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Duna Apollo Style

Death Engineering
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capi3101

capi3101

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I've planning to do this challenge for a while now; had to get the Mun mission done first and it's taken me a while to find time to finish planning a Duna run. My mission is underway now and I will be submitting an entry soon - meantime I wanted to bump this thread so I wouldn't have to dig down six pages to find it again...

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capi3101

capi3101

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Definitely going to get exactly no points for arriving early, although the scouting mission I sent ahead arrived Day 117 (so it is possible). I estimate the main mission will arrive no sooner than Day 147.

Finally got the target area painted last night so I'll be proceeding with the mission soon. Question: I plan on landing in the vicinity of the SSTV anomaly. I've been able to confirm that it was buried in 0.21 but it is still there. If I were to post a screenshot of my sci package at/near the coordinates on the map screen, would that be sufficient to fulfill the "put a sci package within 100 m of an anomaly" requirement?

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Death Engineering

Death Engineering

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Definitely going to get exactly no points for arriving early, although the scouting mission I sent ahead arrived Day 117 (so it is possible). I estimate the main mission will arrive no sooner than Day 147.

Finally got the target area painted last night so I'll be proceeding with the mission soon. Question: I plan on landing in the vicinity of the SSTV anomaly. I've been able to confirm that it was buried in 0.21 but it is still there. If I were to post a screenshot of my sci package at/near the coordinates on the map screen, would that be sufficient to fulfill the "put a sci package within 100 m of an anomaly" requirement?

That would be fine. Pic from orbit with a flag near the Co ords.

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capi3101

capi3101

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Fired up KSP last night to get my guys to their Duna rendezvous and the game went haywire as soon as I loaded up the Storax Anacostia - I've never seen the speed gauge say "NaN m/s". Went totally blank on both the map and staging screens and KSC didn't want to show itself either when I went back there. Ultimately had to get completely out and reload the game to get it to work again, and when I did, the ship was gone... ;.;:mad::confused:

So.......when's the next Duna transfer window?

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capi3101

capi3101

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So alexmoon is telling me the next Duna transfer window is on day 290. If I launch on that day, am I still eligible for the extra points for less than 75 from game start? Or should I just forget about those entirely? Everything from the scouting mission is still intact.

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Death Engineering

Death Engineering

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So alexmoon is telling me the next Duna transfer window is on day 290. If I launch on that day, am I still eligible for the extra points for less than 75 from game start? Or should I just forget about those entirely? Everything from the scouting mission is still intact.

The early-arrival bonus applies to any of your launches which make it to Duna orbit before day 129 in the provided save-game file. Since your scouting mission arrived on day 117, your mission earns 12 points for the effort! awesome :D

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Mesklin

Mesklin

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Points not earned, or not discounted, in red.

Basic mission profile to earn the base of 50 points:

  • Non-asparagus, Saturn 5 style launch vehicle: 3 main stages to LKO, no asparagus-style fuel-tank/engine jettisons on ascent to LKO. Solid rocket boosters ARE permitted, as they were being developed for the Space Shuttle, but there is a penalty for making KSC accelerate their development for this mission.
  • Start with the provided save game persistent file.
  • Single launch mission. No refueling or constructing the vessel in orbit from multiple lauches.
  • The Apollo CSM was not capable of doing a 'direct ascent' mission. You must use a separate command module and lander.
  • Powered descent, parachutes, or a combination will qualify.
  • All stock flight-parts. No mods which provide improved flight performance or flight assistance (auto-pilot) are allowed.
  • Return at least one of the Kerbals that started the mission back safely to Kerbin's surface.

Addition points for standard mission goals:

  • 3-kerbal mission +10
  • 2-kerbal lander +10
  • 2-stage lander with separate ascent stage (descent stage stays on Duna) +20
  • Launch escape system (LES) escape tower +10
  • Duna lander stored behind the CM during ascent +20
  • Lander tucked away behind some fairing +5
  • Perfect landing - no damage to LM +10
  • Dock with LM's ascent stage prior to leaving Duna's SOI +10
  • Ascent module de-orbited to burn up in Duna's atmosphere +5
  • Plant at least one flag +3
  • Splash-down on Kerbin (water landing) +5
  • Kerbal fatality -20 each (if any kerbal is left on the Duna surface after the ascent module leaves the surface or the CM leaves Duna orbit, they will die).

