The K Prize - 100% reusable spaceplane to orbit and back

[Samniss Arandeen]

1 hour ago, tosha said:

Umm... The LV-909 has much lower thrust than the aerospike last I checked.

And for a craft as light as yours, you don't need that much thrust.

[Samniss Arandeen]

THE KERBAL TIMES-ACCELERATION

8 Jan 2017

Today, "Project Crossbow", the prototype Arandeen Aerospace Co. crew-shuttle SSTO made its first flight. With Jebediah and Valentina Kerman at the helm, the spacecraft blasted into LKO and delivered four of the brightest, most scientifically advanced minds in the space program up to the Simple Station awaiting them. After reentering, the craft flew on Rapier power to, and landed upon, KSC 09 6 hours after takeoff.

That's an APPA 1st Class.

 

IMGUR LINK (Note: Imgur removed the option to sort screenshots, and the manual method thumbnails are too small to efficiently sort. The images are in sort-of correct order.): http://imgur.com/a/M6pSp

Edited January 9, 2017 by Samniss Arandeen

[qzgy]

Made an ssto for a different challenge - never bothered entering this one though until now.

Swedish Fish - SSTO capable of bringing 7 kerbals and a satellite to orbit (or docking, if fancied), but not much else.

Imgur Album

Technically, I landed very close to the KSC (one of the images has the plane on the runway, just not stopped). Does that count for the pilot precision award?

Edit: The plane is all stock, since that matters.

Edited January 15, 2017 by qzgy

[SuicidalInsanity]

Don't think I've made an all stock SSTO for 1.2 yet, so I gave it a try, and ended up with this:

'Atlas' Unconventional Loads Transporter full album here.

It might be skirting the edge of legality, but I wanted to try out something that could deliver to orbit large or unconventionally shaped loads that wouldn't fit in a Mk3 cargobay.

Edited January 13, 2017 by SuicidalInsanity

[septemberWaves]

[edited post; please ignore]

Edited March 7, 2017 by eloquentJane

[Thor Wotansen]

100t and 12 kebals to 100km orbit with easy return and landing.

[boolybooly]

Congratulations to ...

Samniss Arandeen Advanced Pilot Precision Award 1st Class with Project Crossbow.

qzgy Pilot Proficiency Medal, Utilitarial Commendation with Swedish Fish.

Suicidal Insanity Advanced Pilot Precision Award, Utilitarial Commendation with Atlas.

Thor Wotansen Utilitarial Commendation with craft with no name.

 

... for completing the K-Prize mission successfully. Welcome to the roll of honour aka K-Prize party guest list.

Huzzah!

Thor if you want to add a name for the ship and further description of the landing location I can adjust your listing.

 

 

 

Edited January 24, 2017 by boolybooly

[SpaceYorkie]

Mission Accomplished!

The X-13 Greyhound II Spaceplane (shown above) made it into orbit ten minutes after I accepted this challenge, which is rather fast for a tiny (16.7T)  plane. Although it was piloted by Jebediah and Valentina Kerman, the spaceplane didn't crash, which means I don't have to sweep the runway for hours, cleaning up after whatever's left of Jeb and Val's mess. Lucky me.

Edited February 22, 2017 by SpaceYorkie

[Jestersage]

Too bad some of the gate crasher have no links... TemStar's VTOL is more fun to play with.

[boolybooly]

That is because the BB migration broke all the links Jestersage and there were too many to fix. Considering how that went there was no knowing when they might all get broken again, so I decided to live in the now and link new missions as they were were reported.

SpaceYorkie, thanks for your mission report, nice to have some business again after a new year's break. Can I take it the orbit PE was more than 70km and X-13 Greyhound II Spaceplane landed on the runway? It is a question of awarding the appropriate kudos  

 

Edited February 24, 2017 by boolybooly

[Numerlor]

 I made this, wanted to land on runway or near KSC but as it turns out it breaks more than I expected, I proably shouldn't have lowered it so much. Hope that design is interesting enough

 

[Thor Wotansen]

Oops, it seems I have neglected this thread.  Th e submission above is called the Pteradactyl Mk 2 and after delivering some Mk 3 fuel tanks to orbit just to prove it could, I landed it off the east coast of the continent to the west of the KSC.  Sadly, I recently cleaned my screenshots folder and I don't believe I uploaded an image of the landing.  I'll check when I get home.

