The Kerbal Skydiving Challenge

[Northstar1989]

You read the title right- skydiving.

This challenge is about creating the most interesting and purely-awesome Kerbal skydives you can think of.

How it's Done

First of all, this is *NOT* a challenge for use of EVA Parachutes mod- that would be too easy (and besides, it's a little unrealistic not having to lift any extra mass for the parachute- in the latest version parachutes are automatically built into all Kerbal EVA suits for free).

Instead, this is a challenge in which players are to use Kerbal Attachment System to skydive with their Kerbals, as Darren9 awesomely demonstrates in this video for his entry on Laythe (see the 'Distinctions' section for the special rules on non-Kerbin skydiving). Note that he used LAZOR mod to set the physics-loading range to 5 km instead of 2.3

Note that this only works with the stock radial parachute unless you modify other parachutes so Kerbals can grab them in the KAS configs. For simplicity and fairness to other players, just stick with the stock radial parachutes and KAS.

Da Rulz

1. You are free to use any balanced mod other than EVA Parachutes or some other mod that allows you to circumvent the need for KAS and using a grabbable parachute as demonstrated.

2. Use of FAR is not only allowed, but ENCOURAGED. The aerodynamic shielding from drag it provides should be EXTREMELY useful for paradrops in which you have your Kerbal(s) suit up inside a B9 Aerospace cargo bay, for instance (without FAR, the Kerbals can end up flying around in there, possibly out the hatch before suiting up, due to the effects of drag...)

3. Use of Real Solar System is also encouraged- it makes skydiving more epic when Kerbals have a taller atmosphere to fall through.

4. Use of Real Chutes mod is allowed- but makes things more difficult, by making parachutes much less effective... Use it for extra challenge if you wish (if it still allows you to successfully skydive at all)

5. Pretty much anything meeting the qualifications goes! Be creative!

Submission Qualifications

To be eligible for this challenge, you must do the following:

1. Lift a Kerbal to at least 10,000 meters above the ground on Kerbin (special rules for other planets). At least 20,000 meters if using a 10:1 Real Solar System scale-up, or 15,000 meters for the 1:6.4 RSS scale-up.

2. Drop him! The Kerbal must detach from his vehicle above 10,000/15,000/20,000 meters, with nothing but a parachute on his back (see the Distinctions for the two exceptions)

3. Activate your Kerbal's parachute in semi-deployed (drogue) mode below 7000 meters above sea level, and in full mode no higher than 5000 meters above the ground (this basically means activating it below 7000 meters using any of the normally tweakable altitude settings).

4. SAFELY touch your Kerbal(s) down on land, or within 1000 meters of a boat or shore that they then swim to *and* board or climb onto. No points if they die or "drown"! (see the Distinctions for the one failure-award)

Base Scoring

This challenge works on both a scoring and distinction system. The following formula makes up your base score, to which are added points for any Distinctions earned (note failed attempts, while earning the mercy/failure aware, are not worth any points).

+1 points for every 1000 meters over 10k (or 15k/20k for RSS) your Kerbal releases from. Note this caps out at 40k meters in the stock solar system, and 54/72k in the 1:6.4 or 1:10 scale-up's... (extra points for an orbital-dive through Distinctions)

+3 points for each Kerbal who successfully makes the skydive- up to a maximum of 4 Kerbals (this means ALL successful entries are worth a minimum of 3 points). All Kerbals must drop/deploy at roughly the same time- no dropping Kerbals at an "orbit" of 40 km and then after-burning out of physics loading-range.

+5 points for setting up a "Landing Zone" with a flag beforehand (this can be done for points anywhere but Jool), for every 1000 meters your closest Kerbal lands within 4 km of it (to a maximum of +20 points for landing within 1000 meters)

Distinctions

There are an important way to earn points- especially if you want to top the Scoreboard.

