KSC Planetary Defense Coordination Division - An Asteroid Day Challenge!

[Kerbal Productions]

Editing!

spoiler: reusable rocket involved

[JB182]

5 hours ago, Kerbal Productions said:

Editing!

spoiler: reusable rocket involved

AWESOME!

[Kerbal Productions]

Submission of my work? Within 12 hours!

 

[StarSlay3r]

On 6/17/2021 at 5:39 PM, Kerbal Productions said:

Can it have 2 ideas in a single video?

 

Please submit only your favorite/best idea. One idea per video/person. 

[StarSlay3r]

On 6/18/2021 at 2:03 AM, exMagic said:

Hey!
I would love to join to the challenge, but do not understand where is the starting point. Is there somewhere a save which I can load and have an asteroid targeting the Kerbin or what? 
About which asteroid this challenge is about? 

Hello exMagic. There is no save file associated with this. There is no specific starting point, or specific asteroid that you need to engage with. The main goal here is to come with a plan to prevent an asteroid impact, then show us how that works in game. Here's a link to NASA's DART mission as an example. https://www.nasa.gov/planetarydefense/dart You can see how they explain their goal via text. You'd need to describe your plan in a similar fashion and take it one step further by recreating your plan in KSP, then share the footage of that plan in action here. 

@UomoCapra may be able to provide additional tips for this challenge as well. 

On 6/18/2021 at 8:00 AM, Dr. Kerbal said:

Well. We are taking about a space force right? So what about a giant missle? To destroy the astroid. I think a class e asteroid has an impact tolerance of about 160 m/s. 

If that's your plan, show us how it'd go down! 

On 6/18/2021 at 8:11 PM, The Doodling Astronaut said:

I think generating an asteroid on a collision course with Kerbin is allowed, unless I am wrong @KSPStar

This would be allowed

[Kerbal Productions]

Going to post within an hour.

[Kerbal Productions]

@KSPStarand everyone in this forum thread, here is my submission!
Also, if you want to move to the point where I showed my way on moving the asteroid, it will start at 5:30

Spoiler

might as well sub? no? ok

 

[JB182]

3 minutes ago, Kerbal Productions said:

@KSPStarand everyone in this forum thread, here is my submission!
Also, if you want to move to the point where I showed my way on moving the asteroid, it will start at 5:30

  Reveal hidden contents

might as well sub? no? ok

 

thats awesome, but u don't show how you move it, just with letters and not in video.

[Kerbal Productions]

1 hour ago, JB182 said:

but u don't show how you move it, just with letters and not in video.

the shockwave, right?

you can't nuke slash bomb the asteroid from its interior; it'll reform
you can't nuke slash bomb the asteroid too far, it'll have no effect
 

knew i had smth wrong
:(

[JB182]

Just now, Kerbal Productions said:

the shockwave, right?

you can't nuke slash bomb the asteroid from its interior; it'll reform
you can't nuke slash bomb the asteroid too far, it'll have no effect
 

knew i had smth wrong

oh k.

[UomoCapra]

To answer some of the questions that have risen about what is expected of you in this challenge: 
Basically this is a creative challenge, where we want to hear your ideas about how to stop a potential asteroid/comet collision threat. The gameplay is meant as a tool to showcase your ideas, so mods/cheats are ok to use. Imagine  your pitching an idea to a Planetary Defense Coordination Division within a space agency. The scenario and the how-to is completely up to you, just be creative 

[Guest]

12 hours ago, KSPStar said:

Please submit only your favorite/best idea. One idea per video/person. 

Is a multiple craft submission allowed?

Edited June 20, 2021 by Guest

[TRAPPIST-1E]

TIE-Defender

This is my submission. In this i will use a small ion-propelled probe to redirect a class E asteroid that is going to collide with Kerbin in 15 years. This way I only need to give a few centimeters of acceleration to move the asteroid the 100 km required to avoid the atmosphere and ground. The probe is shown here:

It is called the TIE-DEFENDER. it stands for something but I cannot think of a cool acronym.

It will be launched on an Atlas 5 401

The DEFENDER on approach to asteroid OMP-241E

Closer. . . . .

Video of the ion engines firing

It will take many years of constant firing to change the asteroids course by just a few centimeters. when it is done, the asteroid will skim the atmosphere at 150 kilometers. while it is making it's flyby, numerous scientific probes are sent to it as it approaches Earth/Kerbin. The scientific gain is MASSIVE!

video of the close flyby of Earth/Kerbin

A close call for Human/Kerbal Kind, and a massive scientific overflow. thank you for reading

 

MODS USED: Restock, RestockPlus

[JB182]

22 hours ago, UomoCapra said:

cheats are ok to use

ah ok, im glad u said that.

[StarSlay3r]

On 6/20/2021 at 9:16 AM, The Doodling Astronaut said:

Is a multiple craft submission allowed?

If your plan requires multiple craft to execute, that is allowed. (As long as they're all part of the same plan) 

On 6/17/2021 at 5:41 PM, FleshJeb said:

First, I'd fix the bug that doesn't reduce asteroid mass when it's mined. It's only been 12 months since it was identified.

https://bugs.kerbalspaceprogram.com/issues/25730

[Snip]

The team is aware of the issue. Thank you for the report.

[Dr. Kerbal]

My vector missiles don’t work. Wow. That astroid is tough. I guess I will have to move to plan b. Will explosions change its course?

