Kerbin Low Orbiting Spy Satellite - KLOSS

[Khalashnikovf]

So i got this idea for a while since Im making my own Mission Controller mission pack where one of the missions will be this one.

Task:

Create a Spy Satellite which will take detailed photos of KSC from above. Lesser altitude, better quality of photos. Smaller satellite is, better chances to avoid unwanted attention.

This is test flight where we want to try it on our territory. If succesful, enemy territory will be next time.

Created on real Cold war satellites (even nowadays).

Rules:

0) Deploy your satellite with some docking station where it can reload new fuel to do operation more then once (for at least 3 or 4 times or even more).

1) Satellite has to have at least 2x Communotron 88-88 used as "camera" (These 88-88s MUST point in the same direction).

- 88-88s CANT over cover them self (no model collision)

2) Satellite has to have at least 2x Communotron 16 for sending collected data back to Kerbin.

3) Lesser total mass of your satellite before initiating maneuvers you will have the better score you will have (Take a screenshot of weight in information).

4) More stable orbit you have (means lower difference between Pe and Ap) the better score you have (Take screenshot with your mass at a time)

- It is because of Re-docking back to station.

5) Lower you will be with satellite pointed Exactly on KSC with 88-88s the better score you will have (Take a screenshot of satellite pointing at KSC in your lower possible position).

- Point of this is really to aim on KSC with 88-88, not navball (that is only your own choice, but I need to see 88-88 "looking" on KSC. That is whole point of spying isnt it?)

6) Satellite is not for one use only so you have to return it back to orbit and dock it back to Docking station (Take a screenshot with satellite docked back to Station).

7) Satellite has to be constructed from Stock parts only. I dont care how you will deliver it on orbit, but satellite it self needs to be Stock!

8) No "cheat" mods, no MechJeb type mods on Docking station and satellite (you can attach it on ascending rocket), only your own Skill!

9) Lowest ever possible counting altitude will be 20 000 meters (everything bellow is anything but a Satellite ) so then you will have to work on Total mass.

10) Fly over KSC has to be done in Daylight to be able confirm proper work.

11) NO WING parts! (It really supposed to look like Satellite and not low flying plane or whatever)

Optional

12) Safety is first - If you mess the encounter your satellite will be lost - attach some parachutes to emergency precaution

13a) Badass evil genius? Yeah nothing is big enough for them and so its for you. Build as heavy as possible satellite and show it to Us how Cool you are!

13b) As a Evil genius you will not be happy with only two cameras so you want to attach it as more as possible. (still can't models collide)

Scoring:

Lesser points = Better score

Choose what category you want to enter (you can do both but separately of course) and write it.

Score for spy Engineers= (2000*Mt + 0.5*Am + 0.3*Ds)*(Ap/Pe)*C

Score for evil Engineers (entry weight is 3t)= (0.5*Am + 0.3*Ds - 2000*Mt)*(Ap/Pe)*C*((1002-Eye)/1000)

Mt ... Total Mass of Satellite before Maneuvering

Am ... minimal Altitude with Satellite pointing on KSC

Ds ... Distance between satellite and KSC (straight line)

Ap/Pe ... You know what is this, right?

C ... Constant (explained below)

Eye ... special evil variable for number of 88-88s on satellite (all must be pointing at one direction!!!!)

Q: How can I measure this distance (Ds)?

A: You can leave something on Launch pad of KSC and then in the lowest point of operation you can hover your mouse over that stuff, it will show you distance (screenshot it with that lowest point at a time).

Parachute presence on satellite will get constant bonus 0.97.

If you do not use Chute, your constant is 1.

You can see that most important is Altitude (50%) then exact position over KSC (30%) and lastly Weight of Satellite (20%).

Best SPY Engineers

1 -

2 -

3 -

Best EVIL Engineers

1 -

2 -

3 -

And for full understanding of what I mean - here is my first attempt:

Javascript is disabled. View full album

So my score would be (will not be exact because I messed some things like measuring distance)

Score = (5.98*2000 + 0.5*38586 + 0.3*cca54000)*(73000/72000)*0.97 = 46668

I will make my own try with better score and screenshot of docked again

Edited September 6, 2013 by Khalashnikovf

[Khalashnikovf]

Is this challange really so boring and no competing that people are just no interested in it?

Pls someone write notes what you think about it, thx

[telfari]

I like the contest but the "No Mech Jeb" rule counts me out. I prefer to let the computer do the ascent.

[duncan1297]

Couldnt you just mount the sattelite on the lifter upside down then screen shot at 20km?

EDIT: I noticed an issue with your equation. The further away from Kevin you are the higher your score is.

Edited September 3, 2013 by duncan1297

[Khalashnikovf]

Well, since there is required screen with mass of satellite before operation... no

And like it has been said. It is challenge based on real life spying in Cold War especially where was satellite with not such great resolution like nowadays.

EDIT: And that is exactly right. Lesser score means better Spying.

[Captain Sierra]

How to pwn this:

Set high orbit. Place 50km periapsis over KSC. Establish escape trajectory. Aero-recapture.

Time to go do it.

[capi3101]

The scoring's a bit complicated with this one; doesn't look like an overly difficult challenge, though.

Low score wins; that's an easy enough concept.

The criteria of "cool" for brownie points strikes me as being highly subjective.

Just making sure here - the satellite has to 1) achieve orbit, 2) dip into the atmosphere no lower than 20,000 m, 3) re-achieve a stable orbit and stay functional for at least one more hour afterwards.

Sounds easy enough...I'll give it a shot when I get an opportunity.

[Khalashnikovf]

And thats why "Coolness" needs to be submitted by people

So its kinda like Ultra premium reward for extraordinary stuff.

