Simplest Stock Rocket/Spaceplane

[BlazingAngel665]

The Kerbonaut community watches with growing excitement as docking approaches (whenever it does) and we need to prepare ourselves, especially as eventually, money will be a factor in the game here is the challenge then, Launch the simplest Rocket into a 70x70 orbit, land, and post screenshots of you doing it!

1. On the pad

2. In Orbit

3. Splashed down/landed

Scoring:

Each part is worth points, lowest score wins!

Command Module, 1st Parachute, and 1st decoupler are free.

If the part survives then it only counts as 1/3 the points, screenshots of landed parts must be included!

Negative points for the following:

Landing on minmus or the moon = -20

Having NO (0) decouplers = -30

Rendezvousing in orbit before deorbiting = -30

These bonuses are calculated in After dividing by 3 if applicable

Parts:

Tiny Fuel Tank: 2 pts

Large Fuel Tank: 3 pts

LV-T30: 3 pts

LV-T45: 4 pts

LV-909: 4 pts

RCS Tank: 3 pts

RCS Thrusters: 1 pt

Jet Engines: 3 pts

Areospike: 6 pts

SRB: 3 pts

ADV SAS: 6 pts

SAS: 3 pts

Small Control Surface: 1 pt

Large Control Surface: 3 pts

Either Canard: 2 pts

AV-R8: 2 pts

AV-T1: 1 pt

Wings (Structural, Delta, Connecting) : 3 pts

Decoupler or Hardpoint: 2 pts

Tricoupler: 6 pts

Fuel line or strut: 2 pts

Landing gear or parachute: 1pt

The idea behind the points is cost/complexity, eg the simpler/cheeper the part, the fewer points it is.

Rules:

No glitches or moded parts

Horizontal or Verticale takeoffs allowed

ALL KERBONAUTS MUST SURVIVE!!!!

LEADERBOARD

Verticale

1. BlazingAngel665 -- 15 pts

2.

3.

Horizontal Launch

1. UmbralRaptor -- -20.67 pts

2.

3.

Astrokerbals (landed their minimalist contraptions on other bodies)

1.

2.

3.

Cheaters (mods, mechjeb, or incomplete screenshots)

1.

2.

3.

My rocket, screen shots below

4 gas tanks x 3 pts = 12 pts

1 LV-T30 x 1 pts = 3 pts

Total = 15 pts

The point of this is an economical way to take Kerbals into space without killing them or the budget, so lets see what we can do!

[Bluejayek]

The Kerbonaut community watches with growing excitement as docking approaches (whenever it does) and we need to prepare ourselves, especially as eventually, money will be a factor in the game here is the challenge then, Launch the simplest Rocket into a 70x70 orbit, land, and post screenshots of you doing it!

1. On the pad

2. In Orbit

3. Splashed down/landed

Scoring:

Each part is worth points, lowest score wins!

Command Module, 1st Parachute, and 1st decoupler are free.

If the part survives then it only counts as 1/3 the points, screenshots of landed parts must be included!

Negative points for the following:

Landing on minmus or the moon = -20

Having NO (0) decouplers = -30

Rendezvousing in orbit before deorbiting = -30

Parts:

Any Fuel Tank: 3 pts

LV-T30: 3 pts

LV-T45: 4 pts

LV-909: 4 pts

RCS Tank: 3 pts

RCS Thrusters: 1 pt

Jet Engines: 3 pts

Areospike: 6 pts

SRB: 3 pts

ADV SAS: 6 pts

SAS: 3 pts

Small Control Surface: 1 pt

Large Control Surface: 3 pts

Either Canard: 2 pts

AV-R8: 2 pts

AV-T1: 1 pt

Wings (Structural, Delta, Connecting) : 3 pts

Decoupler or Hardpoint: 2 pts

Tricoupler: 6 pts

Fuel line or strut: 2 pts

Landing gear or parachute: 1pt

Rules:

No glitches or moded parts

Horizontal or Verticale takeoffs allowed

ALL KERBONAUTS MUST SURVIVE!!!!

