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

[Mjp1050]

This is also the first time, in 4 years of playing KSP, that I've ever landed anything on the runway!

 

[boolybooly]

Congratulations to ...

@Hydrothermalventclam Advanced Pilot Precision Award 1st Class with the OV-01 Kestrel.

... on completing the K-Prize challenge and earning a 1st class award for the precision double achievement of landing on KSC runway and docking in orbit.

@Mjp1050 Advanced Pilot Precision Award with Moustache.

... on completing the K-Prize challenge with a distinctive trefoil design and landing safely on the KSC runway.

Thanks for your mission reports and welcome to the K-Prize party guest list aka the roll of honour.

 

@AVeryNiceSpacePenguin since you asked, tbh I dont know if it counts because its not certain from the mission report whether the X-20 Dynasoar SSTO made orbit, since none of the screenies show it did and the report did not explicitly say that it did. If it did make orbit (with PE > 70km) then all you have to do is state this fact somewhere in the mission report as text and it would qualify.

   

Edited November 7, 2018 by boolybooly

[AVeryNiceSpacePenguin]

@boolybooly It did reach orbit.

 

Here is the screenshot:

 

If you look in the upper left corner, you will see the KER readouts saying the Apo and Peri are above 70 km

 

Godspeed!

[boolybooly]

Well alright then  congratulations to ...

@AVeryNiceSpacePenguin  Advanced Pilot Precision Award with X-20 Dynasoar SSTO.

... on completing the K-Prize mission successfully in a compact and effective craft. Thanks for your mission reports and welcome to the roll of honour aka the K-Prize party guest list. 

 

 

 

[JacobTheFoxx]

I just tried to make a small & fast SSTO, I think I did a pretty good job. I didn't make a name for it originally so I'm just going to call it SpeedyBoi V1.

 

 

[Bitrefresh]

Condor Mark V
143,000 kg wet mass (no payload)
177,000 kg wet mass (34,000 kg payload)
 

I am back, and it has been around 7 months since my first, and only submission to this thread. I have returned with my very first, and very questionably functional, Large Scale SSTO, capable of lifting 34-40 tonnes into LKO: The Condor Mark V. I wasted a good amount of DV by burning way higher than I should have, but I ended up with enough to de-orbit and "land" on the Island Runway after overshooting the KSC runway.

A few things to say about this, this was the first successful orbit, and payload delivery of this craft after 5 design changes. This craft is extremely unstable during descent and re-entry, having a tendency to flip backwards, and tumble. I have come to the conclusion that after depleting all liquid fuel, and delivering it's payload, it's Center of Lift is more forward than it's Center of Mass. I will do further re-entry testing, and see if this can be remedied by pumping leftover oxidizer into the forward tanks. I would have landed on the KSC runway if it weren't for the tumbling, and I would have had a better landing on the Island runway if it wasn't for it's poor gliding characteristics. Credit where credit is due, it did glide for about 5-10~ Km. I hit the very edge of the island runway pretty hard and lost some parts, but for the most part, the 10th flight of the Condor was a success. 

don't ask about the first 9 flights, this was a learning experience for me
Images follow

Spoiler

 

Edited November 15, 2018 by Bitrefresh
math

[boolybooly]

Congratulations to ...

@JacobTheFoxx Pilot Proficiency Medal with SpeedyBoi V1.

... on completing the K-Prize mission successfully, landing at KSC beach. Thanks for your mission report and welcome to the K-Prize roll of honour aka the K-Prize party guest list!

 

@Bitrefresh Thanks for your mission report for the flight of The Condor Mark V. I am sorry to say the loss of parts you mentioned on landing so courageously and desperately at the island runway is an automatic disqualification for the K-Prize. Since you already completed the challenge successfully you have the choice to have your mission linked as a gatecrasher, though the default is for the gatecrasher to be deftly brushed under the carpet and left unlisted, so say if you want the gatecrasher listing.

 

Edited November 15, 2018 by boolybooly

[Bitrefresh]

 @boolybooly I think i'll try again. I've got the time, and I have improved on the design. Expect a report in the next hour or two. If that is allowed of course.. I don't see anything in the rules about repeats or Re-attempts

[JacobTheFoxx]

7 minutes ago, boolybooly said:

Congratulations to ...

