3 Stage Example Rocket: How far can you go?

[Lemniscate Biscuit]

So DatDudePlays_ proposed a long time ago (before time had a name), a challenge involving the three stage example rocket. The mission is simple.

Go as far as you can with the three stage example rocket.
Normal, Hard and Realistic modes only.
Default Solar System or TTSS by Flight Russian Man. (The KSP or TTSS systems may be used)
Gravity assists, slingshots, aerobraking, VEEGA, lithobraking, etc. Any maneuver method or delta-v saver can be used.
The three stage example rocket must be used.
For an extra challenge, you may return the capsule to earth. This is optional.
ANAIS, VanillaUpgrades, Delta-V Calculator, FSI's Info Overload Mod and Smart SAS are the only quality-of-life mods allowed.
You may not change the example rocket in any way. Do not BP edit any component of the example rocket. Textures are fine as long as they do not interfere with the workings of the rocket itself. Changing the staging is fine.
The rocket must launch from the space center.
The mission log and/or the achievements page can be shown.
Video or screenshots are fine.
Launch infrastructure is fine as long as it does not interfere with the rocket.
​

With that being said, I will show my mission to Ganymede. Assist sequence: VEMoEGaGa

To be continued...

 

[Lemniscate Biscuit]

 

[Altaïr]

Haha nice
This will be hard to beat.

 

[floatingfuel]

Interesting! Does it has to land or a flyby tour counts?

 

[Lemniscate Biscuit]

Interesting! Does it has to land or a flyby tour counts?

Get it as far as you possibly can (most landings, flybys, encounters, lithobrakes, I really don't care too much). Landings, flybys, etc whatever works for you. No solar escape trajectory since you can go infinitely far with enough timewarping.

Also, you can use IRIS.

 

[Orion]

Get it as far as you possible can. Landings, flybys, etc whatever works for you. No solar escape trajectory since you can go infinitely far with enough timewarping.

You did yours in normal? Cause the farthest I could get it in realistic was a Venus flyby.

 

[Lemniscate Biscuit]

You did yours in normal? Cause the farthest I could get it in realistic was a Venus flyby.

Oh well. I only added the realistic mode in case someone like Altair decided to come along and embarrass me with how good he is at the game.

 

[Orion]

YK, I might actually try and do this challenge. I'm thinking VEEGA to Jupiter slingshot into the sun maybe. Go out in a flash

 

[mariohobbs]

I tried going to the sun, I failed. I stopped taking screenshots after a few mercury gravity assists.

 

[Axiom]

I tried going to the sun, I failed. I stopped taking screenshots after a few mercury gravity assists. View attachment 117719 View attachment 117720 View attachment 117721 View attachment 117722 View attachment 117723 View attachment 117724

I am yet to try this but wouldn't it be more efficient to VEEGA out to Jupiter and either use Jupiters gravity assist to fling you into the sun, or use Jupiter to fling you very far out of the solar system where it's easier to crash into the sun?

 

[Astro826]

Yeah. The smaller your orbit gets around the sun, it takes more delta V to crash into it because you're going way faster.

 

[mariohobbs]

I am yet to try this but wouldn't it be more efficient to VEEGA out to Jupiter and either use Jupiters gravity assist to fling you into the sun, or use Jupiter to fling you very far out of the solar system where it's easier to crash into the sun?

Yeah I guess thats probably true, I'm just terrible at gravity assists though so i didn't try it.

 

[Axiom]

Yeah I guess thats probably true, I'm just terrible at gravity assists though so i didn't try it.

