planeception

[jonatron5]

(Flavor text)

Dear fellow kerbaengineers, it is with great pride that I can announce to you today the new flight directive program. While there qhere those who laughed and said it couldn't be done we here at kerbanotics think other wise. In short, it is universally agreed that an ssto is many times more efficient then rockets. Even Bettre if the ssto can deliver a payload besides fuel and crew. So according to our advanced algorithms two s sstos ought to be approximately 2.0times as efficient as a single one.

(Description starts here)

This is a slight twist on the interplanetary ssto. The main challange here being to have an ssto deliver another spaceplane to orbit and have the original spaceplane being capable of returning to ksp safely (on glideslope)

The space plane payload that was delivered to orbit should be designed to function withen the confines of any body with an atmosphere duna jool laythe or eve. However it has to be able to get there under its own power cruise down to at least a quarter of the way into the atmosphere then climb back to orbit and back To kerbin.

Rules.

All vessels Must be manned

no hyper edit or cheating gliching or debugging (other rule bending is encouraged)

Must have atleast one spaceplane piggyback to lko

Primary spaceplane Must have suffiecent aerodynamic design to land at ksc after detaching a huge payload. (Other plane)

Fuel ballancing is allowed but dont exploit it.

only balanced mods may be used ie b9 kw rockets

Machine is allowed

Scoring:

(Got to orbit) 500 pts

(Pack it deep)100pts for ever ton of mass space plane 1 delivers to lko orbit.

(Look ma no hands) 100 pts land completely on a glide slope no power after initial de orbit.

( the scenic route) 200 pts for ever planetary body visited.flybys count

(Time is money) - 20 pts for every day the mission lasts.

(Precision engineered) 10 pts for every 100meters below "25%" atnospheric atmosphere entry of target planet

(No plane left behind) 100 pts for relaunching the original spaceplane docking with the travel plane and land in at ksc with said plane.

(Planeception)

Heres where most of your points will come from. And where the challenge gets intresting. The number of total spaceplane you have as measured by me will be that X your (got to orbit score) so entrant number 1has a spaceplane that delivers a spaceplane to orbit. That spaceplane then somewhere along the way releases another spaceplane wich releases another. Plane count x4 so 500 x4 is 2000 pts.

I define spaceplane as having at least a single cockpit and bwing able to land at ksc either on its own power or gliding.

Good luck have fun!

So you guys know I am actually attempting this myself. I can confirm its not impossible at all. I havent gotten my entry where I want it yet and I was really excited to get rhis challenge up for you guys.

As I am new im open to any and all criticisms

[Fengist]

The space plane payload that was delivered to orbit should be designed to function withen the confines of any body with an atmosphere duna jool

1/4 the way into the atmosphere of Jool? Have you been there by chance?

(Flavor text)

(Time is money) - 20 pts for every day the mission lasts.

Ohhhhh kay. So all I have to do is get into a solar orbit, set my warp to max and come back in the morning. I should have several years worth of points... or is that MINUS 20 per day? Was hard to tell if that was a hyphen or a negative.

And you are calling both spaceplanes. Do both have to be capable of operating outside of the Kerbin atmosphere or can one simply be the launch vehicle and stay atmospheric? If the latter is the case, I can do that.

[jonatron5]

Apologies for not clarifying. The - is a minus so its a negative 20 pts for every day the mission takes. So you have to ballance your planetary visits vs the time it takes.

And yes I know the 25% thing is very arbitrary and he ive been to jool several times rhe only reason i suggested it is becuase it has an atmosphere. I do not reccomend it unless you just want to show off.

And the original launch vehicle is purely an orbital delivery platform. The second plane has to be atmospherically stable in your atmosphere of choice.and capable of getting there by itself

[chengong]

(Got to orbit) 500 pts X1

(Pack it deep)100pts for ever ton of mass space plane 1 delivers to lko orbit. X4.12

(Look ma no hands) 100 pts land completely on a glide slope no power after initial de orbit. X1

( the scenic route) 200 pts for ever planetary body visited.flybys count X1

(Planeception)

Heres where most of your points will come from. And where the challenge gets intresting. The number of total spaceplane you have as measured by me will be that X your (got to orbit score) so entrant number 1has a spaceplane that delivers a spaceplane to orbit. That spaceplane then somewhere along the way releases another spaceplane wich releases another. Plane count x4 so 500 x4 is 2000 pts.

I define spaceplane as having at least a single cockpit and bwing able to land at ksc either on its own power or gliding. X6 (each of the 4 small "spaceplane" can glide and land at KSC and in any number of segments)

(500+412+100+200)X6

=7272 pts

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[jonatron5]

Hey chengon as first entrant your defiantly in the lead. Only thing I have to fault is your mini space planes cant land on there own they parachute down.

put wheels on them and land them one at a time on a glide slope and ill count them.

Other then that you've got a solid score with two for sure spaceplanes into orbit.

[chengong]

Hey chengon as first entrant your defiantly in the lead. Only thing I have to fault is your mini space planes cant land on there own they parachute down.

put wheels on them and land them one at a time on a glide slope and ill count them.

Other then that you've got a solid score with two for sure spaceplanes into orbit.

What you said was "land at KSC". Do they land at KSC? Absolutely yes.

You also said that they have to either do that by gliding or with their own power.

Well since once you touch the ground it no longer counts as "gliding",

I'm gonna say you mean before the landing happens it must glide or propel towards the KSC,

which is exactly what they do.

I see no problems here.

[SpenSpaceCorp]

I am really tempted to really put the "planeception" to the task, and build an SSTO using the new Mk. 3 cargo bays to transfer a Mk. 2 SSTO to orbit. this Mk. 2 craft would be a single stage to Duna's surface. within the Mk. 2's cargo bay, a single stage to Duna or Ike orbit and back to the surface would commence. that craft would land back in the Duna Mk. 2 on the surface, which would return to Kerbin orbit, dock inside the Mk. 3 SSTO cargo bay, and the whole thing land at KSC!!!

[jonatron5]

That would be most impressive and worth a ton of points.

Also sorry about my absence guys I will look back at your previous entry chengong and review it, to answer your question.I kinda saw the mini space planes as more of a payload then actual space craft. So by technicality your score does stand. However I dont want this devolving into a mini glider challenge its about bringing multiple big ships to orbit

[jonatron5]

Also chengong. I would like to clear if for future reference while technically also fine your four cargo planes landed under parachute I guess thats technichally a glideslope but not what I had in mind lol. I ment landing like a plane. As I said due to my failure to clearify your score will stand as it is. All future applicants must abide by these new rules though