How Low Can You Go... with fuel consumption to orbit?

[rkman]

Liquid fuel category:

1. 2875, Tufom

Hybrid category (airbreathing & liquidfuel engines):

1. 110, Mesklin

Like i said elsewhere, space plane technology in its current state makes (small) rockets obsolete.

Not much of an issue as long as fuel and parts cost no money, but once money becomes a factor, why would anyone build a rocket if the same mission can be done much cheaper with a space plane?

Same as what would happen in the real world if we'd have real space planes: no more rockets

I hope something will be changed so that ksp remains closer to its original goal.

[TUFOM]

After some thinking I redesigned my last attempt and now more thin, more simple device could reach orbit with less fuel consumption:

Fuel spent - 54.05

Start mass - 7.141 t

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Edit2: Result is valid.

Edited December 16, 2013 by TUFOM

[Jasonden]

Edit: Unless I am wrong any of these new crafts wont go under these rules. Sorry for you all if my rules were not clear. All of new crafts violating pretty clear rule "it must have capability for refueling"

Whole lot of moving of the goalposts going on. If you disallowed these entries, then you have to disallow the solid fuel entries too -- we have the same refueling capacity.

[numerobis]

Your craft must have refueling cabability here comes in rockomax decoupler what you dumbed to pad. So this result is not valid.

What does this mean? A decoupler doesn't provide refueling capability. Mesklin's 48-7S-based rocket can be refueled just fine, can deorbit itself, and could safely land -- looks to me like it follows the spirit of your challenge just fine.

If you want to require the decoupler to be on the payload in orbit, or to be dumped while outside the atmosphere, just say that. Otherwise, I can build a first stage on Mesklin's rocket under those big decouplers and burn a tiny amount more fuel before dumping them and still fit in your rules. Or I fly my hybrid rocket again but with RCS this time and thus won't have forgotten my fuel lines.

[TUFOM]

Refuel capability via docking port. That is not possible if there is stuff connected to docking port. And this rule has been since I started thread.

Am I missing something here? At least the way I see this happen there is needed to be X fuel tank connected to pod, docking port & decoupler?

How this makes need to disallow solid fuel entries?

Edited December 15, 2013 by TUFOM

[numerobis]

Mesklin's jet entry you can decouple the docking port and slough off the jet portion. It's refillable.

Mesklin's 48-7S entry looks perfect to me on orbit. It violates the post-hoc clarification that you need to use a big decoupler after launch. Can this entry be fixed just by adding a couple oscars on the big decouplers?

Bobnova's entry looks like it fills every rule even the late-coming clarifications. So does Jasonden's.

So I don't know what fulfills your requirements. Just bolding text doesn't make it clearer.

[TUFOM]

Mesklin's jet entry you can decouple the docking port and slough off the jet portion. It's refillable.

Mesklin's 48-7S entry looks perfect to me on orbit. It violates the post-hoc clarification that you need to use a big decoupler after launch. Can this entry be fixed just by adding a couple oscars on the big decouplers?

Bobnova's entry looks like it fills every rule even the late-coming clarifications. So does Jasonden's.

So I don't know what fulfills your requirements. Just bolding text doesn't make it clearer.

There was huge misunderstanding because of my ignorance. I did not know docking port can decouple stuff. (other than another docking port)

Sorry for this! There is no need at all for that decoupler in this challenge. But to be clarified to be refulable there must be something to refuel? Removed decoupler need and added thing that should have been in rules all time "capability for refueling and return back from orbit" <- so refueling need makes more sense and I have thinked challenge this way whole time. Makes also sense for having parachute there.

So now this out of way Mesklin's entry is valid. and little bit tweaks others will be. Challenge is now as its final form no more editing.

Edited December 16, 2013 by TUFOM

[Mortaz]

This sounds interesting XD i'll give it a shot...probably wont come first but i might just do it XP

[TUFOM]

Overcooked this one but still its my best resuld in hybrid category so far:

233 units fuel used.

And my rocket category entry:

1841 units fuel used

Can't wait to see would R.A.P.I.E.R (SABRE) engines be good in this challenge. Tomorrow is release date of 0.23.

Edited December 16, 2013 by TUFOM