Ike Return Senario!!!

[Kasuha]

How on earth did you get the space station orbit to have a temporary capture by Ike? I got that to happen once with the old file and realized I was cheating because I was putting the ship under direct control before Bill was on it and that wasn't allowed, so I started over fresh wiping everything and re-getting the download (I say "the" download because at the time there weren't two of them) and the darn space station never did it again on subsequent tries. Getting that capture to happen would greatly help reduce fuel usage and I can't recreate it.

Ironically you've named the version where the capture is designed to never happen as "easy" despite the fact that it takes more fuel that way.

Yes, that's what happens in "hard" version of the file:

I tried to fast-forward from the start of the scenario without doing anything and the station passed by Ike about three times and then fell to Duna. Is that intentional?

And since OP decided to leave it that way in the "hard" version, I don't think it's cheating if I used it to my advantage.

[DerpenWolf]

Yes, that's what happens in "hard" version of the file:

And since OP decided to leave it that way in the "hard" version, I don't think it's cheating if I used it to my advantage.

I don't really mind, though it certainly is more fun (hard) to do it the other way! Also very creative reusing of the lander!

Okay I don't have the solution, at least not for hard mode. I'm not 100% convinced it's possible. I'm trying to run the numbers but I think given the mass of the science station at its minimum size with everything undocked, and the total amount of fuel in orbit around Duna, there's not enough to achieve the DV for a duna-to-kerbin transfer.

I'm trying hard mode atm while I have time and you most defiantly can get a duna-kerbin transfer if you use Ike the right way.

Atm I actually just had to ditch the capsule I was sitting in due to excessive aerobraking and running out of rcs fuel (the only stuff I had) and am trying to redezvo with the plane via kerbal Eva, its turning out to be lots of fun!

Once I beat this I'm probualy going to start making a similar but WAY more complex map around the Jool system. Also sorry that the files have been a pain, next time around I'll try to figure out make life easier. Also any suggestions for what I should do on such a new challange or for a different new one? For starters I'm thinking about giving it a point system in which you have to get as many kerbals home as possible. So far I really like the idea of having lots of different options for ways to complete a mission but I'm wondering what everyone thinks of that concept so far?

Edited May 18, 2014 by DerpenWolf

[Dunbaratu]

I'm trying hard mode atm while I have time and you most defiantly can get a duna-kerbin transfer if you use Ike the right way.

I was trying it using the "easy" file which was misnamed because it's harder. When the science station never enters Ike's SOI, it takes more fuel to rendezvous with it.

[Kasuha]

I was trying it using the "easy" file which was misnamed because it's harder. When the science station never enters Ike's SOI, it takes more fuel to rendezvous with it.

I don't think "needs more fuel" or "uses more ships" always counts as "harder".

[DerpenWolf]

I was trying it using the "easy" file which was misnamed because it's harder. When the science station never enters Ike's SOI, it takes more fuel to rendezvous with it.

You can use either file for easy and goo mode, there is no restriction for either of those modes. I pretty much labeled the files random and less random and you are only required to use the random one for hard and kraken mode because it takes more skill to do so as the stations position can change for the better or for the worse. If fuel is a problem you could just gas up at the "Main Craft" and use that to help you get to the station.

[Dunbaratu]

I don't think "needs more fuel" or "uses more ships" always counts as "harder".

In the case of this challenge it does - because limited fuel is the only thing about it that's difficult. If you want to get the science station back to Kerbin you actually do have to use the "harder" file (which is really easier). At the time I tried the challenge, there was only one file, and it did not cause the the science station to enter the Ike SOI like you're showing in your screenshots. No matter how much I waited and waited and waited it never happened.

Edited May 19, 2014 by Steven Mading

[Kasuha]

In the case of this challenge it does - because limited fuel is the only thing about it that's difficult.

Rendezvous in highly elliptic orbit or doing gravity slingshots might sound difficult to some people, too. But I think the hardest part is just finding the solution.

If you want to get the science station back to Kerbin you actually do have to use the "harder" file (which is really easier).

I did not check the "easy" mode trajectories but if trajectories of the station and the fuel depot are kept just clear of Ike, it should not be any significantly harder. Yes, you need to use more than just two ships. But that's it. I was doing the challenge using the original scenario file (the "hard" one) assuming all orbits are stable and I did not have any problems with it - if the station stayed in its original orbit, I'd be even refuelling it from what I was about to bring to it.

At the time I tried the challenge, there was only one file, and it did not cause the the science station to enter the Ike SOI like you're showing in your screenshots. No matter how much I waited and waited and waited it never happened.

I don't know whole history of updates of the OP but I did the challenge with the file originally posted with the challenge and when I posted my result there were both already. Maybe you were just unlucky with the time you were looking? Both time of first posting and time of last update are available in the OP.

[CakeNinjaProductions]

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