T-Prize - Single Stage Landing to Tylo Orbit (SSLTO) Challenge: 1.0.4

[selfish_meme]

Kerbin SSTO's are a dime a dozen, Laythe has been SSTO'd, even Eve is much easier. The real test is Tylo. An SSTO on Tylo is quite easy but getting down is hard. Getting down and up again in a single stage really hard. If Eve is where Kerbals are stranded, Tylo is where they are buried.

The Challenge:

Land from and re-orbit to 80km the most mass-efficient SSLTO possible using stock parts only. So start with at least 80km periapsis and end with at least 80km periapsis.

The Rules

- Stock parts only. KSP version 1.0.4 only, entries from earlier versions will not be considered.

- No cfg editing, save editing, debug menu, or any other shenanigans.

- No physics exploits, the vessel must be lifted by engine thrust alone.

- Kerbals must be in a capsule, lander can or passenger module, no chairs or ladders.

- Flag must be planted.

- Images or video of your attempt is required for entry, showing resources, orbits and maneuver nodes, and enough in between to show how your vessel works. Craft files are encouraged so we can learn from each other's techniques.

Permitted mods:

Visual/immersion mods, informational mods, autopilot (probably required) and Hyperdit to orbit. This is primarily a design challenge.

Forbidden mods: Anything that modifies stock parts, adds new parts, or changes the game's physics in any way.

Aside from that, be creative. Build big or small, mix and match propulsion types, whatever makes it more efficient.

The Scoring:

Score is derived from points awarded for difficulty, efficient design, usefulness, starting mass below the reference design and Kerbals greater than 1. Masses to be taken from the information screen in map mode, not the editor, and must be of the form 176.20t.

+1 for every 3t below the reference design mass (176.20t).

+10 for Jebediah mode, no autopilot

+.5 for every Kerbal EVA'd to the surface and returned to orbit

+10 for a full science module, power and antenna to return science to Kerbin

+10 for a Science Jr on a rover which can dock with lander equipped with antenna to send science to Kerbin or with it's own power and antenna to return science

The Leaderboard:

[TABLE=width: 500]

[TR]

[TD][/TD]

[TD]Name:[/TD]

[TD]Mass[/TD]

[TD]Kerbals[/TD]

[TD]Jebediah[/TD]

[TD]Score[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]1.[/TD]

[TD]Foxster[/TD]

[TD]15.12t[/TD]

[TD]1[/TD]

[TD]No[/TD]

[TD]53.69[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]2[/TD]

[TD]Foxster[/TD]

[TD]18.00t[/TD]

[TD]1[/TD]

[TD]No[/TD]

[TD]52.7[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]3.[/TD]

[TD]Foxster[/TD]

[TD]21.10t[/TD]

[TD]1[/TD]

[TD]No[/TD]

[TD]52.2[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]4.[/TD]

[TD]Dbowman[/TD]

[TD]30.10t[/TD]

[TD]2[/TD]

[TD]No[/TD]

[TD]49.2[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]5.[/TD]

[TD]Kaboom![/TD]

[TD]86.61t[/TD]

[TD]1[/TD]

[TD]Yes[/TD]

[TD]40.3[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]6.[/TD]

[TD]Foxster[/TD]

[TD]880.20t[/TD]

[TD]80[/TD]

[TD]No[/TD]

[TD]40[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]7.[/TD]

[TD]Dbowman[/TD]

[TD]97.86t[/TD]

[TD]4[/TD]

[TD]No[/TD]

[TD]28.1[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]8.[/TD]

[TD]Nefrums[/TD]

[TD]340.16t[/TD]

[TD]32[/TD]

[TD]Yes[/TD]

[TD]26[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]9.[/TD]

[TD]Foxster[/TD]

[TD]265.58t[/TD]

[TD]32[/TD]

[TD]No[/TD]

[TD]16[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]10.[/TD]

[TD][/TD]

[TD][/TD]

[TD][/TD]

[TD][/TD]

[TD][/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]11.[/TD]

[TD]Reference[/TD]

[TD]176.20t[/TD]

[TD]1[/TD]

[TD]No[/TD]

[TD].5[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

The badge:

Wear it knowing you are part of a select group of rocket builders.

Edited July 31, 2015 by selfish_meme

[HoloYolo]

A challenge I can do! Do we have to return after? Also, can we use hyper-edit for faster tries?

Edited July 25, 2015 by HoloYolo

[selfish_meme]

A challenge I can do! Do we have to return after? Also, can we use hyper-edit for faster tries?