Flight goals:

  • Launch vehicle should avoid using solid-rocket boosters during its ascent. This *does not* include use of Separatrons that are not used for ascent purposes. If you use a SRB for ascent -10
  • Complete the mission with only chemical rockets (no nukes). The KSC already has a crate of chemical rockets on hand and you get a bonus for not having to accelerate development on the nuclear engine +15
  • Aerobrake around Duna to achieve orbit +10
  • Less than 75 days from game start to Duna orbit? Launching when the game saves starts and performing a standard orbital transfer gets you into a Duna orbit 75 days from when the provided save game starts, day 129 in the game. I was on Dune orbit at 100 day in the game (+29 points)
  • Water sample return bonus! Land on either polar icecap AND return a sample to Kerbin (either as part of the kerballed lander or a robotic lander) +10

Rover:

  • At least one rover on board +5
  • Rovers can seat at least one Kerbal +5
  • Additional rovers +3 each (1 additional rover: +3)

Distance (score for one only and counts only for a kerballed rover)

Drive beyond 10km of the lander +15

Orbital Science goals:

  • Deploy orbiting satellite around Duna +5
  • Deploy orbiting satellite around Ike +10

Duna surface science goals. Each science package must be a powered probecore with at least one scientific instrument.

  • Deploy one science package at landing site (on the LM itself counts, if that part of the LM stays on Duna's surface and remains powered) +5
  • Deploy a science package at least 2.5km from the landing site +10 (score first one only)
  • Deploy a science package at least 1000m +/- different alititude from LM or any other science package +15 (score first one only)
  • Deploy a science package adjacent (within 100m) to any anomoly +10 (score first one only)
  • Deploy a science package at least 10km from the landing site +10 (score first one only)

And total points, as per my calculation: 315

Mission details:

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  • 2 weeks later...
TTurchan1

TTurchan1

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Well, I did the mission before finding this thread, so I have no pictures or anything, and I didn't use the persistent file, but here is basically what i did, there is an O next to goals i completed and an X next to goals i did not complete:

Basic mission profile to earn the base of 50 points:

O Non-asparagus, Saturn 5 style launch vehicle: 3 main stages to LKO, no asparagus-style fuel-tank/engine jettisons on ascent to LKO. Solid rocket boosters ARE permitted, as they were being developed for the Space Shuttle, but there is a penalty for making KSC accelerate their development for this mission.

X Start with the provided save game persistent file.

O Single launch mission. No refueling or constructing the vessel in orbit from multiple lauches.

O The Apollo CSM was not capable of doing a 'direct ascent' mission. You must use a separate command module and lander.

Powered descent, parachutes, or a combination will qualify.

O All stock flight-parts. No mods which provide improved flight performance or flight assistance (auto-pilot) are allowed.

O Return at least one of the Kerbals that started the mission back safely to Kerbin's surface.

Addition points for standard mission goals:

O 3-kerbal mission +10

O 2-kerbal lander +10

O 2-stage lander with separate ascent stage (descent stage stays on Duna) +20

X Launch escape system (LES) escape tower +10

O Duna lander stored behind the CM during ascent +20

X Lander tucked away behind some fairing +5

O Perfect landing - no damage to LM +10

O Dock with LM's ascent stage prior to leaving Duna's SOI +10

O Ascent module de-orbited to burn up in Duna's atmosphere +5

O Plant at least one flag +3

O Splash-down on Kerbin (water landing) +5

O (No deaths) Kerbal fatality -20 each (if any kerbal is left on the Duna surface after the ascent module leaves the surface or the CM leaves Duna orbit, they will die).

Flight goals:

O (No SRB's Used) Launch vehicle should avoid using solid-rocket boosters during its ascent. This *does not* include use of Separatrons that are not used for ascent purposes. If you use a SRB for ascent -10

X Complete the mission with only chemical rockets (no nukes). The KSC already has a crate of chemical rockets on hand and you get a bonus for not having to accelerate development on the nuclear engine +15

O Aerobrake around Duna to achieve orbit +10

X Less than 75 days from game start to Duna orbit? Launching when the game saves starts and performing a standard orbital transfer gets you into a Duna orbit 75 days from when the provided save game starts, day 129 in the game. Find a faster way to get into a Duna orbit using another transfer faster and earn +1 point for every day less than 75 days it takes to get to Duna orbit, from the starting point of day 54, where the provided save game starts (calculated by 129 - day when Duna orbit is reached).

