Kerpollo - A Complete Science Mode Run In 9 Acts

[GRS]

@5thHorseman, is it fine to knock down Science gain into 75% 50% of normal Science gains. (I'll do it that way)

Edited February 25, 2019 by GRS

[Superfluous J]

5 hours ago, GRS said:

@5thHorseman, is it fine to knock down Science gain into 75% 50% of normal Science gains. (I'll do it that way)

Sure no problem.

Remember, the challenge actually doesn't say anything about completing the tech tree, so if you can do Eve and Jool on lower tech (for reference on Jool, see @ManEatingApe's entry) you can cut science as low as you'd like.

I just wouldn't want to do it my own self

14 hours ago, VQkr said:

4 - Drespollo: Skipping Dres Rehearsal-

Do you have a pic in orbit of Dres, docked post-landing?

[GRS]

In that case, i'll try to bring at least 5 Kerbs per mission, including the original Kerpollo, but i'll try it later.

[FloppyRocket]

On 2/23/2019 at 5:30 AM, 5thHorseman said:

Wait until you try the Mainsail And these days, those are the small "big engines."

Dres is a good choice for your 4th Kerpollo mission. It's a hefty bump up in difficulty but the axial tilt lessons you learned with Minmus should come in handy, and once you get there Dres is actually smaller than Mun so anything that could land on Mun will have no problem there.

To get the Mainsail, I have to buy-up the previous Tech Tree level - then I have a docking port, and it means I can't simply use my Minmus lander - because I also have to launch an orbiter, and that increases the launch payload, and there seems to be very little from my Minmum mission design that I can reuse.

The rules for this challenge are very cleverly crafted.

I spontaneously ended up with a ship that looks eerily similar to @VQkr's rocket - though my lander is docked on top of the crew pod and is launched under a fairing.

Edited February 25, 2019 by FloppyRocket

[Superfluous J]

46 minutes ago, FloppyRocket said:

To get the Mainsail, I have to buy-up the previous Tech Tree level - then I have a docking port, and it means I can't simply use my Minmus lander - because I also have to launch an orbiter, and that increases the launch payload, and there seems to be very little from my Minmum mission design that I can reuse.

Oh no I didn't mean to use it here. I just meant if you think the Skipper's big... Hoo boy you got some eye-opening engines to unlock

46 minutes ago, FloppyRocket said:

The rules for this challenge are very cleverly crafted.

Thank you

[FloppyRocket]

13 minutes ago, 5thHorseman said:

Oh no I didn't mean to use it here. I just meant if you think the Skipper's big... Hoo boy you got some eye-opening engines to unlock

Thank you

Could not get enough performance out of Mainsails. Currently I'm set up with five Twin-Boars, plus four Kickbacks. 

Heavy-lift rocket design is not my long suit.

[GRS]

On 2/26/2019 at 7:33 AM, FloppyRocket said:

Heavy-lift rocket design is not my long suit.

I'm quite good in Large rockets, sort of, guess i'll start after School (I'm in school when posting this), 50% Science, No Part Mods, You might see Hyperedit, but i'm not using it, 5+ Kerbs per mission.

[VQkr]

On 2/25/2019 at 3:14 AM, 5thHorseman said:

Do you have a pic in orbit of Dres, docked post-landing?

Looks like I missed taking a screencap of the two docked. Hopefully that's not an issue? I can try to remember to do this in future missions (though I don't have that screencap for Moho, either since that's already done).

[VQkr]

On 2/24/2019 at 12:40 PM, VQkr said:

Put on your sunscreen; it's time to go tanning on Moho!

