You hardest contract in KSP

[federicoaa]

I'm taking a class D asteroid to a kerbol escape trajectory, damn contract is 1.5 mil prize

[Sharpy]

http://i.imgur.com/816PHIv.png

Yup, impossible. Kerbol's SOI has infinite range. I accepted it nonetheless

A self-fuelling nuclear tug docked to the asteroid, with ISRU and drills next to the Klaw has infinite delta-V too

Plus you can create an escape trajectory of Kerbol, it just has no escape point - you remain within its SOI forever, but at certain speed its gravitational pull drops off faster than your speed, meaning you are in fact escaping.

[Nookos]

A self-fuelling nuclear tug docked to the asteroid, with ISRU and drills next to the Klaw has infinite delta-V too

Plus you can create an escape trajectory of Kerbol, it just has no escape point - you remain within its SOI forever, but at certain speed its gravitational pull drops off faster than your speed, meaning you are in fact escaping.

Asteroids only provide a finite amount of ore unfortunately. And even worse there is a bug with time warp that empties them suddenly.

[Nich]

That was long before I knew that and I was trying to save kerdits for a new launch pad. I have since learned you can just stick the engine on the top with no fuel and stage it at the correct time. You can also restage i.e. if you have to use an engine in suborbital to get orbital and need to test orbital just turn the engine off. Create a new stage and move the engine to that stage with the throttle off and hit space.

It is almost as dumb as the fact that half the science from Kerbin comes directly from or within 1km of KSC. I was so pissed when I finally got to the north pole for the first time and only got 50-60 science. But that didnt compare to how pissed I was when I went to the south pole and found out they are the same Biome............ Nearly rage quit

Also class E out of the systems doesnt seem that hard. Arnt asteroids like 90-95% resources? just drill convert burn, drill convert burn. Seems like it would just take time more then anything.

[carlorizzante]

http://i.imgur.com/816PHIv.png

Yup, impossible. Kerbol's SOI has infinite range. I accepted it nonetheless

That sounds rather a silly contract. Since you can manipulate the asteroid's orbit to the degree to send it into the outer space, wouldn't be better to harvest its resources?

[Nich]

Escape trajectory and escape are 2 different things. Doesnt Kerbol list its escape velocity in the info window? That is at its surface so if your at Kerbins altitude you get to add all that potential energy although your best bet is to setup a sling shot for a highly eleptic orbit as close to Kerbol as is safe for max oberith effect and max solar power. I would also expect you would have to slingshot off one of the heavier planets further out and that should get you escape velocity. Although doing all that in 28 years might be tough.

[Jesrad]

A self-fuelling nuclear tug docked to the asteroid, with ISRU and drills next to the Klaw has infinite delta-V too

Plus you can create an escape trajectory of Kerbol, it just has no escape point - you remain within its SOI forever, but at certain speed its gravitational pull drops off faster than your speed, meaning you are in fact escaping.

The tug is called Sisyphe, masses 17 tons, is latched onto the rock (christened "Boulder Dash") and no, it does not have infinite deltaV. The asteroid is 280 tons at 86% ore, giving the whole thing a total delaV in the vicinity of 22 km/s over an estimated 30 hours of continuous operation. I'm in the process of trying to tilt the trajectory closer to Kerbol then will use the mighty Oberth Effect to increase speed to 92 km/s, at which point I'll use the debug panel to mark the contract as completed.

I'm unsure the 22km/s will be enough.

Edited June 26, 2015 by Jesrad

[Nich]

I am a bit confused on your math. Doesn't ore convert at 2/1 to LF (assuming your using nukes) giving you 481.6t of LF so 800*9.82*ln(56.2/537.8) = 174 km/s

[Jesrad]

Oh, you're right ! I guess I can just burn straight ahead then.

[JetJaguar]

I had a contract to place a satellite in a circular, retrograde equatorial orbit around Kerbin just a little beyond Mun's orbit. It seemed easy enough, except that every half orbit the satellite passed through Mun's SOI, which tossed it off into an elliptical orbit. I fooled around it for awhile and eventually gave up and cancelled the contract. I just couldn't get it to work. But I think if I timed it right, I could match the orbit parameters in an inclined orbit, then flatten it out. It wouldn't be stable long-term, since the Mun would kick it out within an orbit, but it may have held long enough to get credit.

[Hyperpig]

Gosh, i am spending 2 days now still cant get this mission to work....

Eject a Class E out of Solar orbit...........

