Doing It Constellation Style

[septemberWaves]

Just now, Martian Emigrant said:

Hello EJ.

I have been preparing a Duna mission for a while now. The hardware is built and tested.

What do you mean by "Cargo"?

As setup I have A Kerbin-Duna transfer for satellites, one for the ascent Vehicle, one for the habitat and one for the crew.

None are dedicated cargo.

Do I need to amend?

 

ME

Support satellites are not bound by the usual restrictions; they need to be launched legitimately but that's the only real restriction on them.

The uncrewed cargoes I'm referring to are the Constellation payloads sent in the first transfer window. Excluding support satellites, this means the ascent vehicle and the habitat. In order to comply with the original Constellation mission profile, I've amended the rules so that each of these payloads should be sent to Duna using a separately-launched transfer stage. The requirement as it is in the original post is this: "Transfer Stages: Use separately-launched chemical transfer stages for the uncrewed payloads (not including satellites). (+5)". I will amend it though so that it specifies the habitat and the ascent vehicle. If your designs do that already it should be fine. If not then you don't need to change it, and you would only lose 5 points (out of quite a high maximum), but obviously if you're going for a high score then you should.

The interplanetary crew vehicle is separate and no changes have been made to the rules regarding it.

[septemberWaves]

I've also updated the original post with details for the Dres mission and the extended Duna mission. The Jool mission will take longer to figure out the score system for as it's a significantly larger challenge than any of the others, but the Mios and Richell missions should follow relatively swiftly after Jool is done. I'll also include approximate delta-v requirements for Mios and Richell once I've figured them out (Richell in particular is notoriously difficult to effectively reach orbit around; for those familiar with OPM, it's like Tekto but bigger).

[septemberWaves]

I'm working on the requirements for the Joolian Moons challenge. I'll be very impressed by anyone who can pull that one off; it's going to be fairly enormous (it's not exceptionally challenging by Jool mission standards it's just huge and will require a lot of time and patience). I have uploaded the kerbal requirements, as well as the basic lander requirements for Laythe, Vall, and Tylo, so anyone looking to attempt the Joolian Moons challenge can take a look at that and see what's needed.

[septemberWaves]

I've completed the crewed Duna mission for Challenge 3. Complete mission report: (1), (2), (3), (4).

 

 

General Score

• Launch Vehicles: Only use replicas of the Constellation-specific launch vehicles (Ares I, Ares IV, and Ares V) for all launches from Kerbin (not including satellite launches). (+10)
• Ares I: Your Ares I analogue has one solid rocket motor on the first stage and one liquid rocket engine on the second stage.. (+5)
• Ares V: Your Ares V analogue has 5 liquid rocket engines and two solid rocket boosters on the first stage, and one liquid rocket engine on the second stage. (+5)
• Stage Recovery 1: The solid first stage of the Ares I can land safely in the ocean with parachutes. (+3)
• Stage Recovery 2: The SRBs on the Ares IV and V can land safely in the ocean with parachutes. (+4)
• Orion: Orion is launched on the Ares I rocket and has space for at least four kerbals. (+6)
• Crew Safety: Orion includes a solid-fueled launch escape tower. (+4)
• Crew Mobility: All surface modules have functional ladders. (+1)
• Commnet: Do everything with commnet enabled at the default (normal mode) settings or more difficult. (+10)

Mission Score

• Objective: Land 6 kerbals on Duna and return them safely to Kerbin. (+30)
• Extended Orion: Use an upgraded version of your Orion spacecraft that contains two extra kerbals. (+8)
• Scheduled Transfers: Launch the uncrewed payloads to Duna in the first transfer window, and send the crew to Duna in the second transfer window. (+6)
• Careful Planning: Send a satellite to orbit Duna and choose a landing location with a high ore concentration. (+5)
• Constellation Constellation: Send at least three relay satellites to orbit Duna, and one to orbit the Sun, to ensure that the crew have a connection to Kerbin at all times. (+4)
• Cargo Lander: Use a standardized lander for both the Duna habitat and the Duna ascent vehicle. The lander should be able to make a parachute-assisted propulsive landing on Duna. (+8)
• Transfer Stages: Use separately-launched chemical transfer stages for the uncrewed payloads (habitat and ascent vehicle). (+5)
• Heat Shielding: Cargoes landed on Duna are protected by a fairing during re-entry. (+3)
• Surface Habitat: Send a habitation module to Duna which has space for all of the crew and an airlock (airlock does not count as part of living space). The habitation module should await the crew in Duna orbit and be used to land them on the surface. (+10)
• Hab Lab: Habitation module includes a science lab (lab space does not count as part of living space). (+4)
• Duna Ascent Vehicle: A single DAV is used with space for all of the crew. It must have sufficient power systems and must be able to rendezvous and dock with the Duna Transfer Vehicle. (+9)
• ISRU: The fuel tanks for the DAV are filled using ore mined and refined on Duna. (+7)
• Surface Mobility: Include a rover with space for at least three kerbals. (+3)
• Surface Mobility 2: The rover fulfills the previous requirement and is pressurized. (+2)
• Duna Transfer Vehicle: Your DTV is solar powered and has sufficient habitation space (at least 2 seats per kerbal). (+5)
• Nuclear DTV: Your DTV is propelled by 3 nuclear thermal rockets, and includes one drop tank that is jettisoned after the trans-Duna injection burn. (+5)
• Spacecraft Shipment: Your Orion spacecraft is transported to Duna and back whilst docked to the DTV, and is used to re-enter and land back at Kerbin. (+2)
• Mission Time: Your crew spend at least 1 Kerbin year on the surface of Duna, and are back on Kerbin in no more than 5 Kerbin years since they were launched. (+6)