[pinolallo]

 

This little SSTO has solved my need of crew transfer  into Kerbin system from orbit (and station docking) to orbit and safe landing, ferry astronauts or tourist from-to the orbiting station of Mün or Minmnus offering 2.400ms Dv from the reached 100 kerbin orbit. 

This plane is very accurate on weight displacement, RCS settings and flying capabilities: is easy to manual lander or fly without SAS in any fuel condition

See Album on Imgur

 

TakeOff advices

• Be carefull pulling up because the lower gear and the Nerva displacement
• fly with 10° pitch until reached 8000mt altitude
• then change pitch to 15°
• change pitch to 20° after at 30000 (when the R.A.P.I.E.R. engines toggle)
• finalise orbit circularisation using Nerva Engine (key1)

Keys

1.  Toggle Nerva
2.  Toggle R.A.P.I.E.R.
3.  Toggle R.A.P.I.E.R. Mode
4.  Open docking and extend Solar Panels

Landing advices

if you are using MechJeb (not included on ship file) select KSP and change the target longitude to 73°

Enter atmosphere with SAS to RAD+ and keep turn angle to 0° 

at 30.000 set to prograde and start landing manoeuvres (or activate SpacePlane autolanding)

Link to the Ship File

 

 

Edited March 9, 2017 by pinolallo
added imgur album

[Ozelui]

Hi,

I saw this challenge, built a new SSTO, went to Minmus, and on the reentry back on Kerbin i screwed the first aerobreak and... let's say my wings decided to change their flight plan

However, i reloaded a save right before that reentry, did the aerobreak with a different angle ( i.e. straight to prograde ) and after a few more aerobreaks i lowered my speed enough for the wings to hold in place at a nice 45º angle for the final reentry and landing on the runway.

So... is loading allowed during the mission or should i start over?

Edited March 18, 2017 by Ozelui

[luizopiloto]

One of my best creations...
The craft is full stock: https://kerbalx.com/luizopiloto/X-98L-BlueJay
If you are curious about that IVA, I made it. The video was actually made to demonstrate it...

 

[Andetch]

Going for the Minimalist award here.. Playing completely stock KSP 1.2

I designed a single seat SSTO, fully re-usable, and if you are a good enough pilot (and maybe with autopilot mods) capable of landing back at KSC, or on flat-ish terrain. The images taken here were not specific for this challenge, just for my amusement. But let's see, eh? If y'all want me to do a specific flight, I will.

The Wingless Wonder. Complete with safety and anti spin features listed below;

1) TBA

2) TBA

3) Bailout possible if over water?

 

[Ozelui]

On 17/3/2017 at 11:10 PM, Ozelui said:

So... is loading allowed during the mission or should i start over?

Nevermind, i did it again.    XD

After putting the video together i noticed the ship accidentally refueled 22 units of oxidizer in LKO... can that be "traded" for the almost 400 units of LF i returned to the ksc?

 

 

[Thinking Potato Gamer]

This is a good challenge but maybe you can add extra challenges to this challenge (Yes, that makes sense). SSTO Building is easy if you know what you're doing, no matter how large, fast, and/or maneuverable. Anyway, Thanks!  

[boolybooly]

Reloading is fine Ozelui, refuelling is out though.

Pinolallo nice ship but did you fly an actual K-Prize mission ?

Andetch a K-Prize mission flight is necessary to get a front page listing, but its a nice looking ship. FYI we had a minimalist throw down a while ago and tseitsei89 won @ 0.836 t. See front page listing.

Thinking Potato Gamer feel free to start a challenge.

 

Congratulations to ...

Space Yorkie with X-13 Greyhound II Spaceplane.

Numerlor Utilitarial Commendation with SSTO2.

