"Falcon Heavy" Returnable and Reusable Challenge

[Techpriest93]

http://www.space.com/28384-spacex-falcon-heavy-to-be-reusable-animation-reveals.html

After seeing this I knew that I needed to make an account to post this as a challenge for you guys. I will also be attempting this, once I finish this exam and paper. :/

But I felt like I had to get this out there, because it is so cool! I want to see videos/photo albums of peoples attempts to recreate something like this. It can be something like a suicide burn to the pads like the Falcon heavy does, it could be a plane that glides to the pads, or separates in orbit, de-orbits itself and drifts to the ground using parachutes. Or you could have a ship/barge off shore to catch these things and shuttle them back to the KSC. Obviously the more stages the harder this is, and asparagus staging... probably wont be your friend.

But, post your edited and music videos like the Space-X Marketing team did, or if your bad at videos or computer can't record&play at the same time, post images in an album in sequential order!

Any mods are allowed, I wont be picky. Get back to the KSC with all your spent stages, so that means you probably need a probe core on them. Be creative on how to solve the 2km rails/off rails bubble, and the fact you can only pilot one at a time. (maybe you do multiplayer with your friends to help out)

The payload you get to orbit doesn't really matter.

Rule-of-cool is also in effect!

[GeorgeG]

Here's some I already flew.

Mission to Dres a few weeks ago. Used a launch vehicle much like Falcon-Heavy.

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Except the core made orbit then landed back at KSC. The side boosters took it up vertically, then after sep fell back to KSC, while the core provided the horizontal velocity to make orbit.

Second one is a mission testing out a Quad Lander to the Mun and Minmus. Used a similar vertical boost, stage, then begin horizontal velocity. But this used a big center core which was the first stage which separated, then two outer upper stages which made orbit then came down separately to KSC. That arrangement was done to allow the Quad Lander to fire its center LV-N engine to help it make orbit, using fuel from the two lower side boosters. Once it made orbit, the Quad lander flew itself to the Mun and Minmus (dropping some small tanks along the way).

Hmm, I can't force it to display page #40 of the album, where this rocket begins. So skip the Space Plane and move on to pic #40, which is shown after the end of this message.

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Or, use this link: http://imgur.com/a/9vq1f#40

- GeorgeG

Pic #40, skip to here in the album.

I made another version that was all liquid. The 2nd stage tanks were mostly 2.5 meter tanks.

Core landed.

One of the two 2nd stages landed. Crew checking it out.

Edited January 28, 2015 by GeorgeG