Insane Skydiver- Deploy at least one Kerbal's parachute at 30 meters or less from the ground on any planetary body (setting altitude to 50 meters won't cut it- you'll need to deploy manually.) +2 points

Orbital Drop- Drop your Kerbal(s) on Kerbin from outside the atmosphere, but with apoapsis below 80 km (or 16/20 km above the atmosphere in a 1:6.4/1:10 scaled-up solar system). Note that you do not have to drop from a circular orbit- but your periapsis must be above 32 km (or 42 km for either scale-up). +4 points

What's This Drag?- Complete the challenge using FAR. +3 points

Heat? What Heat?- Complete an orbital drop on Kerbin using Deadly Re-Entry (note that for this, you are allowed to use a single layer of structural panels as a "heat shield", an OKTO2 and up to 4 *small* passive wings/fins without control surfaces for aerodynamic stabilization, and ladders or KAS winches to hold the Kerbals in place on the correct side of the panels. The correct # of radial parachutes may be attached to the panels until detached for use by the Kerbals). +12 points

Duna Diver- Complete an atmospheric drop on Duna instead of Kerbin, taking off from the surface with your drop vehicle. DOUBLE points per extra km for altitude score, above a minimum height of 8 km, but caps out at 24km instead of 40km

Falling through dust- Complete a suborbital drop on Duna, from an altitude over 70km with no periapsis and a trajectory coming down on the same side of the planet, using no EVA jetpack thrust at any time (hint- this is only possible if you pick a low-lying landing zone, anything else will probably kill your Kerbal as the atmosphere is too thin to slow them down...) 34 points for altitude score, overwrites normal altitude score

The Eve Daredevils- Complete an atmospheric drop on Eve, taking off from the surface with your drop vehicle. 1 point per km above 8 km, up to maximum of 42km. +4 bonus points for the distinction

Worthy of Jebediah- Complete an orbital drop using FAR and DRE on Eve from any altitude/orbit above the atmosphere (heat-shield may be *2* layers thick, up to 6 fins and an OKTO2 allowed, same rules on para's). +24 points, and automatic credit for a max-altitude drop

Don't try this at home kids- Complete an atmospheric drop on Laythe, taking off from the surface with your drop vehicle. +1 point per extra km above 7 km, but caps out at 24 km. +20 bonus points for the distinction.

No SERIOUSLY, don't try this at home - Complete an orbital drop on Jool from any orbit/altitude above the atmosphere, onto a platform/plane/blimp or other vehicle floating/fyling at any altitude *below* 90km (hint: craft in an "orbit" at roughly 100 km will not despawn when unloaded- use this to your advantage...). Is it even possible? +200 points, overwrites all other scoring

Green Goo- Fail the challenge due to all of your skydiving Kerbals either crashing into the terrain (splat!), or drowning (failing to land within 1 km of a boat or shoreline) 0 points, but you'll still make the bottom of the Scoreboard for your effort if all other rules/conditions were followed.

Note: There are no orbital drops allowed other than the ones mentioned. This is as you arrive at these bodies from orbit, rather than from the surface like on Kerbin... Therefore it would be too easy to allow players to perform standard orbital drops on any of them... Also, I created no scoring guidelines for extraplanetary drops on a RSS scale-up, as I consider them quite unlikely. If anyone actualyl does perform one, I will attempt to create a fair scoring guideline for the respective planet/drop type- let me know the parameters (altitude density, height, and scale-height; plus Delta-V to reach the planet/moon) for the scale-up you use so I can judge what's fair.

Scoreboard:

1. Darren9- 24 km altitude (on Laythe), 2 Kerbals, <3 km precision-landing, "Don't try this at home kinds" [53 points]

2. Mazlem - 24 km altitude (on Duna), 1 Kerbal, <2 km precision-landing, "Duna Diver" [50 points]

3. DaPatman - 40 km altitude, 1 Kerbal [33 points]

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Green Goo Entries (in chronological order)

1. Master Tao

NOTE: I did my very best to create fair and consistent scoring guidelines, which leave room for both orbital and atmospheric drops (I will change the scoring if one is proving impossible to beat- though orbital drops are meant to be a bit more challenging and rewarding on atmospheric score, they are much harder to hit target Landing zones with using multiple Kerbals, and as such should not always top the scoreboard unless a player manages a precision orbital-drop: they are more for fun) but I may have missed something.

