SpaceX-Style Booster Landing

[DarkHawkGames]

Has anybody tried to do a SpaceX-style mission where they land the boosters? I'm not sure if it would be possible to do in KSP, unless you used a mod like kOS or something to control your main craft while you land the boosters.

[Ozymandias_the_Goat]

I did 

Although i did let the first stage crash, so this really doen't count. i guess you could switch between ships so that when you need to kill the engines on the second stage you switch to that and then immediately go back to the first stage.

Manley did something like that:

His second stages seem to just burn on forever, but with some care i think it could be done. Not that I could.

Edited May 10, 2016 by LetsGoToMars!

[DarkHawkGames]

Thanks for the video!

[Kergarin]

Thats funny... Have just done it a few hours ago, when a friend challenged me to
No mods, just get your second stage quick into a stable orbit, and switch back to the first stage 

In fact it's not that hard, took about one hour to make it work. it's the same way you land on the moon, or on any other atmosphereless body, just WITH atmosphere  which helps you breaking but makes maneuvering harder.

(Sorry for not landing on the launch pad, it was just meant to be a quick proof of possibility   but i should not be a problem with a little practice)

 

SpaceX like Version:

 

 

My parachute assisted version, that needs 30% lees fuel on first stage, and recovers both stages:
(as far as i know, SpaceX does not use parachutes, because wind an weather would make a controlled landing impossible)

 

 

Edited May 11, 2016 by Kergarin

[GKSP]

I did it a few weeks ago- I designed a first stage booster, figured out how much  Δ -V I needed, and checked how much fuel it would take with MJ(Did not use it for landing, though)  My first attempt resulted in a failed splashdown, second perfect on land, and third(when I bothered showing people) tipped over!  It worked though!  I might put up some screenshots later.  What made it possible, you ask?  REACTION WHEELS!

[Ozymandias_the_Goat]

Vernor engines are pretty effective too, but they do use fuel

[Kergarin]

RCS on top and gimbal on the engine with SAS set to retro worked perfectly fine for me. 

Almost lands on its own, just control the throttle to adjust vertical speed 

[GKSP]

For my rocket, I tried to get close to the actual design.  I had 9 main engines(accidentally used all on descent, while Falcon9 relit 3) and I used airbrakes.

[silks]

Tried this in 2014. Took about 30 quickloads to land it without navball. 5 engines and 3 legs seemed to be the correct kerbal-scale copy.

 

[JebsDead]