Stock Challenge Of the Centuries

[PLB]

I challenge Anyone willing to make a stock craft (Not in 0.13.3, meaning pics required ) that goes beyond the star of Kerbin, Kerbol. If you can do this with stock in .16 without mods, then I will give you 1 million kerbucks. (When your 92) No glitches or config edits allowed.

Leader boards (Based on distance from Kerbol Gotten):

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Edited August 11, 2012 by PLB
More rules

[Kosmo-not]

You should also state that using the fuel glitch is not allowed.

[PLB]

I just added that.

[Trebuchet-Launch]

You mean, reach Kerbol escape velocity, so that in theory it could escape the system? That's not exactly hard to do with stock parts.

[PLB]

Really? Not hard? Then do it! If you say it's not hard, then do it! And by what I meant was to go beyond the orbit that kerbin lies, and in the tracking station it says that the ship is on an escape trajectory out of the sun.

[Trebuchet-Launch]

The only serious enemy here is the "space kraken". I'm doing a stock mission with a rocket I know can handle it, and the kraken has trashed any ability to control the rocket. I'm restarting and trying a prograde escape this time.

[Trebuchet-Launch]

Yay, done.

I will include the (zipped) .craft file for the Escape Artiste. Escaping Kerbol is fairly simple for prograde escape: put this monster in low-ish prograde orbit, circle around to Kerbin's night side, and light the engines again, full blast, when you're over the middle of the night. Just lay on the throttle and burn prograde until you escape. The time given to Kerbol escape will always be 68 years plus and never decrease.

Prepare for a few failed launches from the SRB's hitting the left engine on staging from time to time, but other than that, it's fairly reliable.

[kuulness]

Iv seeen people do this with a unmanned ship, not to difficult...

[kuulness]

Here is a video

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZD2_a7xdy_Y" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[red7paulbrennan]

Try for yourself

[Ziff]

It is actually really easy to do, especially with the 1 kerbal capsule.

[N2maniac]

All you really need is about 4km/s delta v past orbital. Considering that getting to the Mun, landing, and taking off again is about another 2km/s, it isn't much more difficult.

[Endeavour]

I believe Kerbol escape velocity can be done with 13 of the small SRBs and some radial decouplers. Very easy.

If you're looking for the most distance, then it is just whoever want to wait the longest.

[maltesh]

All you really need is about 4km/s delta v past orbital. Considering that getting to the Mun, landing, and taking off again is about another 2km/s, it isn't much more difficult.

Not even quite that. 100km LKO's about 2250. Burn up to 5000 m/s in LKO, pointed along the direction of Kerbin's travel, and you'll escape Kerbol.

Made some mistakes on ascent, so only barely had enough fuel to hit the escape trajectory. Engines on full when burning, all stock. A better pilot than I could probably have flown it without ASAS. I'm sure smaller escape craft than this one are possible.

A better ranking criterion probably would be maximum hyperbolic velocity excess, or the related quantity, specific orbital energy.

[SubOrbitalGuy]

I just tried it, it's possible to get to kerbol escape with 6 small solid boosters and the small command pod:

Just build one long rocket, put the pod directly on a solid booster, followed by decoupler and another solid booster until you have 6 solid boosters.

Burn solid boosters until AP is about 82 km (4 boosters needed), wait to get out of atmosphere, point in direction of kerbol orbit, use 2 remaining boosters.

Edit:

You should start your mission while it's midnight so the direction is perfect for escape.

Edited August 19, 2012 by SubOrbitalGuy