Shuttle Challenge v5 - The STS thread [Stock and Mod Friendly] - MAJOR CHALLENGE ANNOUNCEMENT! - 30.3.2020

[TeeJaye85]

Wow, what a blast from the past; I can't believe this is still going!  I can so clearly remember the excitement arout  @inigma's original version of this thread a million years ago, and am so glad to see it continuing and evolving.

I haven't dipped a toe in KSP in probably a couple of years at this point, but I try to jump into the forum/reddit from time to time to see what the community is up to.  Can't believe I missed this continuation until now.  Bookmarking for later, so I can go through when I have some time on my hands.

That's all; thanks for humouring my journey down nostalgia lane.

 

[michal.don]

19 hours ago, funk said:

In the meanwhile I've got a Mun STS-1 mission report with "Kandle Rider" for you. It's a Dreamchaser/Space Rider/Hermes mixture or simply a MiniShuttle:

Awww, such a cute little shuttle and outpost  No, seriously, it's nice to see a compact system for a change, the challenge was becoming a monster-shuttle-fest, so I'm glad someone does it another way  Nice engineering job, and it seems flawlessly flown, too. Congrats, here is your badge, and I'm looking to see the Energia/Buran combo fly

14 hours ago, TeeJaye85 said:

Wow, what a blast from the past; I can't believe this is still going!

Yes it is, and despite not so many people shuttling as in the "good-old-days", we are still going strong! I'm glad this challenge is bringing up good memories, the former admins did a great job in both maintaining and expanding the challenge, and I'm trying my best to continue in their footsteps.

You're more than welcome to stop by and do some shuttling, if time allows

 

Michal.don

[53miner53]

Mun STS-1 Complete!

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1R0Q0bziFEn7S-dt3irlaF5ndAVEHqeJK

should be good for pilot rank. I messed up the aerocapture and landed in the mountains on the complete oppsite side of Kerbin from where I was supposed to be. 

[michal.don]

On 31. 12. 2017 at 5:22 PM, 53miner53 said:

Mun STS-1 Complete!

The orbital and Munar operations do look good - however, I believe you forgot to upload all the pictures from reentry burn up to the landing - the last one shows the plotted maneuver, but it ends there. Do you have the screens, or did you forget to take them when things got a bit hot?

[53miner53]

3 hours ago, michal.don said:

The orbital and Munar operations do look good - however, I believe you forgot to upload all the pictures from reentry burn up to the landing - the last one shows the plotted maneuver, but it ends there. Do you have the screens, or did you forget to take them when things got a bit hot?

I forgot to take them, sorry! Just imagine the shuttle slowly losing control before the next picture. 

[michal.don]

18 hours ago, 53miner53 said:

I forgot to take them, sorry! Just imagine the shuttle slowly losing control before the next picture. 

Yeah, I get that, sometimes the piloting gets pretty busy so there's not much time to take pictures. However, since this is your first Mun mission, I need to know that your shuttle can survive reentry from such a high orbit without losing anything. I won't make you refly the whole thing, but could you please run a "simulation" mission for me, where you raise you Ap to the Mun level, and reenter and land, so I can see your shuttle does that just fine?

Thanks,

Michal.don

[53miner53]

7 hours ago, michal.don said:

Yeah, I get that, sometimes the piloting gets pretty busy so there's not much time to take pictures. However, since this is your first Mun mission, I need to know that your shuttle can survive reentry from such a high orbit without losing anything. I won't make you refly the whole thing, but could you please run a "simulation" mission for me, where you raise you Ap to the Mun level, and reenter and land, so I can see your shuttle does that just fine?

Thanks,

Michal.don

I’ll do it ASAP

So here are some screenshots: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ryLtFioKEW-2CGK6xIDJT37LJ-6tcjWA

I hope this is enough. It took way too many tries to get through it without either gliding back out or losing control.  I may need to revise a bit. 

Edited January 5, 2018 by 53miner53

[sh1pman]

Can I use Kerbal Reusability Expansion and Near Future Launch Vehicles mods for this challenge?

Edited January 6, 2018 by sh1pman

[Alchemist]

2 hours ago, sh1pman said:

Can I use Kerbal Reusability Expansion and Near Future Launch Vehicles mods for this challenge?