LEADERBOARD

Verticale

1. BlazingAngel665 -- 15 pts

2.

3.

Horizontal Launch

1.

2.

3.

Cheaters (mods, mechjeb, or incomplete screenshots

1.

2.

3.

My rocket, screen shots below

4 gas tanks x 3 pts = 12 pts

1 LV-T30 x 1 pts = 3 pts

Total = 15 pts

The point of this is an economical way to take Kerbals into space without killing them or the budget, so lets see what we can do!

I challenge those point assignments. A 1/2 liquid fuel tank should be worth less then a full liquid fuel tank.

Further, a parachute should be worth points.

Either way, I think this challenge has already been won by one of my craft. See here. http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/forum/index.php?topic=10172.0

Note that the ASAS was removed for most of the flights. I personally have gotten it into orbit, and crash landed at about 40m/s (mistimed the landing burst) with that craft. Others have landed it safely.

By your math this one is -20 points, and it should be less.

Why is the lander engine worth more points then the LFT-30?

Also, you forgot to attach your screenies

[Sean Mirrsen]

Having zero decouplers is kind of a massive boost there. I got a design with, lessee, four tanks, two 909s, one turbojet, six wings, two canards, and three landing gear, capable of SSTOing to a 70x70 orbit and back to pad with a good pilot. Which puts me at 15 points, and I\'m very bad at conservative design. The current simplest craft in the K Prize challenge is just a pod, three half-tanks, two 909s, two wings, two small CFs and three landing gear. Which puts it at -2 points. A vertically launching rocket that can do a powered landing (especially if the first chute is free) is going to be far less than that, far into the negatives. (and I\'ve been ninja\'d on that, it seems)

[Bluejayek]

I don\'t mind the decoupler being a massive boost. People on these forums are far too reliant on the crutch that is decoupler-parachuted pod. So much more is possible if you drop that extra mass.

[UmbralRaptor]

For horizontal launch, I\'m submitting my UltraMin4D from the K-prize thread:

(FL-T250) Fuel Tank: 3 x3

LV-909: 4 pts x2

Small Control Surface: 1 pt x2

Wings (Structural, Delta, Connecting) : 3 pts x2

Landing gear or parachute: 1pt x3

---

Total == 28

The order in which the part survival and no-decoupler bonuses are given matters, for a total of either -0.67, or -20.67.

Given the odd scoring system (the LV-909 is more expensive than the LV-T30), I expect the minimum vertical craft to be CM + 2 tanks + LV-T30. This would be -21 points if only the crew pod survives, and -7 or -27 if the entire rocket does. MechJeb can (barely) fly a Mk 2 cockpit + FL-T500 + LV-909 into a 70 km orbit, but I\'m unsure on if that can be landed safely.

(I am not submitting anything for these at the moment, just commenting.)

[Bluejayek]

For horizontal launch, I\'m submitting my UltraMin4D from the K-prize thread:

(FL-T250) Fuel Tank: 3 x3

LV-909: 4 pts x2

Small Control Surface: 1 pt x2

Wings (Structural, Delta, Connecting) : 3 pts x2

Landing gear or parachute: 1pt x3

---

Total == 28

The order in which the part survival and no-decoupler bonuses are given matters, for a total of either -0.67, or -20.67.

Given the odd scoring system (the LV-909 is more expensive than the LV-T30), I expect the minimum vertical craft to be CM + 2 tanks + LV-T30. This would be -21 points if only the crew pod survives, and -7 or -27 if the entire rocket does. MechJeb can (barely) fly a Mk 2 cockpit + FL-T500 + LV-909 into a 70 km orbit, but I\'m unsure on if that can be landed safely.

(I am not submitting anything for these at the moment, just commenting.)

Wait, you got one tank with a lander engine into orbit? I didn\'t think that was possible!

