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


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On 9. 9. 2017 at 5:06 AM, Andetch said:

Kind of thought you guys would find this short video funny.......

It says it's blocked in my country - maybe there is some kind of copyright issue with the music?

Also - I added a few links into the original post with space shuttle documents/movies. If you wold like to learn a bit about the design phase, or the missions, be sure to check them!

(By the way, John Young seems like a really cool guy :) )

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Yeah, I guess so.... Will need to think about issues with soundtracks for future videos. All because I put Starman by David Bowie onto a video of my shuttle (loaded with the fuel pod) losing control at around 5kms and nose-diving into the sea....

3 hours ago, michal.don said:

It says it's blocked in my country - maybe there is some kind of copyright issue with the music?

Also - I added a few links into the original post with space shuttle documents/movies. If you wold like to learn a bit about the design phase, or the missions, be sure to check them!

(By the way, John Young seems like a really cool guy :) )

 

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On 9/10/2017 at 0:37 PM, Andetch said:

Yeah, I guess so.... Will need to think about issues with soundtracks for future videos. All because I put Starman by David Bowie onto a video of my shuttle (loaded with the fuel pod) losing control at around 5kms and nose-diving into the sea....

 

Hello Andetch, I write, produce and record music. I would love to compose some original spacey backing tracks for use in KSP videos, let me know if you are interested, same goes for everyone else, just shoot me a PM!

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6 hours ago, biomecaman said:

Hello Andetch, I write, produce and record music. I would love to compose some original spacey backing tracks for use in KSP videos, let me know if you are interested, same goes for everyone else, just shoot me a PM!

Hey @biomecaman I would be interested - I write music on guitar, so I would even be intersted in non-ksp stuff too!

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On 15. 9. 2017 at 8:35 AM, Ozelui said:

It took a lot of explodium and time, but i think i found a worthy succesor for my aging shuttle:

Oh my god, it seems it's monstrosity time again :D Jokes aside, despite being an enormous one, your shuttle looks really elegant, I especially like the prolonged tail structure. On the other hand, I'm not sure how drag will behave in the hand-made cargo bay - I guess only the missions will tell. Looking forward to Duna!

 

6 hours ago, Yatsykon said:

STS-1a Commander Challenge Entry, thanks for running this!

Hello, and welcome to the challenge! Good job on making a space-worthy shuttle, It's not an easy thing to do. Especially a shuttle with a 40t+ payload capacity.

However, I can not award you the commander badge - one of the requirements is landing on a runway after deorbiting, which is quite a challenge itself. But worry not - as you fly more missions with your shuttle, you'll get used to it, and precision landings will become easier - we've all been there :wink:

So, congratulations on your mission, pilot, here are your badges:

YgXYW8T.jpg?1giYU8fw.jpg?1

 

Michal.don

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12 hours ago, michal.don said:

So, congratulations on your mission, pilot, here are your badges:

YgXYW8T.jpg?1giYU8fw.jpg?1

 

I am simply loving the new badges for the challenge! I might have missed it, but is there an explanation for how the colors/elements of the badges work for stock vs. modded? I can see the stars for different levels, obviously. Is it just the color ring around the outside of the badge? 

EDIT: I now realized this is the v5 of the challenge (read back, also on the v4 challenge page) so now I'm caught up!

Edited by scottadges
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40 minutes ago, scottadges said:

I am simply loving the new badges for the challenge! I might have missed it, but is there an explanation for how the colors/elements of the badges work for stock vs. modded? I can see the stars for different levels, obviously. Is it just the color ring around the outside of the badge? 

Yeah, the badges are awesome :)

As you noticed, the number of stars signifies the missions completed. Gold/silver stars are for commander/pilot level of the mission. Green/silver leaves differentiate between stock/modded category. And the golden outlining is for the "flight director" bonus missions fot STS-1 and STS-2. I hope I managed to describe it comprehensively. So, I hope you come to fly some shuttles soon :)

Michal.don

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5 minutes ago, Bottle Rocketeer 500 said:

Can someone please tell me how to cluster SRBs so that they don't RUD?

Would something like this:

Spoiler

io50YgI.png

work for you?  It's a very simple assembly with a Quad adapter to hold the SRBs together, and struts to reinforce the structure.  That said, i usually prefer to keep them separated like this:

Spoiler

Uf4g03i.png

With a strut near the SRB nose and another one near the tail to avoid RUDs.

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17 hours ago, michal.don said:

 

However, I can not award you the commander badge - one of the requirements is landing on a runway after deorbiting, which is quite a challenge itself. But worry not - as you fly more missions with your shuttle, you'll get used to it, and precision landings will become easier - we've all been there :wink:

So, congratulations on your mission, pilot, here are your badges:

YgXYW8T.jpg?1giYU8fw.jpg?1

 

Michal.don

Oh crap, I linked the wrong album. Here's my album, with my actual shuttle. I think I accidentally copied someone else's link, was probably browsing the album's of previous contenders and clicked on the wrong tab. Here's my actual album.

(Sorry to the guy whose album I copied, whoever that may be :( )

https://imgur.com/a/IVsec

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7 hours ago, michal.don said:

Yeah, the badges are awesome :)

I'm already working on a new shuttle, an upgraded/improved version of the one used to complete STS-1a from the v4 Challenge. I've added quite a bit of LFO capacity, as well as adjusted the landing gears and adding exterior lights.

