SST Eeloo and back challenge

[eempc]

Since the old SSTEAB looks dead, here is a new one. The old challenge didn't have many participants and having completed every leg of this challenge except the re-entry to Kerbin, I understand why. I won't lie, it was BORING. The sooner that Eeloo gets put in place around Gas Planet 2, the better. Anyway here are the rules:

• Stock engines and intakes only. After all what kind of challenge would it be if you could have a 20k DV interstellar craft with super duper warp drives?
  
• You can use any propellant containers, wings, and structural components, etc, from balanced mods like B9, SP+, procedual fairings/wings, etc.
  
• You must deliver one kerbal inside a module, no chairs.
  
• State whether you use FAR or stock aerodynamics and no switching between the two for the duration of the mission.
  
• No refuelling and no landers.
  
• No exploits or ridiculous clipping. If you go stock aerodynamics, you will need a good ratio of intakes to engines for aerospace planes, so if you need to airhog, go for it.
  
• Gravity assists are fine if you want to show off but there is also another challenge of getting to Eeloo with the least DV.
  
• Showcase your journey with a few pictures.
  

Mission Summary

Aerodynamic model: FAR

Time: 17 years

Craft propulsion: 2 turbojets, 2 ram intakes, SP+ wings and tailplanes, 1 LV-N, 1440 units of fuel, 1600 oxidiser

Mission accomplishments: flew to Eeloo, orbited Eeloo, landed on Eeloo, took off from Eeloo, returned to Kerbin orbit

Failed to land.

Pictures Showcase

Launching the ill-fated craft whose CoM and CoL would be wrong later.

6972 m/s DV once in orbit

The ejection burn was messy. With such a long burn time, it actually took around 2500 m/s instead of 2100 m/s. Needed a 345 m/s correction burn to reach Eeloo.

1604 m/s needed for circularisation.

I tried horizontal landings at 150 m/s, 100 m/s and 50 m/s horizontal speeds but the terrain was having none of them, so it had to be vertical.

2027 m/s DV leftover to get into orbit and return to Kerbin. In retrospect I probably could have done a better landing.

I had to wait about 5 years for this trajectory to open up. 10 degrees phase angle!

This was the part I realised when I should have actually tested my ship instead of throwing it together and launching. This is a retrograde entry into the upper atmosphere only to bring apoapsis down into a stable orbit. A prograde entry was too dangerous because the CoM was behind the CoL and there was literally no fuel left to shift.

After several attempts to land, I gave up. Jebediah is stuck in orbit after a 17 year journey to the most boring planet in the Kerbolar system.

Edited July 15, 2014 by eempc

[jonatron5]

Seems like most peopel are avoiding this challenge. Ill try it once I get back from work. My plan is for an insanly light ssto and put like 5 ion engines on the back. Ittl be slow but it ought to get there.

Reserve me a spot on the leaderboards lol

[eempc]

Well I didn't exactly sell the challenge in the first paragraph, lol. But the reason I did this challenge was not only to see if it was feasible, but one day, Eeloo will be placed into orbit around a parent planet and the current challenge will no longer be doable.

[PLAD]

Sorry to wait so long on this, I hadn't built a successful SSTO before and the flight took a while. I hope the thread isn't considered dead yet.

Mission summary: SSTO from Kerbin surface to Eeloo surface and back. Stock aerodynamics, all stock parts except for Mechjeb. 11 years 277 days total mission time.

Ship: 12.059 tons on the launchpad, 62 parts. No clipping except for the ladders, little girders, and one slightly misplaced air intake. 3207m/s available once in LKO. 7.5 intakes per jet engine.

Flight profile: K-Mun-Eve-K-K-Jool-Eeloo out, then Eeloo-Jool-Kerbin back. Additional non-useful flybys of Minmus and Mun. 1955m/s from LKO to Eeloo surface and 942m/s from Eeloo surface to parachutes opening on Kerbin. (Softened landing with final thrust, would have landed at 17m/s without it.)

LKO to Eeloo surface and back to Kerbin for 2897m/s!!

Javascript is disabled. View full album

[chengong]

I did this back then for the Reddit orange tank challenge, but I ditched the wings and jets upon leaving atmosphere.

[Pds314]

I know I have stock crafts capable of it if I can stick the landing. 7000+ m/s DV. Problem is FAR's recent rebalancing makes stock+FAR nigh-impossible to efficiently burn to orbit purely on nukes, and carrying RAPIERs with you isn't exactly a good solution either.

[GoSlash27]

Re. Exploits:

Is infinigliding illegal? I'm working on an Eve SSTO and it relies on infinigliding and ion engines. I'm pretty sure my current prototype can pull off SSTO to Eeloo and back from Kerbin (stock parts and physics). Should I give it a go, or would it be disqualified?

Best,

-Slashy