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Escape Kerbol Orbit

Second Hand Rocket Science
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Second Hand Rocket Science

Second Hand Rocket Science

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INTRO

This challenge sounds simple. But it's not as simple as you think...

According to previous forum posts, Kerbol's SOI is inescapable. We aim to prove that wrong! Using creative and wacky ways, your main mission is to either prove the theories wrong and escape Kerbol SOI, or get as far as possible with KSP's game engine. All and any methods are allowed to accomplish this (within reason). Kraken Drives and all mods excluding a few (see the rules about this) are allowed. The only thing you aren't allowed to do is use the cheat menu (with the exception of Infinite Electric Charge; see Kraken Drives and Cheats). Have fun!

Leaderboard

Spoiler

500 points +

N/A

350 points +

N/A

200 points +

N/A

100 points +

@sevenperforce- 150 points

50 points +

N/A

 

 

Rules

1. Mods - All mods are allowed.* Go bananas!

2. Science - The main goal of this challenge is to get the maximum science return from the mission. You can do this any way you want including visiting the outer planets on the way to interstellar space.

3. Power - RTGs and solar panels are the only power source. Fuel cells are prohibited. You can have as much or as little EC at the start of the challenge as you want. 

4. Launch vehicle and launch - You can do this any way at all! SSTO however gives you extra points. More info on the scoring section.

5. Craft - It can be anything! If you want to build a satellite or probe, you can do that. However, scoring gets higher and lower with size and creativity.

6. Kraken Drives and Cheats - Kraken Drives are always allowed. Docking port drives, gear drives, everything. However, the Cheat Menu (Alt+F12) can only be used for Infinite Electric Charge. This is because at the extreme ranges you will be from Kerbol, solar panels will not be an option.  If your mod facilitates reliable power generation (e.g. NF nuclear plants) without solar, you can use that. Please remember that you can only use that !ONCE! and using it twice or more will get you penalties. Using it throughout the entire mission will get you disqualified. Warp drives are allowed IF THEY ARE MADE WITH STOCK PARTS. That may sound like an impossible goal, but think about Kraken Drives and the KAL-9000 and you might get there! Tweakscale is allowed for this. They are allowed to be used in conjunction with modded parts, though. If you had, say, made a Tweakscaled ion engine that needed 9999999 EC or something, you could set it up with a nuclear reactor array.

*Mods that are completely game changing (e.g. a Kopernicus mod that changes Kerbol to a tiny atom) are disallowed. This includes:

Interstellar Extended (because that's not the point of this)

Kopernicus

and a few more that will be decided on your entry.

Points:

1. Mass - The bigger and heavier it is, the more points you get. The weight in tons directly transfers to points (e.g. 10 tons - 10 points).

If it is a probe, the launch vehicle is NOT included in the calculation.

2. Science - Science points transfer using this formula:

Science points ÷ 1000

For example, if the science gain is 37,500, you would have 37.5 points. 

3. SSTO - SSTOs will earn you bonus points. You get 15 points for a rocket SSTO (launched via launchpad) and 25 points for a jet SSTO (launched via runway). Note the names of the SSTOs do not change the engine types. You can use any engines you want on them.

4. CommNet - Having CommNet enabled boosts your points x1.5. If you end up with 50 points, your total would be 75. This is because the added effort of assembling an interstellar CommNet is massive. If you prefer not to, that is perfectly fine.

5. Time to reach Kerbol escape trajectory - The time that it takes for you to reach an escape will award you points for being quicker. To clarify, this means how long it takes from launch to the burn that puts you on the escape trajectory. This does not mean how long it takes to escape Kerbol SOI. That would be bonkers.

5 years and up - 5 points

1 year - 20 points

200 days - 35 points

100 days - 50 points

50 days - 75 points

30 days and less - 100 points

 

6. Creativity - If you have built anything like a flying walrus or the Enterprise, you get bonus points depending on the creativity. Points differ from craft to craft (e.g. a flying rainbow would get 50 points bonus but a scale model of Duna would get 300)

7. Game Mode - If you do this in Science or even Career (if you're daring enough!) you shall get extra points. Formula is as follows:

Science mode with all items unlocked (a previous playthrough) = 100 points extra

Science mode from scratch (new save) = 200 points extra

Career mode with all items unlocked (a previous playthrough) = 350 points extra

Career mode from scratch (new save) = 500 points extra

Submitting your entry

Videos are preferred showing you launching, orbiting Kerbol, visiting the outer planets (if you choose to do so) etc. Despite this, I know that not everyone has access to a recording software, so images are accepted. They must show what the videos show (and more is appreciated).

