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Low Mass Moho Mission


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This was based of this challenge: 

 

The Challenge

Fly from the surface of Kerbin to the surface of Moho and back using a craft that weights 50 tons on the launchpad. You must bring a Kerbal on the mission.

Scoring

The lowest mass gets the biggest piece of cake. How low can you go?

The leaderboard also has 2 categories, those that used ISRU and those that didn't.

The Rules:

- The Kerbal cannot push the ship back to Kerbin with their EVA pack since it will refuel when they enter the craft giving you limitless delta-v if you're patient enough.

- You can do as many gravity assists at you deem necessary.

- You must bring at least one Kerbal on the mission.

- No cheats such as infinite fuel or hack gravity. (obviously) 

- No kraken drives.

- ISRU is allowed.

Submissions

- Submissions can be submitted by imgur album, mission report or video. You don't need to capture everything but you should document the important burns and course corrections that you do.

- If your submission shows that you completed the challenge then you will be added to the completion list with a link to your submission.

Completion Board (No mining)

- @JacobJHC :42.64 Tons, Used a large xenon tank and an orange tank only, had to aerocapture back at Kerbin without a heat shield. Did not bring parachutes. Video Submission

- @HarrySeaward: 37.973 Tons, used a spaceplane apparatus to lift it onto a suborbital trajectory, used a nerva to push into orbit, then to Moho on a direct encounter. Used an ion engine for the capture burn. Used a small spark powered lander, used ion shuttle to return to Kerbin, landed in a capsule left in orbit from launch. Video Submission

- 19.116 Tons, A second submission, Used a spaceplane style launch using 2 rapiers and a nerva. Used an ion shuttle to go to Moho, land and return. Once in low Kerbin orbit the craft rendezvoused with a capsule they left in orbit at launch. Video link here.

- @IncongruousGoat: 24.233 Tons, used a spaceplane style launch, used an ion shuttle to get to Moho, used a tiny lander to get down to the surface. Tight xenon margins upon return, landed in an invisible ocean. Overall a very nice mission. Imgur link here.

- 4.750 Tons, One word, how?  A second, astronomically more impressive submission. Used a rapier engine to get mostly into orbit, finishing circularization with an ion engine, used an Eve gravity assist to get to Moho, used a small lander with the transfer stage's ion engine to land and return to the main ship. Used the ion engine to slow down back at Kerbin, aerobraked a little bit before safely spashing down in the ocean with a drogue chute. Very impressive. Imgur Link here.

- @Mesklin: 6.174 Tons, Oh my indeed. The ship, called the Sun Shark, used a single rapier to throw the ship off the surface and into the upper atmosphere then used an ion engine to push the ship to Moho, detached a lander using the same ion engine, then returns to Kerbin where Phoanna Kerman graciously landed on top of a mountain. Imgur link here (check this thing out).

- @Firemetal 34.053 Tons, used a small launch vehicle to get to orbit, used a terrier engine to circularize and begin the ejection burn, used an Eve gravity assist, used an interesting multi-stage ion shuttle with a tiny lander. Aerocaptured back at Kerbin and landed in the ocean by using only the Kerbal's jetpack. A truly Kerbal mission that was executed excellently.

- @maccollo 49.639 Tons, used a conventional rocket without xenon, air-breathing engines or command seats. He used a spark engine for the landing and return to Kerbin, a long nerva stage to help him into orbit and then transfer, capture and help land on Moho, and lastly a vector engine to get out of the lower atmosphere of Kerbin. Video Submission

Completion Board (Mining)

Edited by JacobJHC
Completion Board additions
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2 hours ago, Firemetal said:

Errm, SSTO means "Single Stage to Orbit". But nice spaceplane though!

Fire

My mistake, just a brain fart. Meant to say Space Plane.  I spent the last previous 50 hours working in various SSTOs and had it seared on my mind. 

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20 hours ago, Benjamin Kerman said:

I think turbo-pumped did something like this in a previous version. Here it is!

I've seen this before and it still awes me every time. If only there was a way to do this for Eve. :D

17 hours ago, IncongruousGoat said:

And it's done. Mission album is here: http://imgur.com/a/XSjFK

This one's a spaceplane submission, with the vehicle weighing in at 24.233 t. It could have been more efficient, but I'm happy with it.

Image result for hey that's pretty good

Very nicely done, do you how did you capture into Kerbin orbit? I don't see any pictures of a deceleration burn. Did you aerobrake? Either way nice job.

Edited by JacobJHC
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59 minutes ago, JacobJHC said:

Very nicely done, do you how did you capture into Kerbin orbit? I don't see any pictures of a deceleration burn. Did you aerobrake? Either way nice job.

It was an aerobrake. Bringing enough xenon to pull off a braking burn didn't seem like it would be more efficient than just strapping a heat shield on. Plus, long ion burns are really boring.

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1 hour ago, Firemetal said:

Not enough DV! I'll retry it again later

 

I suggest using an Eve gravity assist on the return from Moho, it can turn your undesired velocity (inclined orbit) into desired velocity (on a similar plain to Kerbin). I think that's how @EvermoreAlpaca phrased it correct me if I'm wrong.

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Just now, JacobJHC said:

 

I suggest using an Eve gravity assist on the return from Moho, it can turn your undesired velocity (inclined orbit) into desired velocity (on a similar plain to Kerbin). I think that's how @EvermoreAlpaca phrased it correct me if I'm wrong.

Probably a good idea. I'll try that next time I go.

Fire

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12 minutes ago, ProtoJeb21 said:

@JacobJHC Can we have a vessel with seats that has to be boarded when on the launch pad?

Of course, that's what I did with my submission. Good luck.

I know I am behind on the submissions but I will watch them later today probably.

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