Ozelui Advanced Pilot Precision Award 1st Class, Utilitarial Commendation with Beluga mk5.

Luizopiloto Advanced Pilot Precision Award, Utilitarial Commendation (Mün) with X-98L BlueJay (video). Special homemade IVA dashboard award.

... for completing the K-Prize mission with flying colours. Thankyou for your mission reports and welcome to the K-Prize roll of honour aka the K-Prize party guest list.

 

Special awards for excellence are ocasionally made by the K-Prize committee and Luizopiloto certainly earned one with an incredibly detailed "homemade" IVA dashboard, I think they should give you a job Luizopiloto but I do hope they pay you more than the last lot  , missing you guys. 

So the good news is that the expansion will contain a mission maker, which in the right hands might turn dreams of a K-Prize in game mission into a reality. I have no idea what that will look like so am waiting to see, offers of collaboration welcome.

 

Edited March 27, 2017 by boolybooly

[Alteroz]

 HM

Edited March 25, 2017 by Alteroz

[Mjp1050]

My third* spaceplane ever: the Excelsior capable of ferrying 2.6 tons to LKO.

Spoiler

(Yes, I know it's called the "Mun Space Plane Mark II - Cargo". I changed it.

 

Takeoff and acceleration are not really problems, not with two Whiplashes and a Rapier forcing it forward.

Spoiler

I'm thinking I should invest in heat-resistant cockpits...

The Excelsior gets to orbit with fuel to spare, and that payload can just barely squeeze out of the cargo bay.

Spoiler

Re-entry is a bit of a hassle; the cockpit tends to overheat, so I intentionally tumble the Excelsior to spread the heat more evenly. It recovers quite well once I remember to take the SAS off of .

Spoiler

And the Excelsior lands without breaking anything. It can't glide, though; it needs to have thrust or else it just drops.

*the other two were prototypes that only managed to get suborbital.

[something]

I have completed this challenge before, and I did have great fun doing so with my various space plane models. Realizing this challenge celebrates its 5th anniversary this year I needed to do something special...

The rules clearly state that losing parts in flight is against the rules and that decoupling was forbidden as well. Realizing that a ladder does cost 440 funds while a stack decoupler comes in at around 400 funds, I developed the cockpit lift system which lets your Kerbals exit the cockpit without the need of expensive ladders. You might argue it was against the rules, but that's all totally legal once you stage after landing. You mission report will state that you separated instead of using the forbidden word of decoupling. So well in that sense the space plane would be both a valid entry and a gate crasher until @boolybooly comes around and measures it. Yeah, you already guessed it: I went to orbit and landed back on the KSC runway just in order to see what @boolybooly would write in his gate-crasher entry list...we just need an appropriate name....what about Erwin?

 

Erwin at take off - https://postimg.org/image/tbkl1vs5z/

Supersonic flight - https://postimg.org/image/akinrpxlj/

Achieving orbit - https://postimg.org/image/ycrz38zmf/

Final approach - https://postimg.org/image/aafqm48d3/

Erwin landed on the KSC runway - https://postimg.org/image/7udx89qaf/

Nothing fell off during flight - https://postimg.org/image/9ngtwlbh3/

Using the cost efficient cockpit lift system (CLS, patent pending) - https://postimg.org/image/wdfypkuon/

Separation confirmed - https://postimg.org/image/lrw3dkod3/

 

So, as far as I got it, this is a Advanced gate crashing pilot precision award but well might be something totally different as well...no idea. Up to @boolybooly to judge.

 

In that sense - happy birthday, K-Prize...

Edited March 29, 2017 by something

[proteasome]

I'm thinking of trying this challenge, but want some clarification. 

What is the current Altitudinist record? I don't see it listed.

Also, can you achieve said altitudinist record by repeatedly refueling en-route to final orbit?

Thanks.

[overkill13]

To save double posting, I'll link my mission report here for consideration.

 

[voicey99]

Quick question for my attempt-are fairings allowed (don't ask why I need a fairing for an SSTO)?