Challenge: speed

[Asgad]

What is the fastest speed you can reach?
Conditions:
* one rocket in one launch, no refueling
* no RCS
* no sandbox

 

[Strychnine]

This is my best so far. I know I've been over 15k, but I didn't know if second and tertiary stages would defeat the spirit of the challenge.

 

[Strychnine]

here's one with 3 stages:

 

[Altaïr]

Here is my tentative:

It's... It's over ninety THOUSAAAANDS!!!!

 

[Asgad]

Wow - impressive!

 

[Strychnine]

It's... It's over ninety THOUSAAAANDS!!!!

Impressive!

 

[Altaïr]

Wow - impressive!

Thanks
I used a big rocket to do this:

Then I propelled it on a very high elliptic orbit:

Actually you can't even see half of my orbit on this picture! Seriously, I think I would have reached Pluto if it was in game. I did this using the gravitational slingshot from Earth and Mars, which saved fuel (Yes, I really like that crazy maneuver ).
I lowered my periapsis to 300 km (which is the limit of atmosphere on the Sun) and burnt the rest of my propellants there. But completing that crazy orbit was reaaally long, even on max speed

 

[Asgad]

The best I was able to do was around 30 km/s with a multi stage ion rocket. Accelerating took about three hours. So your >90 km/s made me bow in awe.

 

[Asgad]

same goes to Strychnine

 

[Altaïr]

The best I was able to do was around 30 km/s with a multi stage ion rocket. Accelerating took about three hours. So your >90 km/s made me bow in awe.

I didn't even think to ion engines
As far as I know, the best strategy is to go into sun orbit and lower the periapsis as much as you can (not below 300 km because you would enter in the sun atmosphere). The speed will be maximal at the periapsis, so this is where you must record your speed.

 

[Asgad]

Used your strategy with ion engines...

 

[Asgad]

the original rocket:

In flight:

 

[Altaïr]

Used your strategy with ion engines... View attachment 1430

I'm the one that is impressed now.
Nice job, and nice rocket design by the way

 

[Asgad]

thx

 

[Asgad]

if of interest: I uploaded the rocket as "ion racer" - improvements welcome

 

[Strychnine]

I tried this method and bow I can't find the solar system. the line that shows trajectory has disappeared and now my ship is lost somewhere at a height of 259k Mm.

this is zoomed all the way out, btw

 

[Altaïr]

Wow, nice glitch!
I noticed some glitches too when I approached the Sun at very high speed. In particular, the trajectory disappears when it becomes hyperbolic (which occurs when eccentricity reaches 1). And sometimes the ship suddenly changed of position too. Did you have those ones too?

 

[TtTOtW]

Wow, nice glitch

Lol! And without missing a beat. Like "Wow, nice car" or "Wow, nice hair style"... But "Wow, nice glitch"?

 

[Altaïr]

Lol! And without missing a beat. Like "Wow, nice car" or "Wow, nice hair style"... But "Wow, nice glitch"?

Oops... Actually I'm french, I didn't realize that this expression was not the most adequate.

 

[Strychnine]

And sometimes the ship suddenly changed of position too. Did you have those ones too?

The ship didn't change position, but it did disappear from both views for a while. I exited and and reopened the game and my ship was back.

 

[TtTOtW]

Oops... Actually I'm french, I didn't realize that this expression was not the most adequate.

Nah, I'm sure you'll laugh at my French, we?

 

[Altaïr]

Nah, I'm sure you'll laugh at my French, we?

I would surely do indeed
Don't worry, I can laugh at my own mistakes, the fact it happens on a public forum just makes it more embarassing.

 

[TtTOtW]

I would surely do indeed
Don't worry, I can laugh at my own mistakes, the fact it happens on a public forum just makes it more embarassing.

The other day I wrote "dock" as "dick"...

 

[Altaïr]

The other day I wrote "dock" as "dick"...

Yes I remember, that was a good one indeed

 

[TtTOtW]

Yes I remember, that was a good one indeed