 

I hope you have fun with this challenge! If it gets popular (which it probably won't) then I will add some badges.

Edited by Second Hand Rocket Science
Rethought rules
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Kerb24

Kerb24

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2 hours ago, Second Hand Rocket Science said:

5. Time to reach interstellar space - The time that it takes for you to reach interstellar will award you points for being quicker.

From when are we measuring? From launch, it would take several kerbin years to reach interstellar space.

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Second Hand Rocket Science

Second Hand Rocket Science

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Addressing both:

55 minutes ago, Kerb24 said:

From when are we measuring? From launch, it would take several kerbin years to reach interstellar space.

I should've specified this isn't actually "interstellar space" but the time it takes to achieve an escape trajectory from Kerbol. Even so, now I think about it, my timeframe was pretty hard to do... I'll update it.

 

29 minutes ago, Rutabaga22 said:

I don't believe it is possible to escape kerbol. I think the way the physics are simulated it has an infinite soi. The only way to escape kerbol is for the kraken o put you on an escape trajectory out of the sun.

 

Where are you getting your information from? When I'm playing KSP, I can just burn prograde for 5 mins or more and get on an easy escape trajectory from Kerbol orbit.

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Rutabaga22

Rutabaga22

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6 minutes ago, Second Hand Rocket Science said:

Where are you getting your information from? When I'm playing KSP, I can just burn prograde for 5 mins or more and get on an easy escape trajectory from Kerbol orbit.

First of all it is said in one of the ksp 2 videos that it is impossible to escape kerbol.
second

 

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sevenperforce

sevenperforce

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On 6/11/2022 at 7:05 AM, Second Hand Rocket Science said:

Time to reach Kerbol escape trajectory - The time that it takes for you to reach an escape will award you points for being quicker. To clarify, this means how long it takes from launch to the burn that puts you on the escape trajectory.

Kraken Drives are always allowed*. Docking port drives, gear drives, everything.

I think you may underestimate the power of a Brachistochrone trajectory.

For the record I just slapped together two docking ports, a reaction wheel, and a command chair, and Jeb was on a Kerbol escape trajectory 5 minutes and 57 seconds after launch.

Passed the Mun at T+18:29.

Passed Minmus at T+34:07.

Left Kerbin's SOI at T+44:41.

If I turned off the engine now and coasted the rest of the way, I would pass Jool in about 9 days.

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linuxgurugamer

linuxgurugamer

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On 6/11/2022 at 10:31 AM, Second Hand Rocket Science said:

Where are you getting your information from? When I'm playing KSP, I can just burn prograde for 5 mins or more and get on an easy escape trajectory from Kerbol orbit.

Kerbol is the sun.

Kerbin is the planet.

You can easily escape Kerbin, but Kerbol essentially has an infinite SOI, but you can get going fast enough to escape it.  I'm not sure what that is, but more than a 5 minute burn.

4 minutes ago, sevenperforce said:

I think you may underestimate the power of a Brachistochrone trajectory.

For the record I just slapped together two docking ports, a reaction wheel, and a command chair, and Jeb was on a Kerbol escape trajectory 5 minutes and 57 seconds after launch.

Passed the Mun at T+18:29.

Passed Minmus at T+34:07.

Left Kerbin's SOI at T+44:41.

If I turned off the engine now and coasted the rest of the way, I would pass Jool in about 9 days.

Interesting, can you show the vessel?

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Bej Kerman

Bej Kerman

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Posted (edited)
On 6/11/2022 at 3:31 PM, Second Hand Rocket Science said:

Where are you getting your information from? When I'm playing KSP, I can just burn prograde for 5 mins or more and get on an easy escape trajectory from Kerbol orbit.

Yes, you can put yourself on a hyperbolic orbit, but you won't ever actually reach the edge of Kerbol's SOI. It's infinite. That being said, you say all mods are allowed, which sort of undercuts the point of a challenge when you can just write or install a mod that does drastically limit the SOI.

Edited by Bej Kerman
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Second Hand Rocket Science

Second Hand Rocket Science

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13 minutes ago, sevenperforce said:

I think you may underestimate the power of a Brachistochrone trajectory.

For the record I just slapped together two docking ports, a reaction wheel, and a command chair, and Jeb was on a Kerbol escape trajectory 5 minutes and 57 seconds after launch.

Passed the Mun at T+18:29.

Passed Minmus at T+34:07.

Left Kerbin's SOI at T+44:41.

