The Saturn-Shuttle Extravacatastrophe!

[G'th]

I've decided to the remake my Saturn-Shuttle concept from a couple months ago, that unfortunately no one ever took me up on. Admittedly, I never did submit my own try at the concept, but now I have! That's right, I've created a functional example of NASA's Saturn-Shuttle concept. As its name implies, the Saturn-Shuttle would utilize the Saturn V S-IC first stage as the booster for the shuttle program, with the EFT and Orbiter mating sitting on top in place of S-II second stage. The S-IC would've been modified to use large delta wings (compared to the relatively tiny fins it uses in its normal launches) which would have allowed the stage to fly back to Kennedy Space Center to be refurbished for another flight (with its F-1 engines alone being replaced).

Utilizing the Saturn V for the Shuttle program would have meant that the International Space Station could have been lifted into orbit in a relative handful of launches, and indeed, may well have meant we could have sent men farther into space than we ever did during the program, as interplanetary vessels would have been trivial to construct in orbit with the power of the Saturn V behind them. It also likely would have meant that Challenger may well have never been lost.

Here's a picture of an official NASA model of the Saturn-Shuttle, to give you guys an idea of what this looks like:

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RULES, SCORING, and SHENANIGANS!

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The rules are quite simple. No cheat mods or game cheats are to be used.

The entire craft MUST to be a Saturn V analogue with an attached EFT + Orbiter analogue. For 100% stock versions, I will allow non-exact replicas to be used as stock parts don't provide much options towards this challenge. (SLS parts for instance are acceptable in place of an F-1 type engine configuration)

The Orbiter itself MUST be able to land back at either KSC or the Old Airfield. Landing at KSC2 is also acceptable, despite the lack of proper runway.

The landing of the S-IC stage is completely optional, as doing so will require certain mods or a modified flight plan (IE, carrying the S-IC stage into orbit and then deorbiting). The reusability of the system isn't really the point of this challenge, as I've found that actually creating the darn thing at all would be more of a challenge than making a S-IC stage that can fly back to KSC.

Most mods may be used. The only unacceptable mods, for the purpose of keeping this challenge firmly within the realm of what NASA could actually do at the time, will be any mods like KSP Interstellar, Near Future Propulsion, etc etc. If it wasn't something that could be in production in the 1970's, it isn't acceptable.

Your entry will require either a full video from launch to landing, or a series of screenshots from launch to landing.

Here are some recommended mods to use towards this challenge (I'll post links after I post my challenge attempt). Some of these mods will have extra points attached for their use (or non-use):

Space Shuttle Engines

KW Rocketry

FASA

Kerbin Shuttle Orbiter

Component Space Shuttle

B9 Aerospace

Spaceplane Plus

OLDD Saturn V

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Scoring will follow a basic "Most points win" formula. Points are awarded based on meeting any combination of the below criteria, assuming the base requirements are met.

REQUIRED:

Saturn V Analogue

Orbiter + EFT Analogue

Orbiter must make it into at least a stable 75kmx75km orbit, because duh.

Orbiter Capable of landing at any of the three mentioned locations.

PAYLOAD:

You are awarded 1pt per ton placed in orbit. A payload is not required, however

EXTRAS:

The Masochist: I had a hard enough time designing mine, even with mods. Going 100% stock earns you - 250pts.

Replicas are for Champs: Use a combination of CSS and FASA to create the Saturn Shuttle (This was what I originally tried, but it would never work for me) - 100pts

Replicas are for Chumps: Use a combination of KW Rocketry and Kerbin Shuttle Orbiter - 25pts

Clean, mean, and Modern: Use a non-prebuilt spaceplane design of your choosing. - 25pts

SpaceX is the Bee's Knees: Create a reusable S-IC stage. It must be able to fly back to KSC ONLY. - 150pts

SpaceX is seriously the Best: Create a way to completely reuse the entire craft, bringing the External Fuel Tank back down to be reused along with the rest of the craft - 200pts

Constructive Rocketry: Utilizing multiple launches, create a space station or interplanetary ship using the Saturn-Shuttle - 50pts

Who Needs Space Stations: Utilizing the S-S, launch a scientific mission into LKO, ala Spacelab. - 25pts

Where Kerbals have Gone Before: Utilizing the S-S, launch a mission to either moon of Kerbin - 50pts (BONUS: Land Orbiter on the surface of either moon - add 75pts)

Kalileo: Utilizing the S-S, launch an interplanetary probe to Jool ala Galileo - 50pts (BONUS: Utilizing another S-S, return the probe from LKO (after Jool return) to KSC - add 50pts)

Pfft, Tourists: Launch a minimum of 10 Kerbals using the S-S - 25pts (BONUS: Add 1pt per kerbal after the minimum 10)

SSME's are for wimps: Do not use the Space Shuttle Engines mod - 50pts

SCIENCE!: Add 1pt per 1pt of science gained in one mission utilizing the Saturn-Shuttle

Realism is the best!: Add extra points for any of the mods below!

