The Terabyte Space Marathon

[1096bimu]

It still has 20% less thrust than a nuke engine and the 40 electric/sec making it difficult to incorporate into designs. I think all these trade off against one another to the point where I still can't justify using the ion engine for interplanetary stuff over the nuke. Didn't use it at all before because it simply wasn't balanced enough to be useful - making the game more fun.

Why don't you do the same and we'll race to get this challenge done? or better yet as we've got a bit of wiggle room, build something epic.

I don't like mods that disguise themselves into balanced realistic stuff, when they are really unbalanced, and magical in operation. And I hate mods that are nothing more than CFG edits.

If it really is balanced, why don't you just use a nuclear engine instead?

Edited June 27, 2013 by 1096bimu

[1096bimu]

Let's just look at it this way:

the hybrid ion engine weighs just 1 tone while the large nuclear engine weighs 5 tones. Getting the 40/s electricity will only take you less than 1 tone of solar panels, let's just say 1 tone. That's a 150% reduction in weight.

The hybrid ion engine has an ISP of 900 while the nuclear engine has 220 in atmosphere, that's a 300% increase in ISP.

now you propose to boost its thrust by 140% and claim that it is STILL balanced? are you kidding me? Sure it still has less thrust, but it does have 80% of the thrust of the nuclear engine ok?

AND, you can just install 2 of them, for 160% the thrust, but only 80% of the weight, what a tradeoff!

Edited June 27, 2013 by 1096bimu

[HoY]

The Orion engine can do this challenge 10 times in a row in a single stage, I think you'd better actually remove it from mods allowed. (Yes it's realistically balanced)

[TerabyteSPAAACE]

and I have all sorts of other magical engines that would totally do this entire thing single stage.

Maybe you should post the mods to make sure the engines aren't too OP. I saw an engine mod earlier that gave you an engine that's almost as big as a normal, full-sized rocket.

[TerabyteSPAAACE]

I would assume that this is kind of the purpose of this challenge, to see if it is doable or not.

Exactly. I want to see if others can do it. Look at my ribbons! I have two, and the best one is a Mun Orbiter.

[TerabyteSPAAACE]

I don't like mods that disguise themselves into balanced realistic stuff, when they are really unbalanced, and magical in operation. And I hate mods that are nothing more than CFG edits.

If it really is balanced, why don't you just use a nuclear engine instead?

Exactly. Sometimes mods make this game too easy, sadly. The only reason I downloaded HyperEdit was so I could get my damn Space Station into orbit. Sadly, again, lots of mods are too buggy for me to use.

[Alfondoo]

-snip-

I'll hold off then till mods are decided upon.

Edited June 27, 2013 by Alfondoo

[TerabyteSPAAACE]

I'll hold off then till mods are decided upon.

you can go ahead and use them, but if you feel the mods may be unfair, tell me and i'll check to see if it's ok.

[tavert]

I have an ssto that can take off from eve.

If that's stock, then that's absolutely a first (with the exception of glitch-powered vehicles) and has been called impossible many times. Care to describe your design at all?

[kahlzun]

I can do this.

You just need to divide this into stages:

IP travel to Moho (refuel)

Land-and-return from Moho (disposable lander)

IP travel to Eve (refuel)

Land-and-return from Eve (Hooligan Airship)

IP travel to Kerbin.

IP stage needs about 8000 dV (Kerb-Moho), Eve lander is difficult stock, but with mods gets easier, especially if you can use Cirrus envelopes to loft to around 20k (combination descent and lift assistance).

**also note challenge does not specify launch from Kerbin. If you're having trouble, you can launch your IP stage from Minmus, or even Gilly, using Interplanetary Launchpads (note: I won't be doing this, but might be considered a loophole)** I guess the OP saw this, and has specifically precluded this! Nicely played

Edited June 29, 2013 by kahlzun

[kahlzun]

Hang on a sec.. wasn't this originally go to moho, go to eve, go to Kerbin?

Did the OP change the challenge? Whats the point of going to Eve twice? You've already proven you can..

[Holo]

I see the excuse (Which I understand IS a rule, yes I get it) of "WHere you're attempt, OP?" all the time. and Every time I see this, I think those people are just too afraid to try. I have an ssto that can take off from eve. As soon as I get home from work I'll be starting this mission to show it's possible. Quit making excuses on why not to try it, and just admit you don't know how to do it. I don't think every challenge needs to be proven by the OP first; that just gives away clues on how to build. And for the record, the OP never said the eve lander had to be SSTO. if you can refuel, or have drop tanks, I'm sure it's allowed to dock new launch stages to land with for takeoff at a later time. Think outside the box people.

Because without that question, I could give a challenge for a SSTO-to-grand-tour and say that anyone who questions its possibility is just too afraid to try.

[bigpapabearxx]

Because without that question, I could give a challenge for a SSTO-to-grand-tour and say that anyone who questions its possibility is just too afraid to try.

Also why would we want to spend hours doing something that is impossible.