There aren't too much restrictions on usage of mods, apart from atmosphere alterations and straight cheating (and also exact limits on autopilot use are somewhat discussable).
The only thing is that anything affecting flight performance (like modded propulsion or airframe) puts you in modded category (other things like information mods or additional payload components - if not interfering with mission requirements - are usually OK for stock category)

[sh1pman]

23 minutes ago, Alchemist said:

There aren't too much restrictions on usage of mods, apart from atmosphere alterations and straight cheating (and also exact limits on autopilot use are somewhat discussable).
The only thing is that anything affecting flight performance (like modded propulsion or airframe) puts you in modded category (other things like information mods or additional payload components - if not interfering with mission requirements - are usually OK for stock category)

What if it’s landing legs? Will they put me into modded category?

[michal.don]

On 5. 1. 2018 at 4:44 PM, 53miner53 said:

I hope this is enough. It took way too many tries to get through it without either gliding back out or losing control.  I may need to revise a bit. 

Yep, that's why I wanted to see it - munar returns are quite a different story from LKO ones  It looked a bit wild, but you maaged to land intact, so a badge for you, congrats!

4 hours ago, sh1pman said:

Can I use Kerbal Reusability Expansion and Near Future Launch Vehicles mods for this challenge?

Hello, and welcome to the challenge!

Just like @Alchemist said, you can use pretty much any mod you like, except for some really unbalanced ones, and autopilots in certain conditions. However, any modded parts used on the orbiter or the launch vehicle would place you in a "modded" category. Which is perfectly fine, the modded category is not in any way inferior to the "stock" one. I don't know why so many people here want so badly to be considered stock, I did all my shuttling with a slightly modded install and recieved the "modded" badges, which I wear proudly

Michal.don

[sh1pman]

Just now, michal.don said:

Yep, that's why I wanted to see it - munar returns are quite a different story from LKO ones  It looked a bit wild, but you maaged to land intact, so a badge for you, congrats!

Hello, and welcome to the challenge!

Just like @Alchemist said, you can use pretty much any mod you like, except for some really unbalanced ones, and autopilots in certain conditions. However, any modded parts used on the orbiter or the launch vehicle would place you in a "modded" category. Which is perfectly fine, the modded category is not in any way inferior to the "stock" one. I don't know why so many people here want so badly to be considered stock, I did all my shuttling with a slightly modded install and recieved the "modded" badges, which I wear proudly

Michal.don

Well, if it’s modded, it can mean that some really unbalanced mods were used. Like giving an engine 10x times the thrust or something like that. No way to tell. Stock, on the other hand, is well-balanced, and is the same for everyone.

[michal.don]

4 minutes ago, sh1pman said:

Like giving an engine 10x times the thrust or something like that.

Well, that would fall into the category of "really unbalanced ones"  If you want to compete in the "stock" category, it's perfectly fine, too. Then the rules I mentioned above apply, the whole orbiter/LV must consist of stock parts, but info/visual mods are fine.

Michal.don

[sh1pman]

Ok, my stock STS-1b mission (I can skip 1a, right?).

Full album: https://imgur.com/a/0IGly

Craft file: https://kerbalx.com/sh1pman/BFGR-Shuttle-Heavy

Spoiler

My shuttle. 100% reusable, inspired by Falcon Heavy and Space Shuttle. Mission - 40 ton payload to highest possible Kerbin orbit.

Liftoff!

Booster separation.

Booster splashdown (x2):

Central core separation.

Shuttle engines ignition:

Central core braking burn:

Reentry and landing.

Coasting.

Highest possible Kerbin orbit. Anything higher, and we risk escaping Kerbin's gravity well.

Circularization burn.

Target orbit reached. Orbital parameters are well within the margin.

Payload deployed.

Time to go home.

KSC in sight.

Landing.

And finally, 40 days later, Valentina is back!

 

Edited January 7, 2018 by sh1pman

[wrench-in-the-works]

Aw yis it's back. I've been dead for far too long, but I think I'm ready to get back in the game. I'll start from the beginning, even though I've been (mostly) qualified from previous challenges. I'll dust off my old girl and see if she's still spaceworthy.