FAR - 50pts

NEAR - 25pts

Deadly Reentry Continued - 25pts

Real Solar System - 250pts

Engine Igniter - 25pts

Real Fuels - 25pts

Career Mode Multiplier: Creating your Saturn-Shuttle while under the constraints of .24 Career mode will enable to take this modifier. Multiply your final total score 1.05.

Career Mode Party Points: For each contract completed by your Saturn-Shuttle in one mission, add 10pts

The Lame Participation Trophy: Provide a series of failure pictures, the funnier the better! - 5pts

HALL OF FAME:

1. Pörs - 173 points

2. G'th - 102 points.

3.

Edited August 5, 2014 by G'th
Rules for entries added

[G'th]

Here is my attempt. Although I technically failed (as I missed the runway at KSC completely), I'm still going to count it as a success for the purposes of the the challenger's example. That and I'm tired and really don't feel like dealing with KSO's issues when it comes to FAR and DREC. Perhaps during my weekend I'll make another attempt.

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Here's my score:

Payload: 2tons = 2pts

Replicas are for Chumps: 25pts

FAR - 50pts

DREC - 25pts

Final Score: 102pts

[Pörs]

Hey, that's a cool challenge. Space Shuttles are my favourite Toys in KSP. I will try it when i'm at home.

But one question: Why is FAR more pts worth than NEAR? I thought the only difference is that you get more information with FAR like the graphs in VAB. Or are the more differences?

[Rhomphaia]

OK, so I am a bit of a masochist...

I sacrificed an unmanned orbiter to show the return capabilities of my lifter, since I won't have time to both recover it and get the rest into orbit.

...more to come.

[G'th]

Hey, that's a cool challenge. Space Shuttles are my favourite Toys in KSP. I will try it when i'm at home.

But one question: Why is FAR more pts worth than NEAR? I thought the only difference is that you get more information with FAR like the graphs in VAB. Or are the more differences?

I listed FAR as worth more points because (from what I understand) FAR is more complex in its flight physics than NEAR is. I could be wrong (as I haven't actually looked into NEAR), but even so.'

@Rhom

Nice craft you've got there. Definitely didn't expect a stock example.

Edited July 31, 2014 by G'th

[Rhomphaia]

@Rhom

Nice craft you've got there. Definitely didn't expect a stock example.

Thanks, unfortunately it needs a lot of work, It gets into orbit fine but lands like a brick. The early flight tests were promising, and while I did doubt that it would accurately make the runway I thought I could land it as long as I could get it on the flats, but it seems to shed too much speed on return from orbit.

Edited July 31, 2014 by Rhomphaia

[Rhomphaia]

Redesign complete, hopefully this one will perform better on re-entry. The main engine rebuild made it a lot harder to balance the EFT, the rotational torque increases as the tank empties to more than double that of the previous version, and since I swapped out two of the LV-T45s for LV-T30s, I no longer had as much thrust vectoring to compensate.

Here is the full launch to orbit, It was a bit too complicated for me to worry about camera angles and much of it is in map view.

Will bring her home later.

[Pörs]

Here's a preview of my Saturn Shuttle

It needs more tweaking because the reentry is pretty unstable.

I hope it qualifies as a replica

Edited August 1, 2014 by Pörs

[Rhomphaia]

OK, take 3.

The improved orbiter was not as improved as I had hoped. a bit more tweaking and here we go

Video mostly highlights how much I suck at targeted landings.

[Pörs]

Here's my try:

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Utilising the shuttle to launch a munlander.

Mods used:

- FAR

- DRE

- TACLS

- Engineer

- B9

- B9 IVA Extensions

- KM Shuttle Engines

- KM Special Parts

- Procedural Fairings

[G'th]

What an excellent entry. I particularly liked how you set up your Saturn V analogue.

Here's your score:

Basic Requirements - Done

Payload - 23 tons - 23 pts

Clean, Mean, and Modern - 25pts

Where Kerbals have Gone Before - 50 pts

FAR + DREC - 75pts

Final Score = 173pts

I've gone ahead and added you to the hall of fame.

IN other news, I do plan on jazzing up the original post with graphics and such here eventually. Mostly so its not just an ungainly wall of text.

[Rhomphaia]

Since my earlier video seemed to slip under the radar, and my poor piloting did not do my craft justice, I have been practicing, here is my most ambitious mission with my stock Saturn-Shuttle yet

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If anyone wants to try it out, here is the .craft file