[Challenge] Accurate Landing

[Doublerob7]

Alright Kerbonauts, I got a new challenge for you.

Since we seem to have gotten pretty good at getting our 'little green psychos' into a semi stable orbit, I propose a test of your new found skills:

Reenter and land at the launch site, as close as possible after a single orbit, with vanilla parts.

List of conditions:

1. stock 0.8.5 parts

2. launch

3. attain orbit (once around, >40,000 m, ~30 min, no need to waste the time and do a 'full' unpowered orbit)

4. reenter Kearth's atmosphere (no fuel use after hitting atmo)

5. land as close as you can to the launch site

6. post pics!

I tried this the other day, and somehow managed to touch down approximately 1000-2000 m from the launch tower. Will post screencaps when I get home today.

EDIT: Only grabbed screenshots of the final drop-in, but here ya go:

http://i.imgur.com/9CkmX.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/0In7p.jpg

[Supraluminal]

It's a fun challenge, to be sure, but there's a bit of a loophole in that it's completely possible to boost a pretty sizable craft into orbit, then re-enter with a bunch of fuel left. All you have to do at that point is use your copious fuel reserves to fly to the KSC and bail out on the VAB roof.

You could specify 'no thrust below 30km' or something to make it harder, but I don't know that there's any way to verify that people are following the rules.

[Tim_Barrett]

One moment!

[Scorch]

An easy way to deal with Supraluminal's point would be to use a single craft design to eliminate the possibility of rockets that have more fuel, but that would require people to agree on a design.

[Doublerob7]

Alright so, to make clear:

orbit above 40,000 m

no fuel use after hitting atmo

as for whether people cheat or not: it's a challenge for your skills, not a competition.

[AD-Edge]

Hehe, Ive been wanting to do this for a while now, Ill give it a go later tonight and post results.

[dodgyman]

Perhaps a time limit should be added to avoid people landing as close as they can and just rolling their command module to the perfect spot. I find rolling very slow but if you were to land within a few hundred metres it wouldn't be hard to move just enought to look like you landed where you took off from

[Zeroignite]

[Scorch]

Perhaps a time limit should be added to avoid people landing as close as they can and just rolling their command module to the perfect spot. I find rolling very slow but if you were to land within a few hundred metres it wouldn't be hard to move just enought to look like you landed where you took off from

People willing to lie will just wait the needed time to make it look like they orbited when they really didn't. What is needed is a end mission screen confirming that they traveled the necessary distance for a full orbit.

Not that I'm calling Zeroignite a lier, but his screenshot above my post is exactly what I am talking about. We don't know whether he completed a full orbit of the planet or not, we can't see his distance traveled over ground.

[dodgyman]

People willing to lie will just wait the needed time to make it look like they orbited when they really didn't. What is needed is a end mission screen confirming that they traveled the necessary distance for a full orbit.

I was thinking of a completely different thing but good point. I was talking more specifically about doing an orbit and then landing close to the space centre, after which they move their command capsule along the ground using WASD. It only came to mind because i tried it but got bored

[PeriapsisPrograde]

His MET is 35 minutes. Looks legit...

[HarvesteR]

Nice challenge! I often find myself trying to do this too

I usually do a deorbit burn and then jettison the last engine just before entering the atmosphere. Your only input then is the timing to deploy the chutes.

My personal best was the plain west of the launchpad terrain, about a klick or two away... Zeroignite's run is a LOT closer!

Cheers

[Samo]

Did this about a week ago after a 83km orbital session

[Moach]

my personal record: after a full orbit at 50K altitude, i landed between the three lakes southwest of the pad...

i'd try again, but without time accel, each attempt takes half an hour :

[boolybooly]

...at least, mine take 40 minutes + !

I am a total noob but I set myself the same challenge today (day 2) with stock 0.9 parts and just found this thread. I am looking in admiration & wonder at the screens above. I know mine is not much by comparison but its my best to date and I uploaded the jpg for another site so I thought I would link it.

I used booly enterprises inc's 'Lone Ranger Five', basically liquid fuel 1x1+2x1+3x3+6SRBs and assorted stabilisers, bit sluggish mid lift but it keeps going.

[boolybooly]

OK now I got it.

Proof of landing.

Flybe Four, the little ship that could.

[DrLuke]

Here's my first attempt. I had an orbit time of 62 minutes.