1 week to build a space station

[TJPrime]

President Jeb has recently given his speech to the world about the great triumph of the first Kerbals to walk on the Mun. Towards the end of his speech, he proposes that Kerbals will build a space station in a 200km orbit around Kerbin within the next week. With this target, the kerbals of KSC decide to accept this challenge (someone in the audience yelled out "CHALLENGE ACCEPTED").

THE CHALLENGE:

- Launch a core into a 100km orbit, then boost it to a 200km orbit

- You may not have any power generators on the core (I.E - no solar panels or generators)

- You can also not have any Kerbals in the core (You can put them on the launcher, but they must be returned home before the next module is put on)

- Dock a power generator to the core

- Dock at least 2 habitation modules (each being able to hold at least 8 kerbals. HARD MODE: 20 kerbals per module)

- Dock fuel 10 modules onto the station - at least one must be an orange tank

- Dock a lander to go to the Mun OR Dock a SSTO space plane

- HARD MODE: Using no nuclear rockets, send the space station to Duna

- HARDER MODE: Using ion engines and 0.5m engines, send the station to Jool

- EXTREME MODE: Using ion engines and 0.5m engines, send the station to Jool via a gravity assist from duna

- NOTE: the above harder modes do not count for the week (it takes a year to get to Jool at least without cheats). Just be sure to have a completed station around Kerbin

- You can use mechjeb, but only for docking.

- Use any modes you want, except for HyperEdit

- If you are using the alternis Kerbol mod, have a lander on the station and land it on the new Tylo

Post screen shots/video of as many stages being docked as possible.

[jacobgong]

There is no difficulty sending things over to other planets with ion engine you just gotta sit there and watch it burn for 5 hours while your computer is smoking from the insane part count.

Edited January 27, 2014 by jacobgong

[regex]

There is no difficulty sending things over to other planets with ion engine you just gotta sit there and watch it burn for 5 hours while your computer is smoking from the insane part count.

What are you talking about? If you can use any mods you want you can just edit the ion engine to have more thrust than a Mainsail.

E: These challenge rules could use some work. For instance, allowing "any mod you want" is just inviting abuse. Second, define a "module". Does each module require a separate launch? When I launch the core do I need to launch a separate craft to boost it to a higher orbit? Why can't I just launch it to 200km orbit? Maybe it would be better to require that the station be built in a 100km orbit and then be boosted in whole to 200km (or to one of the other targets for a more difficult challenge). Rather than specifying ten fuel modules specify a required fuel tankage; delivering an orange tank is at least slightly challenging, but after that I could put nine Oscar-Bs on the thing docked to separate ports and do it all in one launch with the orange tank. Make it, say, five or six orange tanks worth of fuel. There is also no prohibition against me launching all my fuel tankage empty, which makes the process much easier.

Another thing to consider is that each launch, rendezvous, and docking will take no more than, say, four hours at the most, and that's if you're being sloppy. If each module requires a separate launch then this challenge could easily be completed in 60 hours of game time, well under a week.

Edited January 27, 2014 by regex

[Captain Sierra]

Just to clarify, can you please explain the fuel module thing a bit better? 10 modules? and only one has to be a jumbo? How about two and they both be jumbos.

[jacobgong]

What are you talking about? If you can use any mods you want you can just edit the ion engine to have more thrust than a Mainsail.

E: These challenge rules could use some work. For instance, allowing "any mod you want" is just inviting abuse. Second, define a "module". Does each module require a separate launch? When I launch the core do I need to launch a separate craft to boost it to a higher orbit? Why can't I just launch it to 200km orbit? Maybe it would be better to require that the station be built in a 100km orbit and then be boosted in whole to 200km (or to one of the other targets for a more difficult challenge). Rather than specifying ten fuel modules specify a required fuel tankage; delivering an orange tank is at least slightly challenging, but after that I could put nine Oscar-Bs on the thing docked to separate ports and do it all in one launch with the orange tank. Make it, say, five or six orange tanks worth of fuel. There is also no prohibition against me launching all my fuel tankage empty, which makes the process much easier.

Another thing to consider is that each launch, rendezvous, and docking will take no more than, say, four hours at the most, and that's if you're being sloppy. If each module requires a separate launch then this challenge could easily be completed in 60 hours of game time, well under a week.

some people just don't think things through before posting . we need more people to abuse these challenges so they might learn something from these fail challenges.

[regex]

some people just don't think things through before posting . we need more people to abuse these challenges so they might learn something from these fail challenges.

Sorry, I'm not going to go through that many rendezvous/dockings just to "abuse a challenge".

[jacobgong]

you could just dock all the modules onto the core in one go.

[ihtoit]

I'd like a few things clarifying:

1. The "no power generators" rule: does this also apply to batteries? As my standard core subassembly includes batteries as structural elements. Batteries are storage, not strictly generators, after all.

