Weekly Challenge #21 - VTHL

[Nerdy_Mike]

 

Hello Kerbonauts

Challenge: VTHL

Build a VTHL, a spaceplane that launches vertically from the launch pad and lands horizontally on the runway.
Primary: Launch a small MK1 or MK2-sized kerbaled spaceplane atop a booster rocket (e.g. Dreamchaser, Dyna-Soar, X-37), orbit Kerbin, and land on the KSC runway
Secondary: Launch a large MK3 kerbaled spaceplane mounted to the side of its launch vehicle (e.g. Space Shuttle, Buran) and land it on the KSC runway
Jeb: Launch and land an SSTO VTHL (e.g. X-33/Venture Star)
Val: Transport a space station module into orbit with your SSTO VTHL and land on the runway. Then deliver a second module to the station on a second flight.

Good luck

 

 

[Jamooser]

 

Spoiler

Val level VTHL SSTO with 35t payload capacity.

I had a lot of fun with this week's challenge! I don't normally build Mk3 SSTOs, lets alone with VTHL capabilities. I came across a few minor bugs, like my power module wanting to flip out a little bit. I think it was getting confused with the medium sized docking ports on each end and within such close proximity to one another. While trying to dock the two modules together, the docking acquire force would only let me within 7m of my habitation module, and then it would repel me as if the polarities were the same. I just spun the module around and docked from the other side and it worked itself out.



The two space station modules I built were a 5-kerbal habitation module complete with solar panels, RCS and a direct communication link to KSC. The second module is a power generating and communications module, with a medium sized RTG and both direct and relay communications capabilities.

Full mission pictures are available in the spoilers comment!

[Socraticat]

So there I am, testing out my MK3 VTHL when all of a sudden...

I'll be back when this craft is done baking in R&D. As is, its payload capacity is N/A. Felt pretty good about the landing so I had to share. It was a big milestone in my development process.

[Chris Windle]

I am posting this a couple days after the latest challenge is already available, but since I saw only a couple entries, I thought I would post my challenge results that I only just finished.  Last week I upgraded my PC main hard drive to an WD-Black 2TB SSD and not only is the startup and access times loading so much faster, obviously, I haven't seen one crash in KSP2 since then.  I can't say that my old drive was causing the crashes that I did get before or not, but I am really glad for the upgrade. Thanks to my son Sean for the awesome present.  The rocket for my shuttle launcher is the same base rocket I used for the Korolev Cross challenge in Week 21.

The  launch was smooth after I balanced out my load and got all my operational pods pointing in the same direction.  Before that, my shuttle kept spinning out of control in orbit.  Val was physched about the trip:


It's a little dark, since we deployed the first stage of our new space station on the dark side of kerbin.  But, we had a nice view of the mun when we did:



I would love to say the landing was smooth, but we tumbled nearly out of control for the first 50,000m to only get control and level it out around 5,000m.  It was looking pretty good on approach:


 
And then we ran out of fuel before getting the runway lined up:

And it ended badly:



But, in true Kerbel fashion, we tried again, this time paying more close attention to the remaining fuel and landed perfectly, my first successful landing of something bigger than a medium-sized jet.



Even P.A.I.G.E. said I didn't fail!  But, I was surprised that Val had to deal with almost 4.2g.  Is that normal? 

Edited July 28, 2023 by Chris Windle