Deep-space recon

[MaverickSawyer]

THE SITUATION

Due to repeated encounters with the Kraken, the Kerbalnaut union is on strike until the home of the Kraken is found! desperate for a resolution to this crisis, the administrators at the Kerbal Space Center have approached you to design a deep-space probe and associated booster to locate the Kraken's lair. However, due to recent budget cuts, we can only offer you $50,000 to complete this mission.

THE REQUIREMENTS

Probe:

Launch a probe to the fringes of the Kerbol system. Probe must contain a small engine for mid-course corrections. Any mods are allowed, but the probobdyne kit from Nova Silisko is highly recommended.

Launcher:

The Launcher can be made using any mod packs. The last stage of the launch vehicle MUST detach from the probe before crossing the orbit of the Mun.

SCORING

Scoring will be through the following rubric:

ADD POINTS FOR:

Velocity at seperation of the probe from the upper stage. Each m/s is worth one point.

Time to cross orbit of Minmus. Each minute less than 24 hours is worth one point.

Under budget. Every $100 under budget is worth one point. Points are rounded up.

REMOVE POINTS FOR:

Cost overruns. Every $10 over budget is worth one point. Points are rounded up.

BONUS POINTS:

Adding instruments: every instrument is worth 100 point. Examples of Instruments: Fixed Camera, ISA Mapping radar, or other part that adds to the science return of the mission.

Recycle: finding a way to reuse the probe after reaching Apoapsis (i.e. making it back to the Kerbin system and making orbit) is worth 1000 points.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me here or in a PM.

LEADERBOARD

1. carde, with a score of 7451.

2. (vacant)

3. (vacant)

4. (vacant)

5. (vacant)

Edited September 3, 2012 by MaverickSawyer
Revised the scoring system.

[carde]

You might want to work on the scoring.

The "bonus" points are very low, really. There is no advantage in going for them.

My first try gave me about 5.94km/s separation speed (with more than 3km/s dV left in the "probe".) -> 5940 points

Minmus was reached in 1h46m (with the probe, after using 1km/s dV) and 2h with the booster.

So 1334 or 1320 more points.

(The time to reach minmus is really the same thing as the speed)

I easily reached escape velocity. That seems to subtract significantly from the score, though. Since there is no apoapsis (or, well, at there is no maximum altitude above the sun).

By the way, unless you aim in the wrong direction the speed is also basically the same thing as how far above the sun your apoapsis ends up. So all the scores measure the same thing.

Except one:

The rocket cost 32350, unless I miscalculate, so 9676 points there.

<a href="http://per.hedbor.se/probe1.craft">.craft available</a>. All stock except for mechjeb on the probe.

I have a <a href="

">movie of the whole launch</a> if anyone would like to see that...

I did mess the launch up somewhat, it could almost certainly be done better using the same design. But to optimize <i>score</i> I think the most important part is to have a small rocket, since the $1M budget is so huge (also, avoid reaching escape velocity, unlike me...)

[MaverickSawyer]

Excellent points. (pun intended) Scoring and requirements have been updated to reflect your concerns, and yor revised score has been posted.