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Closest you have gotten to the Sun


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As those strange tall creatures sent their Parker Solar Probe to their sun today, the KSP decided to do likewise (gotta keep up with the humanses).

Here's the highlights.

Launch

rihQqME.jpg

So what's inside... lots of heatshields

DfBTUuk.jpg

Heading out of Kerbin orbit.

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Dropping some of the nukes

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1st heatshield is getting a little toasty.

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... aaaand it's gone.

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Just the one left now.

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The trajectory

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Snagging a gravity reading before the inevitable.

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Kaboom at 77,509km

qOpDKT4.jpg

This probe was sent on a one way trip, but based on what happened I think it's possible to skim and survive at somewhere between 100,000 to 150,000km, using a single heatshield. Much below 100,000 they start going like popcorn.

Edited by purpleivan
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I'm currently building my "replica" of the Parker Solar Probe in RSS and will try to get as near as I can....got lots of heat shield testing to do and the results I will post here and the "what have you done in KSP today" thread.... I'll be posting in the next few days as to how my attempt is going....after all...I'm not NASA!

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I mean, I almost always appreciate any input of any user on this forum, but what's the point of posting closest approaches before heating was a thing? Like, I could say that I was closer than anybody because I touched the sun when it was only a bitmap in the sky back in very early alpha... 

So I believe, but could be wrong, that I made it just below 500000m, the radiators were barely managing to dissipate the heat from the probe. It didn't explode, but I didn't try to get lower either, just dropped the save.

MaPXaXS.png

Edited by The Aziz
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2 hours ago, The Aziz said:

I mean, I almost always appreciate any input of any user on this forum, but what's the point of posting closest approaches before heating was a thing? Like, I could say that I was closer than anybody because I touched the sun when it was only a bitmap in the sky back in very early alpha... 

So I believe, but could be wrong, that I made it just below 500000m, the radiators were barely managing to dissipate the heat from the probe. It didn't explode, but I didn't try to get lower either, just dropped the save.

[place for picture here later]

The same could be said, although to a less degree, to most of the "fastest, lowest, lightest... etc." challenges (which this isn't) or answers to a question (which this is), as the content of the game has changed in so many ways over time. Seeing how the game has changed over time and therefore what is possible within it, is interesting in itself.

In my case I posted an old "before heating was a thing" distance and then as I was curious to see what's possible now, flew a mission to see what's possible today.

Don't see anything to complain about there.

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Have just done 250,000 km on a stable/non-exploding path. As long as you keep the heatshield towards the Sun you can make an infinite number of passes (no ablator used, they are just here for radiation shielding and insulation, not dissipation). The solar panel stabilises around 92% heat and is the critical part, I've made a new version where they don't stick out as much but haven't flown it yet.

sOKisq9.png

 

Edit: under 100,000 km with the updated version

eiaI1ko.png

Edited by Gaarst
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Managed to complete an insanely close pass (sun was filling the entire screen) by slingshotting around Duna to Jool and out to Eeloo before falling sunwards. I hit like 100 km/s when I ran the engines at full burn, and it went up to like 125 km/s after the pass.

 

I currently have a ship with a grabbing arm and a whole lotta Dawns heading out to grab it :p 

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Just finished my version of the Parker Solar Probe in RSS.....

Now to set up and build the next stage which will give me a Venus fly-by to assist Parker to the Sun....

Comes with a communatron and 3 magnotometers purely for asthetics.

wbbfvl.png

Edited by maceemiller
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