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

[luizopiloto]

I made this SSTO recently: https://kerbalx.com/luizopiloto/Odyssey-M4

It's rated for 40T payload to orbit w/o the crew module or 33T with crew module.
Can operate in polar orbit and safely bring 20T from orbit.

 

 

[Aegolius13]

Can I add oxidizer to the craft for the sole purpose of acting as ballast?  (Edit: to be clear, I mean in an inflight loading).  

Edited October 8, 2016 by Aegolius13

[JacobJHC]

I have a few more for you  

This was my first submission and since then my SSTO capabilities have gotten much better. What I have for you today are my Ike, Gilly and another Minmus SSTO. Heck in the future you might see a Pol/Bop SSTO.

Well that's all for now, I hope these meet the necessary requirements to be included in the submission area under my name.

 

[cy4n]

Would a 100% re-usable rocket count?

[boolybooly]

On 10/9/2016 at 5:16 PM, cy4n said:

Would a 100% re-usable rocket count?

As a gatecrasher...! Horizontal take off is a rule. See first post for rules.

On 10/8/2016 at 5:46 AM, Aegolius13 said:

Can I add oxidizer to the craft for the sole purpose of acting as ballast?  (Edit: to be clear, I mean in an inflight loading).  

See first post for rules. The proviso B to rule 1 applies to fuel used for propulsion. If the fuel is used then this disqualifies the mission and it is a gatecrasher. If the fuel is transported but not used (ie an equal or greater volume is present at the end of the mission, does not need to be separated) then kudos No.8-9 allows fuel to be carried as cargo but there is only kudos if transported from a planet or asteroid fuel store.

 

Edited October 10, 2016 by boolybooly

[Aegolius13]

3 hours ago, boolybooly said:

See first post for rules. The proviso B to rule 1 applies to fuel used for propulsion. If the fuel is used then this disqualifies the mission and it is a gatecrasher. If the fuel is transported but not used (ie an equal or greater volume is present at the end of the mission, does not need to be separated) then kudos No.8-9 allows fuel to be carried as cargo but there is only kudos if transported from a planet or asteroid fuel store.

Cool!  Then, sneaking in just ahead of CommNet, I present the Voyage of the Tern (named after a long-distance migrating bird).   The ship landed on Laythe, with additional SOI visits to Kerbol (duh), Jool (duh), Tylo and Vall. To get that distance with no refueling, the Tern did without luxuries like a crew or payload, and made liberal use of time-consuming gravity assists.  It also took part in an orbital docking (to get the aforementioned ballast oxidizer) and, against all odds, landed on the KSC runway.  

Album and mission narrative at:

http://imgur.com/a/Eztxs

 

Here are a couple sample pics:

 

[cy4n]

http://imgur.com/a/DsiRv

My (totally valid) submission! 

Edited October 11, 2016 by Osmium

[boolybooly]

Congratulations to...

 

JacobJHC 

- Exploratory Astrokerbal Distinction (Gilly) with Gilly SSTO (ion).

- Exploratory Astrokerbal Distinction (Ike) with Ike SSTO (nuclear).

- Astrokerbal Distinction (Minmus) with Minmus SSTO (nuclear).

 

Aegolius13 Expeditionary Astrokerbal Distinction (Laythe), Advanced Pilot Precision Award with Tern.

 

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

 

 

luizopiloto its a good looking craft, reminiscent of Skylon, also an interesting mission but I noticed that you lost a parachute due to an unfortunate collision with the runway and resulting explosion on landing in the video mission. Did you do the K-Prize mission without losing parts at all? Your word is all the report needed, we are on the honour system here. Or do you want a gatecrasher listing!?

cy4n the infamy of gatecrashing the K-Prize is yours, so your mission report has a gatecrasher listing with quip. Interesting maneuver before lift off btw but FYI it still does not qualify as horizontal take off because the movement of the craft has to be horizontal rather than the orientation. Also decoupling is definitely against the rules, which I am guessing you probably know. 

Edited October 15, 2016 by boolybooly

[Aegolius13]

4 hours ago, boolybooly said:

Aegolius13 Expeditionary Utilitarial Distinction (Laythe), Advanced Pilot Precision Award with Tern.

Thanks dude! Glad to be part of the club.  But doesn't the Utiliarial thing require transporting fuel that was mined somewhere else?  The oxidizer I loaded onto my plane was store-bought from Kerbin.  

