Shuttle Challenge v4 - The STS thread [Stock and Mod Friendly] [THREAD CLOSED 06.08.17]

[Speeding Mullet]

IT HAPPENED AGAIN.  30 Minutes of post writing foiled by a miss-placed button click.  There's got to be a way for the post to auto save itself every 30 seconds or so, or a "are you sure you want to navigate away from this page" notice to be displayed to prevent fat finger attacks.  My tea is also cold. .  Forgive me for rattling through this with minimal comments.  I'd written a lot but I just don't feel like writing a huge spiel for each post now:

 

On 4/29/2017 at 5:06 AM, KerbolExplorer said:

Heres my atemp on sts-1http://imgur.com/a/SjFtB

 

You have to go to orbit not just lift off and land sorry!  Looks like good sea trials though so keep going and you will get there!

 

On 4/29/2017 at 1:59 PM, qzgy said:

Edit No2 - This is entry is probably invalid, as it used onyl one launch instead of the 4 assumed by the challenge. Also done out of order.

Edit number 2 is correct sorry

 

On 4/29/2017 at 2:28 PM, JoeNapalm said:

Just getting back after a hiatus, thought I'd check and see if I could do this totally stock, without even my beloved KER.

Jeb has never been so happy!

Mission Report - STS-1a Commander:

Loved it, nice Mark 2 shuttle!  

 

On 4/30/2017 at 2:22 AM, Pro100kerbonaut said:

mission #2

Interesting re-entry technique  

 

On 4/30/2017 at 3:52 AM, timzim817 said:

Shuttle STS-1a

Welcome to the challenge!  I wrote something about airbrakes and gave you a badge:  

 

On 4/30/2017 at 9:49 AM, Kertech said:

So I humbly submit the Wyvern mk3. 

I said that your shuttle looks like a packet of frankfurters until the 4 boosters come off in the first separation.  I also badged you    

 

On 4/30/2017 at 10:25 PM, Haruspex said:

STS-1b done. See the full post in the Squad shuttle challenge thread. Crossposting here for reference.

Yep this was a legit cross post - You already have your badges

 

On 5/1/2017 at 1:39 AM, overkill13 said:

Cross posting with the Squad Challenge.  The NukaShuttle... er Seraphim (Val's still furious about the failure to rename the ship).

Mods Installed: Too many to list. HyperEdit and Atmospheric Autopilot in particular not used.

Mods Used: All stock parts.  Kerbal Alarm Clock, Trajectories, Precise Node, KER

Edit: Since I'm going to focus on these challenges for a while, I removed TAC-LS and reran the mission.

Affirmative on the cross posting, and you also have your badges.  I'm fine with TAC Life Support being a stock entry.  Stock really only goes as far as anything that alters the performance of the craft.  If you are just adding the need for life support you are making things more difficult for yourself and not adding anything like modded engines or wings etc.  I also said I miss @Lack for reasons unknown to me, something about the LLL mod and making things look pretty.

 

On 5/1/2017 at 4:00 PM, XLjedi said:

Just STS-1a for me for now...  I'm sure I'll be back later for some more!

I think this was where I got to before my pork sausage fingers foiled me.  Another Mk2 Shuttle - Nice.  Slippery form on that one, it looks like it would go fast and high as an SSTO!  

 

On 5/2/2017 at 1:28 AM, timzim817 said:

STS-1b

Nice work - Just eeked in for a runway landing there!  

 

On 5/2/2017 at 6:02 AM, jonny said:

I think a Sub Orbital rendezvous is challenging enough and could be a alternative for the inclination of 25-30 degrees for the Commander Rank

Ah I didn't realise you went suborbital only sorry!  It's definitely challenging so I'll make an exception and award you the badge - You can pick the commander or the pilot depending on whether you landed at KSC/Island runway etc.

 

On 5/2/2017 at 6:15 AM, jonny said:

The last week I designed my KSS

AWESOME JOB!  You have really proved your shuttle worthy, and may now advance on to the sillyness of trying to land an asteroid!  Great looking station and really well played out mission report!  

