ASTRO (Add Stuff To Reach Orbit) Challenge

[SirJodelstein]

This challenge is about making random asymmetric piles of junk unconventional rocket designs fly. Presenting:

The Add-Stuff-To-Reach-Orbit Challenge (ASTRO)

The goal of this challenge is to fly the central command pod into a stable orbit around Kerbin, using the least amount of additional parts as possible.

There is only one rule: You may not delete or move parts from the original craft. Anything else is allowed (adding parts, reordering stages, rotating the craft etc).

HyperEdit, use of the debug menu and cfg-editing are obviously forbidden.

Your entry will be scored by the final part count of the craft. In case of a tie, the mass at launch pad is used as a tiebreaker. Modded entries are welcome, but will be entered in a separate scoreboard (either "Mod Balanced" or "Mod Extreme", depending on the subjective "overpoweredness-rating" issued by me).

ASTRO Challenge #1 aka "The Rocket That Does Not Need To Turn"

One of our engineers found a way to work around control authority issues during gravity turns. He built a rocket that was intended to climb vertically into space and then deploy the second stage that was mounted at a 90°-angle. Needless to say, he perished during the first test flight. The rocket has severe balancing and structural issues. Can you make it fly?

Craft File (31 parts, 113.9t, dV (atmo//vac) = 4800m/s // 5450m/s)

Spoiler-my stock solution (93 parts, 161.8t)

ASTRO Challenge #2 aka "The TWR Mishap"

Well, someone didn't pay attention during the lesson on TWR balancing for launch vehicles. This one has enough dV to go to orbit, but starts with a TWR of 0.1 in the first stage, and finishes with a Mainsail-powered TWR of ~11 on stage three. Also, the asymmetry is a little bit more pronounced than in challenge one. Good luck!

Craft file (40 parts)

ASTRO Challenge #3 aka "Stage separation taken literally"

This one has almost ok TWR and dV for each stage, and the payload is even symmetrical this time. I guess you can see the problems with this design immediately

Craft file (62 parts)

Edited July 12, 2013 by SirJodelstein
Challenges #2 and #3

[AlexanderB]

This sounds like a fun challenge.. starting KSP now..

[edit:] that was surprisingly too easy, maybe.

Changes:

- added Jr. Docking port on top so I could control from there,

- added 3 fuel tanks + 3x fuel lines to second stage, 1 far forward for balance on the liftoff, the other 2 around the COG.

- added a few struts to fix wobble.

In total, 43 parts, 119.62 tons

Flight profile:

-control from docking port

-ascend straight up till the fuel on the first stage runs out

-control back to command pod

-activate liquid fuel engine to get out of the clutter or staged boosters, turn to face up, and fire the solids (throttling down the liquid fuel engine for later)

- watch the map & navball (it pulls to 1 side a bit) till an AP of +/- 70 is achieved, then level it so the ap stays at 70-75 and starts moving forward. by the time you get up to 70 km, a speed of about 1600 m/s is reached, keep burning the liquid fuel engine untill full orbit is achieved.

First attempt: 70-something by 164-something orbit with fuel to spare.. I think I might have overdone it, haha.

.Craft file

Edited July 12, 2013 by AlexanderB

[SirJodelstein]

Well done, AlexanderB! Wouldn't have thought that it would be possible to fix all balance problems with a single offcenter tank. That is a very part-efficient solution.

I have added two more useless interesting rocket designs. Should be a little bit harder than the first one

[AlexanderB]

I tried something else first (adding dead weight, no fuel) but I came up short a few 100 m/s, so I used fuel instead..

I'll try the new designs tomorrow.

[Sirine]

Done this few days ago, just don't have the 'computer' to upload it.

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Astro one, 165 parts. Craft file. (3 in 1)

Flight profile:

Drain out the solid fuel, lift off as normal.

Astro two, 103 parts.

Flight profile:

Press 2, to burn-cut the asymmetric section. After that, Press 'space'.

Wait for second section cut, then lift-off immediately after cut. Else the main body will be damage by the cut.

Astro Three, 148 parts.

Flight profile:

Simple, release the 3 asymmetric lifting engine once at launch pad, and lift it with addition lifter.

[SirJodelstein]

@Sirine, pretty clever, especially for #2 and #3. Thought the round cap at the bottom of #3 would prevent something like that, but yeah, totally valid solution. Can someone come up with even more part-efficient builds?

Thinking about a fourth puzzle atm.

[Sirine]

@Sirine, pretty clever, especially for #2 and #3. Thought the round cap at the bottom of #3 would prevent something like that, but yeah, totally valid solution. Can someone come up with even more part-efficient builds?

Thinking about a fourth puzzle atm.

#2 solution can cut everything...even the most heat resistance command pod.

Perhaps, you should add few more rules. Decouple only allow after leaving the launch pad, or not 'cut' part allow... o(^.^)o