X Water sample return bonus! Land on either polar icecap AND return a sample to Kerbin (either as part of the kerballed lander or a robotic lander) +10

Rover:

X At least one rover on board +5

X Rovers can seat at least one Kerbal +5

X Additional rovers +3 each

X Distance (score for one only and counts only for a kerballed rover)

X Drive beyond 100 meters of the lander +2

X Drive beyond 2.5 km of the lander +5

X Drive beyond 5km of the lander +10

X Drive beyond 10km of the lander +15

Orbital Science goals:

O Deploy orbiting satellite around Duna +5

X Deploy orbiting satellite around Ike +10

X Duna surface science goals. Each science package must be a powered probecore with at least one scientific instrument.

X Deploy one science package at landing site (on the LM itself counts, if that part of the LM stays on Duna's surface and remains powered) +5

X Deploy a science package at least 2.5km from the landing site +10 (score first one only)

X Deploy a science package at least 1000m +/- different alititude from LM or any other science package +15 (score first one only)

X Deploy a science package adjacent (within 100m) to any anomoly +10 (score first one only)

X Deploy a science package at least 10km from the landing site +10 (score first one only)

Challenge hints:

Maximum points would be difficult to achieve without a long drive.

Multiple un-kerballed rovers would help.

KSC reports that their telemetry has observed sink holes over 1000m deep.

So i'm not sure what my score is because i don't know if you want to give me the 50 points despite the fact that i didn't use the persistant file, but if you give me those 50 Points, then my score was 158 (i think :P) Anyway, my save file was brand new when i did the mission, so penalizing me doesn't really make sense, but either way that's what i got

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capi3101

capi3101

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Alright - my guys are finally down, turned out I was okay to cannibalize the ascent stage for extra fuel to the descent stage (forgot about the gas in the side tanks).

I do have a potential problem coming up though that I needed to ask about. I've installed Navyfish's Docking Alignment Mod since I've started the challenge, and I needed to know if it would disqualify me from the base fifty points on the grounds of "no mods that provide improved flight performance or flight assistance are allowed". I've already avoided flying with KER to avoid any potential problems there; do I need to uninstall the mod before I go to dock with the CSM?

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Death Engineering

Death Engineering

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So i'm not sure what my score is because i don't know if you want to give me the 50 points despite the fact that i didn't use the persistant file, but if you give me those 50 Points, then my score was 158 (i think :P) Anyway, my save file was brand new when i did the mission, so penalizing me doesn't really make sense, but either way that's what i got

You aren't claiming any points for early arrival, so not a problem about not using the persistent file. Leaderboard updated. Thanks for playing! :D

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Death Engineering

Death Engineering

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I've installed Navyfish's Docking Alignment Mod since I've started the challenge, and I needed to know if it would disqualify me from the base fifty points on the grounds of "no mods that provide improved flight performance or flight assistance are allowed". I've already avoided flying with KER to avoid any potential problems there; do I need to uninstall the mod before I go to dock with the CSM?

As long as you don't have mod parts that give an unfair advantage and you're still doing the "flying" with only stock tools, then you still qualify.

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Death Engineering

Death Engineering

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Are parallel-stage launchers allowed or does it absolutely have to be a series-staged launcher?

Although the rules aren't completely clear that it must be a Saturn 5 style lifter with a five-engine main stage, 5 engine second stage and a single-engine third stage, I think most people who did this challenge, and other 'Apollo'-style challenges, have developed their lifters in that fashion. However, the only lifter rule is "no asparagus-style fuel-tank/engine jettisons on ascent".

Since the advantage to asparagus style comes from the ability to use infinitely capable fuel lines (and pumps, fittings, etc..), perhaps a rule revision might exclude using fuel lines to connect parallel stages, or possibly even exclude fuel lines from boosters completely. However, I don't think adding a relatively major rule like that at this point is necessary. Maybe if I draft another Apollo style challenge I will be more explicit.

This challenge is all about the interplanetary spacecraft design and mission execution. So for now, I say however you can get there works.

The Titan III is a period-accurate lifter and could probably be designed in KSP to be Duna-capable. The lifter below was used as a test for the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL), for example. The boosters in this case, however, are SRB's with thrust-vectoring so there's no way in KSP to totally achieve that. Liquid boosters would totally suffice in place of the Titan III's SRB's.

384px-Titan-3C_MOL-Gemini-B-Test_3.jpg

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