The Great Fuel Shortage (Kethane)

[MarvinKitFox]

Wow, that is impressive... And here I was designing a whole minimalist infrastructure to refine kethane to support the trip...

initially, that was my idea for the challenge.

I though.. Little micro resource gatherer on Minmus, return the fuel, etc.

What I had not calculated on was the sheer immense mass of the Kethane drills. There is no way to set up a Kethane startup off-planet, without needing to burn at least several dozen Kerbals

So, in my usual way, I tugged and tweaked at the challenge definition until I figured out a way to break the system and come out ahead.

Now I know how those other challenge posters feel when I do the same to their challenges!

In this case, it was the discovery that in 23.5, the small solar cell and battery packs has been made *massless*.

That just *Begs* for an ion-drive exploitation!

Pity, really.

I had hoped to see some very interesting minimalist Kethane refinery projects.

[Koolkei]

Well, I tried to do it the sensible way, by sending a minimal kethane mining ship to Mun or MinMus.

Works great, but the mining + refining tools and tankage is rather heavy. That plan would have used 137 Kerbals.

.

Unacceptable!

.

So I decided to go directly to Eeloo.

Instead of my usual "moar boosters" approach, I went for the minimalistic approach.

http://imgur.com/a/GfSeB

Complete.

All hail the brave brothers, Macdo Kermin and Macgee Kerman!

Their brave sacrifice has enabled Jebediah Kermin to go to the GITS and petition our plight!

(He/it said basically. "oops. Didn't realize you were sentient, but your getting here proves otherwise. We'll put it right back where it was")

Total score: 3 Mission Elapsed time: 5Y D36, 5:21

Jebediah is somewhat stranded on Eeloo

Macdo Kermin fuelled the exit from Kerbin

Macgee Kerman fuelled the interplanetary transit, and landing on Eeloo. (Jeb still has a half-tank of unleaded Macgee left over, if he wants to explore Eeloo)

Unsporting behaviour: Liberal use of MechJeb.

I tried, I really really really tried to do this on one Kerbal. It should be doable, but I kept on running out of either stability, or delta-v during landing on Eeloo. At my skillset, sacrificing just one Kerbal leaves me short by about 850 delta-v, enev with moderately creative gravity slings, etc.

I do hope one of you guys can do me better, and reduce the guilt burden of having to roast an extra Kerbal simply because I cannot steer any better.

sooooo xenon is allowed as long as it's not from kerbin??

i thought ion thruster was not allowed

[Capt. Hunt]

I think he used kethane from the two "volunteers" to make the xenon.

[Tarantulae]

Maybe you could give +1 point per year taken? Thus encouraging a little more use of kerbals for a faster solution?

[vat21s]

Im trying to do it with an SSTO

Edited April 20, 2014 by vat21s