Please let me know if I did miss something, or if something I posted is inconsistent- and please don't be upset if retroactive changes to scoring change your place on the Scoreboard (especially if you performed an inaccurate orbital drop without DRE- which is actually relatively easy to do). I have done my best to consider every possibility, but I know I missed a few.

Regards,

Northstar

Edited October 26, 2014 by Northstar1989

[Northstar1989]

OK, so plane-based drops are a LOT harder to get accurate than helicopter-based drops (which can't reasonably reach the higher altitudes of this challenge). I'll be increasing LZ increments to 1000 meter pieces- so 20 points for within 1000 meters, 15 for within 2 km, 10 for within 3 km, and 5 for within 4 km of a flag (much larger increments wouldn't make sense, as the Kerbals despawn if more than 2.3 km from the loaded Kerbal- making a group's maximum spread 4.6 km in diameter...) Points will be awarded for the closest Kerbal... Still probably VERY difficult to get the maximum accuracy points from a plane at 40 km- but relatively easy from a helicopter-type vehicle (anything that hovers basically).

I'll also be raising the altitude ceiling on parachute deployment to 7 km ASL semi-deployed and 5km above the ground (the max a parachute can be fully deployed at normally) fully deployed, to make accurate drops easier. This essentially removes any restriction on when you fully-deploy a parachute (unless you've been modding configs- which isn't allowed anyways), but still means you can't go semi-deploying a parachute while your Kerbals are encased in hypersonic flames (which would probably burn up the chute) without being DQ'd...

Anyways, here's a demonstration of a basic plane-type drop. If it were entered in the scoring (I tend not to enter into the scoring until other players have in a challenge I create- so as to not discourage new entries), it would earn only 13 points with the new rules (1 Kerbal survived from a 20 km jump)- I'm sure you guys can do MUCH better!

First, the preparation:

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Then, the takeoff, ascent to cruising altitude, and selection of a good jump site (lots of relatively flat ground near sea-level and the equator).

Note my dumping extra fuel (I still had over 57% left afterwards- more than enough to theoretically get my pilots home form a roleplaying perspective...) in the last two screenshots to allow the plane to climb a little higher so I could ensure it cleared 20 km...

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Finally, the jump itself- I have no idea why Shelsey Kerman (the "jump leader" from my roleplaying perspective, as he was bravest and least stupid) died on touchdown- probably a terrain-clipping bug. His jump profile was hardly any different than Kelrie's...

Too bad I missed a great shot of the plane flying off (level- SAS was doing all the flying at that point) in the distance with its rear hatch open as my parachutists free fell below it- but perhaps one of you guys doing a similar jump will get an even better one at some point- maybe somewhere even more exciting like Duna!

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It's slightly ironic that I lost a Kerbal on touchdown though- I was singing the old US Army cadence "If I Die on the Old Drop Zone" the whole way down with my Kerbals to pass the time...

By the way, the "Lost" Kerbals in the Astronaut Complex list include the 3 pilots, the Kerbal who stayed in the jump bay (he couldn't reach a parachute, as one of the Kerbals who fell off his ladder could only reach his), and a Kerbal who successfully jumped but exited physics loading-range. So really only 1.5 casualties from that jump, not 6 (nobody knows what happened to the Kerbal who lost visual contact...)

Regards,

Northstar

Edited June 6, 2014 by Northstar1989

[randomness5555]

Cool idea...Hrmm... Quick question-can you steer the kerbals around when using parachutes attatched like that?

I think this might be worth having a go though, pics later once I've tried

[ihtoit]

space for my helicopter drop...

[KotDemopan]

Im pretty sure the jool skydiving is possible.

With a bit of help from this to keep the landing platform in one spot

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/71030-Quantum-Struts-Continued-%282014-02-27%29-Tweakables-KAS-grab-attach-tech-tree

Its easy.... assuming your kerbal can hit the small space that is "the platform" but heck, im certain the challenge said nothing about using the EVA pack to move around.

Edited June 6, 2014 by KotDemopan

[Northstar1989]

Im pretty sure the jool skydiving is possible.