I've also completely re-worked the external tank and heavy SRBs, now that I think I actually understand how the CoT/CoM works in terms of vertical launches. :D

lwSV3fG.jpg

She's pretty thoroughly tested at this point and I've successfully gotten her into a circular 110 km orbit with about 1300 m/s DV remaining. Will do some more adjustments before committing to the final mission and posting here for review.

Thanks for your work moderating this challenge!

Edited by scottadges
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10 minutes ago, scottadges said:

 

lwSV3fG.jpg

I like the SRB design thing with the fairings! That nose cone looks off though. Have you considered the normal aerodynamic nosecone? (the curved one)

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7 hours ago, Bottle Rocketeer 500 said:

Can someone please tell me how to cluster SRBs so that they don't RUD?

There's a great video on YouTube by Ruben (Kerbal Space Command) where he creates a quad booster within a fairing: 

I've used a modified version of this for v5 Challenge shuttle. Also, I like auto-struts :P

4 minutes ago, qzgy said:

I like the SRB design thing with the fairings! That nose cone looks off though. Have you considered the normal aerodynamic nosecone? (the curved one)

Thanks! I can't actually take full credit for the SRBs, I used a modified version of Ruben's from KerbalSpaceCommand.

Yeah, I tried the short rounded nosecone... but I actually wanted something aggressive/pointy, so this is the closest I can find to that. 

Edited by scottadges
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8 hours ago, Bottle Rocketeer 500 said:

Also, @michal.don I have a mission suggestion,  maybe we could have missions to expand the space station we build in STS 5-8

Maybe we'll visit the space station again, but not now - I have three other mission on my mind at the moment, I'm just waiting for new badges to arrive :)

 

5 hours ago, Yatsykon said:

Oh crap, I linked the wrong album. Here's my album, with my actual shuttle. I think I accidentally copied someone else's link, was probably browsing the album's of previous contenders and clicked on the wrong tab. Here's my actual album.

Well, that explains why the shuttle felt quite familiar :D Yours, on the other hand, is something we don't see very often here, an interesting design, and surely fits the shuttle definition and rules - good job! And the pin-point landing indeed qualifies you for the commander badge, congratulations!

QThe6Sf.jpg?1

 

2 hours ago, scottadges said:

I'm already working on a new shuttle, an upgraded/improved version of the one used to complete STS-1a from the v4 Challenge.

Wow, that's a sexy looking craft :) Since it seems you are not opposed to mod parts, I'd suggest SpaceY boosters - they seem more appropriate in size for the Mk3 shuttles, and I've been using them for quite some time. I even think they may be where my modding obsession started in the first place :D Looking forward to the missions!

 

Michal.don

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@michal.don, regarding the Duna missions, what constitutes a support package?

"NOTE:  You may launch 1 support package for your shuttle using a traditional rocket or shuttle launch for this mission."

Is there any limitation as to where the second rocket / shuttle can go? Can it go all the way to Duna?

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2 minutes ago, Ozelui said:

Is there any limitation as to where the second rocket / shuttle can go? Can it go all the way to Duna?

There aren't any limitations regarding the support package - it can be pretty much anything you want, and you can take it wherever you want. While the Duna missions can be completed without the support launch, I think they are a must in the Laythe mission. While @Alchemist just took another shuttle for his Jool adventure (which really makes it hard to make another Jool system mission which he hasn't completed already :wink: ), I took a big ugly refueling craft to Laythe orbit.

b98a11c698cd.png

SlKAVXL.png

(picture one - elegant method, picture two - brute force, or "MOAR BOOSTERS" method)

 

So, design anything you like, and I hope it is prettier than what I did :D

Michal.don

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Thanks!  My second shuttle should be ready soon ( it can reach LKO already but has some landing problems - The "We all are going to die" kind of problems :D ). A few boosters here and there, some lift surfaces and it should be good to go.

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6 hours ago, michal.don said:

There aren't any limitations regarding the support package - it can be pretty much anything you want, and you can take it wherever you want. While the Duna missions can be completed without the support launch, I think they are a must in the Laythe mission. While @Alchemist just took another shuttle for his Jool adventure (which really makes it hard to make another Jool system mission which he hasn't completed already :wink: ), I took a big ugly refueling craft to Laythe orbit.

Actually, it's quite possible to complete the Laythe mission without a support launch.  I know, because I did it :)  Well, I *sorta* did it without a support mission--I had to launch a satellite with a larger antenna later, since I had the whole CommNet thing enabled.  Other than that, though, no support--I was able to fit my (mobile!) mining base, exploration airplane, a trio of comms satellites, and a survey scanner satellite all within the cargo bay.  I *did* refuel on Laythe, because I didn't know how much dV I'd need.

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21 hours ago, Bottle Rocketeer 500 said:

I just found out that my shuttle can do a direct transfer to Duna if the window and timing is right.

Well, going to Duna is not that hard, going there and back again, that's where it gets tricky :)

 

19 hours ago, zolotiyeruki said:

Actually, it's quite possible to complete the Laythe mission without a support launch.  I know, because I did it :)

You are right, I forgot your mission - shame on me.... You did run that one in the V4 of the challenge, am I correct?

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