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The Tech Level 1 Orbital Challenge

FacticiusVir
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Eric S

Eric S

Posted
Posted (edited)

Yup, not even close to sleeping, so here's a few things I learned while doing this.

SRBs are a pain for circularization, which is why I gave up and went with a liquid last stage. When your options are to do nothing or burn 2500+ m/s of delta-v, you really have to take the idea of circularization as a guideline rather than a standard. My SRB-only crafts could escape Kerbin's SoI easily enough, but there just wasn't enough precision to be able to hit the broad side of a gas giant. I have no clue how people can do SRB-only trips to the Mun.

While you can surface attach SRBs to other SRBs, it turns out that that idea has problems. Basically, the surface attached SRBs can only distribute their heat to the center SRB, which is already hot, so it's not taking it very fast. When I did that, I found that the radially mounted SRBs were overheating and exploding before they burned half their fuel. I could get around this by mounting something on top of them, even just a parachute that I had no intention of using. Attaching all the SRBs to the bottom of other SRBs for four or more stages tends to produce ships that do kraken imitations, since you don't have struts to connect them.

The reason I was using a girder to mount the radial SRBs was to get them far enough away from the main stack so that when the center stack exploded, they didn't take out everything above them. In fact, that was probably the major engineering challenge, as it took multiple tricks to achieve that. The girders also served as heat sinks/radiators, so I didn't have to put anything on top of the SRB to keep it from exploding.

I'm pretty sure my next trick is going to be to use girders to make landing struts, and attempt a round trip to Minmus. I'd have to find some more delta-v to land and return from the moon, even with aerobraking on return, and I'm not sure where I could come up with more delta-v. As is the first stage was a bit low on TWR, if I added any fuel to the top stage or added another stage of SRBs, I'd have to go to more than 3 SRBs per stage, increasing the difficulty of avoiding rapid unplanned disassembly. And then I'm going to start practicing free-return transfers to the Mun and Minmus, so that my first science missions can be in really wild places. :-)

Oh, yeah, and definitely disable Chatterer before attempting this. I'll miss Chatterer, but until they release the version where you can turn off the battery usage, you'll kill your batteries in a single orbit.

I still find KSP fun, but I can't remember the last time I had THIS MUCH fun playing KSP :-)

Edited by Eric S
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Sirine

Sirine

Posted
Posted (edited)

Ok, my second best try...with safe landing this time.

Javascript is disabled. View full album

And...most important part...

Here are the craft file...

Who love explosion. Kaboomm.. (Might need a few try, sometimes the physic work, sometimes it don't)

http://www./download/6r64gzcili7pzhg/001.craft

Mature version. Its Stable, and It left 409 units of fuel, after complete at LKO. Suppose to be able to go to Mun or Minmus.

I can put my rocket at the launch pad as long as I want....

http://www./download/2k8ks83p8duu882/003.craft

This images tells how much fuel left at 23km...Actually I'm able to go to 70km without decouple yet.

0hT8t2U.png

446 fuel left...after successful "decouple" by destroying that "Damn Solid Heat Resistance" fuel tank. Forget to transfer the fuel...lost 90 units of fuel here...damn it.

kF3WwSS.png

409 fuel left...enough for Mun???

T4ObvLq.png

Edited by Sirine
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Sirine

Sirine

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With 465 fuel left after success LKO...lets go to the Mun!!!

and after a while.....And success on landing on Mun!!!

Well, Mun no problem, and Minmus should be the same. What next? Duna? Nah...I'm done here. I'll call it a night. cya..

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Points awarded as follows:

Achieve a stable Low Kerbin Orbit (Periapsis 70km+) with one Kerbal: +20 points (No problem)

Achieve a stable High Kerbin Orbit (Periapsis 100km+) with one Kerbal: +15 points (No problem)

Achieve either orbit with two or more Kerbals: +10 points (No problem)

Successful reentry to Kerbin atmosphere: +5 points (No problem)

Pilot(s) survives return journey: +10 points (No problem)

Rocket is completely undamaged after landing: +10 points (No problem)

20+15+10+5+10+10= 70 (Full)

Additional awards:

Mk1 Decoupler (External Combustion Engine) - simulate staging by using an upper stage rocket to destroy a lower stage. (No problem)

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

Something I would like to avoid, my craft staging start at Vacuum Space..the forcibly detach...forcibly reduce your speed too much.

Extra-Vehicular Propulsion - achieve orbit/reentry using the pilot's EVA thrusters.(Problem-No time for that.)

