Orbit Boot Camp

[Chequers]

38 minutes ago, mystifeid said:

So, are DLC parts allowed now?

I didn't realise anyone had used any DLC parts? Or are you asking generally? I think typically, stock challenges don't use DLC parts, so that everyone can partake.

[mystifeid]

1 hour ago, Chequers said:

I didn't realise anyone had used any DLC parts?

Looked like it but it's not that important and given your answer would have been done without realizing it.

1 hour ago, Chequers said:

Or are you asking generally?

Seeing the above, this was the main gist of the query.

1 hour ago, Chequers said:

I think typically, stock challenges don't use DLC parts, so that everyone can partake

I understand.

It can be hard sometimes to remember which are the dlc parts and I can forgive anyone who forgets because I always do. Handy bookmarks:

Stock parts

Making History parts

Breaking Ground parts  (use the table at the bottom of the page)

Edited April 19, 2020 by mystifeid

[Chequers]

@mystifeid thanks for those handy bookmarks! I’ll make good use of them. 

[bayesian_acolyte]

Nervous Energy 4: 4809 initial cost - 4668 recovery = 141 mission cost

Spoiler

[Chequers]

@bayesian_acolyte, once again, not content to see the Sapphire Cluster in the hands of another, swoops in with another entry! Thank you for your screenshot mission report of 'Nervous Energy 4'. A very impressive display of balancing fuel and oxidiser loads to maximise cost and efficiency, reducing the record by 3. You are awarded the Crossed Swords, and reclaim the Sapphire Cluster. 

[Klapaucius]

This thread could potentially change the way folks play career games.  It has opened my eyes to just how cheaply you can do things.

[BallistX]

4 hours ago, Klapaucius said:

This thread could potentially change the way folks play career games.  It has opened my eyes to just how cheaply you can do things.

Especially the early tech tree ones, Whiplash SSTO's are kind of late game.

[mystifeid]

The RUsureaboutthis2 makes orbit with a launchpad dV of 1163m/s then deorbits using (the last) 1m/s.

Mission cost was 4806.

In deference to the OBC committee, a video report is tendered.

 

[Chequers]

@mystifeid, now that's what I call cutting it close! Well done on your entry, with the most precise of margins to allow your brave Kerbal to return safely from orbit. Thank you for your video mission report. Critics are calling it 'the nail-biting, white-knuckle thrill ride of the year.' One member of the OBC committee remarked, 'I should only have paid half-price for this seat, because I'm only using the edge of it!'

You are awarded Amber Leaves, and reclaim the Gold Florettes.

[TheFlyingKerman]

Slowfish 1. 1163 DV on the pad. Mission cost 4004 - 200 (cost of launch clamp)= 3804

Spoiler

 

 

This challenge sounds like just exploiting how the DV is computed.

Edited April 20, 2020 by TheFlyingKerman

[Superfluous J]

40 minutes ago, TheFlyingKerman said:

This challenge sounds like just exploiting how the DV is computed.

Naw only that one adornment, really.

[Klapaucius]

@mystifeid

 

I take my hat off to you for that near perfect run. Question: at 1:45 you set a maneuver that clearly showed you did not have enough fuel, and yet you managed it. What is going on with the program here? In the past if I launched and got red, I usually reverted as a failed mission and started again.  Is that indicator not trustworthy?

[mystifeid]

12 minutes ago, Klapaucius said:

Is that indicator not trustworthy?

It seems like it needs to be above 70km before it works properly. Someone else can maybe give a better explanation and the cause but I just ignore it until I hit 70km.

[TheFlyingKerman]

Also I suppose the use of electric propulsion is not allowed?

[Superfluous J]

24 minutes ago, Klapaucius said:

Question: at 1:45 you set a maneuver that clearly showed you did not have enough fuel, and yet you managed it. What is going on with the program here?

Looks like a bug in the display on the navball. It says there is enough dV in the staging on the left, but the maneuver node seems to think the rocket only has about 1/5 what it needs. Weird.

If that's all stock (and in 1.9.1) I'd say it's bug report worthy.

11 minutes ago, mystifeid said:

It seems like it needs to be above 70km before it works properly.

Aha. I don't tend to make maneuvers in atmosphere so never saw it.

