Decaying Orbit Space Station

[Whirligig Girl]

Just a quick post to see if anyone wanted to try this funny idea. Last time I checked, ships only despawn in orbit around Kerbin at ~35 km or lower, which means you can have on-rails orbits well into the atmosphere. So the challenge is this: Get into the lowest orbit you can (and it must be below 68 km), then send a sounding rocket to space (As fast as possible!) so you can save and go to the space center and launch another ship to rendezvous and dock. For bonus points, make sure the ship completes a full orbit at the altitude by maintaining the velocity with rocket engines.

EDIT: If you complete the challenge then you get this neat scratch-and-stiff sticker by Killarust.

Edited November 17, 2015 by GregroxMun

[BlueCanary]

If I'm understanding this right, you'd need to get a ship circularized at 37.5km+ so that you could get to space and still be within 22.5km so it wouldn't despawn, then try and send up a ship to dock?

[Wjolcz]

I would like to try this if someone provided a save with such station.

[killakrust]

I just ran a quick check on the feasibility of this. At an orbital velocity so your AP and PE are both 37.5km, the craft will be traveling at 2353m/s.

Problems:

Once in physics range, the craft will heat up to explosive temps in about 2 seconds. This could be overcome by switching off the heating in F12.

Once in physics range, the craft will de-orbit and hit the ground in (almost exactly) 4 minutes.

I really don't see any way you could intercept it before it tumbled out of the sky.

If someone can actually pull this off, I will personally make them a badge befitting their awesomeness.

[AlextheBodacious]

This look good, give me a sec...

Ok, it's done. It goes like this:

(I got scared and only went to 65,000 at SMA.)

Do I get a prize?

Edited November 9, 2015 by AlextheBodacious

[Sanic]

What about a 68 km orbit? That would decay pretty fast (maybe like an hour).

[killakrust]

This look good, give me a sec...

Ok, it's done. It goes like this:

(I got scared and only went to 65,000 at SMA.)

Do I get a prize?

You big wuss... 65km... but, seeing as you did it I promised to make a badge (if GregRoxMun does not mind of course)

here is your prize... and rep of course:

[Whirligig Girl]

[quote name='AlextheBodacious']This look good, give me a sec...

Ok, it's done. It goes like this:
[SIZE=1](I got scared and only went to 65,000 at SMA.)[/SIZE]
[url]http://i.imgur.com/p7190Jo.png?1[/url]
[url]http://i.imgur.com/LYBg6Sn.png?1[/url]
[url]http://i.imgur.com/6RelWDr.png?1[/url]
[url]http://i.imgur.com/0xMJ7M0.png?1[/url]
[url]http://i.imgur.com/ErspIui.png?1[/url]
[url]http://i.imgur.com/fUo0sse.png?1[/url]
[url]http://i.imgur.com/vrzpH6V.png?1[/url]
[url]http://i.imgur.com/Aop7VDl.png?1[/url]
[url]http://i.imgur.com/HWFBYe3.png?1[/url]
[url]http://i.imgur.com/1Q0VPk7.png?1[/url]
[url]http://i.imgur.com/ngWRMtt.png?1[/url]
[url]http://i.imgur.com/GrpLTQm.png?1[/url]

Do I get a prize?[/QUOTE]

[IMG]http://www.andrewssigns.co.uk/images/product/well_done_green1264694666_932.jpg[/IMG]

[COLOR="silver"][SIZE=1]- - - Updated - - -[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[quote name='killakrust']You big wuss... 65km... but, seeing as you did it I promised to make a badge (if GregRoxMun does not mind of course)

here is your prize... and rep of course:

[url]http://i.imgur.com/W5XKPWg.png[/url][/QUOTE]

Can I put this in the OP?

[killakrust]

[quote name='GregroxMun']Can I put this in the OP?[/QUOTE]

Yeah, of course. :cool:

[SR]

Of course the ISS and all other LEO objects will fall back in less than a year, unless station keeping manoeuvres are performed.