 

On 5/3/2017 at 1:08 PM, qzgy said:

STS-2b (cause we have to do them in order.) If my previous STS mission (the station) is not okay,I hope this one is.

Boom nice work!  2 Missions in one is always a good thing when you can do it.  I really like the lines of that shuttle too, the nose and cockpit, and the side profile viewed from a front quarter is really pleasing to the eye!      

 

On 5/3/2017 at 10:21 PM, jackstech said:

engineer jack reporting to the dutty in a attempt to get STS Commander - Rank 1:

 

Cross post verified, thanks for checking in.  You already have your badge so I won't go digging it out again!

 

Wow right, whole page reviewed, let's click post before I do anything silly!

SM

[XpertKerbalKSP]

Does this have to be side-mounted like the real shuttle, or can it be top mounted like the X-37B?

[Speeding Mullet]

On 5/6/2017 at 11:37 AM, qzgy said:

I like these challenges a lot actually. Kudos to a well designed challenge.

Now I'm actually doing them in order. Also, this thing was a pain to land.

Modlist: PreciseManeuver, Scaterrer, KER, EditorExtensions, RCS build aid, CorrectCoL, Hangar Grid, Planetshine, Trajectories. No parts mods. This craft should work in a stock game.

Also, for STS 4 - Can I transport back a shuttle in the cargo bay, or do I have to eva the kerbals and such?

Another question - Do the STS-4 Shuttles have to be the same shuttle?

Thanks.

Thanks very much!  Credit to the original @inigma for really getting this challenge going back in Version 1 to be honest!

That is a brutally massive shuttle and delivery system for sure.  The badge is only small but still:  

To answer your questions:

Yes you can transport the shuttle in the cargo bay, but only because I want to see that done haha.  The shuttles don't have to be the same, you can picknmix

 

On 5/7/2017 at 5:35 PM, qzgy said:

STS 4. With a shuttle in a shuttle.

  CRAZY STUFF!  Seriously good work.  I did rattle through the images pretty quickly, but this is an amazing achievement.  Have a badge -  and also the Skunkworks badge for landing a shuttle in side a shuttle  

 

On 5/7/2017 at 9:49 PM, Alchemist said:

I guess I take it back - my new orbiter is not an overkill. It's perfect for the desired mission profile. Had to replace jets for Rapiers for TWR reasons on orbital insertion, but it gets to orbit after separation at half the orbital velocity.

Overkill, from you?  Nooooo chance!

 

On 5/8/2017 at 3:33 AM, 53miner53 said:

In the main response, the embedded imgur album has 21 pics for an STS-1b mission. My quoted response has the intended album though, so the forums are probably just glitched.

It's possible.  I've awarded you those badges so many times you can just take them yourself now

 

On 5/8/2017 at 4:06 PM, overkill13 said:

After a moderate redesign on the NukaShuttle, she's ready to take on the next challenge.  Also went with a less "lawn darty" approach.

Mods Used: All stock parts.  Kerbal Alarm Clock, Trajectories, Precise Node, KER

Welcome back with a shiny new shuttle!  Looks like you had no real problems here which is testament to your (massive) shuttle design.  Well done!    

 

On 5/9/2017 at 4:29 AM, biomecaman said:

STS-2 !!!!!

Woot!  Welcome back   Looks like you launched some pretty large sats there!  

 

On 5/11/2017 at 1:42 AM, Cipher_077 said:

Sorry for taking so long but here's the STS-9, again done by the SRDS-4

Now onto the Mun missions.

I'm the only one that needs to apologise on here for not reviewing missions quickly enough - Good to have you drop in again   Well done on landing a class A right on the runway, that's really impressive work!  Isn't it fun when you sep the ET and realise it's all down to the shuttle to land a potato from here...  

 

On 5/11/2017 at 4:27 AM, Alchemist said:

Made it to work.

Phew, you continue to blow us away.  Reckon you can automate an asteroid landing mission? 

 

On 5/14/2017 at 4:14 AM, Fulgora said:

STS 1 & 2 with a fully automated launch {kOS}

I combined most parts of the first and second mission into a single one.