[Sivako Aerospace]

9 hours ago, Dr. Kerbal said:

My vector missiles don’t work. Wow. That astroid is tough. I guess I will have to move to plan b. Will explosions change its course?

Theoretically the impact alone if hit at the right spot on the asteroid should be enough to change its course. However, I can’t confirm this because I haven’t tried it before.

Edited June 23, 2021 by Sivako Aerospace

[Lewie]

Here it is! The idea behind it is that after the asteroid has been pushed away from Kerbin, the upper portion remains to serve as a space hotel. Hope you enjoy!

Spoiler

 

Also...the station lights up!! Kerbals love green, and what's a better way to convince them to spend their hard-earned funds on a trip to a space hotel?

I hope you enjoyed this, I know I did!

Edited June 23, 2021 by Lewie

[Kerbal Productions]

18 hours ago, Dr. Kerbal said:

My vector missiles don’t work. Wow. That astroid is tough. I guess I will have to move to plan b. Will explosions change its course?

Depends.

Check my video, I had a short explanation there. Maybe it can help you on your submission!

[dnbattley]

My humble submission, created for this challenge.

Edited to add: the explanation behind this mission is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment in the video, but the description in YouTube is more informative.

The principle seeks to find a "resonant" magnetic frequency for the loosely bound ferrous core of an asteroid whereby flipping the field rapidly can create localised distortions that in turn will generate internal pressures that will cause the asteroid to crack along fault lines. In my head canon, this is enough to break the asteroid apart on its own, but a secondary objective may be to open up a fissure down which explosive charges could be placed.

Edited June 27, 2021 by dnbattley
Adding mission explanation

[Kerbal Engineering Systems]

Alright, first post on the KSP forums! Here's my concept.

It's called the Asteroid Redirection System (creative name, I know), and it's an ICBM-inspired asteroid redirection vehicle integrated with a launch vehicle. The launch vehicle has a Clydesdale booster as a first stage (with two liquid fueled Twitch engines for roll control, and in my headcanon these are hypergolic engines that use storable propellant) to allow for long-term storage of the launch vehicle in a silo until a potentially hazardous asteroid is detected. Upon detection, launch is commanded, the silo opens, and the vehicle is propelled out of the silo by a small "zeroth stage" consisting of Flea boosters. The zeroth stage detaches, allowing the first stage to fire, taking the stack up to a suborbital trajectory. A second stage powered by a Woolfhound AJ10 engine (again, since it's modeled after the real AJ10, which uses storable hypergols as propellant, my headcanon is that this engine uses storable propellant) propels the system into orbit, and then performs the Kerbin ejection burn out to the target asteroid. The second stage remains attached throughout the "chase phase," in which the spacecraft maneuvers towards the asteroid and fine-tunes the encounter. The final use of the second stage is to begin braking upon arrival at the asteroid mere months after launch. The second stage then separates, and the Redirection Vehicle (RV) continues  the braking burn with a high-efficiency nuclear thermal engine (my headcanon on this one is that the fuel would be loaded into the RV within the last few minutes before launch, much like the upper stage on a Falcon 9). The RV then approaches the asteroid and gives it a slight nudge to ensure that the asteroid is on a safe trajectory. The RV remains attached to the asteroid in case any further hazard mitigation maneuvers are required, and to track the asteroid to enable longer-term mitigation (i.e. moving the asteroid farther away from Kerbin with a larger vehicle) and possible exploitation of the asteroid.

 

[Sivako Aerospace]

                         Project: Star Defender

 

My submission for this challenge. The concept behind Star Defender (short for Starship Defender) is to have a rapid response asteroid redirection system that can be deployed at a moments notice and change the course of asteroids in close proximity to or in Kerbin's sphere of influence. The design of Star Defender makes use of a modified cargo Starship with the focus on carrying the necessary componentry for an asteroid redirect such as a grappler arm, electrical power, and lots of fuel. One final benefit of Star Defender using a modified Starship is it is completely reusable meaning it can be used for multiple redirect missions. Alright I have talked long enough, below is a link to my submission video that explains the mission profile better than I ever could. Thanks for reading.

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FrIdSefsCQf3YtKmfPTaKFlyczRYD_cY/view?usp=sharing

Edited June 25, 2021 by Sivako Aerospace

[Guest]

Ok here we go:

The Lazerplate redirection system is a way to reliantly deflect an asteroid, with little to no debris!

The lazerplate system works via a lazer firing at a plate (as the name suggests!) How this is done can be explained below:

The Lazerplate launches over two rockets to an asteroid of threatening trajectory. Using on board cameras the plate finds a spot that is closest to the Center of Mass AND in reach of the lazer

Alignment is key. the main reason we use a plate is because  the reliability to have a flat surface to fire on instead of a loose rocky surface, and if the plate still causes the asteroid to turn, it is easier to point at another part of the plate to balance out the rotation

Thanks to Newton's Third Law, we push the asteroid in a direction that will avoid kerbin. 

 

Hope that works as a submission, you can tell me if it doesn't @KSPStar

BTW I had to use fireworks since there are no stock lazers (that's why the explosions deflected off the plate a bit)

[StarSlay3r]

13 hours ago, The Doodling Astronaut said:

Hope that works as a submission, you can tell me if it doesn't @KSPStar

You're good! I added your entry to the list.

[LHACK4142]

My submission is done... I just hope I can get it recorded in time