With a bit of help from this to keep the landing platform in one spot

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/71030-Quantum-Struts-Continued-%282014-02-27%29-Tweakables-KAS-grab-attach-tech-tree

Its easy.... assuming your kerbal can hit the small space that is "the platform"

Quantum Struts would extend 40,000 meters? (the absolute minimum distance one must jump on Jool for the distinction)

Anyways, after actually carrying out a higher-altitude plane jump (from 20,000 meters), I've decided my criteria for parachute deployment and LZ size were a bit too harsh... Even a few milliseconds difference in jump times moving at supersonic speeds (340 m/s is a relatively slow cruising speed for 20km on Kerbin) equates to over a kilometer and a half distance on the ground- making 100 meter distances a matter of pure luck.

I'll be updating both criteria- see my posts above.

Regards,

Northstar

[Northstar1989]

Cool idea...Hrmm... Quick question-can you steer the kerbals around when using parachutes attatched like that?

You could with your RCS pack a little bit I suppose- but otherwise, I'm afraid not. There are circular chutes, not parasails...

I think this might be worth having a go though, pics later once I've tried

Sure thing- but this goes both to you and the poster below you, as well as any future readers- please don't make a habit of reserving spots on this thread for future posts. I posted myself more to "bump" the thread than anything else, so it wouldn't die a death of being ignored, but am overwriting that post as the 2nd post is too valuable to occupy with a bump. Normally, it's a very distasteful habit to get into, and few will appreciate it...

Regards,

Northstar

[Aghanim]

Help my kerbal just lithobrake successfully!

So here is the story. I'm doing some proof of concept for this challenge. So I build the most simplest rocket ever, only the barebones needed to complete this challenge. Then I jumped from the ship, get some reentry effects, then because I was trying to achieve the insane skydiver award, I didn't open the parachute. When it is near the ground,I move my mouse to the parachute deploy button, but because I was panicking, I didn't deploy the chute. Then the kerbal fall, chute first, the chute explodes, the kerbal was thrown to the air, get bounced off several time, and survives. Too bad I didn't screenshot the actual lithobrake. And here is the pictures:

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The question: Do I still get the insane skydiver award?

[Northstar1989]

Help my kerbal just lithobrake successfully!

So here is the story. I'm doing some proof of concept for this challenge. So I build the most simplest rocket ever, only the barebones needed to complete this challenge. Then I jumped from the ship, get some reentry effects, then because I was trying to achieve the insane skydiver award, I didn't open the parachute. When it is near the ground,I move my mouse to the parachute deploy button, but because I was panicking, I didn't deploy the chute. Then the kerbal fall, chute first, the chute explodes, the kerbal was thrown to the air, get bounced off several time, and survives. Too bad I didn't screenshot the actual lithobrake. And here is the pictures:

http://imgur.com/a/x8m9Y

The question: Do I still get the insane skydiver award?

That's utterly hilarious, but unfortunately- no.

One of the handful of conditions for the challenge is that the parachute has to actually deploy (I even set altitude guidelines- no deployment before 7000 meters for instance, so that you hopefully won't deploy with re-entry flames). So you didn't meet the challenge's requirements.

If you're looking for a simple mission- try a plane paradrop with two Kerbals. (use a rocket-plane to beat my example altitude+score)

This is easily accomplished even in stock+KAS only- as in one of the many oddities of KSP, Kerbals will hold onto Pegasus ladders even at hypersonic speeds if the ladder is oriented perpendicular to the prograde vector such that the Kerbal would have to move sideways on the ladder to let go (just look at my sample video to see how I secured the Kerbals in my B9 cargo hold)- which they can't/won't do no matter how strong the force pushing on them...

Command seats would in theory work fine too, and be more realistic- but Kerbals always appear *on top of* any enclosed space when they exit a command chair- making them impossible to use as a way to secure Kerbals in a sort of cargo hold until jump-time...

