[Stock 0.90] TR-38-D Decoupler Propulsion

[thereaverofdarkness]

This is probably more of a challenge for your processor and RAM than it is for your engineering skills, but I want to see what you guys come up with. I especially want to see what allmhuran comes up with. Rules are simple: the only propulsion you are allowed to use is from decouplers, and all parts must be stock. I advise you to use the TR-38-D 3.75m in-line decoupler because it is massless, but I'll leave the choice of decoupler(s) up to you. Other tips:

1.) cubic octagonal struts are massless, and so make good structural components

2.) you might need fins or a reaction wheel to be able to turn it because even a giant massless "rocket" still can be sluggish

3.) yes you may assemble multiple parts in space. If one of the docking ports happens to be massless, more power to you! (I don't know if they are)

Entries will be judged on what you accomplish:

Atmospheric: entries that do not reach space are ranked by maximum altitude achieved

Suborbital: entries that do not achieve orbit but do exit atmosphere are ranked by maximum velocity achieved

Orbital: entries that achieve orbit or greater are given points based on various accomplishments:

• Kerbin orbit: 1
  
• enter Mün or Minmus SOI: 1 each
  
• Kerbin escape: 1
  
• Mün or Minmus flyby under 10km without landing: 1 each
  
• Minmus landing: 2
  
• Minmus takeoff and orbit or escape: 1
  
• Mün landing: 5
  
• Mün takeoff and orbit or escape: 3
  
• enter SOI of Eve or Duna: 3 each
  
• Gilly flyby without landing: 1
  
• Gilly landing: 2
  
• Gilly takeoff and orbit or escape: 0.1 (too easy!)
  
• Ike flyby without landing: 1
  
• Ike landing: 5
  
• Ike takeoff and orbit or escape: 3
  
• Eve landing: 2
  
• Eve takeoff and orbit or escape: 100 (failing to achieve orbit will score you partial credit!)
  
• Duna landing: 4
  
• Duna takeoff and orbit or escape: 4
  
• Enter SOI of Dres, Moho, Jool, or Eeloo: 5 each
  
• Dres or Eeloo landing: 6 each
  
• Dres or Eeloo takeoff and orbit or escape: 3 each
  
• Moho landing: 10
  
• Moho takeoff and orbit or escape: 4
  
• Collect Jool upper atmospheric data with any science tool (screenshot must show that data counts as upper atmosphere): 1
  
• Return to space after collecting Jool upper atmosphere data but not lower atmosphere data: 3
  
• Collect Jool lower atmospheric data with any science tool (screenshot must show that data counts as lower atmosphere): 1
  
• Return to space after collecting Jool lower atmosphere data: 9
  
• Enter SOI of Joolian moons: 1 each
  
• Land on Laythe: 3
  
• Laythe takeoff and orbit or escape: 8
  
• High-resolution screenshot of Tylo pass under 2km altitude and over 2000m/s: 2
  
• Tylo landing: 7
  
• Tylo takeoff and orbit or escape: 4
  
• Vall landing: 4
  
• Vall takeoff and orbit or escape: 2
  
• Bop or Pol landing: 2 each
  
• Bop or Pol takeoff and orbit or escape: 1 each
  
• Being allmhuran: 1
  

Additionally, for each accomplishment on this list, each planet afterward will score you +50% points:

* Mün landing

* Orbit around any planet: Moho, Eve, Duna, Jool, Eeloo

* Laythe landing

* Tylo landing

note: the score bonuses only apply to the part of your craft that enters orbit or lands. If you send off lander A to Eve, that will not cause lander B to get +50% score for its Joolian tour.

The most possible points you could get would be to takeoff from Eve and enter orbit after having done a grand tour everywhere else, but I don't think even allmhuran can do that one. Prove me wrong, I dare you!

Just post screenshots of everything you accomplished and I'll put you guys up on the Leaderboards as per your accomplishments. For entries that do not go beyond Kerbin orbit, only two screenshots are necessary, one for max altitude (in atmosphere), max velocity (in space), or map-view screenshot of orbit with mouse over periapsis, and the second to show your starting vessel.

Leaderboard - Orbital:

* thereaverofdarkness: 2 points

Leaderboard - Suborbital:

Leaderboard - Atmospheric:

* thereaverofdarkness: 53,133m

- - - Updated - - -

My entry: 53,133m

http://imgur.com/a/5wy9b#0

- - - Updated - - -

My second entry: 2 points

http://imgur.com/a/vhzNW

Edited January 1, 2015 by thereaverofdarkness

[sdj64]

I think you've already realized the problem in this challenge: it takes way too many of them to do anything useful. I did this a while ago, before the reaction wheel change of 0.90. It would score a measly 1 point, though the ship weighed only 40 kg but it used less thanhalf the number of decouplers that yours did. It made it to Kerbin orbit with an apoapsis of 400km. This ship won't work anymore now that the OKTO2 doesn't have a reaction wheel.

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/83595-Project-Orion-decouplers-to-orbit

[thereaverofdarkness]

I used the OKTO2 for my second entry and scored 2 points. I wasn't able to get to orbit, but I passed through the Mün's SOI before heading on out of the Kerbin system. It takes a lot more mass to get a reaction wheel, but that just means you need more decouplers. It can take a pretty beefy computer to do it, but with a bit of know-how it's not too hard to get one to orbit with current probe cores. And once you get to orbit, you're halfway to anywhere. The nice thing about using the decouplers for thrust is that every stage gives you the same delta-v as the previous stage. That means a ship that can go anywhere is only twice the size of a ship that can only reach orbit.

[petermike789]

This is my design which got up to an altitude of 140km