Put this shuttle into orbit and get it back safely!

[Vostok]

The challenge: Here is a stock Space Shuttle, and your job is to somehow put it into orbit! Any means you want to use are acceptable, except for modding the persistent file, and using \'hack\' parts (with infinity fuel etc). It would make it simpler to just use stock parts, but that is not a rule.

Bonus challenge: Use only stock parts.

Bonus challenge: Make your launch vehicle in the same style as the actual shuttle external tank & boosters.

Bonus challenge: Rendezvous with something in orbit using the basic shuttle.

Shuttle characteristics: Can fly under own power. Can take off under own power. Can fly well without ASAS. Can glide from any height and land safely. Has landing chute. Has RCS thrusters and single RCS tank.

Explicit rules:

No \'hack\' parts (infinite fuel, thrust etc)

No modifying the original shuttle.

No modifying the persistent file to get it into orbit. (obviously!)

Images help prove you did it

The shuttle is an attachment to this post. Good luck, and more importantly, have fun!

[that1guy]

getting it to rendezvous with something is impossible without RCS, I don\'t see any RCS on that shuttle, before I consider doing this, please either point out or add RCS

[Vostok]

There is RCS on the nose cone, and on either side of the vertical stabiliser, just like the real shuttle.

[Sean Mirrsen]

There doesn\'t seem to be any RCS fuel though, unless you stuck some onto the tricoupler there.

Also, the reason it gets torn in half is because you\'ve overdone it with part overlap. Make a less authentic replica with more sensible part placement, and then we\'ll see if it can be taken on a trip somewhere.

[Vostok]

Yes, there is an RCS tank on the tricoupler. I\'ll see what I can do to make it less explodey, feedback appreciated thanks!

[Vostok]

I modified the shuttle so it now works at warp and on restarting flights. Struts can do wonders, don\'tchaknow?

[grawl]

I\'m gonna try this and get back with pictures =P

...I\'m stuck in the VAB with an \'\'how to put THIS tank on THIS decoupler\'\' issue...Pictures will come after a good night of sleep ??? I\'ve got a Buran-style stock launcher in the works

Can\'t wait to see what your shuttle is capable of in space !

Do you know any way to solve my VAB problem?

[Endeavour]

getting it to rendezvous with something is impossible without RCS

Wanna bet?

[that1guy]

Wanna bet?

Impress me, if you don\'t have a screen vid capacity, here is a link

screencast-o-matic.com

[grawl]

Vostok, I was wondering, why is there 2 tri-couplers at the back of the shuttle?

Is it for balancing it, or simply aesthetic?

[Vostok]

Vostok, I was wondering, why is there 2 tri-couplers at the back of the shuttle?

Is it for balancing it, or simply aesthetic?

It was to shift the coupling point up to the centre of the fuselage, instead of near the bottom. Since the first one is backwards, it attached by one of the three points, therefore shifting the centre one upwards. So it\'s for both, really

Also, in an earlier version, I attached two conical pieces on to the front on the forward tri coupler, and it looked just like the Orbital manoeuvring tanks on the real shuttle.

[grawl]

Well...

I ve been managing to get it to orbital altitude. But then when I separate the boosters and activate the Shuttle engines, they are just too much unbalanced, they make it spin all around.

It handles like a charm in athmosphere though.

Here is one screen and the big boostahs craft file if you wanna try it for yourself. Maybe tweak your shuttle a bit, I think i\'ve seen people putting a medium motor at the bottom of the tricoupler to keep thrust balance. Or maybe only one small motor at the bottom but 2 rcs tanks?

[Vostok]

You could put a decoupler on the RCS then put a small engine with a fuel line to it, that might work.

[grawl]

Well,

I finally came with a working design.

Let me present you The Orbiter 3 FEA (Finely Enhanced Aeroplane... or whatever you want =P)

An all stock Space Shuttle that looks a bit like a Space Shuttle !