@JacobTheFoxx Pilot Proficiency Medal with SpeedyBoi V1.

... on completing the K-Prize mission successfully, landing at KSC beach. Thanks for your mission report and welcome to the K-Prize roll of honour aka the K-Prize party guest list!

Thank you!

[boolybooly]

14 minutes ago, Bitrefresh said:

 @boolybooly I think i'll try again. I've got the time, and I have improved on the design. Expect a report in the next hour or two. If that is allowed of course.. I don't see anything in the rules about repeats or Re-attempts

It is definitely allowed @Bitrefresh , its also perfectly OK to replay from F5 saves as many times as you want.

[Bitrefresh]

2 minutes ago, boolybooly said:

its also perfectly OK to replay from F5 saves as many times as you want.

Sounds good, thanks a lot o7

[Bitrefresh]

on Year 4, Day 35, Hour 4 the 14th Rh-308A-7 (Condor Mark VII) Condor took off from the KSC runway with a solar array for the new station and fuel depot placed into LKO. At around 2 minutes into flight, the spacecraft reached Mach 1.7, and pulled into a 15 degree climb into orbit.

5 minutes into flight, and the craft reached the edges of Kerbin's atmosphere and shut down it's engines to cycle to exo-atmospheric mode. 

 

It was at this point, shortly after orbital insertion, ground control lost contact with the craft and began to panic. It was in a stable orbit, but the craft was completely unresponsive, and did not appear on orbital tracking screens. The craft ran out of electricity. The cause was attributed to ground control's failure to extend the solar panels after exiting the atmosphere, and ground controller Derdos Kerman was temporarily suspended. An emergency launch of a Merlin Mark VII SSTO piloted by Jebediah Kerman was scheduled in 1 day, and was on the runway the next morning.Merlin Mark VII Short Range SSTO seen on the KSC Runway before flight.

The flight proceeded normally and Jebediah caught up and inserted into orbit at the target altitude of 82km. He rendezvoused with the craft several hours later, not even having completed 1 orbit.

It took Jebediah 12 minutes of careful maneuvering to dock with the Condor, but the operation went off without a hitch, and the Condor "Rhea" had power restored once docked with Jebediah's outdated Merlin. Jebediah returned to Kerbin within 3 hours after undocking with the Condor, and landed safely at the KSC.

The Condor raised it's orbit in order to properly come within a range to rendezvous with the space station, and the mission proceeded normally from that point on. With power restored, and a more competent ground control team established at mission control, the Condor docked with the station, installed the solar array, and then returned to Kerbin safely. The following images were released 2 hours after mission completion.

Spoiler

 

Edited November 16, 2018 by Bitrefresh

[boolybooly]

Congratulations to @Bitrefresh on completing the K-Prize mission snatching success from the jaws of doom with the following accomplishments (added beneath the first mission listing).

- Utilitarial Commendation, Advanced Pilot Precision Award 1st Class with Condor Mark VII.

- Advanced Pilot Precision Award with Merlin Mark VII.

Thanks for your engaging mission report and welcome back to the roll of honour aka K-Prize party guest list.

btw I left the Merlin entry as a standard APPA as I was not sure where it landed and took the mission log at face value for KSC terrain. If it landed on the runway then its an APPA 1st class and this can be corrected in the listing.

[Bitrefresh]

Nah it was just KSC terrain..it landed a little short and kinda rolled up to the lip of the runway and stopped.

[Aquaticfantastic]

Ok here it is, my K prize entry with R8-ZR - Flies like a butterfly, stings like the sharp end of a serrated blade!. This was really fun to build and fly and had the added bonus of being the final step in full reusability out to Minmus. I should have got into space planes a loonnggg time ago! All done on PS4 so fully stock, no mods. Full report in spoiler s.

Spoiler

https://imgur.com/a/3166Gaw

I wish I made a video, that landing was silky smooth

Would I get anything for delivering 500 units of mono prop to the same station? I'm  running low up there anyway so I might work it into my next flight.