[luizopiloto]

5 hours ago, boolybooly said:

...

luizopiloto its a good looking craft, reminiscent of Skylon, also an interesting mission but I noticed that you lost a parachute due to an unfortunate collision with the runway and resulting explosion on landing in the video mission. Did you do the K-Prize mission without losing parts at all? Your word is all the report needed, we are on the honour system here. Or do you want a gatecrasher listing!?

...

That wasn't a parachute... was the refueling port... I messed up the flair and hit the runway too fast... but that spaceplane usually lands like a plume... I was just too lazy to record the entire mission again w/o cuts...
 

[boolybooly]

50 minutes ago, Aegolius13 said:

Thanks dude! Glad to be part of the club.  But doesn't the Utiliarial thing require transporting fuel that was mined somewhere else?  The oxidizer I loaded onto my plane was store-bought from Kerbin.  

Good point, I confused myself there for a minute, fixed now, I think !

[ChaoticPheonix]

With the introduction of CommNet, I realised the actual need for satellites now and started this mission. The Tanto's mission (the type of knife, not the character/person) was to bring a crew and satellite to orbit and kill two birds with one stone. Firstly, we needed a relay satellite in Kerbin's orbit. Secondly, we needed to test this craft as a crew shuttle to orbit.

Full album available here: http://imgur.com/a/1izIL

 

[n.b.z.]

So I think I may have qualified for this challenge by taking part in another one.
(Again. It wouldn't be the first time this happens.)

Hoping for a guest listing for KSP 1.2, I submit my 100% stock, lifting body, SSTO plane "Bonkers Bonsai".

And when I say "lifting body", I mean it. 
 

There is a submission post in the lifting body challenge thread with the tech details, but just the Imgur album should provide all necessary info for this challenge.
 

[Kertech]

Sickle Mk1 was a lemming

 

Issue was lack of lift, so the kerbal engineers decided to double the lift...

I present the Sickle mk 2. My first SSTO Space-BiPlane

 

Irritatingly my ascent didn't seem to get screen shotted

However it is fully capable of lifting a 40 tonne fuel pod to LKO

 

Before dramatically reentering too early and pretty steep (this was a test run)

 

Getting too low I flew at high altitude (approx 20km and 1200m/s) over to ksc

 

At which point the sun was setting

 

 

Issues:

Gear needs moving forward, needs an antenna and probe control system.

wayy too much oxidiser

 

Also thinking I could make this go interplanetary with a 40 tonne margin, just needs some nervas...

[cikho]

Here my typical SSTO mission to Space station for module installation .

More detailed pics in the spoilers

 

SSTO_Perrier taking off from KSC. Mission is to bring the Network Relay Module to the orbiting KSS_Galileo.

Galileo is in circular 100x100Km orbit around kerbin.

Spoiler

Gaining speed

KSS_Galileo in sight

 

 

SSTO_Perrier Docked to KSS_Galileo with payload bay opened and Network Relay Module exposed

Spoiler

Module Moving Unit (MMU) Grabs the Network Module

Network Relay Module in position and Fully functional, and MMU redocked

 

leaving KSS_Galileo

 

KSC in SIght

 

Touch Down

 

Parked

 

Edited October 24, 2016 by cikho

[RCgothic]

New entry for 1.2 before I reinstall FAR.

Before Take Off:

Full throttle:

Take off

Rocket mode engaged!

Apoapsis established:

Orbit acheived!

Stayed up a few hours waiting for KSC Dawn:

Beauty 1:

Beauty 2:

Reentry periapsis and fuel remaining:

Coming in Hot:

Coming in early:

Final approach:

Landed with 1000 units of fuel still onboard:

Edited October 26, 2016 by RCgothic

[NoobTool]

Here's my entry. The Czar Galactica MK 3 EX. 

236.8 ton payload to a 100km circular orbit, orbital docking maneuver, runway landing back at KSC.

Full album here:

http://imgur.com/a/Z3oUU

Edited October 28, 2016 by NoobTool

[RCgothic]

Wow, the Galactica's a beast!

Following on from my previous attempt, I installed a docking port and an RCS system and attempted to hit some of the bonus achievements.

Payload up, 1 xenon-electric probe sat:

Launched:

Docked to a space station:

Ore probe for downlift (forgot to fill it - shh!)

Ore probe docked:

And landed at KSC for probe unloading:

 

Full album:

http://imgur.com/a/XyYWU

 

The hitches were that I stuck the xenon-electric thruster on backwards, and forgetting to actually put any ore in my ore probe.

 

[boolybooly]

Congratulations to...

ChaoticPhoenix Utilitarial Commendation, Advanced Pilot Precision Award with Tanto.

n.b.z. Advanced Pilot Precision Award with Bonkers Bonsai.