5 - Mohopollo: Moho dV, Moho Problems

Mohopollo A (based on Drespollo with an stage 2.5 and souped-up lander) was a pretty severe failure: I used almost 95% of my orbiter fuel just getting into orbit around Moho, and would have remained stuck in orbit after the landing. Lools like I underestimated the dV requirement by 2000-2500 m/s. Reverted back to the drawing board.

https://imgur.com/1OEGHMO

https://imgur.com/Y5A2UmA

https://imgur.com/yw6cWKT

https://imgur.com/Ti77kAa

Enter Mohopollo B:

The orbiter features a nuclear upper stage and higher fuel fraction, and the launch vehicle has been redesigned. The stack weight only increased by around 50 tons, but I should have a comfortable dV margin now. We also are using an Eve flyby trajectory that gets us to a Moho flyby for 450 m/s above Kerbin escape velocity:

I got cocky with the enhanced lander and tried a landing from a 2000x30km elliptical orbit... not a good idea. I had to borrow about 20% of the ascent stage's fuel, and still ended up with a rough (but undamaging) landing.

Tanning session complete, the ascent stage was able to make any sort of orbit only by burning all remaining fuel, including RCS. With no RCS on my orbiter top stage, my redocking using only main engines was dicey - but eventually successful.

https://imgur.com/KaZJnGH

3613 science was collected on this mission. Time to revisit the Eve system for more than just a flyby!

 

 

Edited February 28, 2019 by VQkr

[GRS]

@5thHorseman, can i make a Kerbal with Debug menu ???

[Superfluous J]

6 hours ago, GRS said:

@5thHorseman, can i make a Kerbal with Debug menu ???

Sure. In science mode there is nothing a created Kerbal can do that a regular one can't, and all Kerbals are free so go for it.

6 hours ago, VQkr said:

Looks like I missed taking a screencap of the two docked. Hopefully that's not an issue? I can try to remember to do this in future missions (though I don't have that screencap for Moho, either since that's already done).

Yeah just get one on the rest of the missions and you're fine. I do see the docking ports.

I'll watch your moho mission tomorrow.

Edited February 28, 2019 by 5thHorseman

[Jacke]

I'm still working on my Caveman Challenge, but I'm wanting to give Kerpollo a try too.  I've not played a science career since the contract and funding system was added.  And like Caveman, doing Kerpollo will help me explore parts of KSP I've not done.

Anyhoo, for starting off, I'd like to ask some questions about getting the initial science before the first Kerpollo mission.

On 12/30/2018 at 2:22 AM, 5thHorseman said:

 

• General rules:
  • ....
  • While you can only launch 9 times, you can send things to the runway and launch pad to just gather science around the KSC.
    • If really want, drive wherever you want but you can NOT fly under rocket or jet (or helicopter if you know how to do that) power anywhere.
    • Other than jumps, no leaving the ground.
    • Also, no using other launch sites, either for science grind or legit launches. Everything should launch from KSC. If you really want that desert science, return to there from one of your missions
  • ....

When going around on ground missions to gather KSC science, there's a possibility of getting "X while flying over Kerbin's KSC", ie. science from the razor thin Flying Low situation just over KSC's 11 area mini-biomes.  X can be Crew Report, EVA Report, Temperature Scan, and Atmosphere Analysis, the stock experiments that are per-biome for the Flying Low sitation.  For example, here's a screenshot when I discovered this, found when Bob Kerman was pushing a dual-Mk1-Pod Roller down to get the Spashed science in the Shores biome and I was checking to see if I'd finally gotten to the Shores biome.

Spoiler

As far as I can tell, you can only get these reports from a vehicle or a Kerbal who's on the ground but momentarily leaves the ground while moving.  Kerbals seem to only be able to get these for EVA Reports when they're pushing an object, as jumping just gives the science for Flying over Kerbin's Shores.

At normal science rewards, the impact of these are:

Crew Report: 22.0 science
EVA Report: 35.2
Temperature Scan: 35.2
Atmosphere Analysis: 105.6
Total: 198 science

1.  Are these KSC Flying Low allowed for Kerpollo?

 

On 12/30/2018 at 2:22 AM, 5thHorseman said:

 

• Lander rules:
  • ....
  • You may only land ONCE and may not roam from the landing biome to another biome. You can only get science readings from ONE ground biome per world.
    • You may though collect as much flying science during the mission as you can from anywhere you can, so long as you don't break the other rules.

