Kadvent Kalender - 24 missions leading up to christmas

[TJPrime]

So I won't need my 640-ton launcher?

You can use it if you want to.

[NQMT]

Just a suggestion, the very first mission should be something super small around the KSC, like a 2 minute job. Second suborbital, third orbit etc etc. What do you think?

[tg626]

This is the sort of thing Squad should have done! Great idea!

[TJPrime]

Just a suggestion, the very first mission should be something super small around the KSC, like a 2 minute job. Second suborbital, third orbit etc etc. What do you think?

It'll be that sort of thing, yes.

This is the sort of thing Squad should have done! Great idea!

I will admit now that I got the idea from a magazine, but hey - isn't everything involved with KSP based on something? Thanks, btw

[zekes]

So I won't need my 640-ton launcher?

haha, yeah i've got my 850 ton launcher ready as well.

Anyway here are my 3 launchers:

CIRA III- 50 tonnes to orbit

CIRA IV- 290 tonnes to orbit

CIRA VI- 850 tonnes to orbit

Edited November 28, 2014 by zekes

[DaPatman]

850 tonnes to orbit

I'm hoping that turns out to be overkill, as my heaviest lifter can only manage 125 tonnes.

Speaking of which, here are my three lifters:

DP-L2 - 30t to orbit

DP-L3 - 75t to orbit

DP-L4 - 125t to orbit

[TJPrime]

What happened to DP-L1?

[zekes]

I'm hoping that turns out to be overkill, as my heaviest lifter can only manage 125 tonnes.

Speaking of which, here are my three lifters:

DP-L2 - 30t to orbit

http://i.imgur.com/5mFnmhe.png

DP-L3 - 75t to orbit

http://i.imgur.com/pu1VsiT.png

DP-L4 - 125t to orbit

http://i.imgur.com/pev84Fn.png

wait, how do you make it to orbit when it says you only have 4,200 m/s D/V? Awfully close, no?

[burnoutforzai]

wait, how do you make it to orbit when it says you only have 4,200 m/s D/V? Awfully close, no?

Well noticed. What sorcery d'ya use?

[Bill Zarr]

...You are only allowed to use launchers you have already made and tested. the only thing that can change is the payload. So during the next week, try to design the best stock launchers you can. Make them good looking and as functional as you can. You can put them in subassemblies for later use...

Best in what sense? Cost? Mass fraction? Part count? I've seen challenges based around all sorts of things.

...It is recommended you have rockets for light, heavy and medium payloads. Also, some challenges will not need a rocket at all - some will involve flying around or near the KSC...

You really need to specify what these classifications are in terms of weight to LKO.

If a challenge is cost related then people using gigantic launchers to put anything in orbit are kind of stuffed. Conversely since challenges can frequently be simplified by throwing mass at the problem people with ludicrously huge launchers may find it easier. Or if you throw a "has to be single launch" criteria into the mix.

Actual real world launch classification of light medium and heavy are somewhat lower than people here seem to think. Going by NASA/ESA type categories on wikipedia gives launch vehicles with the following payload to LEO abilities:-

• Small <2,000 kg
  
• Medium 2,000 to 20,000 kg
  
• Heavy 20,000 to 50,000 kg
  
• Super-heavy >50,000 kg
  

...No debug menu...

Am I correct in thinking that cheats such as part clipping are not allowed? What about other physics engine abuse such as Kraken drives and other glitch powered craft?

[DaPatman]

What happened to DP-L1?

The DP-L1, if it existed, would be made of size 1 parts and probably only manage to get 5t to orbit, and I felt there was no need for such a lifter.

wait, how do you make it to orbit when it says you only have 4,200 m/s D/V? Awfully close, no?

Huh, so it does. That is incredibly odd, as they both said they had somewhere between 4,800 and 5,000m/s when I first built them, which must have been true, because they each put the stated weights into 100km x 100km orbits when I tested them. I guess I'd better go try and find out what's different now.

[Pecan]

Oops, I haven't posted any vehicle information, have I. To keep it simple I'll use the ones in my tutorial (link in signature) and the SSTOs represented by examples in:

Javascript is disabled. View full album

[DaPatman]

Solved it! Some of the fuel lines had become detached. Reattaching them has provided sufficient delta-v.

DP-L2

DP-L3

[Jasonden]

I've been into fully-reusable Two Stage To Orbit (TSTO) rockets these days, what with the Easy-Normal-Hard-Absurd-Hard challenge. The idea is that instead of the more-efficient ascent path with a gravity turn, I instead have two stages: one to lift up to 100km altitude, and then a separate stage to burn tangentially to get into orbit. The advantage here is that then the first stage will fall right back onto KSC for 98% recovery, and the second stage can be brought back to land on the pad or the runway after an orbit for 100% cost recovery. I've done versions that recover the first stage at 100%, too, but that tends to be stressful Here's a typical mission profile to launch to orbit:

Javascript is disabled. View full album

I'm hoping that this will help me if there are any challenges to minimize total cost. But really I've been building expendable boosters for over a year now, but these guys are novel to me Here's my lineup of boosters, then, from 0.7t to 170t capability to orbit:

Javascript is disabled. View full album

[TJPrime]

Well, December is starting tomorrow. I have school tomorrow. So I think now is the time to launch.

Ladies and gentlemen...

Entries for the December 1st challenge are now applicable!

Better get started! My example is uploading to youtube as we speak!

[Pecan]

Hohoho - Rudolph has practiced rooftop landings, now all we need is a chimney!

[capi3101]

It's just an example, really. You can post pictures of your launchers if you want.

That's good - I tend to customize mine for the payload...though I should probably mention I designed one that would do 180 tonnes not too terribly long ago.

Challenge is on, eh? Well, I better get to crackin', then...

[bobcook]

How much fun will this be! Tiny little probe made a tidy landing on the dish.

[kookoo_gr]

Bill is so happy

[Treldon]

[DaPatman]

I wish I had the skill to do that without the parachute.

[sal_vager]

I'm sure you knew this was coming TJPrime, stickied for December, great idea for a challenge thread

[MAV3RICK]

After a small driving mishap with the KSC swimming pool, Jeb was sucessfully launched onto the North satellite dish (and claimed it for the Empire). Returned home for tea and medals once Bill and Bob fetched a ladder to get him down...

http://imgur.com/a/JveZN?gallery

[burnoutforzai]

Indeed sal_vager.

Anyway I managed to make it at the worst angle possible with a manned craft.

Was hard at that angle. I didn't realize how flat they could go xD

[TJPrime]

Hohoho - Rudolph has practiced rooftop landings, now all we need is a chimney!

http://i.imgur.com/MKG8Pkxl.png

I have to say, I like the rover design

http://i.imgur.com/7yrG8DZ.png

I wish I had the skill to do that without the parachute.

That is rather small. Wouldn't expect it to have enough delta-V - especially if I was behind the... urm... what does the space shuttle crew use to control it?

I'm sure you knew this was coming TJPrime, stickied for December, great idea for a challenge thread

Thanks, sal!

After a small driving mishap with the KSC swimming pool, Jeb was sucessfully launched onto the North satellite dish (and claimed it for the Empire). Returned home for tea and medals once Bill and Bob fetched a ladder to get him down...

http://imgur.com/a/JveZN?gallery

http://i.imgur.com/HooXuwA.jpg?1

Give it a while and that flag will float in the middle of the air. Funny how the flags are one of the few things unaffected by gravity in the game - that, the launch clamps and the kraken.

Lots of great and interesting entries! I should probably put my video here - it has uploaded to youtube. I'll be updating the leader-board whist working on the challenge for December 2nd. Sig-badges will be messaged around shortly.