What's your most challenging contract?

[ArmchairGravy]

I accepted a contract I'm not entirely sure I'm going to complete: Orbit the sun at a specific orbit. Periapsis of 37M (Dres orbit), Apoapsis of 85M (between Jool and Eeloo), inclination of 32 degrees (should those M's be G's?). The ship I'm using for this attempt is ions in final stage (10.5k dv), mid stage nuke (7.5k dv), and booster (6k dv) for roughly 24k dv total. Since the orbit is so far out I'm not sure the ions are going to get enough power when I need them. I've got my fingers crossed.

What's the most challenging contract you've accepted, and were you able to pull it off?

Edited January 6, 2015 by ArmchairGravy

[Louella]

one of the most challenging contracts i've done so far, was to test a parachute at 23km, at 200m/s.

after trying and failing to do it with rockets, I tried an aeroplane, but, found that the engine flamed out below the required altitude.

I managed to do it by going to maximum thrust below the altitude then going into a steep climb. Engine flames out, but momentum is enough to get to the required height, wheee!

the most technically challenging one so far, was to test one of the big solid rocket boosters, in orbit of Kerbin. I did eventually get a big enough launcher to get it into orbit, and then used the solid booster (which was mounted upside down), to deorbit everything, for maximum parts recovery \o/

though, the kerbalnaut rescue one was quite hard as well.

these probably sound easy to experienced players though, lol

[Dr-Drunk]

Mine was to test the huge engine that comes with the B9 pack in an orbit around Ike. So yea... that means hauling a 30 or so ton engine into orbit without ever being allowed to actually use it. It took me about 3 attempts and I nearly bankrupted KSC in doing so but I did pull it off in the end. The contract also paid me about 10 million for pulling it off wich I'm now hapilly putting towards projects of my own such as lunar bases and the like.

[Renegrade]

I accepted a contract I'm not entirely sure I'm going to complete: Orbit the sun at a specific orbit. Periapsis of 37M (Dres orbit), Apoapsis of 85M (between Jool and Eeloo), inclination of 32 degrees (should those M's be G's?). The ship I'm using for this attempt is ions in final stage (10.5k dv), mid stage nuke (7.5k dv), and booster (6k dv) for roughly 24k dv total. Since the orbit is so far out I'm not sure the ions are going to get enough power when I need them. I've got my fingers crossed.

What's the most challenging contract you've accepted, and were you able to pull it off?

Still trying to get launch clamps to the Mun. No luck so far.

I wouldn't worry too much about the ions - unless you're using a modified solar power curve (like from my Horrible Nerf, the Stock Rebalance, or RSS), it's a linear falloff between Kerbin orbit (100% @ 13.6Gm) and zero power at 206Gm. Your orbit is likely peaking at 85Gm (not Mm, and definitely not mm ), so you should be fine.

Also it should take less than 5km/sec (less with Oberth effect) to reach that orbit - assuming you can wait until the AN or DN and inject into that 32 degree incline directly.

[Hannu]

It was orbit of near 90 degrees of inclination around sun. Periapsis was at about Moho's orbit and apoapsis was far away (probably between Dres and Jool, I do not remember accurately). I calculated that it needed near 20000 m/s dv. It is achievable with LV-Ns and I like large ships, that was not a problem, but I had many drop tanks and MechJeb overestimated dv for some reason about 1 km/s. Last burn at Kerbol's periapsis was about 12 km/s (maneuver node) and MJ estimated before burn that I have about 13 km/s left. I thought that I got easy money after many year's coasting periods. However, I ran out of fuel couple of hundreds of m/s before the end of burn. Fortunately, the game accepted the orbit and I got my money.

[phunk]

I have one to eject a class E asteroid from the system. I've captured 3 of them so far, roughly 2500 tons, 3100 tons, then 1500 tons. I think that last one might be small enough to actually pull this off. I have a ship attached to it with enough empty fuel tanks for about 1300 tons of fuel, and a kethane ship that can refuel the whole thing in a handfull of trips to the mun and back. But the burn time is going to be really long, and I haven't been able to target the center of mass close enough to not have it start spinning, and I'm not sure the best way to do the ejection burn. If I need to burn for an hour and it's in a highly eliptical orbit that only spends a couple minutes near periapsis, I have a feeling that oberth won't help much...

Oh, and it's going to cost more than it pays.

[Musil]

24Km of dV seems like way too much for me (I don't consider myself an authority, of course, just a noob's opinion), considering that you can get to Jool for a couple thousand. Why not just wait for Jool to be on the right position for a gravity assist with the inclination change? Changing inclination is always very expensive if done without the help of a gravity well, but Jool is perfect for it.

That said: yes, that seems like a very difficult contract. I have never been asked to put a satellite on an exo-Kerbin SOI orbit, I wonder how much rep you need to get that.

[Sof]

I had one to put a probe in a "Kolniya" orbit around the sun, with a periapsis that would have taken me to the edge of the suns atmosphere.

Needless to say, it was impossible and I told Flooyd where to shove it

[StrandedonEarth]

I also took the "eject a class E from the Kerbol system" back in .24, and latched onto a 3600ton monster. So far I have 2 tugs and some RCS/reaction wheel units In place, all lined up for a 230m/s burn for a slingshot around Kerbin which will sling the orbit out to near Duna's orbit. I also have 10 spearships (tugs) split into 2 phalanxes on route. They will attempt a burn during the slingshot and see where that takes me.

My first attempt at the first burn was off center and resulted in a spin. Then .90 came out. One day I may go back to try and finish it.

[Reactordrone]

Had to put a probe with a Gravioli detector in a stationary orbit above the Sun with line of sight on a certain spot, not massively difficult but very time consuming with hour long burns of the Ion drive and over 14,500m/s delta V on the probe.