Kertech Utilitarial Commendation, Advanced Pilot Precision Award with Sickle mk 2.

cikho Utilitarial Commendation, Advanced Pilot Precision Award 1st Class with SSTO_Perrier.

RCgothic Advanced Pilot Precision Award with SSTO.

- Utilitarial Commendation, Advanced Pilot Precision Award 1st Class with SSTO.

NoobTool maximalist record holder (981.399t), Utilitarial Commendation, Advanced Pilot Precision Award with Czar Galactica MK 3 EX.

 

... for completing the K-Prize mission successfully. Thankyou all for your mission reports and welcome to the v1.2 guest list for the K-Prize party aka the roll of honour.

[luizopiloto]

3 minutes ago, boolybooly said:

Congratulations to...

ChaoticPhoenix Utilitarial Commendation, Advanced Pilot Precision Award with Tanto.

n.b.z. Advanced Pilot Precision Award with Bonkers Bonsai.

Kertech Utilitarial Commendation, Advanced Pilot Precision Award with Sickle mk 2.

cikho Utilitarial Commendation, Advanced Pilot Precision Award 1st Class with SSTO_Perrier.

RCgothic Advanced Pilot Precision Award with SSTO.

- Utilitarial Commendation, Advanced Pilot Precision Award 1st Class with SSTO.

NoobTool maximalist record holder (981.399t), Utilitarial Commendation, Advanced Pilot Precision Award with Czar Galactica MK 3 EX.

 

... for completing the K-Prize mission successfully. Thankyou all for your mission reports and welcome to the v1.2 guest list for the K-Prize party aka the roll of honour.

You forgot me...

[boolybooly]

I didn't forget you luizopiloto, you didnt share a complete mission report, the mission you did share was a gatecrasher because you lost a part which exploded on touchdown before the craft came to a stop.

On 10/15/2016 at 7:24 PM, luizopiloto said:

That wasn't a parachute... was the refueling port... I messed up the flair and hit the runway too fast... but that spaceplane usually lands like a plume... I was just too lazy to record the entire mission again w/o cuts...
 

"usually lands like a plume... I was just too lazy" doesnt really constitute a mission report, does it? If you reflew the mission without unexpected detonations then say so. Else I will give you a gatecrasher listing if you want but I thought I would give you some time to make a successful mission report first as it sounded like you were saying you were able to do that.

You need to share a report of a mission you really flew which actually succeeded. Your word is good enough, so a text report is fair enough as we are on the honour system, but it needs to be clear about how it achieved the K-Prize mission parameters.

Edited October 29, 2016 by boolybooly

[NoobTool]

19 hours ago, RCgothic said:

Wow, the Galactica's a beast!

Thanks! I was surprised the first time she loaded onto the runway and didn't immediately fall apart. She has yet to cease to amaze me.

And thanks to @boolybooly for posting this thread and continually updating it.

...I hate to quibble, but doesn't docking + runway landing =  Advanced Pilot Precision Award 1st Class? And might it be ok to list the payload mass with the Utilitarial Commendation?
 

Edited October 29, 2016 by NoobTool

[boolybooly]

Happy to oblige with the payload weight reference NoobTool, hope you like the well deserved maximalist record, she is an amazingly big craft.

Feel free to quibble about the APPA 1st Class if you wish, the K-Prize committee (me) is not infallible but the way I see it, correct me if I am wrong, the docking you are talking about involved redocking with the payload which means it was already in the immediate playable environment, judging from the imgur images. While I agree it shows skill, I dont feel it is the same as negotiating an orbital rendezvous which is what the APPA 1st Class is intended to reflect. As with landing on a runway its about navigating to a distant target successfully as well as landing or docking. You are welcome to object based on precedent if you can find an example where it was awarded for a similar maneuver but I have looked back through v1.1 APPA 1st Class missions and all of them involve docking with a preexisting station or satellite and I do not recall the 1st Class being awarded for redocking with payload or lander sections or rovers which are comparable. Sorry but I hope the intent makes sense. I did think about it on the first viewing of your mission report but decided it wasnt the same as rendezvous.

[NoobTool]

@boolybooly

Makes perfect sense. I didn't even consider the rendezvous aspect. I fully agree, not the same. Thanks for your reply. And thanks again for managing this thread.

Edited October 29, 2016 by NoobTool

[EliteGuy3]

This is my first and, mostly likely, only entry.

I present, the Jeremiah

Pretty straight forward. If you want anymore details, I've got the Main Thread here; it includes the manual and the craft file, for 1.2.

 

Edited October 30, 2016 by EliteGuy3