Highest Stable Circular Kerbin Orbit with Fewest Parts

[aubranium]

Launch a vehicle from KSC to the highest stable circular orbit around Kerbin with the fewest parts. In other words, maximize altitude per part.

Examples:

aubranium, 13 parts, 234km (18km/part)

 

[Superfluous J]

If you're allowed to turn off the need for comms I can get any reasonable orbit (as in, right at the SOI edge) with 5 parts. If you're allowed to also cheat power I can do it in 4. I may be able to do it in 4 anyway if I can afford a Kerbal with my dV budget

 

Edited September 11, 2019 by 5thHorseman

[Guest]

I'll go one better. Edge of Kerbin SoI in 3 parts.

Spoiler

 

[Superfluous J]

42 minutes ago, Brikoleur said:

I'll go one better. Edge of Kerbin SoI in 3 parts.

  Hide contents

 

Haha those were my 3 parts! Part 4 was a decoupler

[Guest]

There aren't many other options for a 3-part.

It just might be possible to do that in 2 parts. A Twin-Boar with a command seat and a kerbal has 4083 m/s on it (but terrible aerodynamics). It doesn't have reaction wheels but the Twin-Boar has vectoring so it is controllable even in space. 

In any case whether it makes it to the SoI edge or not I'm pretty sure it will beat the 3-part craft by the rules of the challenge, the altitude/part will be higher. It's just going to be annoying to pilot so I'll leave that to someone else.

[Superfluous J]

I'd consider a command chair and a Kerbal to be 2 parts as you can right click them individually. I wonder what the craft info panel says though.

[Guest]

Craft info says 2. Crew doesn't count as parts. 

(If you count kerbals as parts then ofc my solution was 4-part also.)

[AVaughan]

Stratzenblitz75 built a 3 part rocket that reached Kerbin orbit with around 3200 m/s of fuel remaining.  That is enough to achieve virtually a stable orbit around Kerbol that any distance that you the patience for.

 

 

[Superfluous J]

Now I'm curious what that little ship could do. Land on Gilly? Land on Laythe? Return?

[aubranium]

I managed to get to ~370km with a twin boar and a pilot seat. I'll try adding another fuel tank.

 

 

[aubranium]

On 9/11/2019 at 6:41 AM, AVaughan said:

Stratzenblitz75 built a 3 part rocket that reached Kerbin orbit with around 3200 m/s of fuel remaining.  That is enough to achieve virtually a stable orbit around Kerbol that any distance that you the patience for.

 

 

LOL when i listen to the audio and the description of how to reduce drag is effectively "abuse KSP's drag algorithm" I appreciate Kerbonaut skills that much more. I love the idea of "staging" mass by impacting the ground to destroy parts selectively. Still, the offset hack to reduce drag feels extra cheaty to me. I got to 12M circular solar orbit with a twin boar, a huge fuel tank, and a pilot seat *without* the offset hack

Thanks for the video link!