2.  Does this mean that a spaceplane lander for target's Eve, Duna, and Laythe can pick up multiple Flying Low and (for Atmosphere Analysis) Flying High biomes?

3.  Does this mean that a spaceplane return craft landing on Kerbin can do the same?

[Superfluous J]

39 minutes ago, Jacke said:

1.  Are these KSC Flying Low allowed for Kerpollo?

Yes, they are. If you want to put the work in they're part of the stock game so I feel they're fine. 

39 minutes ago, Jacke said:

2.  Does this mean that a spaceplane lander for target's Eve, Duna, and Laythe can pick up multiple Flying Low and (for Atmosphere Analysis) Flying High biomes?

Yes, it does. Just make sure you only land one time, and you can get as much flying science as you can stomach grinding.

39 minutes ago, Jacke said:

3.  Does this mean that a spaceplane return craft landing on Kerbin can do the same?

Yep! Though once you land you're done. No sneaky taking back off or even taxiing to another biome no matter how close it is.

[GRS]

Starting now...

Settings : Hard Modified. (to allow quicksaves and reverts and also removing negative science and reducing Science into 50%)

Can't post screenshots yet because i'm in phone now.

With mah boi Simone Kerman (which i created with debug menu) here, nothing's Impossible(-ish).

Edited February 28, 2019 by GRS

[Jacke]

14 hours ago, GRS said:

Settings : Hard Modified. (to allow quicksaves and reverts and also removing negative science and reducing Science into 50%)

You're braver than I am, dude.  I'm playing at 10% science rewards in Caveman LCD, but I've just got to fill the tech tree up to all the 90-science nodes.  And funding is more of a limit in that than science return, under the different limits of the Caveman Challenge.  Most notably just with the initial KSC facilities and all that imposes.

I did a quick determination of how much science I'd get from digging it all out of KSC and liked what that would put me at for Kerpollo itself at the normal 100% return.  (I believe it will complete the tech tree up to the 90-science node level.)  At 50%, well, not so much. (I think it will be all the tech tree up to all the 45-science nodes and 3 of the 90-science nodes.)

I think Kerpollo is more about doing the missions with what you can get from the ones you did before.  I've never really been interplanetary (just poked out of Kerbin SOI for the Kerbol far space SOI) and I'm doing two challenges that demand that.   (Caveman LCD cannot be completed with just the science on Kerbin, Mun, and Minmus.)  So, this is going for broke in two different ways.

Now, to get back to vetting the mods I want to use for Kerpollo.  I tend to avoid those that add science, but there's some I'll need to ask about.

[GRS]

23 minutes ago, Jacke said:

You're braver than I am.

Thanks, this will take a really long, long time though, i need to master the art of strutless stable rockets to grab science around Mun or Minmus, with 5 Kerbal capacity, my initial Kerpollo rocket looks like a real embarassment, it's an SSTO with 5 Kerbal max cap, that looks quite like a wall of sorts, still haven't came into Terriers, amd haven't dug KSC science, guess i'll start all over again, and remove the 5 Kerbal criteria until i have struts, i'm Omnipotent-ish with struts, looks like i'll have to boring-ishly make some Kerbals walk around KSC...

Edited March 1, 2019 by GRS

[Jacke]

5 hours ago, GRS said:

... need to master the art of strutless stable rockets....

Well, joints are stronger in stock KSP than there were (shudder...v0.23...).  And it's an important skill to know how to just strut (and now I guess autostrut) to the minimum.

But the EAS-4 Strut Connector comes from the 45-science node General Construction.  And if you wring every bit of science out of just KSC, there's 1225.5 science at 100% and thus 612.75 at 50%.  That's enough to unlock all the 45-science nodes as well as 3 of the 90-science nodes.

Take a gander at my KSP Science checklists, especially the second sheet on KSC.

