Create a working Space Shuttle!

[ILikeRockets]

The Challenge

I challenge you guys to create a fully functional space shuttle capable of bringing small payloads into orbit.

If you've already created a working space shuttle you can enter it, however if you put it for download you can't use it anymore because then everyone will be able to use your shuttle.

All mods can be used except mods that are targeted to create space shuttles.

Point System

+5 for stable launch

+5 for bringing your shuttle into a stable orbit

+10 for bringing a station core in a stable orbit

+10-50 for bringing your shuttle to another celestial body.

+40 for constructing a station using only your shuttle

+100 for flying by every planet

+(?) for aesthetics

+10-100 for Asteroid redirecting. Points vary with orbits(including inclination), and sizes(Example: Redirecting an A-Class into an equatorial orbit that's 100X100 you get 15 points.)

Leaderboard

Succesful launches

1. cadaveric with 150 points

2. TJPrime with 115 points

3. Kasuha with 80 points

4. Kerbies_Are_My_Minions with 30 points

5.

Mision Failed

1. ILikeRockets with 2.5 points((?)Points not final because you decide wether it looks good)

2.

3.

4.

5.

I wish you luck!

Also i will post my entry soon.

Edited May 10, 2014 by ILikeRockets
Updated leaderboard

[ILikeRockets]

My entry:

It flies stable until boosters are jettisoned!

It's the as of yet nameless shuttle.

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Well i failed.

Points Scored:

+2.5 for stable launch until boosters are jettisoned

+(?) for aesthetics (You decide how good it looks!)

[Kasuha]

It's not very clear to me what kind of "space shuttle capable of bringing small payloads into orbit" do you mean. Or rather how much realistic replica of US space shuttle you want it to be.

Here is what I made for another challenge which is a true space shuttle, as it repeatedly travels to orbit and back, only getting refueled and payload attached on the ground. It definitely does not count as a replica of US shuttle, though.

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Edited May 1, 2014 by Kasuha

[ILikeRockets]

It's not very clear to me what kind of "space shuttle capable of bringing small payloads into orbit" do you mean. Or rather how much realistic replica of US space shuttle you want it to be.

Here is what I made for another challenge which is a true space shuttle, as it repeatedly travels to orbit and back, only getting refueled and payload attached on the ground. It definitely does not count as a replica of US shuttle, though.

http://imgur.com/a/rwOGi

It doesn't matter if it's realistic or not but this... Just wow...

And now points:

+5 for stable launch

+5 for a stable orbit

+10 for bringing a station core into orbit

+40 for constructing a station using only the shuttle

And I give 20 points for aesthetics.

This truly is an amazing shuttle.

[Starwhip]

Define "Shuttle". Like the actual Space Shuttle? Or some kind of reusable thingymabob that goes to orbit and back?

I want to try this. Seems.... fun.

[ILikeRockets]

Define "Shuttle". Like the actual Space Shuttle? Or some kind of reusable thingymabob that goes to orbit and back?

I want to try this. Seems.... fun.

Both. As long as the craft itself lands without payload.

[Keloooe_Pest]

So we can do it like the Dream Chaser and stick it on top?

[TJPrime]

Can we have different variants for space shuttles for the space station? For example, one being a crew transporter and the other being a cargo lifter? Would that be ok?

[ihtoit]

Kasuha: to complete the true definition of what a space shuttle is, can you launch your shuttle with one payload, deploy that, and come back with a different (ie recovered) payload? Like, oh I dunno, take a fuel tank up, deploy that to the station and bring back an empty? Or even swap out the solar array for a nuclear reactor? (and no deorbiting the solar array for a burnup, those things are expensive, they're asking for them in Kermany as their ground-based nuclear reactors are all offline now - they're entirely dependent on Kerbolar power).

[Kasuha]

Kasuha: to complete the true definition of what a space shuttle is, can you launch your shuttle with one payload, deploy that, and come back with a different (ie recovered) payload? Like, oh I dunno, take a fuel tank up, deploy that to the station and bring back an empty? Or even swap out the solar array for a nuclear reactor? (and no deorbiting the solar array for a burnup, those things are expensive, they're asking for them in Kermany as their ground-based nuclear reactors are all offline now - they're entirely dependent on Kerbolar power).

I don't see any reason why it shouldn't be possible with my shuttle. Or do you?

[ILikeRockets]

So we can do it like the Dream Chaser and stick it on top?

Yes.

Can we have different variants for space shuttles for the space station? For example, one being a crew transporter and the other being a cargo lifter? Would that be ok?

As long as it vessel itself can return, yes.

[ihtoit]

the trick with a piggyback orbiter is to make sure that your orbiter engines thrust vector actually goes through the centre of mass of the orbiter + external tank. That gets a lot trickier when you have a single tank that empties from the top down, so my suggestion is to build the ET in three parts: a sliver section in the middle where you draw fuel and oxidiser from, and payload tanks top and bottom which feed into the sliver, all separated by struts. The CoM will not move a lot with that arrangement.

[Raven.]

the trick with a piggyback orbiter is to make sure that your orbiter engines thrust vector actually goes through the centre of mass of the orbiter + external tank. That gets a lot trickier when you have a single tank that empties from the top down, so my suggestion is to build the ET in three parts: a sliver section in the middle where you draw fuel and oxidiser from, and payload tanks top and bottom which feed into the sliver, all separated by struts. The CoM will not move a lot with that arrangement.