[wrench-in-the-works]

Right, it's about 4 in the morning here, and will probably be going on 5 by the time I'm done here, so here goes nothing.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

A little info on the shuttle I'm using; the shuttle itself is a slightly modified XST-01 Artemis hull, from back in the day when I did stuff on here. If it isn't broken, don't fix it, or something like that. Anyhow, the Artemis is a semi-modular design, being able to vary in payload size and even cargo bay size, although that cuts into fuel capacity somewhat. With multiple overly powerful high-grade engines, nothing is out of her reach, assuming the drill/refinery module is installed.

Mods used:

Spoiler

• SpaceY/SpaceY Expanded
• Near Future Technologies Suite
• OPT/OPT Legacy _{(yes yes i know, opt, bleh.)}
• J2X Antenna
• Kerbal Foundries
• DMagic Orbital Science (not on current shuttle but may appear on future builds)
• KAS/KIS
• BurnTogether (doesn't make an appearance here but may appear in the future)
• Trajectories (do i need to mention this? Probably.)
• Better Burn Time

This mission could have gone better, I did run it at 4:00-5:30 AM. Not the smartest idea but it worked.

https://imgur.com/a/VeWIE

 

Edited January 9, 2018 by wrench-in-the-works

[53miner53]

On 1/6/2018 at 8:04 PM, michal.don said:

Yep, that's why I wanted to see it - munar returns are quite a different story from LKO ones  It looked a bit wild, but you maaged to land intact, so a badge for you, congrats!

Hello, and welcome to the challenge!

Just like @Alchemist said, you can use pretty much any mod you like, except for some really unbalanced ones, and autopilots in certain conditions. However, any modded parts used on the orbiter or the launch vehicle would place you in a "modded" category. Which is perfectly fine, the modded category is not in any way inferior to the "stock" one. I don't know why so many people here want so badly to be considered stock, I did all my shuttling with a slightly modded install and recieved the "modded" badges, which I wear proudly

Michal.don

From what I’ve found, stock feels like more of a challenge from a piloting perspective. 

[michal.don]

On 7. 1. 2018 at 4:37 PM, sh1pman said:

Ok, my stock STS-1b mission (I can skip 1a, right?).

Not exactly skip, but by completing STS-1b, you completed STS-1a anyway   And a pretty nice example of STS-heavy on your part! Out of curiosity, did you really recover all the boosters in one flight, or did you land the booster and quickload to continue flying the shuttle from the separation? Pretty impressive anyway!

So, congrats on you first badges, and I hope plenty more will come soon:

12 hours ago, wrench-in-the-works said:

Aw yis it's back. I've been dead for far too long, but I think I'm ready to get back in the game.

Welcome back amongst the living! I'm glad to hear that you are back in bussiness, and coming with a mighty shuttle from the get-go

Nice craft you have there, indeed, and looking like a very capable one. I'm curious how far it will go without serious mdifications.

So, badges for you and good luck!

 

1 hour ago, 53miner53 said:

From what I’ve found, stock feels like more of a challenge from a piloting perspective. 

I guess it depends on the mods in use. The mods I use are rather helpful in design (KER, KJR), add more parts to reduce partcount (SpaceY boosters, procedural tanks/parts/anything), or are visual enhancement ones. The only piloting help is the KER info of horizontal/vertical speed, impact time etc, which, to be honest, I feel is an essential info that should be provided in stock, too. But KER is considered to be "stock" in this challenge, so I don't feel mods add that serious advantage over stock, anyway.

 

Michal.don

[sh1pman]

7 minutes ago, michal.don said:

Not exactly skip, but by completing STS-1b, you completed STS-1a anyway   And a pretty nice example of STS-heavy on your part! Out of curiosity, did you really recover all the boosters in one flight, or did you land the booster and quickload to continue flying the shuttle from the separation? Pretty impressive anyway!

