Kethane Ironman Challenge

[Lions]

@MarkoeZ Well done looking good. Good luck

[Pbhead]

Id love to do this challenge, but the kethane mod dl link seems to be down, anyone have an alternate?

[SkyRender]

Id love to do this challenge, but the kethane mod dl link seems to be down, anyone have an alternate?

You mean this link? It works fine on my end, but a few people seem to have stated that it's not working for them. I'll mirror it on my site, and edit this post to include the link.

EDIT: Here's the mirror on my site. If for whatever reason that also doesn't want to download, let me know so we can see if there's a workable solution to the problem.

Edited September 17, 2013 by SkyRender

[Pbhead]

Hmm very intresting. it seems to be a google chrome issue. works fine in Internet Explorer.

But thanks for posting, I never would have thought to try a different browser if you didnt say what you did.

[Pbhead]

Questions: can we make our lander multi-sectioned, and only take the parts we need?

Do kerbal alarmclock and building extensions count as mods?

[Lions]

Questions: can we make our lander multi-sectioned, and only take the parts we need?

Do kerbal alarmclock and building extensions count as mods?

Well I am trying to make this challenge a bit more difficult. Like i mentioned you are welcome to use Mods other than the Kethane, but you will only be a contender and will not be Part of the Elite Ironmen .

As for the lander, it is all part of this challenge, to build the ultimate lander/miner that can land and lift off any planet in the challenge. So please feel free to use mods(but remember what i mentioned), but as for the lander, it may only be a single ship.

PS. Remember to start a new game, you must only have this challenge in your game no other ships or flags.

Edited September 17, 2013 by Lions

[Pbhead]

ok. ok. I think you are nuts, but ok. thats fine.

/me goes to uninstall things.

[SkyRender]

It should be noted that there are a number of non-flight-related mods (Subassembly Loader and Kerbal Engineer Redux being the most popular ones) which really can't be categorized either way since there's absolutely no evidence of their use post-assembly. Mods that are purely construction aids, as a result, are effectively exempt from the no-other-mods rules simply on the grounds of it being impossible to prove or disprove if you've used them. Ultimately such mods are only time-savers to those with good design skills, so it's not like it's that big a deal either way.

[Lions]

It should be noted that there are a number of non-flight-related mods (Subassembly Loader and Kerbal Engineer Redux being the most popular ones) which really can't be categorized either way since there's absolutely no evidence of their use post-assembly. Mods that are purely construction aids, as a result, are effectively exempt from the no-other-mods rules simply on the grounds of it being impossible to prove or disprove if you've used them. Ultimately such mods are only time-savers to those with good design skills, so it's not like it's that big a deal either way.

Then i guess it is fine, as long as Mechjab and those mods are not used.

I am nearly complete with Part B, to be honest before this challenge i have only been to Minmus, Mun, Duna and Eve. Now i have been to everywhere! Its fun

Please keep an eye on the main page as i will update the route to take very soon.

(@ Skyrender & Pbhead : Subassembly Loader and Kerbal Engineer Redux is fine to use)

Thank you

Edited September 17, 2013 by Lions

[Pbhead]

grrr... kraken ate my mothership.

[Accelerando]

I'll enter soon. I've got a lander and mothership under development that go up as one stage.

Does it count if the lander has a little Kethane module on the bottom that can detach when landed and putter around as a rover?

[Lions]

I'll enter soon. I've got a lander and mothership under development that go up as one stage.

Does it count if the lander has a little Kethane module on the bottom that can detach when landed and putter around as a rover?

Hi Sir

Yes that will be fine, as long as it goes with you, nothing may be left behind.

Good luck!

[Lions]

Is this challenge to difficult? I must admit is wasn't easy for me, but once you have a good setup it is a smooth trip.

[Pbhead]

Is this challenge to difficult? I must admit is wasn't easy for me, but once you have a good setup it is a smooth trip.

That honestly depends on planets yet to come. *eve, coff coff*

[Lions]

That honestly depends on planets yet to come. *eve, coff coff*

Unfortunately Eve does come, but waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay later

[Lions]

Yea forums is back! i will post Part B soon. Hope more guys will join the challenge

[Pbhead]

since the forums were down for so long, I went ahead and continued on, on my own. from ike-> dres -> laythe -> currently in orbit scanning vall for kethane.

How much of a problem is it going to be if I got the planets a little out of order?

[Lions]

since the forums were down for so long, I went ahead and continued on, on my own. from ike-> dres -> laythe -> currently in orbit scanning vall for kethane.

How much of a problem is it going to be if I got the planets a little out of order?

well you seem to be on the right path. Its from Ike >>Dres the go to Jool. Start from the outer moon and work your way all the way to Jool. Do not orbit or land on jool. . Ill make sure to update Part B soon, just a bit busy now.