Total: 170

 

Surface Science Bonus: 1580

Edited March 4, 2017 by eloquentJane

[Coolinee Kerman]

Alright I'm gonna do it now. Does the fact that I have mods installed still make me "Modded" even if I don't use them?

[Coolinee Kerman]

Also, how do you take screenshots?

[Munbro Kerman]

54 minutes ago, HiThere!2 said:

Alright I'm gonna do it now. Does the fact that I have mods installed still make me "Modded" even if I don't use them?

No.

 

28 minutes ago, HiThere!2 said:

Also, how do you take screenshots?

F1, or hit F2 and then F1. You may also need to hold down 'Fn', it depends on your keyboard. Screenshots are then found in the KSP/Screenshots folder.

Edited March 8, 2017 by Munbro Kerman

[Coolinee Kerman]

@Munbro Kerman Alright, thanks.

[septemberWaves]

9 hours ago, HiThere!2 said:

Alright I'm gonna do it now. Does the fact that I have mods installed still make me "Modded" even if I don't use them?

Your entry counts as modded if it uses modded parts. Visual mods, retexturing mods, information mods, or planet mods do not make an entry count as modded. The parts that some information mods (like MechJeb) require to function also do not make an entry count as modded if all other parts are stock.

[Laythe Squid]

I like it.

[Coolinee Kerman]

13 hours ago, eloquentJane said:

Your entry counts as modded if it uses modded parts. Visual mods, retexturing mods, information mods, or planet mods do not make an entry count as modded. The parts that some information mods (like MechJeb) require to function also do not make an entry count as modded if all other parts are stock.

Alright I'm done all I used was stage recovery.

[Coolinee Kerman]

I finished, now somehow screenshots don't work on my computer, BUT I PROMISE I DID IT, I SWEAR!!!!!!!!

Final score:

Launch Vehicles (+10)

Ares I (+5)

Ares V (+5)

Stage Recovery 1/2 (+7)

Orion (+6)

Crew Safety (+4)

CommNet (+10)

Munar Sortie:

Objective (+20)

Kerbin Orbit Rendevous (+8)

Accurate Altair (+7)

Descent Module (+4)

(Note: I didn't know what insertions were supposed to be done with what.)

Total: 86 

[septemberWaves]

10 hours ago, HiThere!2 said:

I finished, now somehow screenshots don't work on my computer, BUT I PROMISE I DID IT, I SWEAR!!!!!!!!

I'm sorry, but I can't count your entry without any screenshots. I thought it would be fairly obvious that some visual evidence is required, but I will add it to the original post to ensure that no one else makes this mistake.

 

10 hours ago, HiThere!2 said:

(Note: I didn't know what insertions were supposed to be done with what.)

Mun transfer burn from low Kerbin orbit should be done by the upper stage of the Ares V which launched Altair (after Orion has docked to Altair). That should then separate from the spacecraft. Orbital insertion into low Munar orbit should be done by the Altair descent stage (while Orion is still docked to Altair). Then the crew can transfer to Altair and it can undock and land. The return maneuver to get back to Kerbin from Munar orbit (once the crew return to orbit in the Altair ascent stage) should be done by Orion after the Altair ascent stage has undocked. If you want a visual example, check out my mission report for the Munar Sortie mission on the first page.

[septemberWaves]

I've completed the Mun Base challenge. Complete mission report can be found here.