Usually I use Stage Recovery mod to recover the side boosters since they are traveling relatively slowly and don't leave the atmosphere. The central booster, however, needs a manual reentry and landing. After the shuttle separation I switch to the central core and do a boost-back burn to cancel some speed and to make sure it lands on solid ground. Then I switch back to the shuttle and continue burning prograde. I switch back to the central core when it's about to hit the atmosphere and do the reentry and landing procedures. At this point shuttle has high enough apoapsis, so I can land the booster safely. If I use Stage Recovery, I recover everything in one flight, without saving and loading, but for the purposes of this challenge I disabled it and showed the landing of a single side booster (with quickloading). You can probably land both of these boosters with kOS or MechJeb without quickloading, but, as far as I know, autopilot in atmosphere isn't allowed in this challenge 

[53miner53]

59 minutes ago, michal.don said:

I guess it depends on the mods in use. The mods I use are rather helpful in design (KER, KJR), add more parts to reduce partcount (SpaceY boosters, procedural tanks/parts/anything), or are visual enhancement ones. The only piloting help is the KER info of horizontal/vertical speed, impact time etc, which, to be honest, I feel is an essential info that should be provided in stock, too. But KER is considered to be "stock" in this challenge, so I don't feel mods add that serious advantage over stock, anyway.

 

Michal.don

It’s certainly still not easy, and I might just be used to a large shuttle and having the lower part count help with that

[michal.don]

20 hours ago, sh1pman said:

Usually I use Stage Recovery mod to recover the side boosters since they are traveling relatively slowly and don't leave the atmosphere. The central booster, however, needs a manual reentry and landing. After the shuttle separation I switch to the central core and do a boost-back burn to cancel some speed and to make sure it lands on solid ground. Then I switch back to the shuttle and continue burning prograde. I switch back to the central core when it's about to hit the atmosphere and do the reentry and landing procedures. At this point shuttle has high enough apoapsis, so I can land the booster safely. If I use Stage Recovery, I recover everything in one flight, without saving and loading, but for the purposes of this challenge I disabled it and showed the landing of a single side booster (with quickloading).

And an impressive sight it was, thanks for the clarification!

20 hours ago, sh1pman said:

You can probably land both of these boosters with kOS or MechJeb without quickloading, but, as far as I know, autopilot in atmosphere isn't allowed in this challenge 

The rules on the autopilots are... well... not 100% clear. For one or two individual cases, I allowed a KOS script for shuttle launch, and even some mechjeb assistance. As booster landings are concerned, I think it's OK to use either MJ or KOS, since it's not a primary part of the missions.

 

18 hours ago, 53miner53 said:

It’s certainly still not easy, and I might just be used to a large shuttle and having the lower part count help with that

Well, I never flew a shuttle this large, so I guess it's kind of a different story.

 

Michal.don

[sh1pman]

1 minute ago, michal.don said:

The rules on the autopilots are... well... not 100% clear. For one or two individual cases, I allowed a KOS script for shuttle launch, and even some mechjeb assistance. As booster landings are concerned, I think it's OK to use either MJ or KOS, since it's not a primary part of the missions.

 

Got it, thanks for the clarification!

[wrench-in-the-works]

After repeated game crashes and computer restarts minor technical difficulties, W.A.S.P. (Wrench AeroSpace Program) is back on schedule with STS-02A and B, in one launch, for the sole purpose of "because we can".

For the shuttle, it is once again an Artemis body, using an expanded cargo bay. While this does cut into the fuel capacity somewhat, it shouldn't affect performance much, as we are not leaving Kerbin's SoI.

The three satellites will be placed in KEO, approximately 120^o apart from each other. No spin stabilization unfortunately due to their... unusual method of deployment.

See first post for mod list.

https://imgur.com/a/L5TeS

 

Edited January 10, 2018 by wrench-in-the-works

[michal.don]

On 10. 1. 2018 at 11:26 PM, wrench-in-the-works said:

The three satellites will be placed in KEO, approximately 120^o apart from each other. No spin stabilization unfortunately due to their... unusual method of deployment.

The satellites are quite unusual, on that I agree. The 120° part, not so much

Nice mission anyway, and because of the orbital drift and lack of spin stabilisation, it is worth a pilot level badge. Congrats!

Michal.don

[wrench-in-the-works]

@michal.don Only pilot? Shame. I could have gotten away with two satellites and ignored the KEO thing then. I'll have to make this up with a doubly impressive telescope then.