What I typically do is go as small as possible on the external tank. Getting the CoM lined up right, with a smaller than normal tank with a good set of booster, and the thing will fly. I've had shuttles hit Kerbin escape velocity while still doing their ascent burn.

I got a few questions on this challenge. Is FAR allowed and is the space shuttle engines mod allowed? Thank you.

[TJPrime]

I think my shuttle is capable of building a station. I just tested to see if I could launch it into orbit and land it at KSC. Seeing as how it was the first plane I have ever landed at KSC, and I have been playing since 0.21.1, I say that is a bit of a success. Once I've started to build a station, I'll post it here.

UPDATE: I've started to build the station (2 modules so far). Slight issue though: the game crashes when I'm just about to land. I have an escape system that jettisons the pod and leaves the rest of the shuttle to crash somewhere (is this allowed? It's an 'In-case-of-emergency' thing). I can't land in the desert now!

Edited May 5, 2014 by TJPrime

[TJPrime]

+10-50 for bringing your shuttle to another celestial body.

+100 for flying by every planet

1) can we re-fuel our shuttle to go to another celestial body?

2) Do we need to fly by all planets in one launch or multiple launches?

Edited May 5, 2014 by TJPrime

[ILikeRockets]

1) can we re-fuel our shuttle to go to another celestial body?

2) Do we need to fly by all planets in one launch or multiple launches?

1) Yes, but the amount of times you can refuel is determined by how much fuel you have.

2) Can be multiple launches.

Also to your previous post, you can have an abort system for your shuttle.

EDIT:

I got a few questions on this challenge. Is FAR allowed and is the space shuttle engines mod allowed? Thank you.

Far is allowed and SSE mod too.

Edited May 5, 2014 by ILikeRockets
Merged post

[TJPrime]

Ok, I did as much as I could before the kraken attacked me. Small space station, visited the mun, and captured an asteroid (Bonus? Please?). Images will be uploaded soon!

[TJPrime]

http://imgur.com/a/Jfyyj

I didn't get a shot of the second module being put on the station. But I did use the shuttle for it!

+5 for stable launch

+5 for stable orbit

+10 for station core

+10-50. What's your choice? I got it to the mun and an asteroid, so... about 30? ish?

+40 for constructing a station using only my shuttle

About 90 for that, plus I'll be going to all the planets next week with a few of those, plus the aesthetics.

[ILikeRockets]

http://imgur.com/a/Jfyyj

I didn't get a shot of the second module being put on the station. But I did use the shuttle for it!

+5 for stable launch

+5 for stable orbit

+10 for station core

+10-50. What's your choice? I got it to the mun and an asteroid, so... about 30? ish?

+40 for constructing a station using only my shuttle

About 90 for that, plus I'll be going to all the planets next week with a few of those, plus the aesthetics.

Cool shuttle!

Also i'd give about +10 for going to the Mun, but Asteroids are something else(if forgot about awarding points for them), but i'll give +25.

As for aesthetics, i give 20. It looks simple, and a bit funny with cargo attached to the top.

Updating thread, and adding 'Roid redirection to the point system.

[Kerbies_are_my_Minions]

My first stock Space shuttle.

http://imgur.com/a/cLLfx

And Chibi Collins.

http://imgur.com/a/76b60

For more awesome stock space shuttles Check out http://www.twitch.tv/ej_sa His whole stream is based off of his stock shuttle space program.

[cadaverific]

First submission hype! (oh and the new pokemon too1!!11!)

This is my first attempt at doing this ,but i am quite pleased by how well it can fly. It has no name(i.e. 'shuttle-whatever this model is used for') but is generally referred to as a she.

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Attempting to swing by jool or eloo tonight

Edited May 9, 2014 by cadaverific

[ILikeRockets]

My first stock Space shuttle.

http://imgur.com/a/cLLfx

And Chibi Collins.

http://imgur.com/a/76b60

For more awesome stock space shuttles Check out http://www.twitch.tv/ej_sa His whole stream is based off of his stock shuttle space program.

For the first shuttle:

+5 for stable launch.

+5 for bringing your shuttle into a stable orbit.

For the second shuttle:

+5 for stable launch.

+5 for bringing your shuttle into a stable orbit.

Both shuttles look good +20 for aesthetics on both.

Total:

Shuttle 1: 30 Points

Shuttle 2: 30 Points

Will be posted as 1 submission.

First submission hype! (oh and the new pokemon too1!!11!)

This is my first attempt at doing this ,but i am quite pleased by how well it can fly. It has no name(i.e. 'shuttle-whatever this model is used for') but is generally referred to as a she.

http://imgur.com/a/qQLy2

Attempting to swing by jool or eloo tonight

Nice looking shuttle!

+5 for stable launch

+5 for bringing your shuttle into a stable orbit.

+10 for bringing a station core in a stable orbit.

+40 for bringing your shuttle to the Mun(15pts) and Minmus(25pts).

+40 for constructing a station using only your shuttle.

+50 for aesthetics because that's a cool looking shuttle that also works.

Total:

150 points!

Edited May 10, 2014 by ILikeRockets
Merged post

[cadaverific]

Here it is hitting up Jool and Laythe

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new shuttle with docking doors is in progress. It doesn't go half as far but it looks much better.

[NavalLacrosse]

I've taken this thing out past the two moons after docking with the station before. This mission however is just a crew exchange at the local interplanetary gas station, The 'Super Fueler Space Station'. A rather uneventful trip. This ship has the potential of scoring 50 before aesthetics, however this one shall score a measly 10.

Behold.... shuttle!

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