Speed Launching, Iron Chef style

[ihtoit]

Simple challenge, anything goes regarding vehicles with one caveat: payload MUST BE USEFUL! No just slapping a core on a fuel tank for this one, there must be something else on there even if it's only a radio antenna (in which case it must be in range or able to take part in a relay network to KSC). Whatever you put on there, if it consumes power, MUST NOT be allowed to run out of power! So make sure you have power generation and storage on there as well!

How many of your ships can you place into stable circular LKO orbits in ONE GAME HOUR?

Rules:

- Each first stage on the pad may carry ONE payload. No payload clustering or Kesslering to bump your launch total! I can throw 300 probe cores onto a giant fuel tank and boot them once in orbit as well, that's not the spirit of this challenge.

- Stable LKO orbit is anything between 70-150km, and for circular read: +/-1km on either axis.

- Launch to orbital insertion must take place in one take. No skipping from boost phase to launch the next one, your craft must be in *orbit* before you launch the next one.

- Once you move on to your next launch, there is no going back to correct orbital tracks on earlier launches.

- OI fails do not count toward your total.

- Your last launch can take place before your hour is up, I will allow your final launch orbital insertion to take place outside the one hour time limit.

I figure the maximum using stock parts is somewhere around 15-20 (given 4 minutes between firing and OI MECO which is very easily doable in stock).

As part of my default game, I went for a speed launch and got 28 comsats into LKO in little over one game-hour - achieved through judicious use of high-TWR Luvodicus Super Atomic engines, great fuel economy (FL-T100 fuel tank and still 11km/s dV on the pad) and lots of trial and error using MechJeb's ascent profile. I'd get a screenie but I'm well advanced in that game now.

[horndgmium]

Have you, by any chance, heard of this mod: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/75170-WIP-Plugin-(0-23-5)-Burn-Together!-Alpha-v5-1-(5-14-14)?

[ihtoit]

yes I have, hence the stipulation about launching one at a time and parking it before launching the next one.

[cantab]

Multiple separate rockets on the pad, on the other hand, may not be prohibited by the rules (depending on exactly what one regards as a "first stage on the pad"). IMHO, if someone can pull off flying two or more rockets to orbit at the same time - even with a mod that makes them follow a lead ship's controls - they should be able to reap the rewards.

[ihtoit]

I'd like to see you try it and get all the vehicles in a group to fly within 2000m of a common, perfectly circular orbital track. It's a fail if you can't.