Edited December 3, 2018 by Aquaticfantastic
spelling

[Draconiator]

My Dragon II will be capable of this!  Video shortly.

[boolybooly]

Congratulations to @Aquaticfantastic on a successful K-Prize mission resulting in the award of the highly prestigious Advanced Pilot Precision Award 1st Class with the R8-ZR. Thankyou for your mission report and welcome to the K-Prize party guest list, aka the roll of honour.

Regarding the question of delivering monopropellant to a space station in orbit, I think that counts as a Utilitarian Commendation, because it is transporting mass into orbit just like the release of a small satellite. Interestingly though there is no precedent for that as noone has done it yet to the best of my knowledge and so it is not included in the rules, so I will amend the rules. 

[Aquaticfantastic]

21 minutes ago, boolybooly said:

Congratulations to @Aquaticfantastic on a successful K-Prize mission resulting in the award of the highly prestigious Advanced Pilot Precision Award 1st Class with the R8-ZR. Thankyou for your mission report and welcome to the K-Prize party guest list, aka the roll of honour.

Regarding the question of delivering monopropellant to a space station in orbit, I think that counts as a Utilitarian Commendation, because it is transporting mass into orbit just like the release of a small satellite. Interestingly though there is no precedent for that as noone has done it yet to the best of my knowledge and so it is not included in the rules, so I will amend the rules. 

Yay my first badge . I did do the monoprop delivery last night but didn't take any screenshots as it would be pretty much the same as previous report, got a satellite to drop into polar orbit which should be doable with this though!.  Working on a bigger version for cargo now may enter that for something once I'm happy with it (doesn't reach orbit right now).

[boolybooly]

OK @Aquaticfantastic if you want to include that delivery mission for listing and kudos a text report will do, just need to know the name of the ship and details like dock/transfer in orbit and landing location and that no parts were lost etc.  

Edited December 10, 2018 by boolybooly

[Aquaticfantastic]

@boolybooly It was the same craft (R8-ZR), 500 units of mono from the plane into the station mono tanks, landed back at runway with no parts lost. I'll get a screenie next time, turns out my Mun station is low too (haven't unlocked drill or isru yet). If you want to wait for a proper report I will be launching my polar relay soonish as I believe it will result in the same award? Will be interesting hitting the runway from polar orbit too! I know you work off the honour system but id be happier proving it.

[boolybooly]

In which case, congratulations once again @Aquaticfantastic on completing another successful K-Prize mission  which has been listed beneath your previous with the following kudos...

- Utilitarial Commendation, Advanced Pilot Precision Award 1st Class with the R8-ZR.

... for completing a K-Prize first and delivering fuel to an orbiting ship. Thankyou for your mission report and welcome back to the K-Prize party guest list aka the roll of honour.

[boolybooly]

Merry Christmas to the intrepid crews of Kerbal Space Program, may the Christmas star guide you all to a safe touchdown!

best booly

[Lapis]

I made this in an old save around ~1.0 It worked back then I then uploaded it later, I was able to land it. If you need proof I will go dig for some screenshots: https://kerbalx.com/lapis_space_program/crew-transport-ssto

[TheFlyingKerman]

I am trying to build a more practical SSTO than a tour bus. This HKA-6B is what I've got so far...

Spoiler

Take off

Takes many minutes to accelerate to 1600m/s in jet mode

Orbit

We are there

The objective of this mission: deliver and install a new module to the station.

Note that the station has no fuel tank or engine or RCS whatsoever.

Installation complete

Returning home

Landed

 

 

 

[TheProfessor2112]

So I’d like to submit an entry. I built my SSTO Intrepid and flew her to Laythe and back with a fuel stop on the way. Even landed back at the KSC runway. Had no idea there was a prize for doing that mission :p

 

 

Edit: I’d like to also state in my report as the original mission report wasn’t a k-prize entry that Intrepid did make orbit, she passed through 5 SOIs(Kerbin, Duna, Jool, Tylo for gravity assist, And Laythe). Miraculously lost 0 parts as the Duna landing was pretty rough(good thing for its low gravity). Happy flying!!

Edited January 26, 2019 by TheProfessor2112