ICSM - Intercontinental Science Missile

[Himynameisjake]

It is the early days of the space race, and KASA scientists have been contracted by the DoD to create a missile to demonstrate their science superiority over those blasted Kosmonauts. The objective is simple: be able to put a science payload (with a kerbal to command it all) anywhere on Kerbin in a single click-it-and-forget-it launch. In order to prove the ability to land anywhere in the world, the payload must land on the opposite side of Kerbin from KSC, 74 degrees east (bonus points if you can go further than that!).

Why click it and forget it you say? Because despite developing a full science payload, the top brains at KASA simply cannot figure out how to motivate Jeb to touch the controls. He likes to fly, and likes to get out and do science, but actually touching the controls in his words "is for wimps". The guys at KASA also have a limited budget and tech tree, so the designer (you) will have to work around that.

Tech available for this launch:

Tech Tier 3 + General Construction (for struts and the Launch Stability Enhancer), and all sensors (obviously)

This includes:

• Basic Rocketry
  
• General Rocketry
  
• Stability
  
• Survivability
  
• and
  
• General Construction
  

What does click-it-and-forget-it mean?

Once you leave the VAB, you have VERY little control over the missile.

Because we can't time when our parachute will partially deploy, and I don't want to make the challenge ridiculously hard, KASA scientists have sneaked a small remote control device onboard when Jeb was out to lunch. The remote control gives you the ability to execute the following commands:

• Turning on SAS
  
• Launching the rocket (either a simple click if you are using SRB's or putting liquid engines specifically to full throttle)
  
• One staging event to decouple the payload from the rocket
  
• Chute deployment
  

The payload:

One each of the following (see picture below):

Command Pod Mk1

A parachute (Jeb has to land safe and sound so he can get out and show those Kosmonauts how to science!), either Mk16 or Mk2-R

SC-9001 Science Jr

Mystery Goo Containment Unit

Double-C Seismic Accelerometer

PresMat Barometer

GRAVMAX Negative Gravioli Detector

2HOT Thermometer

Sensor Array Computing Nose Cone

Rules

• Vanilla KSP other than Mechjeb or some other method of proving your landing coordinates (no FAR or any mods like that either)
  
• Missile must launch the payload and return it to the surface of Kerbin with all payload components intact and ready for sciencing.
  
• Missile must be click-it-and-forget-it capable
  
• Payload must land at (or beyond for bonus points!) 74degrees East within a few degrees of the equator (let's say +/- 5). If you are going beyond 74E, show pictures with trajectory to show you didn't just come short and claim you went beyond.
  
• Upload album including: ship on launchpad, trajectory after fuel spent, soft landing, and science loadout (probably easiest to just action group all science)
  
• Upload craft file for verification
  

There are two subchallenges: Furthest traveled, and lightest on the pad to reach 74E, 0S +/-5 degrees each

My current best (was attempting for a light launch vehicle)

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Leaderboard (furthest traveled):

MarvinKitFox - Challenge complete*

himynameisjake - 46, 34 West (not very far at all, whoops!)

Leaderboard (lightest ship on the launchpad to reach 74E, 0S +/- 5 degrees for each direction)

MarvinKitFox - Challenge complete*, unknown mass

Edited May 20, 2014 by Himynameisjake

[Chrono]

I see a few issues with this set up, the first is what you have there is not a Missile, that is a Rocket. Missiles have guidance packages, and can be controlled. What your asking us to build is a rocket, light fuse, run away. [/Terminology soapbox]

The other big problems here and it is even present in your build there, you said we had to run the science, with what power supply exactly? Or is it only intended to take data then be recovered?

Why specify a coordinate requirement? Why not just use the mission results window and check out the distance traveled? If your goal is to "science anyway" why do we have to be IVO the equator?

Edited May 18, 2014 by Chrono

[Koolkei]

I see a few issues with this set up, the first is what you have there is not a Missile, that is a Rocket. Missiles have guidance packages, and can be controlled. What your asking us to build is a rocket, light fuse, run away. [/Terminology soapbox]

The other big problems here and it is even present in your build there, you said we had to run the science, with what power supply exactly?

Why specify a coordinate requirement? Why not just use the mission results window and check out the distance traveled? If your goal is to "science anyway" why do we have to be IVO the equator?

so your challenge, plus this comment.

i'm believe that the number of science get wouldn't effect the overall end score. and the science equipment would just be extra mass right?

[TimMartland]

I think the science gear is only there to add tot he challenge and stop people building ultralight physics-breaking microrockets.

[TJPrime]

The payload:

One each of the following (see picture below):

Command Pod Mk1

A parachute (Jeb has to land safe and sound so he can get out and show those Kosmonauts how to science!), either Mk16 or Mk2-R

SC-9001 Science Jr

Mystery Goo Containment Unit

Double-C Seismic Accelerometer

PresMat Barometer

GRAVMAX Negative Gravioli Detector

2HOT Thermometer

Sensor Array Computing Nose Cone

'SC-9001 Science Jr' requires the 'science tech' node

'PresMat Barometer' Advanced exploration

'GRAVMAX Negative Gravioli Detector' Advanced Science Tech

'2HOT Thermometer' Space exploration

'Double-C Seismic Accelerometer' Electronics

You might want to change this slightly

[cantab]

The OP already covered that.