Also, are you sure two tanks and a LVE-30 can make it? The engine weighs a lot...

[UmbralRaptor]

Wait, you got one tank with a lander engine into orbit? I didn\'t think that was possible!

Also, are you sure two tanks and a LVE-30 can make it? The engine weighs a lot...

The 1-tank rocket I\'ve only done with MJ, and it requires that you use the Mk 2 cockpit. The Mark 1 pod has too much drag.

For the 2-tank + LV-T30, check out foamyesque\'s and PakledHostage\'s posts in this thread. It helps a lot to start at full throttle and drop down to 80% once you\'re at ~100-150 m/s. Also, dropping it to 70% at 1 tank unless you\'re already out of the atmosphere.

[BlazingAngel665]

I made some changes to the points scheme, I agree that the half tank should be worth less, as well as clarifying the order of point subtractions, and the reason the LV-909 engine is expensive is that fact that it is a fancy thingamajig that gimbals and operates well in a vacuum, not exactly simple tech, where as the LV-T30 is a bell shaped piece of metal with a fuel intake and a spark plug, if you catch my drift. I have updated the leader boards for the Ultra Min submitted by UmbralRaptor and I recommend the lovely format he placed his entry in to the other contestants, sorry about the screenshots, I\'m traveling right now away from my KSP computer, (backstory) this is actually the inspiration for the challenge, the Mac Air isn\'t exactly the proper computer for a true Kerbal rocket. . .

Bluejayek I am not sure anyone landed that contraption...

Also, I am adding a new category just for those who make it to other celestial bodies, so we can have the minimalist Mun rockets as well.

[Bluejayek]

I made some changes to the points scheme, I agree that the half tank should be worth less, as well as clarifying the order of point subtractions, and the reason the LV-909 engine is expensive is that fact that it is a fancy thingamajig that gimbals and operates well in a vacuum, not exactly simple tech, where as the LV-T30 is a bell shaped piece of metal with a fuel intake and a spark plug, if you catch my drift. I have updated the leader boards for the Ultra Min submitted by UmbralRaptor and I recommend the lovely format he placed his entry in to the other contestants, sorry about the screenshots, I\'m traveling right now away from my KSP computer, (backstory) this is actually the inspiration for the challenge, the Mac Air isn\'t exactly the proper computer for a true Kerbal rocket. . .

Bluejayek I am not sure anyone landed that contraption...

Also, I am adding a new category just for those who make it to other celestial bodies, so we can have the minimalist Mun rockets as well.

Page two, romfarer landed it with only pod intact. Also, you still haven\'t posted your screenshots.

[KSProcks]

what do you mean by Rendezvousing in orbit before deorbiting and does landing on both minmus and the mun give -40 pts?

[Bluejayek]

what do you mean by Rendezvousing in orbit before deorbiting and does landing on both minmus and the mun give -40 pts?

I assume he means rendezvousing with some sort of other spacecraft/space station. I see no reason why landing on both shouldn\'t give -40! With these scheme I rather suspect that the minimal mun landers will win this challenge, as there are some really, really, tiny ones out there.

[Steve]

Assuming you can\'t double-dip the 'land on Mun/Minmus' bonus, this should be a pretty good entry.

On the pad: Check

70x70(ish) orbit: Check

No one said the orbital rendezvous had to be at 70, though.

Hanging out with Jeb, shooting the shit

Jeb tells us there\'s gold* in them thar hills**.

*Bonus points.

**The iceball 46 000 km away.

Real men land on a needle\'s point, halfway up a mountain, for absolutely no reason. 8)

A rocket-assisted parachute landing (or parachute-assisted rocket landing, depending on your point of view) brings the whole thing down intact.

Final score: (4*3+6)/3-30-30-20 = -74

[Boex]

The Kerbonaut community watches with growing excitement as docking approaches (whenever it does) and we need to prepare ourselves

What has this challenge got to do with docking, and how does this prepare us for it...?