Atmospheric orbit challenge

[xrayfishx]

Atmospheric orbit challenge

I assume most of you already know that in KSP it is possible to have a stable orbit that is completely inside the atmosphere by circularizing in atmosphere (Pe above atmosphere pressure 0.01atm) and then switching to another craft shortly before it leaves the 2.25km physics sphere. It will orbit on rails like a normal spacecraft and will not disappear.

It is quite easy to do in high atmosphere, not so easy when you get lower. But how low can you get?

Scoring: FAR/Stock will be separate and those both will then have subcategories for each planet. RSS planets are separate from stock (cpt. Obvious, you may fly away now).

Apoapsis+periapsis will be your score. Periapsis must be above 0.01atm mark. Exact values (non-RSS) can be found here.

Rules:

- no debug menu use, neither in design nor in flight

- stock game with no physics affecting modifications (except for known bugfixes), no extra parts, no extra functionality (plus exception for "informative" mods? It's not like it is possible to prove somebody used them)

- no abuse of physics flaws and bugs (Kraken drive, ladder force, infiniglide, ...)

- no teleports or mass transport, such as ships or Kerbals relocating or resources magically appearing or disappearing to/from containers except for what built-in resource transport allows.

Non-op mods are allowed. What's OP is ultimately decided by me, however my decision will, for most mods, largely be based on other people's opinions.

Lower score is better.

As already stated, periapsis must be above the altitude where atmosphere pressure is 0.01atm.

Apoapsis must be inside the atmosphere.

Please, no rules lawyering.

Entry proof:

Non-RSS: A tracking station screenshot showing Ap and Pe.

RSS: Same, except the spacecraft must be at Pe in the screenshot. This will be like that until someone tells me exactly at what altitude the spacecraft are destroyed (for each planet).

Leaderboard:

Kasuha: 54689 (Ap - 31545m, Pe - 23144m)

Suggestions for rules or for making things more clear are welcome.

Here's my proof-of-concept example.

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Edited May 14, 2014 by xrayfishx

[zarakon]

Do you know the altitude where ships will be deleted when on rails?

[hermanberk]

I Think its around 28KM for Kerbin

[Kasuha]

The link to appropriate Wiki page is in OP:

http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Atmosphere#On-rails_physics

[xrayfishx]

Do you know the altitude where ships will be deleted when on rails?

I Think its around 28KM for Kerbin

There is a link to this information in the OP, but since you missed it, I will post it again:

HERE

Edit: Epic ninja skills, Kasuha.

[Aphobius]

I didn't knew about this pressure thing, I was thinking they disappear only if they hit the ground. That would have made it more interesting, but anyway, let's see who can get the lowest score possible.

It might be easier to use Ap alt + Pe alt as the score, instead of the semi-major axis.

[EdFred]

*scratches head*

93km and 86km are both outside the atmosphere. What am I missing?

[Aphobius]

*scratches head*

93km and 86km are both outside the atmosphere. What am I missing?

He's using a mod that got the real earth, so the atmosphere is higher.

[Whovian]

In the description, it states they have RSS, so in their case the atmosphere's actually 180 km.

[Kasuha]

I made a few attempts at that, no real success, but to my surprise I was able to get an object in orbit with Ap=23 km and Pe=700 m and it stayed there for a few orbits before it disappeared from tracking station. I really wonder what's going on there, even if the game was checking air pressure for one ship per frame it should have happened faster than that.

[ihtoit]

I've had terminal descents actually pass through Kerbin unscathed at 1000x time acceleration and out the other side. Bug? Happy if it is, I've had some major "RATS! Missed my braking burn!" moments!

[xrayfishx]

I made a few attempts at that, no real success, but to my surprise I was able to get an object in orbit with Ap=23 km and Pe=700 m and it stayed there for a few orbits before it disappeared from tracking station. I really wonder what's going on there, even if the game was checking air pressure for one ship per frame it should have happened faster than that.

Well, that's odd. I will experiment with it. If low orbits like this are really stable, then that could make this challenge a lot less interesting. However, the spacecraft probably disappeared due to a mountain if the orbit itself was stable.

[Kasuha]

Okay, here is my entry. Maybe I could improve it a bit if I tried more but I already spent quite some time on failed attempts so I guess it's good enough.

Pe = 23144 m, Ap = 31545 m

Picture is from a ship on launchpad because tracking station doesn't allow me to highlight both Ap and Pe at the same time. Or maybe I just don't know how.

[KvickFlygarn87]

"As already stated, periapsis must be above the altitude where atmosphere pressure is 0.01atm"

*lifts eyebrow*

You sure you don't mean below?

[xrayfishx]

"As already stated, periapsis must be above the altitude where atmosphere pressure is 0.01atm"

*lifts eyebrow*

You sure you don't mean below?

I'm pretty sure I mean above. If it's below, the craft will disappear (well, it should, at least). We don't want that to happen.

Edit: I changed the scoring a bit. Once I realized how tedious calculating the SMA is, I followed Aphobius' excellent advice of using Ap+Pe instead.

Also, added Kasuha's entry.

You can take the screenshot from Tracking Station by lining Ap and Pe up close enough for your mouse to be over both of them, like in my examples. However, a craft on launchpad (or in space, or anywhere outside the physics sphere for that matter) works too, I just figured that it's probably quicker to take it from the Tracking Station.

Edited May 14, 2014 by xrayfishx