General Score

• Launch Vehicles: Only use replicas of the Constellation-specific launch vehicles (Ares I, Ares IV, and Ares V) for all launches from Kerbin (not including satellite launches). (+10)
• Ares I: Your Ares I analogue has one solid rocket motor on the first stage and one liquid rocket engine on the second stage.. (+5)
• Ares V: Your Ares V analogue has 5 liquid rocket engines and two solid rocket boosters on the first stage, and one liquid rocket engine on the second stage. (+5)
• Stage Recovery 1: The solid first stage of the Ares I can land safely in the ocean with parachutes. (+3)
• Stage Recovery 2: The SRBs on the Ares IV and V can land safely in the ocean with parachutes. (+4)
• Orion: Orion is launched on the Ares I rocket and has space for at least four kerbals. (+6)
• Crew Safety: Orion includes a solid-fueled launch escape tower. (+4)
• Crew Mobility: All surface modules have functional ladders. (+1)
• Commnet: Do everything with commnet enabled at the default (normal mode) settings or more difficult. (+10)

Mission Score: Munar Sortie

• Objective: Using the Orion spacecraft and the Altair lander, send four kerbals (three for stock entries) to the surface of the Mun and return them safely to Kerbin. (+20)
• Kerbin Orbit Rendezvous: The Orion spacecraft and the Altair lander are launched separately and dock in Kerbin orbit before transferring to the Mun. (+8)
• Accurate Altair: The Altair Munar Lander includes a descent module and an ascent module, and has space for all four kerbals (three for stock entries). (+7)
• Fuel Cells: The Altair lander is powered by a fuel cell. (+2)
• Descent Module: The Altair descent module is left on the surface of the Mun, and includes: airlock, fuel and engines for landing, landing legs, power storage (at least 1000 electric charge). (+4)
• Kerbin Departure Stage: The Mun transfer burn is done using the upper stage of the rocket that launched the Altair lander. (+3)
• Altair Orbital Insertion: The orbital insertion burn at the Mun is done using the engines and fuel system of the Altair lander. You should design the lander to include enough additional fuel in the descent module to accomplish this task. (+3)

Mission Score: Mun Base

• Objective: Land modules of a Mun base on the Mun using Altair descent stages, and then send 4 kerbals to the base for an extended duration mission. (+30)
• Base Size: Score for the number of modules you add to the base. (+5 for each module, capped at +15)
• Crew Quarters: Include plenty of habitation space (at least 2 seats per kerbal, not counting labs or airlocks). (+8)
• Science Module: Include a science lab and science equipment. (+8)
• Total Mobility: Include a pressurized rover with space for all four kerbals. The lander used for the rover may count as a base module. (+8)
• Pressure Preservation: All modules containing kerbals (except the rover) have a dedicated airlock. (+3)
• Careful Planning: Send a scanning satellite to orbit the Mun ahead of time, and choose a landing site with high ore concentration. (+4)
• Phone Home: Make sure your Mun base has a constant commnet connection to Kerbin (either by being on the Kerbin-facing side of the Mun or by launching relay satellites). (+3)
• Power Systems: Mun base modules are powered by solar panels and have enough power storage to maintain functionality when the base is in darkness. (+9)
• Anomaly Survey: Choose a base location within visual range of any Munar anomaly, and plant a flag near it. (+3)
• Long-term Stay: The crew stay at the Mun base for at least two Munar orbits. (+4)

Total: 190

 

Surface Science Bonus: 1656

[Coolinee Kerman]

13 hours ago, eloquentJane said:

I'm sorry, but I can't count your entry without any screenshots. I thought it would be fairly obvious that some visual evidence is required, but I will add it to the original post to ensure that no one else makes this mistake.

How can I prove it if my computer can't take screenshots.

[septemberWaves]

6 minutes ago, HiThere!2 said:

How can I prove it if my computer can't take screenshots.

You figure out how to make it take screenshots. If the prt scr (print screen) button doesn't work for whatever reason, you can take screenshots in KSP by pressing F1 and they'll be saved in your KSP directory. Or, if you have the game on Steam, you can set any key you like as the in-game screenshot key, (I tend to use numpad 0 because the game doesn't use it) and screenshots will be saved in the steam screenshot directory for the game.

You can then upload the screenshots to Imgur or another image-hosting website, and add them to a forum post by opening each image in a new tab and copying the url into the forum post (or you can add a link to the album, but it doesn't embed because Imgur broke that a while ago and albums seem to have a habit of randomly rearranging the images in them too).

