I'd like to build an SSTO

[tallthomas07]

I'd like to build an ssto to refule my tug in space and I was wondering what is the earliest I'd be able to accomplish this tech wise?

[ShmikeTP]

Probably around Tier 3 or Tier 4 is where you could maybe manage creating an SSTO, but I don't believe there's anything past 3 that would be definitively for SSTO's. I've seen people do some crazy stuff here.

[RocketSquid]

Tech-wise, pretty much as soon as you have wings, but it will be very, very, incredibly hard until you have a high-performance airbreathing engine like the turboramjet or RAPIER. After that, it will just be very, very hard.

This is of course assuming you want to make a spaceplane. SSTO tailsitter rockets are perhaps easier tech wise, and about the same skill-wise.

[KocLobster]

Realistically, you are looking at probably tier 6. At least in my experience I couldn't really put together an SSTO that could consistently achieve orbit before reaching tier 6.

[tallthomas07]

So I have some parts in tier 7 so I guess the questions would then turn into what parts are necessary for a SSTO?

[Nich]

Wait for rapiers and a 40% payload fraction otherwise they are more hassle then they are worth. I like a SRB (junked) LFO (recoverable) 1.5 or 2 stage rocket

[ForScience6686]

Tier 5 is doable.  But you won't be bringing much fuel to transfer.  Give it a shot and see what you can create.  Start small and keep fiddling, Ssto take a lot of testing.

[Wanderfound]

Minimum tech:

But while Juno/Wheesley SSTOs are possible, they aren't very practical. It gets a lot easier once you have Panthers, then easier still with Whiplashes. The more speed you can gain in air-breathing mode, the less rocket fuel you need to carry.

 

 

Edited April 19, 2016 by Wanderfound

[AeroGav]

As you unlock more tech the amount of fuel that can be brought to orbit per flight goes up. As for what tech to spend the points on, well it's mainly about having the best possible airbreathing engine.   The Terrier is a great closed cycle engine and appears very early in the tech three.     All the others are heavier and have worse Vacuum ISP,  the only improvements to be had are in Sea level ISP and Thrust which aren't important in a spaceplane.   The nuke is a step up but not vastly better if you're just shuttling to low kerbin orbit, it really comes into its own if you're flying beyond.

All wings have basically the same performance, regardless of shape.   The Fat S airliner wing and the Big S space shuttle wing/wing strake are an improvement, because they have the same mass/lift ratio of the others, but also have considerable liquid fuel capacity. However they appear late in the tech tree.  

Air intakes - I've not noticed any improvement upgrading air intakes on my designs after researching new ones, it must be a very small difference.

Landing gear - absurd though it sounds, i've built plenty with fixed landing gear.  The drag penalty does not seem all that large, if you don't try to go fast low down any rate.   The main problem is they will probably burn off on re-entry.  So you may as well use decouplers and jettison after takeoff.  Just land in the water when the mission is over, easy.

I have a Panther/Terrier aircraft,  it jettisons the Panther on the way up (cost about 2000 kredits per flight in non-re-used components) and makes orbit with about an FT200 tank full of fuel left over.

I designed this so the cockpit and engine section could undock in orbit without dragging the rest of the airframe with it.   Without the docking ports and sponsons, or maybe with just a probe body and no cockpit, you could perhaps do a little better, but really it's a lot of work flying to orbit for 20 minutes , then rendezvous and docking (an hour?) for 200 LFO.   I hate docking with a passion btw.

You'll do much better with the Whiplash engine.  600 per flight?   And my type 2, sandbox spaceplane with access to all techs, Rapiers, Nukes, etc. carries 1300 to orbit at a time.   I still hate docking though.

In my career games, i put an ISRU spaceplane on the flats as soon as i am able.     Flying to minmus , landing on the flats and taxying up to the IRSU rig is a lot less fiddly than rendez/vous docking in my experience, and rewards you with a full load of fuel every time.    BTW did I say I hate docking?

 

[Pecan]

If the question is "SSTO" the answer is tech 0.
If the question is "aeroplane" the answer is as soon as you have wings for gliding to landing.
If the question is "spaceplane" the answer is tech 3.
if the question is "refuel" the answer is as soon as you have a docking port.