[Lions]

I have updated Part B on the main page HERE

There is how ever a problem....I am stuck at Tylo :'(, i have all the fuel in the world but can not land!!! if any one can land on Tylo you win lol. OR... We can just skip Tylo?

Let me know

[SkyRender]

It's time to return to the mothership and get the Kethocentric off on its way to Dres.

Preparations are made for the trip, naturally. Dres is actually a pretty small target, and landing on it requires very little fuel. This is good; it will be our next big fuel depot as a result.

The burn to escape Ike (and Duna) is mercifully short.

So long, my friends. We will meet again one day.

The burn to get to Dres is not so mercifully short.

I have a knack for awesome timing, and it shows here in my intercept. Despite the difference in nodes, I nailed a very nice encounter. Inclination change is not as mandatory as is often thought! I did still make adjustments to my heading when I got close, because that's a long ways out.

Arrival around Dres goes nice and smoothly, but eats up a lot of dV. Good thing this is a refueling spot, eh?

During the circularization maneuvers, a Kethane deposit is spotted near current dusk.

And another is spotted near current dawn! This is good news, since Dres rotates very fast for such an insignificant little speck. Not a planet you want to arrive going the wrong way around!

I decided to land right away, even though it was still night. I have so much spare fuel as a safety precaution that it won't matter at all.

Jebediah plants the newest flag. So much progress!

And of course, the whole gang gets out for a (somewhat dark) group photo op.

As the midday rolls around, the mining operation comes to a close, and the Kethocentric prepares to return to the mothership. It will take another trip down to sufficiently refuel, but that's just fine. Next time: off to Jool's most distant moon of Pol!

[Pbhead]

Currently in orbit around tylo, doing the mapping thing.

I know I have enough delta-V to do it... but I am worried about my fuel lines... We shall try it in the morning.

[SkyRender]

And with one last (automated) run down to the surface to refill, Dres is done.

The lander and mothership finish their fuel transfer, and then it's time to plot a course!

My standard practice with interplanetary matters is to just get into solar orbit. Less efficient, sure, but I have loads of fuel to spare.

The trip out to Jool will take less dV than Duna to Dres!?

Well... kinda. Jool's SoI is absurdly huge, so getting an intercept with it is stupidly easy.

It is, however, just about the only planet I DO recommend getting your plane adjusted to properly. If only because aerobraking in Jool's atmosphere tends to have some pretty amazingly bad side-effects if you're coming in at some crazy angle.

Yes, aerobraking. This is about as deep as I went, and it knocked my ship all over the place even at that height!

I pretty much nailed it for a Pol encounter, however. A pity Pol won't be there when I am.

But a pair of clever short burns later, I will encounter Pol! I am the best at space.

Arrival is always fun. Wow, I haven't been to Pol in ages...

A deposit is spotted equator-wise and in the daylight pretty quickly. This is a very good thing with Pol, as its sidereal day is 10 of our days long. Ouch!

Pol is stupid-easy to land on. It's pretty much the Joolian equivalent of Minmus, only even lower gravity.

Bob got the honors this time, that lucky dog.

And of course, they had to take their usual group photo. I really like Pol's rock formations, incidentally.

It took a bit longer to fill up than usual, not because of any problem with my mining rig, but because I just managed to land on enough of a slope that the rightmost drill doesn't register as penetrating the soil! Oops!

Getting back to the mothership is no problem.

So little fuel got spent that the mothership gets a nice healthy dose of liquid fuel from all that. And that's where this update ends! Will I head straight on to Bop, or will I exploit Pol for another fuel run? Find out next time!

[Lions]

Lol Sky you make the journey so exiting

[SkyRender]

As it transpires, I did not decide to use Pol as my refueling spot. Mostly because 1.) Bop is stone's throw away, and 2.) I have to use Bop as a refueling spot no matter what.

I almost got a perfect Bop encounter from the get-go, but a little adjustment at the node was necessary.

There we go! Inclination changes are for amateurs.

Figures I'd arrive on the night side... At least I'm going the right way around, as if that matters on these outer moons.

Bop is not nearly as kind as Pol was, and has all of its Kethane on the night side. Night on Bop lasts a solid 3 Earth days, meaning this could take a bit...

So I picked the deposit closest to the dawn and landed it. This will be a long first mining session.

It's Bill's turn once more to plant that flag.

These photo shoots must be getting tiresome for these four by now.

It took about twice as long as it should have to refuel, naturally. The sun didn't even properly rise before I was done! But some residual sunlight crept over the hills and sped things along considerably.

Bop is kind of like the Joolian Minmus too, except a bit higher on gravity than Pol. Meaning it does make a great refueling base.

This is going to take two more trips (both automated) before I can head off to Tylo, the Joolian system's own personal version of Hell. That will be where the meat of this challenge can truly be found! See you there!

Edited September 27, 2013 by SkyRender

[briansun1]

can we send the "mothership" up in parts?