"Tech available for this launch: Tech Tier 3 + General Construction (for struts and the Launch Stability Enhancer), and all sensors (obviously)"

(emphasis mine)

[MarvinKitFox]

I see a few issues with this set up, the first is what you have there is not a Missile, that is a Rocket. Missiles have guidance packages, and can be controlled. What your asking us to build is a rocket, light fuse, run away. [/Terminology soapbox]?

Just to nitpick your terminology...

At no point does he ask us to construct a "Missile".

He wants us to build a "Missle"

I'm assuming that is some sort of inaccurate "le", thus a miss-le?

;-)

Ok, but seriously....

So we need to build a ... thingy... that has really excellent lateral stability (5 degree from equator, after traversing 180 degrees of distance around Kerbin.

It also needs to do its own gravity turn, for vertical aim orientation.

hmmm.

The SAS remote control.. Can I switch it on and off at will?

and.. just what exactly constitutes further than halfway around the world, yet still on it? Im a bit fuzzy on how to get further that the other side of a sphere, yet be on it.

[Cmdr. Arn1e]

I see a few issues with this set up, the first is what you have there is not a Missile, that is a Rocket. Missiles have guidance packages, and can be controlled. What your asking us to build is a rocket, light fuse, run away.

I think you might have your terminology mixed up - the difference between a rocket and a missile is that rockets aren't usually meant to blow up! So the difference is explosive ordnance/payload...

Edited May 18, 2014 by Cmdr. Arn1e

[Kokanee]

My entry;

Javascript is disabled. View full album

[MarvinKitFox]

Ok, here's my entry.

Unguided Ballistic Science Missile.

This missile provides pinpoint accuracy for equatorial targets, and ample range for any others.

As an added advantage, one can select the exact time-of-day for the landing, down to the minute, simply by launching at the desired time KSC-local.

The missile goes straight up, loiters above its launch point until the target obligingly rotates to directly under it, then lands.

Javascript is disabled. View full album

This example goes to the other side of the planet, as close as I could eyeball it.

[Kokanee]

How is it unguided if you are using mechjeb to control the landing?

[Himynameisjake]

I see a few issues with this set up, the first is what you have there is not a Missile, that is a Rocket. Missiles have guidance packages, and can be controlled. What your asking us to build is a rocket, light fuse, run away. [/Terminology soapbox]

Sorry about my terminology, I still have some things to learn I suppose

The other big problems here and it is even present in your build there, you said we had to run the science, with what power supply exactly? Or is it only intended to take data then be recovered?

You may add a power supply if you like, however I didn't think it was necessary as I thought it was unlikely that anyone able to complete this challenge would have science still available to earn on Kerbin

Why specify a coordinate requirement? Why not just use the mission results window and check out the distance traveled? If your goal is to "science anyway" why do we have to be IVO the equator?

I suppose that works too! I hadn't considered that!

i'm believe that the number of science get wouldn't effect the overall end score. and the science equipment would just be extra mass right?

I think it is unlikely that anyone still has much science to gain on Kerbin, so I had not considered awarding points for science reports. The science package is as TimMartland says, just to add to the challenge and make it a rocket worth building, rather than an ultra-light.

Ok, but seriously....

So we need to build a ... thingy... that has really excellent lateral stability (5 degree from equator, after traversing 180 degrees of distance around Kerbin.

It also needs to do its own gravity turn, for vertical aim orientation.

hmmm.

The SAS remote control.. Can I switch it on and off at will?

No, the challenge is to make a rocket that can do the trip with the clicks specified.

and.. just what exactly constitutes further than halfway around the world, yet still on it? Im a bit fuzzy on how to get further that the other side of a sphere, yet be on it.

One could theoretically be aerobraked enough to go further than 180, gaining TWR as they go, with a trajectory that was significantly more lateral at first, though I suppose it wouldn't be very ballistic in nature at that point...hmmm

[Himynameisjake]

My entry;

http://imgur.com/a/PHqwu

This is an incredibly elegant solution and much more what I had in mind when I invented the challenge than even I came up with, however, I don't think that your rocket is vanilla/stock...what is your fuel tank and engine?

[Himynameisjake]

Ok, here's my entry.

Unguided Ballistic Science Missile.

This missile provides pinpoint accuracy for equatorial targets, and ample range for any others.

As an added advantage, one can select the exact time-of-day for the landing, down to the minute, simply by launching at the desired time KSC-local.

The missile goes straight up, loiters above its launch point until the target obligingly rotates to directly under it, then lands.

http://imgur.com/a/1ptIs

This example goes to the other side of the planet, as close as I could eyeball it.

While not exactly what I had in mind (I was thinking something that could actively find a location rather than passively, so one could theoretically go north and south with the thing as well), this does technically meet the requirements for the challenge, I'll add you to the leaderboard, but with an asterisk and I'll be updating the rules if you don't mind.