You could probably hit the sun by burining direct out to the edge of the solar system and burnging retrograde at apoapsis. You could also burn direct to Jupiter and use a gravity assist to fling yourself into the sun.
Fun fact: That was an early mission trajectory for NASA's spacecraft studying the sun, it was scrapped in favour for 7 repeated Venus assists as it would give more time near the sun

 

[UN Cosmo Navy]

You could probably hit the sun by burining direct out to the edge of the solar system and burnging retrograde at apoapsis. You could also burn direct to Jupiter and use a gravity assist to fling yourself into the sun.
Fun fact: That was an early mission trajectory for NASA's spacecraft studying the sun, it was scrapped in favour for 7 repeated Venus assists as it would give more time near the sun

Then there was Ulysses Spacecraft, which actually did use Jupiter to go study the sun

 

[Altaïr]

I tried going to the sun, I failed. I stopped taking screenshots after a few mercury gravity assists. View attachment 117719 View attachment 117720 View attachment 117721 View attachment 117722 View attachment 117723 View attachment 117724

You can do that more efficiently using Jupiter as Axiom said. This is what I did here for example. I blew up the Voyager quest requirements by more than 10 km/s

 

[Lemniscate Biscuit]

You can do that more efficiently using Jupiter as Axiom said. This is what I did here for example. I blew up the Voyager quest requirements by more than 10 km/s

Tbh, if Altair can perform a flyby of every planet and moon with the example rocket I will... uh... play Juno New Origins for the first time.

 

[Altaïr]

Tbh, if Altair can perform a flyby of every planet and moon with the example rocket I will... uh... play Juno New Origins for the first time.

That would be treason
I suppose you mean in realistic? Because in normal mode it would be easy.
I tried reaching orbit in IRIS:

That leaves me around 2100 m/s of ΔV, and this is what I need for Venus...

This will be hard, 400 m/s of extra ΔV for the maneuvers and corrections is a pitance in hard mode. Even more in realistic because it's slightly harder in fact.

 

[Lemniscate Biscuit]

That would be treason
I suppose you mean in realistic? Because in normal mode it would be easy.
I tried reaching orbit in IRIS:
View attachment 117844
That leaves me around 2100 m/s of ΔV, and this is what I need for Venus...
View attachment 117845
This will be hard, 400 m/s of extra ΔV for the maneuvers and corrections is a pitance in hard mode. Even more in realistic because it's slightly harder in fact.

You might be able to plan an earth encounter and another earth encounter to sling off to Jupiter then use an assist to lower your perihelion. No clue if that would work though.

 

[New Horizons]

With just quicksave editing, I was able to complete a Venus gravity assist and to perform a Mercury Landing

 

[Lemniscate Biscuit]

With just quicksave editing, I was able to complete a Venus gravity assist and to perform a Mercury Landing
View attachment 117857 View attachment 117858 View attachment 117859 View attachment 117860 View attachment 117861 View attachment 117862 View attachment 117863 View attachment 117864 View attachment 117865 View attachment 117866 View attachment 117867 View attachment 117868 View attachment 117869 View attachment 117870 View attachment 117871

More of an exploit, but ig that works. Tbh I think the normal example rocket has enough delta-v on its own to do a Mercury landing.

 

[Altaïr]

More of an exploit, but ig that works. Tbh I think the normal example rocket has enough delta-v on its own to do a Mercury landing.

Honestly, if I could land on Mercury AND return with a rocket under 100 tons (here), I think the example rocket is able to land on Mercury

 

[Astro826]

I think I have something very impressive in store. Started off just getting the hang of gravity assists in the Jupiter system, after multiple hours, ended up with this . Actual mission coming soon(?)

 

[UN Cosmo Navy]

I think I have something very impressive in store. Started off just getting the hang of gravity assists in the Jupiter system, after multiple hours, ended up with this . Actual mission coming soon(?)

What.

 

[Lemniscate Biscuit]

I think I have something very impressive in store. Started off just getting the hang of gravity assists in the Jupiter system, after multiple hours, ended up with this . Actual mission coming soon(?)

Holy fu- ok. More impressive than Ganymede and back wow.

 

[Astro826]

I think I have something very impressive in store. Started off just getting the hang of gravity assists in the Jupiter system, after multiple hours, ended up with this . Actual mission coming soon(?)

I've done the math. I think I have to go and try it. 300 m/s margin to do a gazillion gravity assists with, what could possibly go wrong? Three landings with ideal stages coming soon?