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The Tech Level 1 Orbital Challenge

FacticiusVir
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FacticiusVir

FacticiusVir

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In the latest KSP weekly, Squad have published a screenshot of the new tech tree, including the first available tech level: uFvNSwH.png

Using just those parts, build a rocket that will get at least one Kerbal into LKO, and (preferably) back again. The part list available (as best I can tell):

  • Command Pod Mk1
  • LV-T30 Liquid Fuel Engine
  • RT-10 Solid Fuel Booster
  • FL-T200 Fuel Tank
  • Modular Girder Segment
  • Communotron 16
  • Mk16 Parachute

Points awarded as follows:

Achieve a stable Low Kerbin Orbit (Periapsis 70km+) with one Kerbal: +20 points

Achieve a stable High Kerbin Orbit (Periapsis 100km+) with one Kerbal: +15 points

Achieve either orbit with two or more Kerbals: +10 points

Successful reentry to Kerbin atmosphere: +5 points

Pilot(s) survives return journey: +10 points

Rocket is completely undamaged after landing: +10 points

Additional awards:

Mk1 Decoupler (External Combustion Engine) - simulate staging by using an upper stage rocket to destroy a lower stage.

Mk1 Decoupler (Inertial Dampers) - simulate staging by using the force of parachutes opening to forcibly detach the upper stage.

Extra-Vehicular Propulsion - achieve orbit/reentry using the pilot's EVA thrusters.

The BobNova Award for Gallantry in the face of Common Sense - leave Kerbin's SOI

Edited by FacticiusVir
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Bobnova

Bobnova

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Ahh now this will be entertaining. I'll take a whack at it tonight. Looks pretty doable.

Any bonuses for leaving Kerbol SOI? Don't know if I can, but I'm going to try :D (I have a plan! Kerbals shake in fear!)

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FacticiusVir

FacticiusVir

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My mission log for this challenge (designs omitted as I can't find a Spoiler tag):

The Kerbal-1: Hit 75km, ~1400m/s short of orbit. Turns out a single Mk16 parachute isn't enough to slow the whole rocket, but the empty fuel tanks make a passable aquabrake. Pilot survived the test.

Kerbal-2: Mk16s on radial girder sections make an effective poor-man's radial parachute. Mounting several atop the central rocket stack tears the rocket in half when the 'chutes fully open - officially recorded as "Mk1 decoupler". Reaction wheels in Mk1 Pod unable to maintain rocket's pitch, burn aborted at 18km. Pilot survived the test.

Kerbal-3: Very close, only 177m/s shy of stable LKO. Rocket splashes down at a safe 6.6m/s, but topples over and destroys top half of fuel stack. Pilot survived the test.

Kerbal-4: Engine thrust insufficient to lift the rocket, rocket topples over and explodes. Pilot survived the test.

Kerbal-5: Successfully achieves LKO of 73km with 1.5% of fuel to spare - successful reentry & rough landing of 7.8m/s. Side engines destroyed on impact, rocket topples over and explodes. Issue identified with electrical supply for continued use of reaction wheels - specific issue stated as "There isn't one." Rocket design team realises that no-one knows where electricity comes from, it's just there when the rocket launches, though it has been found leaking out of engines during burns. Further research required. Pilot survived the test.

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Chrisd857

Chrisd857

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You're worried about struts and fuel lines?... I can't even gain enough control authority to keep my somewhat larger things going UP. No thrust vectoring, electricity generated only by liquid engines... this is hard. How did Moar Boosters even manage his?

Edited by Chrisd857
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Moar Boosters

Moar Boosters

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Well I just flew straight up, just a few light touches on the controls to keep me pointing at the white dot on the top of the naviball. The weight of the craft gives it some control in the beginning...... Unless they're carrying a lot of weight the SRBs are too powerful and send the craft up at a speed you can't control. I don't think this thing has enough control to actually do a gravity turn, and technically it scored a big fat 0 on the OP's system.

Still.... it does have a parachute if somehow it gets an encounter with kerbin in the next million years. :P

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UmbralRaptor

UmbralRaptor

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No stages, non struts, no problem. I'll probably want to bring more fuel next time, though.

