The Single-stage Altitude Challenge

[tstehler1]

This challenge is pretty self-explanatory. How far can you get from Kerbin's sea level?

RULES

Rockets must be built in the following fashion:

Stage 0: Parachute

Stage 1: Command Module

Stage 2: Stack decoupler

Stage 3: ALL fuel and engines

STOCK PARTS ONLY

Liquid and solid boosters can both be used, but all must be part of stage 3 (therefore, they must all be carried, even once empty).

Maximum 40 parts.

Red launch stabilizer clamp things (can't remember the technical name) CANNOT be used.

Advanced SAS is allowed in stage 3 if you wish.

RCS is allowed, but not really recommended, as you won't really be doing any turning and it takes up weight and parts.

Fins, etc are allowed, but count towards your parts total.

Your score is your highest achieved elevation on your altimeter (unless, by some strange miracle, you escape Kerbin's sphere of influence, in which case, mad props to you).

I should add that I just thought of this challenge about ten minutes ago... and therefore haven't done it yet. I'll try it this weekend when I get some time and post my score. Let me know how you do! I'm new to the forums and want to get some friendships (and maybe some friendly competitions) going.

Cheers!

Edited May 1, 2013 by tstehler1

[Pyotor Gagarin]

I'll give it a shot:

40 parts (counting the struts). I reached escape, but not by much. I'd be willing to bet that some of the real pros could reach solar escape with some more careful designing/flying;)

The engines were all aerospikes.

[foamyesque]

The answer to this, from Kerbin, is infinity. Single stage to solar escape is, in principle, possible. Single stage to Kerbin escape is trivial.

You want to make this a real challenge? Make it liftoff from Eve.

EDIT:

Wait, didn't notice the part count restriction. That makes things more interesting. Also having to include a parachute and decoupler annoys me. It's a single stage rocket and it ain't coming back.

[bulletrhli]

The good thing about this is that you can do a normal rocket design, I am pretty sure action groups are allows and decoupling is therefore technically not a stage

[Epthelyn]

The good thing about this is that you can do a normal rocket design, I am pretty sure action groups are allows and decoupling is therefore technically not a stage

Er...No.

"Liquid and solid boosters can both be used, but all must be part of stage 3 (therefore, they must all be carried, even once empty)."

[Francesco]

a couple of things about this challenge:

1. I guess the no launch clamps thing is to avoid people exploiting that to get free delta-v by placing their ship as high as possible, but it leads to some problems, like the ship standing on engine nozzles (not a very nice thing to do, especially with NERVAs). this is what I had to come up with to provide a safe and stable platform:

2. but that of course increases the part count, going well past 40.

besides, I don't get why there is a part count maximum to partecipate in this challenge.

it would make more sense to just give more points to those who use less parts, but not as a strict rule.

3. it seems that it takes 2.7-2.8 km/s to reach Sun escape from LKO, so a total delta-v of 7+ km/s is required;

that's really pushing it in engineering terms, since most engines in KSP have a max mass ratio of 8-8.5 km/s; even by adding LV-Ns and raising that limit, we also have to consider a lower launch TWR as we add more fuel tanks, which is a problem since we're talking about a SSTO here and we can't discard SRBs/boosters.

a cousin of that ship in the pic came several hundreds m/s short of achieving solar escape: maybe it could do better with some tweaks, or maybe an air breathing hybrid is the way to go - but again, that would require more than 40 parts.

[tstehler1]

Er...No.

"Liquid and solid boosters can both be used, but all must be part of stage 3 (therefore, they must all be carried, even once empty)."

Yep, you took the words right out of my mouth. Sorry everyone, but action groups aren't allowed on this one.

[bulletrhli]

Er...No.

"Liquid and solid boosters can both be used, but all must be part of stage 3 (therefore, they must all be carried, even once empty)."

My apologies I misread and did not see "even once empty."

[tavert]

lump's been making sun-escaping SSTO's. I don't think he usually puts decouplers or parachutes on them, and I'm not sure if the smallest ones are less than 40 parts...

