[Stock] Coffee Break challenge

[Vindelle_Sunveam]

Verner Von Kerman is swamped with all your launches, and he needs to refill his mug.

Build him a satellite launcher his trainee can handle (he only knows how to stage ).

The rules :

Build a rocket.

Stock vessel.

No manned modules, even empty.

Hit "launch".

Raise your throttle at 100%.

Once it is done, you are only allowed to : stage and switch between the vessel the map views. You cannot shut your engines down !

Do not pack too much fuel.

Establish a stable orbit WITHIN Kerbin's SOI.

Any escape trajectory or periapsis <= 69900Km counts as a disqualification.

The scoring system is the following :

( Payload Mass (in T) * Apoapsis (in Km) ) / orbit eccentricity.

Orbit eccentricity is : (apo(+600) - peri(+600))/(apo(+600) + peri(+600)).

Payload mass doesn't include oxydizer, liquid, solid monopropellant or xenon fuel tanks EDIT : (that are connected to any engines), propulsion devices, decouplers nor separators.

Hints :

Ballast : Do not put these in the last stage, as it will only lead to uncontrollable spin, I recommend you make sure such devices are jetissonned before 35 Km.

I did the video before thinking of the scoring system, as I wasn't sure it could be possible. This is not my entry, as it has almost no payload.

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Edited June 1, 2014 by Vindelle_Sunveam
forgot to add Kerbin's radius in the eccenbtricity calculations.

[MarvinKitFox]

So if i manage a 0 eccentricity, my score will crash the universe with a div/0?

Can do.

[Vindelle_Sunveam]

No, you will just have an undefined eccentricity, which will lead to the absence of the parameter. Duh.

[AeroQC]

So a perfect orbit at maximum altitude within Kerbin's SOI would yield a scoring equation such as this:

Payload Mass*84,159

Kerbin's SOI: 84,159,286 m = 84,159 Km

Since none of the traditional payloads are valid (Fuels and Oxidizers) what are we supposed to send up? Empty tanks? Science equipment? Seems kind of pointless, since they don't weigh much at all and will just add a whole lot of bulk.

I think if fuel is going to be used as a payload, it shouldn't be used to propel the rocket, just cut off the access before launching.

[cantab]

So if i manage a 0 eccentricity, my score will crash the universe with a div/0?

Can do.

In the event that you manage to get periapsis and apoapsis equal to within the nearest metre (which would be impressive, though I can see a technique that would make it doable), the persistence file stores the eccentricity to 15 decimal places. You won't be getting that to all zeroes.

And I agree that disabled fuel tanks and zero-thrusted SRBs should be allowable payloads. Otherwise the heaviest thing you can use for payload is the 1 1/2 ton Hubmax connector, severely limiting efforts to get a high score by payload mass.

[Vindelle_Sunveam]

Thay is true. I was thinking too much about the roleplay element of bringing a science/telecom sat in orbit and fotgot that such payload was too damn light.

Also, according to the fact, that I sat, that all the fuel should be used, I forgot about bringing fuel in orbit without connecting it to the engine. I will make changes so it is accounted for.