In the VAB:

TL1-0_zps46f03491.png

Welcome to LKO:

TL1-1_zps27ab4b9c.png

TL1-2_zpsaad44002.png

Deorbit burn.

TL1-3_zps412b725e.png

Broke up on landing. At night, too. Still, Jeb survived.

TL1-6_zps6aa886e3.png

Successful low orbit, deorbit burn, and safe landing. 20+5+10 == 35.

This is indeed much like the old days.

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Eric S

Eric S

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You know, this was the first thing i did when I saw that tech tree. Managed to establish a low orbit, outside the atmosphere but definitely not above 100km, about 300 m/s left, noticed that chatterer was killing my battery, and realized that I was going to have to deorbit before I did an actual orbit just to make sure I had enough battery to steer.

Landing wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, except that I used a bit too much engine and the parachute decided I didn't need it anymore at about 50m off the ground. Lots of those little tanks made a fine crumple zone, though.

Had I realized that someone would post a challenge of it, I would have taken screen shots. As is, I'll probably do it again after I disable chatterer.

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WarWyvern

WarWyvern

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I was hoping someone would make this challenge, as this was my first thought on seeing that screenshot. My entry is the appropriately-named "Hopeful". She got into a stable orbit of just over 100 kilometers and returned the pilot safely to the waters just off of KSC's eastern coast (well, halfway to the next continent, but close enough, right?).

i3uGaGn.png

DYIuozR.png

2ylyH3t.png

93bEae7.png

It's not as small or cheap to build as UmbralRaptor's model (nice flying, by the way!), but with the boosters and explosive staging, it may be a bit more idiot-proof, which I find to be the best proof in a rocket.

I believe my total was 50 points. I only launched and returned one kerbal and destroyed most of my rocket to do that much.

PS: If you don't see any images, please wait a moment for me to sort it out. First time posting an entire album.

Edit: Nope. Just going with pictures then. Too late right now to deal with the album thing. Night all.

Edited by WarWyvern
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UmbralRaptor

UmbralRaptor

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It's not as small or cheap to build as UmbralRaptor's model (nice flying, by the way!), but with the boosters and explosive staging, it may be a bit more idiot-proof, which I find to be the best proof in a rocket.
Amusingly, I find [rocket] SSTOs to be largely idiot-proof. For ascent, anyway.

Now for an attempt at multi-kerbal-flight:

TL13-0_zps8f26f386.png

>100 x 100 km orbit achieved. Getting Kerbin escape with this would probably be a pita, possibly require a munar slingshot. >_>

TL13-2_zps46778663.png

TL13-3_zpsdd699977.png

Let's skip to the safe landing.

TL13-B_zps0f09f836.png

Okay, not so safe.

TL13-C_zps72e3db34.png

The crew cam is wrong incidentally, Bill lived.

TL13-D_zps77fb1250.png

I'm unsure on how to score this -- why is the higher orbit lower points, and how should losing 2/3 of the crew (when the rocket fell over) count?

Edited by UmbralRaptor
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Eric S

Eric S

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I have no doubt that someone will trump this quickly, and Manley will probably land and return, but I just had to get this out there before they commit me to an asylum because of my hysterical giggling. Probably not a fair entry, I let MechJeb launch the craft because I couldn't manage to get the staging precise enough and still keep the ship on track for reaching orbit.

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Notes: As I said, I let MJ steer the ascent because the staging had to be stupidly precise. Because of the lack of decouplers, I had to destroy the stages as I went. However, on the lower four stages, because of the girders, the SRB would shed heat faster than the engine above it could heat it up unless the lower SRB was still burning. Also, the radial SRBs had a tendancy to take out everything above them if I destroyed the center SRB too soon. It was literally a matter of a fraction of a second either way meaning I wasn't going to space on that attempt.

The girders on the outside of the radially mounted SRBs were to make sure that the SRBs pitched away from the craft instead of into it. That helped a lot, but as I said, if the SRBs had too much burn time left, they still managed to take out other SRBs on their way.

The two extra capsules were unmanned and were there to provide extra torque, since other than torque, this craft had no command authority.

Wonder how much research it's going to take to send a rescue mission to Duna? :-)

Alarm's going off in less than 8 hours, and I'm easily an hour away from unwinding enough to even think about sleep.

Edited by Eric S
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