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Reusable Eve shuttle challenge: A crew shuttle that flies from Eve's surface to orbit and back.


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After starting a permanent outpost on Eve, I remembered (much to my relief) that I remembered to build a surface-return vehicle. However, it's completely disposable and horribly unsuited for rotating crew on/off Eve to an orbital station (then back home). The cost to return all those homesick Kerbals, let alone rotate crew, would be astronomical...

Goal: Build a reusable vessel that can land on Eve, refuel (with pre-existing infrastructure), take a Kerbal to LEO (Low Eve Orbit), then land to refuel and repeat. 

Required payload: 1 Kerbal. That's it! However you bring him up is... :wink: up to you!
The idea is to have a crew shuttle that can be reused within the Eve system infinitely (until you break something :D). Note: Your vessel doesn't have to be an SSTEO! Reassembly (with parts you already launched) is allowed.

To save time, you will be allowed to cheat in pre-existing infrastructure (see rules).

Winning criteria:
Completing the challenge earns you a spot here. Entries ranked by:funds:spent. If the design is an SSTEO (SSTO but for Eve), I will create a 2nd list.

Rules:

  1. You may cheat in pre-existing infrastructure. Your vessel may start at LEO. Disable commnet (built-in antennas will reach LEO anyways in career). You may simulate refuels with Hyperedit, but only when: 1) In a stable orbit around Eve (simulating refueling at a station). 2) Landed on Eve (simulating refueling at an ISRU base).
  2. Take screenshots. Upload your craft so we can use it too. I have several Kerbals stuck on Eve...
  3. Normal difficulty or harder.
  4. PIlot aid/build aid/planning/cosmetic mods are allowed. If I can use your vessel with similar results in pure vanilla, it's OK!
  5. Stage recovery mods are allowed. If your rocket isn't an SSTEO, you must reassemble your rocket (with the same old parts you originally launched) in some way so that you can reuse and refuel it infinitely within Eve's SOI without shipping new parts. There's one reasonable way I can think of to do this, and one that requires Jeb's piloting skills and precision landings!

Good luck!

Edited by It'snorocketscience
edited for clarity
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