In order to get your Kerbals out of a stock plane, I suggest trying constructing a small cube on it (you can have a small hole on the top to drop the Kerbals in) out of structural panels just large enough to hold two Kerbals. Have Kerbals hold onto two ladders oriented as shown in my example paradrop to secure them and prevent them from bouncing around inside and possibly glitching out- the ladder trick will work MOST but not all of the time, and they'll still be fine for a short while even if they still somehow fall off the ladder (as happened just before the paradrop with some of my Kerbals in the example video).

Attach the rear-facing panels to the other faces of the cube with a decoupler (or multiple decouplers in sections- i.e. two halves to the rear face, each attached by one decoupler). Have the Kerbals let go of the ladders and grab stock radial parachutes on the interior walls of the cube just before jump-time, then blow off the rear face of the cube with the decouplers to release the Kerbals on their skydive... Sure, it's not a reusable release system- but nobody ever said it had to be.

Alternatively, you can drop out the floor- but there's a much greater risk of Kerbals glitching through it before grabbing their parachutes if you build it this way...

Regards,

Northstar

P.S. The stock+KAS structural cube trick should work best with a plane with either a 2.5 meter fuselage with the cube on top, or a twin 1.25 meter fuselage with the cube in the middle. To construct a symmetrical twin-fuselage, the easiest method is to start the craft with a small part such as an cuboid probe core, and then build outwards in opposite directions with girder segments in 2x symmetry mode (the shorter the girder length and fewer the parts in it the more stable it will be). You then build the two fuselages off the girders at each end in 2x symmetry, and the rest of the plane accordingly. Make sure to add in at least a couple struts to keep things stable, just in case...

Edited June 6, 2014 by Northstar1989

[Master Tao]

Thought I'd share some green goo. I oriented my ladder the wrong/realistic way, so Genebles fell off repeatedly. Most of the way down, he was able to get back on using EVA propellant, but fell off completely around 16 km. The suit started getting rather hot, and Genebles thought it was all over, but had the presence of mind to start spinning to spread the heat between the suit and the parachute. It got up to nearly 800 c, but nothing broke. He managed to deploy the chute and splash down less than 70 km from the KSC. Poor guy drowned before the rescue boat could reach him.

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[Northstar1989]

Thought I'd share some green goo. I oriented my ladder the wrong/realistic way, so Genebles fell off repeatedly. Most of the way down, he was able to get back on using EVA propellant, but fell off completely around 16 km. The suit started getting rather hot, and Genebles thought it was all over, but had the presence of mind to start spinning to spread the heat between the suit and the parachute. It got up to nearly 800 c, but nothing broke. He managed to deploy the chute and splash down less than 70 km from the KSC. Poor guy drowned before the rescue boat could reach him.

http://imgur.com/a/TBPaW

Cool! Nice try though! This will make you the first entry on the Scoreboard, even if it for "Green Goo" and 0 points, until somebody submits another entry that doesn't fail...

I take it you were trying for the Deadly ReEntry distinction? Normally Kerbals can come in straight from interplanetary transfers without any fear of heat hurting them...

A shame that your Kerbal drowned- though situtations like this are precisely what I added the drowning losing-condition for. The world' best swimmers (humans, not Kerbals- who are smaller and thus presumably can't swim as far) can manage maybe 100 km, and the world record is around 200 km- but none of that is wearing heavy spacesuits that inhibit movement... Nobody could have known your Kerbal would fall off or

where he would splash down as a result either...

Regards,

Northstar

P.S. Another option you can try for attaching your Kerbals to the re-entry craft is KAS winches. If your Kerbals grab onto the ends of them, and they are locked in at a very short distance, they can safely hold your Kerbals on the correct side of the heat-shield. The point of the rules I set forth on the re-entry vehicle was to force players to use something very minimalist and "Kerbal" to preserve the excitement of the experience. Strapping oneself onto a winch to hurtle through the atmosphere at Mach 5-6 still sounds pretty Kerbal to me...

P.P.S. Also, I took pity after seeing your entry, and relaxed the drowning rules a bit- Kerbals now only have to land within 1000 meters of a boat or shoreline, rather than within 400 meters...

Edited June 7, 2014 by Northstar1989

[Master Tao]

So, yes, I was going for the FAR and DRE distinctions, but this fail was just too much fun not to post. I'll have to try the winch method.