Let me just review the video for you......Send the bill to Mullet Dyne??  Yeah we aren't gonna pay, got to chalk that one up to some dodgy accounting at Mullet Dyne   Really nicely produced video mate.  I see the mod list so thanks for providing that.  Very happy with you sitting in the Stock category based on that.    

 

On 5/14/2017 at 7:58 AM, KroShan said:

Why not apply for an STS Bagde with the Squad Challenge 'SkipperShuttle'?
I made STS Rank 5 Commander (according to Wheaton's Law) but only have my Station/Gilly Base assembled at ~130km circular.

But to counterbalance this maybe my flying skills do good. I managed to deorbit two shuttles simultaniously and land them both on the runway

Nice work thanks for checking in!  Unfortunately the "do any mission" was only for the duration of the weekly challenge itself, but I can award you the first badge for a successful mission:  

 

On 5/14/2017 at 3:03 PM, armegeddon said:

I was getting bored with my heavily modded career game, so decided to try some challenges.  I did not realize just how difficult it was to make a semi-realistic NASA orbiter in stock.  Took me over 40 hours, across two weeks, dozens of launches, and 8 iterations of my shuttle to figure out the engine alignment and how to control without any assist except SAS.  Ended up looking at a bunch of other shuttle designs and incorporating ideas into mine.

Yeah might just remove the FAR rule.  I've never really paid any attention to it.  It takes heaps of work to build a half decent shuttle, I'm sure everyone is this thread is with you on the iterations etc etc.  Great work for putting in the hard yards!  Thanks also for the mod list.  I can't see any glaring parts mods in there so it looks like I can place you in the stock end of the spectrum.    

 

On 5/14/2017 at 3:56 PM, zpj said:

My entry for Level 1.

Yep - going to need a bit more imagery here.  It looks like you literally went vertically upwards, but there's no detail of any of the mission between UP, and landed.  Sorry no badge yet, but keep working on it, you will get there!

Oh right, I see you posted the orbit photo just below here.  Well I'm going to go out on a trust limb here and award you the initial badge, but for your future entries I will need to see an extended mission report showing all stages of flight.  It needs to be a joined up thing really in order to judge properly.  

 

18 hours ago, overkill13 said:

Time for some theatrics and STS 3 & 4 for your viewing pleasure.

Really nice mission report, I like the effort and detail you put into it, with a little story line injected also.  Lovely Space Telescope and again heavy on the detail.  Forgive me if I'm just getting reviewers haze, but I could definitely see the STS 3 mission completed, but I'm struggling to see where the "rescue" is for STS 4 and 4R? Ah I get it derp.  "Stay Tuned for the rescue mission" which presumably is incoming.  I'll sit tight and in the meantime have a badge!  

 

Now all I've got to do is press "post" without anything going wrong and I am up to date after 1 hour 23 minutes and 2 cold cuppas!

SM

27 minutes ago, XpertKerbalKSP said:

Does this have to be side-mounted like the real shuttle, or can it be top mounted like the X-37B?

Mount it upside down and inside out if you like!  In short yes go nuts

SM

[telomce]

Do the words "capable of horizontal landing" mean that the missions have to include horizontal landing, or rather that the craft should prove to be able to land horizontally, but when it did land so once, it can land like a rocket? Basically, can I land some missions horizontally and others vertically as long as I use the same craft?

[Speeding Mullet]

1 hour ago, telomce said:

Do the words "capable of horizontal landing" mean that the missions have to include horizontal landing, or rather that the craft should prove to be able to land horizontally, but when it did land so once, it can land like a rocket? Basically, can I land some missions horizontally and others vertically as long as I use the same craft?

The shuttle must land horizontally on the runway at the end of each mission basically.

Also - Welcome to the forum!

SM

Edited May 15, 2017 by Speeding Mullet

[zpj]

 

5 hours ago, Speeding Mullet said:

 

Yep - going to need a bit more imagery here.  It looks like you literally went vertically upwards, but there's no detail of any of the mission between UP, and landed.  Sorry no badge yet, but keep working on it, you will get there!