[RocketPilot573]

"Test TT18-A launch stability enhancer landed at the Mun"

Ok, so i didn't actually do that successfully, so um... Get science data from space around the Mun? (No, seriously, that Kerbal is now orbiting the Sun)

[Damien_The_Unbeliever]

The one I fondly remember was a part test - I had to test the KR-2L at between 1800m and 2800m, doing between 800m/s and 1000m/s (IIRC). It took me a lot of trial and error to get moving that fast, that low down (and I hadn't yet learnt that you could use the part under test during an earlier part of the flight by stage editing in-flight or early manual ignition, so the engine was just pure weight)

[Glockenspiel Hero]

Get science data from a probe around Kerbin.

Yeah, yeah, until I had the Kraken eat a probe going to Duna, flipped back to the little orbiter I use for these missions and suddenly find out it was in solar orbit where the Duna probe should have been, doing some absurd velocity back to its old orbit. Things ended badly until I reverted a few autosaves back.

I'm quite fond of the "Test huge engine" missions- the first one I got took about five launches before I figured out the exact stack needed to get it to the right speed/altitude, but it funded a good chunk of the final research building upgrade, and I love pairing one of them with the little doughnut tank just for lulz.

[Rabada]

I would guess that the most challenging but possible contract I have seen is a three star aerial survey mission on Eve with 5 different spots that needed to be surveyed.

I find the engine testing contracts pretty easy if you just treat the engine like any other payload. I just stick them upside down on the top of my rocket, turn the thrust limiter down to 0 in case I accidentally stage it, then put a fairing over them.

Edited January 7, 2015 by Rabada

[Torquemadus]

Without thinking what I was doing, I accepted a contract to test the Mk 55 Radial engine in orbit right at the beginning of the game. I then had to figure out how to get a spacecraft fitted with a pair of them into orbit within the 17t limit of the tier 1 pad. I pulled it off with just enough fuel to de-orbit afterwards.

[Sof]

Mine was to test the huge engine that comes with the B9 pack in an orbit around Ike. So yea... that means hauling a 30 or so ton engine into orbit without ever being allowed to actually use it. It took me about 3 attempts and I nearly bankrupted KSC in doing so but I did pull it off in the end. The contract also paid me about 10 million for pulling it off wich I'm now hapilly putting towards projects of my own such as lunar bases and the like.

Not true.

You can test engines you've already used by either manually restaging your rocket (be careful not to break it up) or right click the part and select "run test" at the right place.

[numerobis]

My most difficult so far was a crew report on the ground at Kerbin.

I don't understand what was so hard about it, but Jeb crashed three planes before succeeding. This after doing several other surface reports without issue -- it's just this one spot that got me screwing up repeatedly.

[crunchynut]

My most difficult so far was a crew report on the ground at Kerbin.

I don't understand what was so hard about it, but Jeb crashed three planes before succeeding. This after doing several other surface reports without issue -- it's just this one spot that got me screwing up repeatedly.

I had a similar experience. I had to grab 2 surface reports that were 7km from each other and a 3rd report above 18000m. It was EXTREMELY challenging!

Reasons:

- 30 part limit.

- FAR

- trying to get an EVA kerbal back into anything mildly higher off the ground

- both ground locations were on rough terrain

- 5y to expiry (just kidding! )

Ended up building a minimalist plane - no science things on it, just cheapest wings and minimal weight (3.9t with just enough fuel) with 6 parachutes in pairs in 3 additional stages. Each pair would aero-brake and land my plane horizontally over the location. Had to then carefully drive out to find a flat area to take off from. repeat for second location and landing.

It took me around 3 tries (and a whole bunch more testing with VTOL crafts and other alternative crazy contraptions lol).

Got my 80k funds early - a huge leap early on, towards upgrading my launch pad and rocket building! (well, everything really lol)

Tip: For those struggling to land planes at KSC i suggest using a set of parachutes to set your plane gently down then ride up to the runway and reclaim 100% funds

EDIT:

I must say 0.90.0.xxx has been the most challenging, fun and rewarding experience I have ever had in KSP

Edited January 8, 2015 by crunchynut
praise the almighty kerbal

[Aragosnat]

My most chllanging contract. Finding the trigger that gets the Gilly Contract up.

[numerobis]

- trying to get an EVA kerbal back into anything mildly higher off the ground

My trick for that was to land, come to a full and complete stop (as they say), then raise the landing gear. Jeb can jump from the ground just high enough to catch the Mk1 fuselage ladder, if it's laying on the ground.

Those contracts made me build basic-jet planes that can go a long distance, but that can also zoom up high to grab the reports in the upper atmosphere. Very fun indeed. Except those long cruises; I really would like a stock autopilot that holds an altitude.

[MalfunctionM1Ke]

I am still trying to test the Launch Stability Enhancer in Orbit around Kerbin... But those things are unable to lift off the surface no matter what Rocket I use

[Wanderfound]

Back in the Fine Print days, an aerial survey below 3,000m.

In the mountains to the west of KSC.

The 5,000m tall mountains.

Got 'em all, though; the best one was a waypoint where I had to do a vertical dive into a steep valley, pull it level about 50m off the deck for just long enough to do the survey, then get back into a vertical climb before I whacked the other side.

[KerbMav]

My most chllanging contract. Finding the trigger that gets the Gilly Contract up.

There still seems to be something fishy - I got Mun and right after that Ike - after some time Minmus and Duna popped up at last.

[MalfunctionM1Ke]

There still seems to be something fishy - I got Mun and right after that Ike - after some time Minmus and Duna popped up at last.

Yeah I got that glitch too... something is weird about how new Planets/Moons get unlocked in the Contracts.

[maltesh]

Recently got this contract.

Edited January 9, 2015 by maltesh