[Northstar1989]

So, yes, I was going for the FAR and DRE distinctions, but this fail was just too much fun not to post. I'll have to try the winch method.

Go for it! I always enjoy seeing new entries on my challenges! (while you're at it, you might attempt my Reusable Launch Platform Challenge if you're interested...)

Let me stick your previous entry up on the Scoreboard now, by the way- I forgot about that before...

Regards,

Northstar

Edited June 7, 2014 by Northstar1989

[Darren9]

I had a go, to cut a long story short, planted a flag, hopped into a two seat turbo-jet, flew to 41KM, EVA'd one Kerbal and grabbed a chute and let go, switched back to the piloted plane, followed the skydiver down to 8Km (rockets above 25KM) pulled ahead and leveled out at 200m, switched to the skydiver (still in range) and manually popped his chute at 150m (he lands safely), switched back to the jet and landed that. Both the jet and skydiver finished ~630m from the flag.

[DaPatman]

I had a go using RealChutes, but not FAR or DRE:

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[Northstar1989]

I had a go, to cut a long story short, planted a flag, hopped into a two seat turbo-jet, flew to 41KM, EVA'd one Kerbal and grabbed a chute and let go, switched back to the piloted plane, followed the skydiver down to 8Km (rockets above 25KM) pulled ahead and leveled out at 200m, switched to the skydiver (still in range) and manually popped his chute at 150m (he lands safely), switched back to the jet and landed that. Both the jet and skydiver finished ~630m from the flag.

http://youtu.be/5ZIoL3eMQoA

Impressive. You maxed out the accuracy AND altitude scores in one jump... And made a very cool video demonstrating it.

Your score was 30 points (altitude) + 3 points (1 Kerbal) + 20 points (< 1 km accuracy) = 53 points, by the way...

Regards,

Northstar

Edited June 9, 2014 by Northstar1989

[Northstar1989]

I had a go using RealChutes, but not FAR or DRE:

http://imgur.com/a/3RkGS

Also very cool- looks like you got max points for altitude as well...

Try it again with a flag if you want- I imagine you could touch down within 4 km of a flag using that method and earn some extra points...

Your score was: 30 points (altitude) + 3 points (1 Kerbal) = 33 points, by the way...

Regards,

Northstar

Edited June 9, 2014 by Northstar1989

[Mazlem]

Here's my submission for a little skydiving on Duna.

[Voculus]

Darren, where did you get those intakes and engines? I must have them!

[Darren9]

Darren, where did you get those intakes and engines? I must have them!

They were in the same pack as CritterCrawler and were a bit overshadowed by it. The front intake is from B9, re-skinned in D12. Edited June 12, 2014 by Darren9

[Northstar1989]

Here's my submission for a little skydiving on Duna.

http://youtu.be/Ow_gPAKjJGs

THAT was fun to watch.

I'll also count the Duna base as a "Landing Zone", since it was clearly what you were aiming for. I think you touched down just inside 2 km of it?

I'll also be a little generous with altitude since your video was so fun/interesting- but note you should have actually *released* from the rover above 24 km rather than sitting on top of it...

Your score:

32 points for altitude (24 km release on Duna- 2 points for every km above 8 km to a maximum of 32 extra points)

3 points for a one-Kerbal skydive

15 points for landing within 2 km of a definable target (I suggested a flag, but I'll allow ground bases and roves too- just no "that hill" type targets)

Total Score: 50 points

Congratulations on second-place on the scoreboard!

Regards,

Northstar

[Mazlem]

Thanks Northstar.

Yea the base was the target; Jeb landed 1.8km away. Watching the video again, I started walking Jeb down the ladder above 24km, but didn't technically break contact until 22km.

[palioxis1248]

No special rewards for no-chute landings?

[Mazlem]

The whole idea is to land with a chute, so nope.

[Darren9]

I took my new SSTO/spaceplane to Laythe and made a two man jump there, had LAZOR installed with a 5Km vanishing point and got both skydivers and the spaceplane back on the island again.