Oh right, I see you posted the orbit photo just below here.  Well I'm going to go out on a trust limb here and award you the initial badge, but for your future entries I will need to see an extended mission report showing all stages of flight.  It needs to be a joined up thing really in order to judge properly.  

 

I plan on recording any future missions.

Edited May 15, 2017 by zpj
I put my own text inside the quote. Oops.

[telomce]

STS-1A in a... Space Shuttle?

The landing was quite bumpy and I ended up turning around.

2 hours ago, Speeding Mullet said:

Welcome to the forum!

Thank you!

[Spricigo]

1 hour ago, telomce said:

STS-1A in a... Space Shuttle?

nice "dyna-soar style" shuttle

 

There is any chance of redoing it without a fairing? Just to make it look a bit more Dyna-Soar. (i cant give a badge if you do, just another like)

[XLjedi]

5 hours ago, telomce said:

Do the words "capable of horizontal landing" mean that the missions have to include horizontal landing, or rather that the craft should prove to be able to land horizontally, but when it did land so once, it can land like a rocket? Basically, can I land some missions horizontally and others vertically as long as I use the same craft?

Well, on the one hand it does say "capable of" not "required" so a lawyer could argue it's fine...

I personally read the spirit of the challenge to be a horizontal landing to complete each mission.  So I might vote no, but it's not my challenge.  If it's a matter of coming in horizontally with a shuttle capable of VTO, I don't think there's any limit on how you glide your craft to a horizontal landing.  On the other hand if the thing lands like a SpaceX rocket...  That doesn't really feel like it meets the spirit of the challenge, but...  that's just my opinion.

[XLjedi]

9 hours ago, Speeding Mullet said:

Another Mk2 Shuttle - Nice.  Slippery form on that one, it looks like it would go fast and high as an SSTO!  

Thank you...  that slippery form is my Starlance shuttle variant, which does indeed require the boosters.  The "A" variant below does make for a very nice SSTO:

https://kerbalx.com/XLjedi/SP-04A-Starlance

The Mk2 designs just lack a bit in payload...

[KerbolExplorer]

10 hours ago, Speeding Mullet said:

You have to go to orbit not just lift off and land sorry!  Looks like good sea trials though so keep going and you will get there!

Ok i going there now

[zpj]

Here's my fuel pod mission, turns out Windows Game Recorder is NOT the best recording software:

Since I had a KSC landing, does that mean that my first badge gets upgraded?

 

Edited May 15, 2017 by zpj

[icantmakemodels]

I am going to try to get the Skunkworks badge. Hang on.

[KerbolExplorer]

O yea im using vens stock part revamp.Does that count as a moded part

[zpj]

Lvl. 2! Comsats!

Plays.tv didn't work properly, so all I have are these screenshots:

 

Edited May 17, 2017 by zpj
Odd, the gallery was broken. I re-uploaded it.

[telomce]

The 3-in-1 Matryoshka Shuttle

WIP... sort of.

It used to be 4-in-1, but I had problems with that.

Along with the mods in the pictures, I also have Modular Rocket Systems.

I forgot to take a pic of the orbit. However, on the last pic you can see MET = >1d. You can't spend so much time at 100km without being in orbit.

 

 

Edited May 16, 2017 by telomce

[zpj]

I don't think  my shuttle can land with the fuel pod. Can I skip straight to the space telescope?

Also, if the telescope has modded parts (hullcam vds), but the shuttle is stock, does that count as a stock entry? Should the panels be attached manually with KAS?

[Alchemist]

3 hours ago, zpj said:

I don't think  my shuttle can land with the fuel pod. Can I skip straight to the space telescope?

Fuel pod missions are optional bonus levels. Yo don't have to do them in order to progress to further missions

3 hours ago, zpj said:

Also, if the telescope has modded parts (hullcam vds), but the shuttle is stock, does that count as a stock entry? Should the panels be attached manually with KAS?