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

Edited by Sirine
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Sirine

Sirine

Posted
Posted
I don't think it's very sportsmanlike to keep rubbing your no-mechjeb macho in Eric's face especially when he's already acknowledged his own piloting shortcoming.

I apologies for my rudeness. I go remove all that.

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jebbe

jebbe

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This is awesome, feels just like the old times!

Mun and back: http://imgur.com/a/zuMOa#0

-----

Achieve a stable Low Kerbin Orbit (Periapsis 70km+) with one Kerbal: +20 points - forgot the screenshot in the final attempt that made it though...

Achieve a stable High Kerbin Orbit (Periapsis 100km+) with one Kerbal: Nope, Pe was below 80 all the time, on Kerbin as well as on the Mun

Achieve either orbit with two or more Kerbals: No again, just one, although I did carry six empty pods to LKO.

Successful reentry to Kerbin atmosphere: +5 points

Pilot(s) survives return journey: +10 points

Rocket is completely undamaged after landing: I actually exploded almost all of it, it's called "staging"!

Total: 35 points

Additional awards:

Mk1 Decoupler (External Combustion Engine) - Excessively!

Extra-Vehicular Propulsion - Jeb tried on a previous attempt, but it wasn't enough to return to Kerbin. He's stranded now.

The BobNova Award for Gallantry in the face of Common Sense - Is the Mun's sphere of influence outside of Kerbin's SOI?

Edited by jebbe
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Francesco

Francesco

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Posted

Here it goes:

The BobNova Award for Gallantry in the face of Common Sense!

Destination: Duna

Vehicle type: Two stages

Staging type: Hot! (SRB + LV-T30)

Status: All objectives completed, splashdown 200km east of KSC. The spacecraft was destroyed, but the capsule and the pilot survived.

iZudB3ZXiILwE.png

i3sz5A1PHJbid.png

iW2pzGDvgVVmh.png

ibr4U3oxXZH4SZ.png

iZloUyOZLuW09.png

ikNvXHb3apFzT.png

ik5iHiargbkmW.png

http://minus.com/mIIGQMsjGJ603

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jebbe

jebbe

Posted
Posted
Here it goes:

The BobNova Award for Gallantry in the face of Common Sense!

Destination: Duna

Vehicle type: Two stages

Staging type: Hot! (SRB + LV-T30)

Status: All objectives completed, splashdown 200km east of KSC. The spacecraft was destroyed, but the capsule and the pilot survived.

(Removed images)

http://minus.com/mIIGQMsjGJ603

Pretty awesome! Although - are you sure you are not using fuel lines?

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jebbe

jebbe

Posted
Posted
Possibly, Alt/Ctrl + Click on fuel tanks to manually transfer fuel.

Oh right! I got so caught up in doing things old style, that I completely forgot about that option! So, back to the drawing board!

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Spyritdragon

Spyritdragon

Posted
Posted
then you notice that there are no decouplers... This is going to be fun!:D
Issue identified with electrical supply for continued use of reaction wheels - specific issue stated as "There isn't one."
Also note the distinct lack of struts.
And no fuel line....

This is going to be awesome! Suddenly i find i can't wait for .22 even more than before.

I am trying this, as soon as i get to my KSP!

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G4S3FR

G4S3FR

Posted
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I probably did something wrong because i managed to do it!

The ship

KYLg6vN.png

The orbits

te1SlcX.png

The splashdown

s4VUL98.png

Points -

Stable 70km +20

Stable 100km +15

Reentry +5

Pilot survival +10

Total = 50Pts!

I might redo it later, I'm sure i can do better!

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CaptainArchmage

CaptainArchmage

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Posted

I tried the challenge, got into Orbit on first try, SSTO. Orbit 130km by 104km (20 + 15), had enough fuel left to de-orbit and aim for land (+5). Spacecraft broke up on landing, but capsule survived (+10), 50 points. I used a long rocket (16 of the liquid fuel tanks), equivalent to the largest grey fuel tank. I will try again with more kerbals, and only just noticed that the higher orbit score is cumulative. I also only just noticed the girder is available.

How do you get the slideshow of photos to work?

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Francesco

Francesco

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Another craft based on the same concept: 100km Kerbin orbit, re-entry and soft landing.

iYzbX0GITg22O.png

The second stage ignites at T+25 seconds, overheating the core booster while it is still burning - most Kerbal system of staging ever :)

iJ74Uw0mObLt1.png

Tinkering with fuel tanks in-flight

i2LIIMqUOtrhZ.png

Orbit, and return

ibyOsVvweUnA8N.png

iokjyZHUMIatU.png

iutmlDzhQDBvm.png

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