If it's recreatable, is there a bug for it? I did a quick search and didn't find one.

[Chequers]

@TheFlyingKerman, well done on your low cost, low tech, low dV entry with 'Slowfish 1'. As mentioned, the lowest dV adornment is just one aspect of this multi-faceted challenge. While it ties with mystifeids entry for the Gold Florettes, only one person can hold a unique adornment at a time - and so you must beat that score to claim it. However, you are awarded the Zircon Chevron, Amber Leaves and Onyx Eyes for this mission.

---

1 hour ago, Klapaucius said:

@mystifeid

 

I take my hat off to you for that near perfect run. Question: at 1:45 you set a maneuver that clearly showed you did not have enough fuel, and yet you managed it. What is going on with the program here? In the past if I launched and got red, I usually reverted as a failed mission and started again.  Is that indicator not trustworthy?

I wondered this too. It happens because the manoeuvre was made whilst still in the atmosphere (usually while coasting towards apoapsis above 70km), and it takes that into account when calculating the dV requirement. Once you leave the atmosphere, it recalculates the cost. Looking at old orbit tutorials, I believe you had to manually 'fire' your engines for a second so that the planner would know the efficiency of your engine - I think it does this automatically now as you pass through 70km, as I've never had this issue.

---

1 hour ago, TheFlyingKerman said:

Also I suppose the use of electric propulsion is not allowed?

I hadn't though to disallow it - the cost seems prohibitive for this challenge.

Edited April 20, 2020 by Chequers

[mystifeid]

2 hours ago, TheFlyingKerman said:

Slowfish 1. 1163 DV on the pad.

It looks like the screenshot shows 1162. I can't say this is what happened but I sometimes have the launchpad dV drop by 1 m/s after reverting to launch.

Just in case, here is a slightly different RUsureaboutthis3 with a launchpad dV of 1160.

Mission cost is 4239.

In the beginning of the video are two launchpad screenshots. The first is taken after reverting to launch and shows 1159. The second is the initial launch and shows 1160.

 

1 hour ago, Superfluous J said:

Aha. I don't tend to make maneuvers in atmosphere so never saw it.

I can imagine fixing this would be a nightmare and since few people do create maneuver nodes in atmosphere any fix would be a low priority.

Also, I can't imagine this is not known about.

Edited April 20, 2020 by mystifeid

[Chequers]

Well done @mystifeid on improving the design of 'RUsureaboutthis', to shave more off the delta-v cost. And also good sportsmanship in acknowledging that @TheFlyingKerman did indeed achieve a lower dV number than your craft in their latest entry, and thus did claim the Gold Florettes. That said, your latest entry achieves the Amber Leaves, and reclaims the Gold Florettes. 

TheFlyingKerman, your entry on the Honour Roll has been updated to reflect that you did achieve the Gold Florettes with 'Slowfish 1'.

 

[Klapaucius]

4833.2 launch cost

1423.2 recovered

3401 total cost

 

2 budget communications satellites launched into orbit.  I apologize, I thought I had taken a screen shot of the satellites in tracking station view, but evidently not.

If anyone who is more of an expert on antennas can tell my why despite having batteries and solar panels, neither of these was picked up by Comnet, that would be most appreciated.  Is this the wrong antenna for that, or do I need a small probe core?

 

Anyway, the photos I do have.

 

'

 

Edited April 20, 2020 by Klapaucius

[mystifeid]

6 minutes ago, Klapaucius said:

or do I need a small probe core?

Sats need probe cores.

[Klapaucius]

With a bit more knowledge, we have launched again.  This time we have a successful relay satellite in a polar orbit.

 

Launch cost: 4850

Recovered: 1240 (unfortunately a rougher landing meant the fuel tank was lost

Total: 3610

 

Touchdown on the edge of the southern polar continent.

Spoiler

 

 

[TheFlyingKerman]

3 hours ago, Chequers said:

Well done @mystifeid on improving the design of 'RUsureaboutthis', to shave more off the delta-v cost. And also good sportsmanship in acknowledging that @TheFlyingKerman did indeed achieve a lower dV number than your craft in their latest entry, and thus did claim the Gold Florettes. That said, your latest entry achieves the Amber Leaves, and reclaims the Gold Florettes. 