Modded parts that don't directly affect flight performance (especially if we are talking about adding some fancy features to the payload) are allowed in stock category. However, using KAS is really not in line with the particular challenge of using small maneuvering modules for assembly

 

[Krakenist]

Does Kerbal engineer redux count as a mod that puts you into the modded category

[qzgy]

3 hours ago, Krakenist said:

Does Kerbal engineer redux count as a mod that puts you into the modded category

No. I myself play with a bunch of gameplay and visual mods, and it counts as stock since the shuttle itself if made from stock parts.

[zpj]

My entry for level 3 Commander. Using my STS-Heavy variant. Pure stock, except for a camera on the payload.

 

[Speeding Mullet]

Let's crank out some reviews shall we!  

On 5/16/2017 at 0:34 AM, telomce said:

STS-1A in a... Space Shuttle?

I thought it was a tiny shuttle, then I noticed the 3 man crew and the cargo bay.  Good work and welcome to the challenge!  

 

On 5/16/2017 at 3:09 AM, XLjedi said:

So I might vote no, but it's not my challeng

I'm sure you'd run a fine challenge!  But yes I said no to this, landings should be horizontal when returning to KSC.

 

On 5/16/2017 at 3:26 AM, XLjedi said:

The "A" variant below does make for a very nice SSTO:

I missed this when I was reviewing your craft the other day.  I must commend you again on the quality of your presentation and craft design!

 

On 5/16/2017 at 4:22 AM, zpj said:

Here's my fuel pod mission, turns out Windows Game Recorder is NOT the best recording software:

Solid video report, and obviously a very solid shuttle indeed!  Enjoying the engine placement on this one!  Your badge certainly gets upgraded, along with the Flight Director award, well done COMMANDER!   

 

On 5/16/2017 at 4:30 AM, icantmakemodels said:

I am going to try to get the Skunkworks badge. Hang on.

Haha go for it!  It's got to be pretty amazing to declare you are going to get the badge and actually get it though - Buyer beware!

 

On 5/16/2017 at 4:34 AM, KerbolExplorer said:

O yea im using vens stock part revamp.Does that count as a moded part

Yes those parts would sit you in the modded category, but honestly don't worry about it, there's no difference and you are still as awesome as anyone else.  Some of the more "insane" shuttles have been the modded ones.

 

On 5/16/2017 at 5:52 AM, zpj said:

Lvl. 2! Comsats!

Plays.tv didn't work properly, so all I have are these screenshots:

Nice screenshots they are too!  Looks like you sent two sats up there which sits you in pilot land right now:  

 

23 hours ago, telomce said:

The 3-in-1 Matryoshka Shuttle

WIP... sort of.

Haha good work!  I'm not quite sure what to do with this one.  It looked like a re-run of STS-1A just for the fun of it.  Interesting design and you can have the commander and the pilot badge for the separate landings   

 

14 hours ago, zpj said:

I don't think  my shuttle can land with the fuel pod. Can I skip straight to the space telescope?

Also, if the telescope has modded parts (hullcam vds), but the shuttle is stock, does that count as a stock entry? Should the panels be attached manually with KAS?

@Alchemist is correct on both answers.  Bet you can land the fuel pod though, your shuttle looks really capable.  Give it a crack!

 

6 hours ago, Krakenist said:

Does Kerbal engineer redux count as a mod that puts you into the modded category

@qzgy is correct - Stock for this one.

 

2 hours ago, zpj said:

My entry for level 3 Commander. Using my STS-Heavy variant. Pure stock, except for a camera on the payload.

Very nicely done indeed!  The Space telescope looks great and it was a nice mission report, well done!  

 

Need to make sure I'm keeping on top of this.  It's so much less work to not wait until I need to review 50 things at a time!

SM

[zpj]

The fuel pod won't fit in the cargo bay along with a senior docking port...

 

[KerbolExplorer]

6 hours ago, Speeding Mullet said:

Yes those parts would sit you in the modded category, but honestly don't worry about it, there's no difference and you are still as awesome as anyone else.  Some of the more "insane" shuttles have been the modded ones.

ok im gonna make the shutle now

[icantmakemodels]

@Speeding Mullet, is the Skunkworks badge valid if I use SpaceY? I can do it without, but it'd make my life easier