There's 11 area mini-biomes in KSC, where you can get Surface Landed science.  They also have a razor thin Flying Low biome that a Roller (like in my screenshot above) can get, for Crew Report, Temperature, and Atmosphere Analysis (AA being near-end tech).  And a Kerbal pushing the Roller can get the EVA Reports Flying Low for all of them.

And for the level 3 KSC, there's also 21 structure micro-biomes, buildings that when the craft or Kerbal is touching them provide unique Surface Landed science.

I did a thorough study of KSC at all levels to be sure of them.  And also to identify the buildings that just provide the same science return as the KSC area they're in.

And hey, at least they're not a trap like the level 1 R&D "Main Building".

Edited March 1, 2019 by Jacke

[GRS]

Started all over again with a weird science spammer, 60 science left before i can have nigh omnipotence with the struts.

[GRS]

Just 13 more points before the struts...(finished Kerpollo with 5 Kerbals, but didn't bring enough tools, darn...i need to restart)

Edited March 1, 2019 by GRS

[GRS]

 @5thHorseman

Ridiculous looking KSC roamer. (Taken before the launch of Kerpollo)

Kerpollo in its finest. (Laugh at this and i'll give you a like)

Munpollo in its finest.

How i (usually) name flags...Just write [Rocket/Spaceplane name] Landing Site.

Science Gains (but not all this mission can give)

That's all Science it gives...(The pods separated during re-entry, and landed in different sites, but same biome)

Tech Tree post Munpollo.

Minpollo after first stage detachment. (Smaller than Munpollo, thanks to higher tech level)

Minmus looks so cool with SciFiVE.

Gosh...that's **CENSORED** lots of Science !!! (Includes a Mun flyby for Science Jr. Experiment around it)

Tech Tree post Minpollo.

--PROGRESS--

Kerpollo (64.7 Science Points)

Munpollo (277 Science Points)

Minpollo (570.2 Science Points)

If one of the names are the same of your crafts, i'll change it, all ships also carried 5 Kerbals.

--MODS--

Trajectories, KER, Nereid's Final Frontier, Hyperedit (Will be used for testing purposes)

Edited March 9, 2019 by GRS

[Superfluous J]

14 hours ago, GRS said:

The pods separated during re-entry, and landed in different sites, but same biome

First off, nicely done set of missions!

Secondly, I'm now surprised this has never come up. I never even considered it before but thanks for keeping to the spirit of the rules

[GRS]

Umm...well, truth is...the pods are apart, with Val's pod being like over 4 Km away from Central pod (which is the furthest from main pod)

Remaining missions :

Kerpollo

Munpollo

Minpollo

Dunpollo

Eeloollo (Tell me if i spelled it wrong)

Mohollo

Evepollo

Joolollo

Gigapollo (Drespollo, inspired from @dvader's Discopollo)

Edited March 2, 2019 by GRS

[Superfluous J]

59 minutes ago, GRS said:

Eeloollo (Tell me if i spelled it wrong)

I don't know if you can really consider it "wrong" per se but I tend to spell it Eelollo. Sounds better with a short o in the middle.

[FloppyRocket]

Progress report.  Currently orbiting Dres after completing landing and ascent.  Struggling mightily to plan a Kerbin return trajectory.  Cannot get the alexmoon launch window planner to give predictions that I can enter as maneuver nodes and have the time marks match. Burning a lot of time trying to figure out how to get back home,  and wondering if I have enough delta-v.

[GRS]

22 minutes ago, FloppyRocket said:

Progress report.  Currently orbiting Dres after completing landing and ascent.  Struggling mightily to plan a Kerbin return trajectory.  Cannot get the alexmoon launch window planner to give predictions that I can enter as maneuver nodes and have the time marks match. Burning a lot of time trying to figure out how to get back home,  and wondering if I have enough delta-v.

Maybe you can burn to Jool SOI, then plan some Gravity assists that'll send you to Kerbin orbit and wait for an ecounter if normal approach fail (from insufficient Delta v).