How many times can you use one craft.

[Technical Ben]

My bazillion part rocket is just about to get out of Kerbal for it\'s test. If I have not messed up the fuel lines again, and sent it in a spin, I should be able to tell you if it\'s successful soon!

[Technical Ben]

Ok landing is proving harder from orbit, than from a test launch.

So I\'ll go back the drawing board on the lander, perhaps on the part count too...

Ok. I\'ve successfully launched a 'rocket'* to 60k, landed stage 2 and relaunched stage 3 into ORBIT then landed again.

Here is the craft that did it. Not sure if I could ever get the first stage into orbit or not, as I start to get fuel flow problems with my design, and use up some of the orbit/landing fuel by mistake. I\'ll have to work on that...

PS, warning, it has far too many parts! I\'ll upload the stages 2 and 1 on their own if you want to see how it can 'land'. Yep, it\'s a mobile ocean launch pad!

[Technical Ben]

Ok, I\'ve got a new craft into orbit successfully this time. So, it\'s possible in theory. This one is called 'Medusa'.

You can launch it into orbit with fuel to spare, so it might be best to cut out a few parts... oh, especially so as it\'s got way over 120 fuel tanks at the last count.

This is what it looks like in orbit...

This is what should happen for the landing..

[Polecat Industries]

Am I mistaking this \'challenge\' section for the \'I\'ll have a go as long as I dont need to think too hard or put to much effort in\' section?

I know its hard thats why I put it here, its a challenge.

This is to test poeples abillity to build and fly efficeintly. The lazy opinion is to build bigger. So build more efficiently and try flying better.

You can launch a rocket into orbit with only 3 fuel tanks and get it back again safely. I\'ve think that most spacecraft that can travel to and from the Mun can do this challange.

The Mun happens to have much less gravity. You need less thrust, and, therefore, fuel, to land on the Mun.

[foamyesque]

If I\'m not mistaken, it takes, in general, more fuel for a Munar landing than one on Kerbin, even counting deorbit burns and an unassisted powered landing in both cases. No atmosphere, you see.

[Iskierka]

That\'s for a single Kerbin landing. The challenge is for several. (Note the estimate of a required 13 km/s dv)

[foamyesque]

That\'s for a single Kerbin landing. The challenge is for several. (Note the estimate of a required 13 km/s dv)

Yes, I know the challenge is for several, but: 1. each individual landing takes less on Kerbin than the Mun; 2. A Mun-capable rocket >is< fairly close to 2-orbit capable right on the hop.

Going beyond 2 is hard. Going beyond 3 is insane.

[Iskierka]

Each individual landing, yes, but the launching is another question.

[Spacecats!]

Another reason. Landing legs? No. The stock 'Landing legs' would just break off really easily for the first and second stages, and the engines might break from the stress of the rest of the rocket.

[boolybooly]

Oh great a status contest between Mun landings and Kerbin landings, that makes so much sense.

I am currently experimenting with the smallest 2 launch Kerbin vehicle I can make and I am trying to save fuel by using chutes to control the landing but it is a nightmare because the chutes interact with the thrust system and the ASAS to cause horrendous oscillations.

[NovaSilisko]

I\'m going to try it with Silisko Edition

fuck da rulz

[Technical Ben]

Sounds good Nova. I\'m trying a new water lander... but it\'s getting bigger, not smaller.

[foamyesque]

Each individual landing, yes, but the launching is another question.

Well, sure. That\'s a given; I thought it didn\'t need saying.

[SteevyT]

What if you have a bunch of boosters or something that you can knock out of orbit every orbit or so on parachutes? Technically something is landing.

[boolybooly]

IMHO makes sense to figure out the most efficient 2 launch craft before even looking at 3, also there is honour in efficiency. This is the smallest stock 2 launch craft that has made the round trip for me. My previous 2 launch was 120 LFTs and 31+13 LFEs, this one has just 50 LFTs and 13+1 LFEs.

This design placed the ASAS in the bottom lander stage so the relaunch vehicle could leave it behind and be as light as possible while carrying a usable chute, but it has to be manual guidance only. Also it launches from on top of the lander stage. When landing you need just enough impact to break the engines but not so much that the whole thing collapses, otherwise when you launch there is a difficult moment on separation where you lose the ASAS before you get the engines on the relauncher to full throttle during which time it can tip over and if you apply throttle too early semi-broken bits of the lander stage can launch themselves at the same time as the relauncher and collide with the Kerman Bros. :\'(

All this stuff has happened at least once while practicing for this mission. In fact I have spent three days crashing this thing figuring out how to fly it, picking a flat landing zone, working out how to target it, best approach orbit, best launch timings pattern and how to kill drift while in free fall at 8,000m over Kerbin, and then how to land the remaining teetering pile of junk on one tank of fuel per engine, so today was the first time it all came together and I am pretty chuffed.

So here are the screens and the noble craft Algernon 02. Anyone who can spot the reference gets a cyber cookie.

[Technical Ben]

Nice one BoolyBooly! I might be able to help a little. I\'m doing my final test of my 'soft' lander.

I have orbited successfully with it, but only landed in trials from the launch pad. My last attempt landed 'hard' and not soft.

It has 25 engines for the launch stage + 5 for the orbital burn With 9 LFE, but dropping them as I go. Then 3 for the landing, with anything left over from the landing being used to help launch the final 4 (it needs 4+ a little) LTF on the last launch stage.

[edit]

Hmmm. I was flying MUCH better yesterday. I got into orbit with fuel to spare. It\'s rather close though. This time, I only managed to scrape it up there. I\'ll see if I can adjust the design slightly to cut out some weight, as using more fuel tanks will be counter productive. That will give me more allowance for mistakes.

Oh, I was being too cautious on the throttle on the launch stage to try and save fuel. If I go faster in the launch, I get out of the atmosphere quicker, and have more fuel for the burn.

[Edit 2]

Ok, here it is. It can orbit. But I fail to land at the moment. But the second stage does orbit in tests. :/

[Edit 3]

Oh well, it got into orbit, but I ran out of fuel landing.

Now attempting to use parachutes to land...

[JellyCubes]

Finally managed a 3 orbiter craft after several attempts. It has a total of 95 fuel tanks and 33 engines although further optimisation could reduce this number.

I initially tried to design a craft that could land on solid ground but after seeing Technical Ben\'s water lander, I decided to go for three water landings instead. You don\'t have to worry about engines breaking off or finding flat ground to land on and the altimeter displays the exact height above the ocean.

[Technical Ben]

Nice. I can never get to orbit with 3 tanks, so I\'m using 4, :/

Great that it makes it in water! My idea was not too crazy after all.

Medusa crashed, never had enough fuel. But out of the ashes and rocket parts left by the side of the road will rise a new creation. It\'s name will be Phoenix, and it will land on both water and solid ground!

PS, can you share the save of the craft?

This is Phoenix. I added wings to the landing stage. It can launch, orbit and land only two times. But seems to work.

[boolybooly]

Nice lean looking ship there Technical Ben. I think I need to try water landings they look a whole lot less crashy...

Grats JellyCubes on the first 3 launcher with your amazing flying rocket tree.

[Technical Ben]

Ok, I\'ve not got the patients for this. Takes too long to launch most things.

Here is the Phoenix version 4 (don\'t ask what happened to the others ). The lander has parachutes to help with landing. It can land on the ground, or stay upright in water.

Only 2 orbits possible on this build though. Well, no orbits as I have not tested it fully into orbit yet...