[capi3101]

I see...so will the "coolness" criteria will be awarded by folks who sign up for the challenge, or just by folks in general? When will it be awarded? Will it be awarded more than once?

Not trying to be a jerk, just asking for clarification as to how/when/how often those points will be rewarded.

[Khalashnikovf]

Ok, it will be awarded once enough people says its Cool

And enough means at least 10, hm?

And people means anyone who write something in here. I dont care if you bring some friends like it is some facebook content for most beautiful puppy. Your job

[capi3101]

Fair enough.

[capi3101]

My entry:

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Initial Mass of Satellite: 1.255 tonnes

Minimal Altitude: 54,987 m

Distance between Satellite and KSC: 55.0 km

I will mention that my first attempt ended just before sunset; the second attempt was a quicksave, so it also occurred just before sunset. That's not necessarily all that clear in the shot.

Alright, so my score is ((3000 * 1.255) + (0.5*54,987) + (0.2*55,000))*0.95(for the docks)*0.99(for the chute) = (3765+11000+27493.5)*0.95*0.99=42,258.5*0.95*0.99=39,744.11925

...there's a question: to how many significant digits are we supposed to carry out our score? I'll assume zero and thus claim 39,744 points.

I'll defer counting points for coolness until I get feedback from the crowd.

Edited September 4, 2013 by capi3101

[Khalashnikovf]

Looks good. You only missing shot of satellite mass it self (you have it with docking station). Too bad for not having distance on shot too.

This challenge might be pretty easy but that was my intent. Everyone can participate and master their spying skill for maximum.

EDIT: Your score is actually 39 723 after rounding up. (Its not 0.95 and then again 0.99, but combined into 0.94)

And your satellite is not pointing at KSC but into space. So you made nice photos of Space. Well, I guess I cant count this one. Make those photo in better way. You can see it easy enough so just make it right

Edited September 4, 2013 by Khalashnikovf

[LeadMagnet]

*snip* .....I'll defer counting points for coolness until I get feedback from the crowd.

Please accept this +1 for coolness factor!

Well done skippy!

[Khalashnikovf]

I like the contest but the "No Mech Jeb" rule counts me out. I prefer to let the computer do the ascent.

Watch out. THE SATELLITE it self needs to be stock, so if you ascent rocket with MechJeb its our call (I did that too) But after that was my satellite pure as Squad wanted it to be.

[capi3101]

Quoth Khalashnikovf: Looks good. You only missing shot of satellite mass it self (you have it with docking station).

First pic - KER's got it up in the "Mass" column, and it's 1.255 tonnes. (SSTO, so everything past that bottom stage is all satellite)

Quoth Khalashnikovf: EDIT: Your score is actually 39 723 after rounding up. (Its not 0.95 and then again 0.99, but combined into 0.94)

Okay.

Quoth Khalashnikovf: And your satellite is not pointing at KSC but into space.

No, it's facing directly towards the ground...fourth picture from the end (the one entitled "Passing Over the Target"), look at the navball. If the satellite was pointing into space, it'd be blue, not brown. Plus you wouldn't see the pink targeting doughnut (you know, the one that indicate's you're pointing TOWARDS the target), you'd see the pink trifoil instead. It's there - look at the targeting reticle. Maybe we can try this...

Imgur does make the images a bit small sometimes, particularly in albums.

You're probably right in that I need to make yet another pass to prove all my assertions here and that next time I should use a little more daylight, I'll grant that.

Edited September 4, 2013 by capi3101

[Khalashnikovf]

Dont forget to aim your 88-88 Communotron on the ground too. The whole point of this "mission" is to take photos of ground, not Space

So your satellite will probably need a little reconstructing otherwise (88-88 simulates here Camera as it was said - I will this make more clearer in topic)

Edited September 4, 2013 by Khalashnikovf

[capi3101]

Uh....the 88-88s are pointing in the direction of the satellite's prograde. If it's pointed at the ground, they're pointed at the ground.

First pic again; you can clearly see the direction in which they're pointing.

[Khalashnikovf]

Darn, bad quality photos

But ok

Next time better pictures like mine looks like

[capi3101]

Will do my best.

[mojobojo]

Felt like deploying the satellite with a B9 spacecraft.

25 parts

1.59 tons

Image heavy by the way.

http://imgur.com/a/JMCyt

Javascript is disabled. View full album

[Khalashnikovf]

You made some nice photo story. But it missing finish point of the challenge (actual spying) and you 88-88s are not prepared to be aiming on the ground both at once. So you just need to repair that and than do that low profile fly over KSC.

[mojobojo]

You made some nice photo story. But it missing finish point of the challenge (actual spying) and you 88-88s are not prepared to be aiming on the ground both at once. So you just need to repair that and than do that low profile fly over KSC.

Oh, I see they need to be pointing at KSC at the same time. And I see I forgot to take a screenshot of a flyby as well. I actually launched it into an angle so it was capable of covering Kerbin 100% so it only passes over KSC somewhere around once every 6-7 days.

[Khalashnikovf]

But you made me thinking about one nice thing.

Better score if your Inclination of spying will be different from a 0. Will do the math to implement it into equation

EDIT: Too bad its not possible to measure inclinaton without some mods. So this is off... (Too bad, I got some pretty equation improvement).

BTW: Off topic. I just cant find anywhere how to import imgur into forum :-/. Any help pls?

Edited September 5, 2013 by Khalashnikovf

[LeadMagnet]

*snip* BTW: Off topic. I just cant find anywhere how to import imgur into forum :-/. Any help pls?

Helped a guy out the other day on this question.

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/48757-How-to-embed-Imgur-Albums

The search feature is your friend!