The not Orion project

[Tatonf]

Introduction

As you might know (or not), the Orion project was the first study about a spacecraft moved by nuclear bombs.

While the project never saw the light due to the nuclear test ban treaty, some prototypes were built with conventional explosives. You can see one of them in

.

While KSP doesn't feature nuclear bombs (which is a shame), it features explosives in what we call decouplers !

Your mission, should you decide to accept it

Is to build a spacecraft capable of reaching an orbit using only decouplers. The spacecraft is landed at the begining of the challenge.

Should your vessel explode during the process, your insurance will disavow any knowledge of your actions.

Rules

- Stock parts only.

- Only aesthetics and informational mods. HyperEdit is highly recommanded.

- No physic abuse / file editing.

- No mad cliping with the offset tool

- You are free to pick the celestial body of your choice, but it musn't have an atmosphere.

- Your rank is determined by which body you choose.

- The craft consists of at least a pod of your choice.

- The challenge begins with a landed craft. You are free to use any mod until there.

- The landing location is up to you. Feel free to go to the highest mountain.

- The only propulsion type allowed is decouplers. You craft must NOT change it's velocity by any other means.

- "Orbit" is defined by getting your periapsis above the highest mountain of the celestial body you picked. Reaching escape velocity is also accepted.

- Post pictures/video of your exploit or it didn't happen. Preferably with KER or Mechjeb window open.

- Posting the .craft file is preferable.

Decouplers

You are free to use all the decouplers of the stock game ; they are listed below along with their Isp that I determined with experiments. And no, there's no error, they're really that bad.

Because Mechjeb/KER aren't designed for calculating delta-V provided by those things, you'll have to do it yourself with the following formula :

[TABLE=class: grid, width: 500]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]Image[/TD]

[TD=align: center]Name[/TD]

[TD=align: center]Isp (s)[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center]TT-38K Radial Decoupler[/TD]

[TD=align: center]11.4[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center]Hydraulic Detachment Manifold[/TD]

[TD=align: center]2.9[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center]TT-70 Radial Decoupler[/TD]

[TD=align: center]6.5[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center]Structural Pylon[/TD]

[TD=align: center]2.3[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center]TR-2V Stack Decoupler[/TD]

[TD=align: center]1.1[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center]TR-2C Stack Separator[/TD]

[TD=align: center]0.8[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center]TR-18A Stack Decoupler[/TD]

[TD=align: center]6.3[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center]TR-18D Stack Separator[/TD]

[TD=align: center]4.6[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center]Rockomax Brand Decoupler[/TD]

[TD=align: center]1.6[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center]TR-XL Stack Separator[/TD]

[TD=align: center]3.6[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center]TR-38-D Stack Separator[/TD]

[TD=align: center]0.5[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

Celestial Bodies

In this section is listed the different celestial bodies where the challenge can take place, along with the rank you'll get for orbiting it.

The highest point serve as reference for orbit's periapsis and the coordinates is where this point is (for Hyperedit, should you use it).

They are provided by kerbalmaps and there's no warranty.

[TABLE=class: grid, width: 1000]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]Picture[/TD]

[TD=align: center]Name[/TD]

[TD=align: center]Highest Point (m)[/TD]

[TD=align: center]Coordinates (Lat/Long)[/TD]

[TD=align: center]Rank[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center]Gilly[/TD]

[TD=align: center]6400.7[/TD]

[TD=align: center]-29.2566 / -123.8708[/TD]

[TD=align: center]Do you even try ?[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center]Pol[/TD]

[TD=align: center]5590.3[/TD]

[TD=align: center]-62.8308 / 164.5862[/TD]

[TD=align: center]Aspiring decoupler[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center]Minmus[/TD]

[TD=align: center]5724.7[/TD]

[TD=align: center]-62.9297 / 74.7290[/TD]

[TD=align: center]Confirmed decoupler[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center]Bop[/TD]

[TD=align: center]21755.0[/TD]

[TD=align: center]23.8733 / -64.5667[/TD]

[TD=align: center]Confirmed decoupler[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center]Ike[/TD]

[TD=align: center]12735.2[/TD]

[TD=align: center]25.7295 / 178.2971[/TD]

[TD=align: center]Explosive decoupler[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center]Dres[/TD]

[TD=align: center]5669.8[/TD]

[TD=align: center]-85.0012 / 42.6379[/TD]

[TD=align: center]Explosive decoupler[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center]Eeloo[/TD]

[TD=align: center]3873.5[/TD]

[TD=align: center]24.3347 / 27.9602[/TD]

[TD=align: center]Staged decoupler[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center]Mun[/TD]

[TD=align: center]7061.2[/TD]

[TD=align: center]-82.5183 / -152.3254[/TD]

[TD=align: center]Staged decoupler[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center]Moho[/TD]

[TD=align: center]6817.4[/TD]

[TD=align: center]54.6790 / 153.4900[/TD]

[TD=align: center]Mad decoupler[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center]Vall[/TD]

[TD=align: center]7989.2[/TD]

[TD=align: center]-57.4915 / -144.4592[/TD]

[TD=align: center]Mad decoupler[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center]Tylo[/TD]

[TD=align: center]11282.6[/TD]

[TD=align: center]-54.7786 / 20.5774[/TD]

[TD=align: center]Scott Manley[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

Reward

Each time you'll hit the space bar you're likely to hear your decouplers exploding when hiting the ground ! KABOOOM !

(And anyone willing to draw a badge to put in the signature is welcome because I don't even know how to draw a circle on paint)

Hall of fame

- Tatonf - Explosive decoupler - Orbited Ike

Have fun !

Edited July 28, 2015 by Tatonf

[PixelStory]

*Quick Post*

[Yukon0009]

Good luck on Tylo.

if it's even physically possible that is without melting your compiter.

[Tatonf]

Thanks PixelStory.

This is my competitor which orbited Ike. Each plate have 6*2*3 TT-38K decouplers under it. When they are gone the craft is pointed retrograde et 2*7 TT-38K are decoupled.

Javascript is disabled. View full album

You can download the .craft here.

- - - Updated - - -

Good luck on Tylo.

if it's even physically possible that is without melting your compiter.

It might be when the game will use Unity 5, but even there I have doubts too. Maybe be a giant pyramid can do it ? But I only putted here for fun, I don't think anyone could do it.

Moho/Vall are already a big big challenge.

[RAINCRAFTER]

Maybe I will do this without Hyperedit on the Mun.

Good luck, me. GOOD GOD ME!!!caps

[HoloYolo]

Is there a separate category for building a ship that functions only with decouplers? Like a ship in space that does maneuvers in space? I have some great ideas if so.

[Tatonf]

Can you be more specific ?

Basically this challenge is already about ships doing maneuvers in space with only decouplers.

[HoloYolo]

Can you be more specific ?

Basically this challenge is already about ships doing maneuvers in space with only decouplers.

Like, in space space. You're not on the ground, just in space, doing maneuvers.

[Tatonf]

I don't know... Reaching an orbit gives you a goal, and I designed all the challenge around it.

What kind of goal would you want to set ?

[HoloYolo]

Maneuvering into another orbit other then Kerbin's. Like I perform a trans-munar ejection, slow down, and that's the goal.

[Tatonf]

I've been thinking to it and I don't think I'm going to do that.

Mainly because you can just spam decouplers brainlessly because there's no TWR restrictions, and that's just boring.