You can do it the long way for fun or Hyperedit to orbit, it won't effect your score. Only concerned with the landing and ascent. Obviously no Hyperedit there. I'm thinking about a Jebediah mode with no autopilot because it's extremely difficult.

[HoloYolo]

A challenge for tomorrow! I had a PERFECT design. Then I realized it had 2 stages...

[selfish_meme]

My Entry to assure you it can be done, I tried (a lot) without mechjeb, never made it. Craft came from the rocket calculator and a lot of straw and bailing wire.

This is the reference design 176t

Craft File

Javascript is disabled. View full album

[Foxster]

Here's my first go @ 21.11t for 78 points...

Captain's log:

Used the experimental hyperdrive to travel from the KSC to Tylo orbit. Drive worked better than hoped. Only small downside is that I now have six toes on one foot and I glow a soft orange in low light.

De-orbit was just a blast retrograde until orbital speed was down to ~1000m/s and then leaving the rest to the onboard computer - a repurposed ZX81.

Landing was an anticlimax after the horror stories from the older rocket-jockeys.

Planted the flag. Watered it too. Not very hopeful though of it growing.

The return-to-orbit profile was a matter of getting the lump just off the ground, swinging it around right away and blasting on a very shallow climb.

Time now to engage the hyperdrive again and I should be home for tea and medals by 5 o'clock.

Wilgela Kerman OBE, GCSE, RAC

Craft file: https://www.dropbox.com/s/uvztrrhgtmwhw5x/Tylo%20and%20back%204.craft?dl=0

Edited July 25, 2015 by Foxster

[selfish_meme]

Could we have a few more points for each Kerbal please?

Any reason?

[Foxster]

Any reason?

Never mind. Went a different route. See above.

[selfish_meme]

Here's my first go @ 21.11t for 78 points...

http://i.imgur.com/swtwpDp.png

http://i.imgur.com/eCay31o.png

http://i.imgur.com/xFFTX57.png

http://i.imgur.com/oIGdyfj.png

Wow, I am blown away that you did that so fast. Sorry to ask but can we get a few screens with resources, not that I doubt you but it is in the rules.

Edit: who would have thought to use an AEROspike on an airless world!

Edited July 25, 2015 by selfish_meme

[Foxster]

Wow, I am blown away that you did that so fast. Sorry to ask but can we get a few screens with resources, not that I doubt you but it is in the rules.

Sure - do you mean with the resource panel in the shot in orbit, on the ground and back in orbit?

[selfish_meme]

Sure - do you mean with the resource panel in the shot in orbit, on the ground and back in orbit?

All with the resources panel open please.

I am so building one of these!

Edited July 25, 2015 by selfish_meme

[Foxster]

Yes with the resources panel open please.

I am so building one of these!

Roger Wilco.

Dead easy to build. What you see is what you get. Just remove the mono to save a bit of weight.

[selfish_meme]

Did you land manually?

[Foxster]

Did you land manually?

Bit of both. Slowed down a lot by burning retro, then let MJ finish it off.

Tylo is so unforgiving. Last time I did a manual landing it took 10+ tries to get it right.

[selfish_meme]

Bit of both. Slowed down a lot by burning retro, then let MJ finish it off.

Tylo is so unforgiving. Last time I did a manual landing it took 10+ tries to get it right.

That's why I am thinking of a Jebediah level, I could land but never with enough dV to get off again, waste too fuel much easing it down,

Edited July 26, 2015 by selfish_meme

[Red Iron Crown]

Nice challenge, I approve of the rule set.

A few questions:

Does the initial orbit need to be 80x80km or more?

Is hyperediting the craft to Tylo orbit from KSC acceptable? The challenge seems to be about the descent and ascent from Tylo, doing the transfer manually for each revised design seems like it wouldn't add much.

[selfish_meme]

Nice challenge, I approve of the rule set.

A few questions:

Does the initial orbit need to be 80x80km or more?

Is hyperediting the craft to Tylo orbit from KSC acceptable? The challenge seems to be about the descent and ascent from Tylo, doing the transfer manually for each revised design seems like it wouldn't add much.

Initial orbit does matter, Hyperedit from KSC is fine, just remember to keep your resource panel open during your descent, EVA and ascent screenshots. The challenge template was based on another excellent challenge

- - - Updated - - -

That aerospike is the most efficient vacuum engine per kg out of all of them, when did it get vacuum buffed? Two terriers weigh the same but give 60 less thrust for almost the same ISP. I thought it was supposed to be efficient across a range of atmospheric ranges, not the best vacuum goto engine. I have to rethink my Grand Tour Lander now.

