Chicken With The Mun

[The Lone Wolfling]

This challenge is fairly simple:

Lowest orbit around the Mun wins. Contest is split into two sections: lowest apoapsis and lowest periapsis. However, you have to complete a full orbit without lithobraking (and/or lithobreaking!). Hyperbolic trajectories need not apply for lowest apoapsis.

Note that the highest point on the Mun is 3340m.

Stock-only. Exception: Kerbal Engineer Redux is allowed, though MechJeb isn't.

Please post at least 3 screenshots of orbit in-progress, and a screenshot of the map screen showing apoapsis and periapsis.

(If there is interest, I may extend this to other atmosphere-less bodies.)

Leaderboard:

Apoapsis:

1. 2579m X 2698m - NinjaOx
   
2. 2656m X 3081m - frash23
   
3. 2760m X 3099m - frash23
   
4. 2973m X 3124m - Spartwo
   
5. 2715m X 413,084m - Skyhawk
   

Periapsis:

1. 2579m X 2698m - NinjaOx
   
2. 2656m X 3081m - frash23
   
3. 2715m X 413,084m - Skyhawk
   
4. 2760m X 3099m - frash23
   
5. 2973m X 3124m - Spartwo
   

Failures:

• 1900m X 413,084m - Skyhawk
  
• 2442m X 5171m - Mr. Shifty
  
• 2106m X 2913 - TheBobWiley
  

Edited July 1, 2013 by The Lone Wolfling

[Kamsko]

I am assuming an extremely eccentric orbit is okay? Might give me the edge needed to put the perigee in a crater lol. I know the challenge is lowest apogee but this makes me want to put a perigee in a crater and survive.

[The Lone Wolfling]

I am assuming an extremely eccentric orbit is okay? Might give me the edge needed to put the perigee in a crater lol. I know the challenge is lowest apogee but this makes me want to put a perigee in a crater and survive.

It's OK, but you won't get a great score.

I might add a category for lowest periapsis though.

(Also, apoapsis and periapsis, not apogee and perigee. Apsis is the general term; gee is only for Earth.)

EDIT: I added said category.

Edited June 24, 2013 by The Lone Wolfling

[Spartwo]

it varies by 200m

2973m X 3124m

[The Lone Wolfling]

2973m X 3124m

Please post at least 3 screenshots of orbit in-progress, and a screenshot of the map screen showing apoapsis and periapsis.

That being said, that's above the highest point on the Mun, so I'll give it to you.

[inigma]

Add kudos to any brave Kerbal able to EVA on the surface and videotape the speeding orbital object as it zooms overhead.

[frash23]

I DID BETTER. CHECK OUT THIS POST

Everything done without mods.

I got:

Periapsis: 2760M

Apoapsis: 3099M

Took me 2 hours.

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Imgur took out my orbital map view, so here it is:

I took 2 extra orbits of this, just to make sure i wouldnt crash ^^

Edited June 24, 2013 by frash23

[Skyhawk]

I'd like to enter the lowest periapsis please. I took an unnamed probe to a 2,736 meter periapse according to the map view.

Some the screenshots beg to differ, though, and I don't know why.

After this shot, the probe began to rise, as vert. speed is zero.

After I finished the orbit, I tried to lower it, only to create a new crater on the side of a mountain. 1,900 meters was too low.

Still, though, this was after 1 complete orbit, so I'd like to enter either 2,736 meters from map view, or 2,715 meters form the altimeter, whichever you go by. The apoapsis was over 100 km, so it doesn't matter.

Edited June 26, 2013 by Skyhawk

[frash23]

Alright, as i am a bad loser, i just had to correct mine.

Again, done without mods.

Here is my entry for both:

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Again, i took two orbits, just to check it wouldnt ruint itself somehow.

AP: 3081M

PE: 2656M

Edited June 24, 2013 by frash23

[Mr Shifty]

Kerbal Science Academy looked at the topo map for the Mun and thought an inclined orbit at about 20 degrees had a good chance of getting pretty low. Two volunteers were drafted and sent out to attempt the lowest orbit ever recorded around the Mun. This post preserves the memory of their heroism and sacrifice.

After a transit around the dark side, broke through to a swift sunrise.

We start to get vertigo near 2.5 km ASL.

True altitude dropped below 300m just as we passed periapsis, and I breathed a sigh of relief, but Valentina and Sean look very worried...

...alas, the Kerbal Mining Co forgot to install the tunnel through the side of Mount Doom.

RIP Valentina and Sean. Your contribution to Kerbal science will not be in vain.... Can I get two more volunteers?!

[The Lone Wolfling]

RIP Valentina and Sean. Your contribution to Kerbal science will not be in vain.... Can I get two more volunteers?!

I said no lithobraking! (I also said no MechJeb.)

Try using Jeb and Bob - "Lower!" "AHHHHHHHH!!!!!".

[Mr Shifty]

I said no lithobraking! (I also said no MechJeb.)

Try using Jeb and Bob - "Lower!" "AHHHHHHHH!!!!!".

Posted merely for amusement value, not as an entry.

[inigma]

champion to go to the one who can video tape from a Kerbal on top of a mountain as you speed over head quickly.

[The Lone Wolfling]

Posted merely for amusement value, not as an entry.

I was aware of that. Sorry, it probably didn't come across as such. I tend to fail at communicating seriousness or lack there of over text media.

champion to go to the one who can video tape from high five a Kerbal on top of a mountain as you speed over head quickly.

FIFY

[TheBobWiley]

I love these types of challenges, tied up with the duna permanent outpost challenge, but giving this one a whirl. Best so far 3km perioapsis.... but I lost my engine on a tiny bit of bumped up land, rest of the path was looking good (actual height off ground ~5m).... guess I need to look for a crater to put my perioapsis in :\

2nd attempt. found an inclination I think will work, already got below 2200m pe, 6000m ap...... I have mechjeb on all command pods via cfg, im not using it to adjust orbits or anything, just using it for orbital info. If I have to remove it for my submission (once I get back to the mun with new rocket) let me know OP.

Edited June 26, 2013 by TheBobWiley

[TheBobWiley]

Well good and bad news, had a stable orbit at 2300m perioapsis, 2500m apoapsis making me the leader.... but I tried to go a tad lower and ended up setting it too low, just barely. I know you want SS at perio and apo, but since its almost 3am I hit the quicksave button instead of quickload after my crash. i can try again tomorrow I suppose :\

[NinjaOx]

Sweet, I already did this once!

ENTER... DAREDEVIL1

Soaring through the large moon canyon - DAREDEVIL1 doesn't care!

Apopsis and periapsis...

So that's... 2698 and 2579.

Who will defeat...

DAREDEVIL1?

Edited June 30, 2013 by NinjaOx

[Pds314]

This reminds me of my first Duna Mission, to save fuel (as if my ship actually needed to with its 9000+ m/s of Delta-v after LKO thanks to Orange tanks and nuke-engines), I used gravity assist from Ike to brake.

I got so close (around 9500 meters above "sea-level") that the mountains nearby were higher up than I was. I left a Kerbal in Ike Orbit and used their Jetpack to stabilize the orbit (albeit with a higher Periapsis around 25000).