TheFlyingKerman, your entry on the Honour Roll has been updated to reflect that you did achieve the Gold Florettes with 'Slowfish 1'.

 

My last screenshot did say 675+488 = 1163m/s but like @mystifeid I improved my design. Note that the higher resolution image is behind the link.

675+480 = 1155 m/s Launch cost 4592

https://ibb.co/r2JG6k6

Orbit. I just had 2.6m/s left, which was just enough to deorbit with 67234m Pe.

https://ibb.co/XpLShhX

 

 

Edited April 20, 2020 by TheFlyingKerman

[mystifeid]

Lemme get rid of this one. The Bootcamp Duo. I'm hoping it does enough to earn the Silver Claw, Pearl Escutcheon, Onyx Eyes, Crossed Swords, Vermilion Heart and 1st class Insignia.

Initial cost of 9342 less 5000 recovered = 4342 mission cost.

 

[Hotel26]

On 4/19/2020 at 4:50 PM, Chequers said:

I think typically, stock challenges don't use DLC parts, so that everyone can partake

I'm commenting only as an avid spectator of this thread (not a participant) and maybe this ought to be spun off into another topic but...

...I really appreciate what modders do for KSP.  But I think it's good to exclude mods for a challenge in order to have an LCD level playing field.  (At KerbalX, I avoid mods for the same reason: widest possible audience.)

On the other hand, though DLC is optional, it is Squad and it does fly the flag for Squad.  I think MH/BG parts should be allowable in any challenge and people who don't think it's worth patronizing Squad by purchasing that discretionary DLC are not excluded from such challenges because of it, although it may put them at a slight disadvantage.  Or glass half-full: give them more incentive to consider purchasing the DLC.

Edited April 20, 2020 by Hotel26

[Chequers]

@Klapaucius, congratulations on launching a low-cost vessel that is able to deploy not one, but two satellites into Kerbin orbit! It does make me consider whether delivering a payload into orbit might warrant an additional adornment; I shall take it to the OBC committee for consideration. Thank you for submitting your screenshot mission report. This flight is awarded the Zircon Chevron.

---

@TheFlyingKerman - well done on improving the design of your vessel, to produce what I assume has been named 'Slowfish 2'? I particularly enjoy the angle launch trajectory - a good use of the launch clamp! It is awarded the Zircon Chevron and reclaims the Gold Florettes for your effort.

---

@mystifeid, thank you for your latest entry, 'Bootcamp Duo', and for providing a video of your mission report - it was highly enjoyable to watch - particularly the double-SRB lifting stage, and pinpoint landing! This mission does indeed award you the Silver Claw (with full ribbon complement), Pearl Escutcheon, Onyx Eyes, Crossed Swords and Vermilion Heart. For achieving at least 5 additional adornments, you are awarded the 1st Class Insignia, and your name and vessel will be recorded on the 1st Class Register. Congratulations.

---

8 hours ago, Hotel26 said:

I'm commenting only as an avid spectator of this thread (not a participant) and maybe this ought to be spun off into another topic but...

...I really appreciate what modders do for KSP.  But I think it's good to exclude mods for a challenge in order to have an LCD level playing field.  (At KerbalX, I avoid mods for the same reason: widest possible audience.)

On the other hand, though DLC is optional, it is Squad and it does fly the flag for Squad.  I think MH/BG parts should be allowable in any challenge and people who don't think it's worth patronizing Squad by purchasing that discretionary DLC are not excluded from such challenges because of it, although it may put them at a slight disadvantage.  Or glass half-full: give them more incentive to consider purchasing the DLC.

I don't disagree with you - it is certainly about ensuring everyone can get involved. Regarding DLC parts, I don't know enough about them to know whether it would unfairly unbalance this challenge. I don't own the DLCs (not because I don't want to, but because I wanted to get a handle on the base game first. I don't use mods for the same reason). From a quick look at the DLC parts list, it doesn't feel as though any parts are simply 'better' versions of others. They are balanced with cost etc.

I'm happy to defer to greater wisdom, but for now, I think keeping DLC is off limits just ensures the most even of playing fields.

Edited April 20, 2020 by Chequers