Edited July 26, 2015 by selfish_meme

[selfish_meme]

I am thinking of taking Foxsters suggestion on board and allocating a lot more points for extra Kerbals. I can't imagine a much more efficient craft than Foxsters, but then again I didn't think the reference craft would be so easy to beat. I think around 15 points for a Kerbal? That should split the field around Kerbals and mass.

[Foxster]

Just to say I have updated my entry with some shots with more info in them.

And, yes, some extra points for the Kerbals as you suggest would be good.

Edited July 25, 2015 by Foxster

[Batz_10K]

Here's my attempt.

This is a 17(ish!) ton lander, This isn't too different from Foxter's version, but as any initial orbit is permitted, we can use a 20x20km initial orbit and a 15x15km final orbit to save some fuel....

The experimental hyperdrive jump worked well, and this time there was no sign of excess limb syndrome.

The initial deorbit burn was flown manually and switched to MJ for the actual landing, as MJ doesn't seem to be able to land this type of lander. Basically as the TWR is fairly low, you need to keep about 10 degrees above retrograde until you decelerate to a safe speed for landing.

Flag planted (Of course Bob plants it backwards), it looks like there's just enough fuel to make a 15x15 orbit. Initial circularization put us in an 15x8 orbit, so we need to raise the Pe up to 15km with another burn.

It turns out there's a high enough mountain range in the way that I needed to tweak the orbit a bit using RCS to make it over, but with that done it was smooth sailing to the final circularization.

Javascript is disabled. View full album

[Foxster]

You could have started from an orbit as low as 10km, haven't tried it myself yet but that should save some more dv, will need some higher TWR though I think. Think you might have missed the requirement to finish in an 80x80km orbit though.

[HoloYolo]

Will get my entry soon!

For Jebediah/Manley mode, you should do SRBs, but allow staging.

[Foxster]

Selfish_meme: Did you decide on some more points for extra crew? I have an idea for a craft to carry a couple of Kerbals.

[Foxster]

Thought I'd have a go at flying a ship with much closer margins.

This is a 15.285t effort that got down from a 25km orbit and then back to an 80km orbit with just 85m/s dV to spare.

(Very fortunately Wilgela emerged from the experimental hyperdrive jump this time with her number of toes back to normal! However, the transit was not completely without some extremity adjustment and she would like to be known as Keith Kerman from now on).

Edited July 25, 2015 by Foxster

[selfish_meme]

Here's my attempt.

This is a 17(ish!) ton lander, This isn't too different from Foxter's version, but as any initial orbit is permitted, we can use a 20x20km initial orbit and a 15x15km final orbit to save some fuel....

The experimental hyperdrive jump worked well, and this time there was no sign of excess limb syndrome.

The initial deorbit burn was flown manually and switched to MJ for the actual landing, as MJ doesn't seem to be able to land this type of lander. Basically as the TWR is fairly low, you need to keep about 10 degrees above retrograde until you decelerate to a safe speed for landing.

Flag planted (Of course Bob plants it backwards), it looks like there's just enough fuel to make a 15x15 orbit. Initial circularization put us in an 15x8 orbit, so we need to raise the Pe up to 15km with another burn.

It turns out there's a high enough mountain range in the way that I needed to tweak the orbit a bit using RCS to make it over, but with that done it was smooth sailing to the final circularization.

http://imgur.com/a/xKH2v

OK, sorry I am in Australia and probably a different time zone to all of you. Thanks for the entry Batz, but as Foxster pointed out the final orbit must be 80x80km. I am amending the rules so the starting orbit must be 80x80km as well.

Selfish_meme: Did you decide on some more points for extra crew? I have an idea for a craft to carry a couple of Kerbals.

I did I am going to amend some of the rules and change the points, since you are the only one on the leaderboard your position is safe. However I do need more pics from you that show more of the flight, orbits, flag planting etc. Can you do that for me, I think you will have another entry soon.

Edit: Ok the new points scoring system is

+1 for every 5t below the reference design mass (176.20t).

+20 for every additional Kerbal EVA'd to the surface and returned to orbit

+15 for a full science module, power and antenna to return science to Kerbin

+10 for a Science Jr on a rover which can dock with lander or with it's own power and antenna to return science

The only other change is you must start from at least an 80x80km orbit and return to it.

Edited July 25, 2015 by selfish_meme