2. OK, apart from the orange tank (which one?? The 2.5m or the 3.75m?) fuel module, please clarify "module"? What is the minimum fuel payload per module to count?

3. Hab modules are easy when you have the HOME pack installed. Since these also carry fuel, do these count towards the fuel module score?

[Xeldrak]

I like the basic idea of this challenge, a station building challenge also crossed my mind once or twice. However, you really need to work on the wording of it. Basically everything regex wrote. Also is the some way these stations will be ranked? A Point System or a public poll?

Especially the "all mods" allowed part will get you in trouble, because it makes the whole challenge an uneven playing field. In my experience challenges work best with stock only.

some people just don't think things through before posting . we need more people to abuse these challenges so they might learn something from these fail challenges.

Yes! Abusing a challenge is allways a good way to welcome sombody in our community and not at all a thinly veiled excuse to troll sombody. Who Needs constructive criticism?

[Kasuha]

I don't see the challenge. Bunch of ships, each with fairly small payload, you can even leave the docking to an automated mod. Even the "extreme mode" is not much more than waiting exercise

[jacobgong]

I like the basic idea of this challenge, a station building challenge also crossed my mind once or twice. However, you really need to work on the wording of it. Basically everything regex wrote. Also is the some way these stations will be ranked? A Point System or a public poll?

Especially the "all mods" allowed part will get you in trouble, because it makes the whole challenge an uneven playing field. In my experience challenges work best with stock only.

Yes! Abusing a challenge is allways a good way to welcome sombody in our community and not at all a thinly veiled excuse to troll sombody. Who Needs constructive criticism?

I don't suppose this is a good place to debate philosophy, so here is the short version:

Defects are there, regardless of whether or not someone point it out, and regardless of whether or not the person pointing it out has a better suggestion to go with the criticism. The only question is whether or not you want to acknowledge their existence.

Also, not everything has a happy solution for everybody, there are always dead ends.

Edited January 27, 2014 by jacobgong

[TJPrime]

1. You can have batteries.

2. the 2.5m stock orange tanks

3. They do count to the fuel module score. I haven't seen the HOME pack, so i'll check it out.

[ihtoit]

ok thanks I am undecided on using the HOME hab modules at the moment (they're 3.75m), so I've so far launched a twinpack of hitchhiker cans (seats 8) to start... screenies to follow, though I didn't get any predocking shots, I'll go through a detailed mission report once the station's built (and provided it doesn't spontaneously explode).

Teaser:

The station is to be built as a linear structure, the hitchhiker cans will later be moved to allow direct docking to the solar arm of the main fuel system and various other bits.

1. 6-way docking core, 6x4k batteries 6xclamptron senior, disposable launcher/drone control pod

2. Solar arm: 12 gigantor panels, 8 heatsinks, some lighting, no batteries. Moveable/stowable utility launcher (counts to fuel storage having 1400LF full)

3. Twin Hitchhiker can, some solar, small radial heatsinks, no batteries. Moveable/stowable utility launcher (counts to fuel storage having 1400LF full)

4. (planned) Twin hitchhiker can as in #3. Launcher/UV to remain docked for later dock transfer

5. (planned) Docking core as in #1, to attach to the hitchhiker can end of the solar arm

6. (planned) HH cans to dock radially to new DC

7. (planned) Orange LF tank (with 4 Clamptron Junior ports and Parom Monoprop tanks) to axial port on old DC. RCS control will be via detachable booster stages feeding off the onboard monoprop.

8. (planned) ...

[TheGeoninja]

This seems to be a copy of a challenge I created. Except you are focusing on sending the stations to other planets. No problems though.

[jacobgong]

This seems to be a copy of a challenge I created. Except you are focusing on sending the stations to other planets. No problems though.

I know they are similar, but I don't think he copied yours because of his total lack of consideration shows that he's not the kind of person who would look through old challenges.

[TheGeoninja]

Fair enough its not like I can sue him or something just wanted to mention it.

[Commissar]

could probably do this, but too much of a pain. I pretty much do 90% of my flying with mechjeb, especially rendezvous, probably the hardest part. aside from that, the part count requires is impossible. too laggy. it would take a week IRL to do anything after you dock the first few modules.

i've done half of this though, i've flown ion-powered stations to duna, docked a big KW orange tank, etc. the thing is, as far as fuel goes, I find that I don't use that much form my stations, mostly just resupplying my orbital tugs. because of this, i have 3 or 4 tankers in orbit, idle. i think i may have docked an SSTO, but maybe not. my SSTO is too fuel-hungry to be of much use once in orbit.

hell, i'd do it if I could. most of my larger craft are set up so as to not occupy the 3.75m docking clamp, and my newest tankers have standard docking clamps on them. again, problem is lag. my current space station is almost unplayably laggy with 2 tugs and a tanker docked.