Sun orbital survey

[Cannon]

Has anyone ever managed to perform an orbital survey/scan of the sun successfully (without mods or cheats of course) ?
It requires a polar orbit with apoapsis no higher than 26000km. I spent 6 hours burning my dawn ion engine in order to make such orbit, and when I got there, the probe exploded at ~45000km, I tried quickloading and still couldn't get any closer than that. The probe only had a battery attached to it and some science stuff with 4 solar panels. I covered it with small radiators on all sides, everywhere I could, and I attached the big radiator panels on top of those small static radiators. I also covered the whole thing with 10m heat shields, both on top and the bottom. So, is the orbital survey even possible without cheats then? If so, what am I missing?

 

[Guest]

I tried making a probe with a ridiculous number of radiator panels and cheating it to the maximum altitude allowed, and sure enough it exploded immediately. Wouldn't even know what to do to fix that.

Experimented a bit more. Even an ablative heat shield explodes almost immediately. I don't think this is possible with standard physics. Could the parameters just be bugged? If you managed to make something that survived to 45 Gm that's already remarkable!

Edited August 17, 2020 by Guest

[jimmymcgoochie]

You can't get that close to the Sun without everything overheating, so orbital surveys are impossible. Besides which, what little science you'd gain from it won't outweigh the colossal cost in delta-V needed to get into an orbit that low even if you turn on the 'ignore part max temperatures' cheat.

[GuessingEveryDay]

Honestly, the closest you might be able to get would to get a gravity slingshot multiple times into a polar orbit with a low enough periapsis, also a suggestion, use a lot of fairings, they can help with the heat. But still probably impossible.

Landing on the helipad on top of the VAB would be easier to do in comparison.

[Gargamel]

@Cannon, The two threads have been merged.   Next time, it's best just to report and and ask the thread to be moved, rather than start another one. 

[Spricigo]

4 hours ago, GuessingEveryDay said:

Landing on the helipad on top of the VAB would be easier to do in comparison.

Excuse me, but how landing in the helipad is supposed to be difficult? I mean, people do it  with starter rocket (Capsule, flea & Paracute)

 

Anywas, It's a old thread but AFAIK most (if not all) of it should still apply (no mention in the patch notes of significant change in how heat is handled):

It also mention a even older challenge for lowest solar orbit that may be worth reading too

 

[Cannon]

7 hours ago, Spricigo said:

 

 

I checked that one out, and it seems nobody managed to get as close as I did (~45000km), I guess I did a pretty decent job then . Anyways, I'd still like to perform that orbital survey, not because of the science, I already have everything unlocked. I simply want to have the orbital surveys of every celestial body, including the sun, it's just fun to me. The other topic you posted suggested that static radiators do more harm than good, can anyone confirm that? I used the static ones too as I said, but I placed folding radiators on top of them as well.

[Guest]

5 hours ago, Cannon said:

I checked that one out, and it seems nobody managed to get as close as I did (~45000km), I guess I did a pretty decent job then . Anyways, I'd still like to perform that orbital survey, not because of the science, I already have everything unlocked. I simply want to have the orbital surveys of every celestial body, including the sun, it's just fun to me. The other topic you posted suggested that static radiators do more harm than good, can anyone confirm that? I used the static ones too as I said, but I placed folding radiators on top of them as well.

Let us know if it's possible. I very much doubt it but would be delighted to be proven wrong.

[swjr-swis]

 

[Cannon]

11 hours ago, swjr-swis said:

 

That sounds interesting, does that exploit still work  ? But still, I don't feel like cheating my way there