3000T of un-unified rock, even lock on the center of gravity, when i start my 2000kn engine, it just spines around in 10 second. i need 3890m/s to eject it out.......

working on AsteroidE Mark3 now,, to have a tow rockect, maybe this time works.....

i am thinking of a part that can turn the rocket 180 degree that would easily transfer a push rocket to a tow rocket....(without undock/dock)

it could also provide a lot of opportunity to make a transformer rocket ?! XD.

[Kerbart]

Once in a while I get these 179° inclination solar orbit contracts. I don't care what they offer. I'm not going there. I assume they’re put in there to punish those who do not read the fine print before accepting a contract.

 

[federicoaa]

Eject an asteroid out of the solar system. It looked simple until I realize I was dealing with a class D asteroid XD

[Chronin]

I saw this really simple contract asking me to mine a couple thousand units of ore on Eve and bring it to Duna. Sorry whatever company it was, but I don't care how many millions you give me, I'm not doing that

[Archgeek]

3 hours ago, Kerbart said:

Once in a while I get these 179° inclination solar orbit contracts. I don't care what they offer. I'm not going there. I assume they’re put in there to punish those who do not read the fine print before accepting a contract.

 

Heheh, no problem.  Just construct one of those 40km/s monstrosities you see around, send it out for a gravity desist at Jool, then burn until the silly thing's in reverse and transfer to the target orbit.  Maybe use KAC and go see a movie while you burn. XD

[Jetski]

This is the hardest challenge I've ever completed.

[The Optimist]

There was this one-star contract which wanted me to build a space station in a 70,000 meter orbit above Jool.

 

It didn't last very long

[Jetski]

In the Grand Tours Contract pack there are a few "Land on Jool" contracts generated...

[Bluegillbronco2]

Here are three of the hardest contracts i have ever seen. I did not take these because I enjoy what little sanity I have

[wumpus]

Hardest mission I've ever tried and give up: launch a thumper into escape velocity.  Difficulty: extremely early contract, probably before putting a kerbal into orbit.  I eventually concluded it was impossible without stronger engines or fuel lines (or heavier rockets).  I've seen it on a few test games at that level and suspect it was a "sucker mission".

Probably the biggest "did I sign up for that?" was rescuing two kerbals from Munar orbit (separate contracts).  Turns out they were orbiting in opposite directions.  Luckily I brought a NERV with tons of delta-v.

16 hours ago, Jetski said:

This is the hardest challenge I've ever completed.

I'd assume you do Moho and Eve first, return to Kerbin to refuel (and possibly add more landing stages).  Did you build a Joolian mining/refueling station, or was that not available yet/non on your mod list?

[Jetski]

1 hour ago, wumpus said:

*snip*

I'd assume you do Moho and Eve first, return to Kerbin to refuel (and possibly add more landing stages).  Did you build a Joolian mining/refueling station, or was that not available yet/non on your mod list?

Actually I did this by accident - I built a Jool-5 with a detachable command pod with Val inside and a docking port, and a variety of landers.  I finished the Jool 5, and decided to try Eeloo, and made it easily.  Everything was connected with docking ports, and I had a little RCS Klaw tug for moving stuff around, so I reconfigured and made a Duna aerobrake and landing, also hit Ike, and still had enough dV to reach Eve.  Then I launched a second ship to Eve with a big transfer stage and a lander that attached to the (well-travelled) command pod, and Val landed on Eve, then Moho by reconfiguring the transfer stage, then on home to Kerbin.  Technically the same ship (a single command pod with Val) landed on every body in the system.  No ISRU, 2 launches.  To the best of my knowledge nobody else has completed it this way, although there are many Grand Tours out there.  I think easier with ISRU

 

[magnemoe]

Test of skipper engine and MK3 pod in solar orbit, sounds nice, forgot too read the small print that the test was close to Moho orbit and the orbital requirements was very narrow so I could hardly dip into them also the skipper had to be staged. 
 

[Andersenman]

Any station on any ground. No clue how to even approach the problem in stock.

[SkyKaptn]

The hardest thing I did was the Pol 6 Challenge. Kerbin --> Pol --> Bop --> Duna --> Ike --> Minmus --> Kerbin in one go. For this one I had to go VTOL with wings because of Duna. I built a small(ish) plane with several Terriers (2 under, 2 back) and with ore-mining capability.

EDIT: The reward was approx 3.500.000

Edited April 14, 2016 by SkyKaptn

[HoloYolo]

Had a contract that basically said do a Jool-5 without actually being mentioned. I was 100% stock. I was like "oh damn, to the VAB". 2 hours of construction and I had a masterpiece. 3 hours of flying and BAM! 4.5 million funds at the space center. Problem is I didn't take any screenshots or mission reports. I still was glad that I did the mission.