If I turned off the engine now and coasted the rest of the way, I would pass Jool in about 9 days.

The point of the challenge is to see how far you can get. Using Kraken Drives, someone might even be able to escape Kerbol SOI (even if that is "impossible")

9 minutes ago, linuxgurugamer said:

Kerbol is the sun.

Kerbin is the planet.

You can easily escape Kerbin, but Kerbol essentially has an infinite SOI, but you can get going fast enough to escape it.  I'm not sure what that is, but more than a 5 minute burn.

I know; I meant to actually achieve escape trajectory; I didn't mean actually escaping SOI.

 

1 minute ago, Bej Kerman said:

Yes, you can put yourself on a hyperbolic orbit, but you won't ever actually reach the edge of Kerbol's SOI. It's infinite. 

2 minutes ago, Bej Kerman said:

That being said, you say all mods are allowed, which sort of undercuts the point of a challenge when you can just write or install a mod that does drastically limit the SOI.

 

That's the point of the challenge! We're trying to escape Kerbol SOI and prove all the normies (no offense) wrong!

 

I'll add that rule in. God, why don't I think these things through?

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sevenperforce

sevenperforce

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12 minutes ago, linuxgurugamer said:
17 minutes ago, sevenperforce said:

I think you may underestimate the power of a Brachistochrone trajectory.

For the record I just slapped together two docking ports, a reaction wheel, and a command chair, and Jeb was on a Kerbol escape trajectory 5 minutes and 57 seconds after launch.

Passed the Mun at T+18:29.

Passed Minmus at T+34:07.

Left Kerbin's SOI at T+44:41.

If I turned off the engine now and coasted the rest of the way, I would pass Jool in about 9 days.

Interesting, can you show the vessel?

Here you go.

screenshot2.png

You should be able to see most of the details here. Reaction wheel, two docking port Jrs, an RTG, a single battery, and three little grip pads for landing legs. In retrospect I could have swapped the RTG for a solar panel and it would have had a higher TWR. I could also add more docking port pairs for more thrust, but it's nice with just one because I can use the Docking Acquire Force tweakable as a throttle. Unfortunately that tweakable can't be keyed directly to the throttle, even using a KAL-9000. 

25 minutes ago, sevenperforce said:

If I turned off the engine now and coasted the rest of the way, I would pass Jool in about 9 days.

I've been letting it run for the past half hour realtime and I'm now at 6 days to Jool. 

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Bej Kerman

Bej Kerman

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1 minute ago, Second Hand Rocket Science said:

The point of the challenge is to see how far you can get. Using Kraken Drives, someone might even be able to escape Kerbol SOI (even if that is "impossible")

The game has bugged out on people before, launching them away at many times the diameter of the observable universe a second, and they haven't escaped the SOI. At most the game will break from floating point errors, and when you get to a point the physics will stop (probably giving you either the NaN Kraken or the Hell Kraken) or the game will crash. It really is impossible.

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sevenperforce

sevenperforce

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I only learned today that you can use a KAL-9000 to set the expansion size of an inflatable airlock, even though there is no tweakable for the airlock. I might be able to key that to a throttle in order to create a throttleable airlock drive.

Can also be useful to anyone who wants to create inflatable airbags or who needs the airlock to be physically smaller.

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MythicalHeFF

MythicalHeFF

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Uh, so I made an Eve boat, and upon chute deployment it ripped itself apart, catapulting the cockpit into interstellar space at 22,000 km/s. Does this count?

udWPLLG.jpg

Power source: none.

Propulsion: parachutes turning on me.

Edited by Jack Joseph Kerman
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MythicalHeFF

MythicalHeFF

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On 6/16/2022 at 4:09 AM, Second Hand Rocket Science said:

I-I-I don'- okay?!?!

Is there any science on board?

I guess parachutes turning on you counts as a kraken drive?

There was science on board, but obviously it didn’t survive the parachute thing

Edited by Jack Joseph Kerman
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Second Hand Rocket Science

Second Hand Rocket Science

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Alright. Points time!

Mass (estimated):  Under 1 ton - 1 point

Science: N/A - 0 points

SSTO: N/A - 0 points

CommNet: N/A - 0 points

Time to reach escape trajectory: 30 days or less - 100 points

 Creativity: Innovative, 150 points

Total: 1+100+150=251 points!

Well done!

-----------------------

Unrelated, replies will probably merge.

I'm looking for someone to design a badge; I am not very skilled with GIMP. I tried, but I can't do it very well. Could anyone do this for me? Thanks in advance!

Edited by Second Hand Rocket Science
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