Edited March 10, 2017 by eloquentJane

[Thor Wotansen]

Here's my entry for the Munar excursion challenge.

http://imgur.com/a/HJEUk

The SRBs on my Ares V have parachutes however I did not test them with landing.  The Ares I does not have SRB recovery chutes.  I brought a rover with seating for two, which promptly fell upside-down underneath my lander.  After a hearty game of rover soccer (football for you rest-of-the-world-ers) the rover was righted and driven about.  Science equipment was included but this being a sandbox save.....

I very much enjoyed this challenge, thank you @eloquentJane

A few highlights.

 

Edited March 10, 2017 by Thor Wotansen

[septemberWaves]

Congratulations @Thor Wotansen, you've completed the Munar Sortie challenge and have earned the relevant badge.

If you could calculate your points I can add you to the leaderboard (I'd figure them out myself but I may miss some things because I'm not familiar with your designs).

[Thor Wotansen]

Ok, my score is as follows:

Launch Vehicles +10

Ares I +5

Ares V +5

Stage Recovery 1 did not attempt

Stage Recovery 2 +4 (did not test but parachutes were there)?

Orion +6

Crew Safety +4

Crew Mobility +1

________

Objective +20

Kerbin Orbital Rendezvous +8

Accurate Altair +7

Fuel Cells +2

Descent Module +4

Kerbin departure stage +3

Altair Orbital Insertion +3

Mun Rover +3

 

[septemberWaves]

@Thor Wotansen That looks like 85 points. I'm not absolutely sure but I think those parachutes can land those SRBs safely, so you'll get those points..

[Coolinee Kerman]

Alright I just took pictures in my phone and did the mission again. So, here it is.

Note that it's on my twitter because I can't figure out how to upload them to here.

Score:

Launch Vehicles +10

Ares 1/5 +10

Stage Recovery 1/2 +7

Orion +6

Crew Safety and Mobility +5

CommNet +10

Munar Sortie:

Objective +20

Kerbin Orbit Rendevous +8

Accurate Altair +7

Decsent Module (Note only half credit as it is lacking 1000 charge and generation capabilities) +2

Kerbin Departure +3

Altair Orbital Insertion +3

Total 89 or 90 

Edited March 11, 2017 by HiThere!2

[Coolinee Kerman]

3 hours ago, HiThere!2 said:

Decsent Module (Note only half credit as it is lacking 1000 charge and generation capabilities) +2

You don't have to count it at all BTW.

[septemberWaves]

Congratulations @HiThere!2, you've completed the Munar Sortie challenge and earned the relevant badge.

You scored 89 points; the descent module doesn't count if it lacks power storage.

[Coolinee Kerman]

@eloquentJane Does the badge just appear or do I have to do something?

On 2/16/2017 at 2:19 PM, eloquentJane said:

• foobar: 87
• eloquentJane: 78
• michal.don: 75
• NISSKEPCSIM: 63

Why is it so hard to get points doing it modded?

[septemberWaves]

1 hour ago, HiThere!2 said:

Does the badge just appear or do I have to do something?

If you want to display the badge in your forum signature, right click on the image of the badge and click "Open image in new tab". Then go back to the forums (don't close the tab with the image), scroll to the top of the page and you should see your username in the top right corner. Click the arrow next to your username and a drop-down menu will appear. Click "Account Settings" on that menu. That will take you to a settings page with a menu to the left side. Click "Signature" on that menu, and it will take you to the signature editor. Then go back to the other tab containing the badge, and copy the url. Paste that url into the signature editor and it will automatically embed the image. Then click save and it will appear in your signature.

 

1 hour ago, HiThere!2 said:

Why is it so hard to get points doing it modded?

It's no more difficult than it is in stock. The goals are identical, it's probably just a strange correlation. Correlation does not imply causation, and I don't think it's likely that use of mods makes the challenge harder.

For my own attempt I was using a prototype of Altair that was designed mainly for looks and the basic mission profile without including some of the extra added requirements. My Munar Sortie mission that landed a crew at the Mun base I assembled for Challenge 4 would get more points because I improved the Altair lander, but those were a part of Challenge 4 rather than Challenge 1. I also didn't get the points for Commnet because, although I thought it was turned on, for some reason it disappeared in some of the screenshots so I can't consider that to be legitimate.

If I were to look for a reason why modded scores have in general been lower than stock scores so far, I would guess that, in general, players who use several parts mods are more likely to focus on aesthetics and part choices, and then forget to include some of the minor details that would increase the number of points earned. This is definitely what happened with my first iteration of Altair, for example.

Edited March 11, 2017 by eloquentJane