[Xeldrak]

what about fuel-lines?

[tstehler1]

lump's been making sun-escaping SSTO's. I don't think he usually puts decouplers or parachutes on them, and I'm not sure if the smallest ones are less than 40 parts...

Mad props to him. That's certainly something that's far beyond my personal skill level.

[tstehler1]

what about fuel-lines?

Fuel lines are also legal, but also count towards your parts total, as do struts of any kind.

[Xeldrak]

Well, I got this little, nameless contraption (22 parts) into a solar....I mean a kerbolar orbit:

[Xenotheos]

40 parts. I didn't do any staging, but i did right click off engines so if that isn't allowed then obviously this submission doesn't count.

[tstehler1]

40 parts. I didn't do any staging, but i did right click off engines so if that isn't allowed then obviously this submission doesn't count.

I suppose I never did say anything about right-clicks on engines. I wonder if I should update the rules to include that...

[Xeldrak]

Yeah, you probably should

[tavert]

I modified my SSTOMAB (single stage to orbit, mun, and back, from a pre-purge challenge) design to bring it down to 36 parts, and even flew it without MechJeb here. I didn't quite make solar escape, I was a few hundred m/s short with my poorly-timed escape. I managed a solar apoapsis of 231,465,501,857 meters (that's more than double Eeloo's apoapsis). Doing multiple periapsis kicks and/or lining up my escape better with Kerbin's prograde would get me even higher.

http://imgur.com/a/HJbI6#0

I'm pretty sure lump's designs can do the same thing in a smaller package, and with more than one LV-N so better TWR.

Edited May 2, 2013 by tavert

[tstehler1]

I modified my SSTOMAB (single stage to orbit, mun, and back, from a pre-purge challenge) design to bring it down to 36 parts, and even flew it without MechJeb here. I didn't quite make solar escape, I was a few hundred m/s short with my poorly-timed escape. I managed a solar apoapsis of 231,465,501,857 meters (that's more than double Eeloo's apoapsis). Doing multiple periapsis kicks and/or lining up my escape better with Kerbin's prograde would get me even higher.

Lol... I like how it would have taken 3 years to actually get to that solar apoapsis x)

[leax256]

can i use mech jeb forinfomation purposes and if so does that count as a part?

[Francesco]

can i use mech jeb forinfomation purposes and if so does that count as a part?

put it on while inside the VAB, take it away before launch

[tstehler1]

can i use mech jeb forinfomation purposes and if so does that count as a part?

Honestly, I've never used MechJeb, but I do have a basic understanding of what it is. As long as it's taken away before launch, sure, use it all you want!

[foamyesque]

Pretty sure this can do it, but I don't have the patience to actually fly it.

[SpaceOddity]

Do we need the decoupler and parachute? My craft doesn't need any staging - all engines are active from launch, only input besides steering is action group controlling solar panels. Ship goes all the way to solar orbit so no need to land (though final version will have a docking port for rescue mission - Krussians never leave their Percussive Maintenance Specialists where anybody could take them.

This is the pre-optimization version, at 36 parts.

Until I optimize it, it is flown by mechjeb, so not an entry yet. I should be able to cut part number to 30 by replacing fuel tanks with orange one and fully optimizing amount of xenon fuel.

Edited May 2, 2013 by SpaceOddity

[flux.faraday]

Haha. I did a top stage like Pyotor's on page one with the winglets attached to the capsule. The main stage failed, so I separated near KSP. Then I deployed the chute and a strange thing happened. The capsule then orbited the chute, maintaining an altitude of about 1200m. I watched this for about ten minutes then finally stopped it by keeping the nose of the capsule pointed at the chute. Something funny going on there.

[lump]

Ok guys, i will post my smallest ship to escape kerbols orbit (but that was with a gravity turn) going straight up soon.

Edit: i assume we are alowed to do gravity turns, otherwise my best rocket sucks.

Edited May 2, 2013 by lump