It is actually able to put sattelites on geostationnary orbit, and can (virtually) orbit around any point in kerbin, maybe even farther.

User Manual :

- Go on the pad with the Orbiter 3 FEA

- Gear Up ! (G)

-SAS ON ! (T)

- Full Throttle ! (Maj)

- Liftoff !! (Press Space)

- Don\'t let Jeb touch anything.

Really, anything but F7 or F8

- When around 12-15000m start to pull a bit.

- Continue to pull. Separate from the 2 boosters when they get empy (press space again).

Close to orbit

- Your apoapsis should now be around 70 000m and you should be not too far from it.

- Adjust your trajectory so that your periapsis is always in front of you. I mean put your nose above the velocity vector if apoapsis is getting close dangerously fast, or start to center your nose with the velocity vector (the yellow bracketed circle with no cross in it) if you see it getting away. All this is done in map view.

- You should now be in orbit !

- And with plenty of fuel ??? Yeah ! ;P

- Do all the orbital manoeuvers you want with the rest of the fuel (usually around 2 tanks/engine).

- When it\'s empty, jettison it (press space again)

- You are now on your desired orbit with the Space Shuttle FEA !!! (yeah ! 8) )

Now to focus a bit on the Shuttle itself.

I\'ve put some small modifications to it.

Only one small motor instead of 2, so it is \'a bit\' underpowered. All manoeuvers need to be planned carefully because hurry is not a word with this Shuttle.

But it is now controllable in space. And gets one more RCS tank to RdV with.

Here are the directions :

- You should be in orbit before doing what will follow.

- Disengage the autopilot (T) if on.

- Trim the elevator full down (press alt+z a long time).

- The Shuttle will start to spin, don\'t worry, when done with the trim engage the autopilot (T).

- It should stabilize you a bit and then you can orient the Shuttle in the way you want.

- Engage RCS ®

- 3/4 Throttle you shall not pass ! :-X

- If you do not wish to use the precious RCS fuel to stabilize the craft, be aware to not go over half throttle.

- You could always take over these limits, but know that me and my team of Kerbals are not responsible for any heroic attempt that has gone wrong

- And now it\'s up to you to go back to KSC runway =P

Quite useful cam for landing

- Gear down ! (G)

- Land smoothly.

- Engage the parachute (press space).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I\'ve added a few cams to see the launch \'from the center\'.

I guess now we could have a challenge \'RDV with this craft and a Space Station | Tiny Sattelite\' that would not be that easy, even with mechjeb.

So, waddya think of it? 8) The craft file is down there

[Vostok]

Extraordinary! I never actually thought anybody\'d be able to orbit that thing

I suppose we\'ll just have to live with the engine modification but awesome work there!

[grawl]

Thanks !

The trick resides in measuring the exact weight of the shuttle, and then build a counterweight the same weight for the other side of the big booster.

If you feel lucky you can put the counterweight farther from the booster than the shuttle, so it will need less weight or closer, but it will need more (levers theory). I admit I\'ve chosen the easy solution by putting it at exactly the same distance as the shuttle, so no calculations to do !

Then you can put everything you want in the middle it will be always balanced.

Only case it can screw up is if you activate RCS, if you use it and you start using RCS fuel from the Shuttle, she will get lighter and will not be anymore balanced right by the counterweight (that means you will soon go upside down in an uncontrollable manner ???).

[dnleek]

Eheheheh... I respec\'d the shuttle a little bit... 8)

[grawl]

That looks like a treat for Jeb (evil laugh) :-X

How does it handle in space though?

[dnleek]

I\'ll let you know when I get there

[SpaceMonkey9288]

I made a shuttle before I saw this thread.

I'll make a video at some point if you want

[6677]

I get an error with your craft because apparently there is no tri-coupler part, funny, its a vanilla install downloaded from the store that I'm using, time to dig out the version 15 tri-coupler (anyone else having this issue that has only just bought kerbal could also obtain it from the demo version)