTO, or spaceplane?

I've made SSTOs that can get several hundred tonnes to orbit, rockets are easier to build and fly than spaceplanes.

Sorry, I had assumed SSTOs naturally meant spaceplanes. I had no idea you could build SSTO rockets.