Deja vu challenge

[Orion]

No one seems to do this one...

For mine, I ruled out replaceable parachutes instantly (too much work), as well as propulsive landing (needs too much fuel, not enough time for the second stage to get to orbit), and went with airbrakes:

Near the top of each stage are grid fin looking solar panels I've bp edited to be very big, and nicely storable, like reusable parachutes. When extended, they create enough drag to slow the first stage to about 25 m/s under 9000m altitude, and the second stage to about 19 m/s under 1000m. Slow enough to get the second stage to orbit before the first stage executes a rapid landing, and slow enough a short burn right before touchdown makes landing easy.

Anyway, here's my first launch:
Launchpad, with retrieval equipment:

10, 9, 8, 7, 6,5, 4, 3, 2, 1, liftoff!

2nd stage separation, 1st stage airbrake deployment:

2nd stage in orbit, but the 1st stage is close to burning up; a quick deceleration burn fixes that, thank goodness:

1st stage leveled out, ready for landing:

1st stage landing burn:

Landed, airbrakes stowed:

2nd stage burned to get a more or less circular orbit, for satellite release:

Fairings open, satellite released:

2nd stage burn to land near 1st stage:

Deploying airbrakes:

At a manageable velocity, still decelerating:

Landing gear deployed:

Landed!

Ready for retrieval and stacking:

Retrieval and possibly second flight tomorrow.

 

[Sportgus]

Damn that's a neat way to get around propulsive and parachute landing

 

[Orion]

Damn that's a neat way to get around propulsive and parachute landing

Thanks! Probably been done before.

 

[Sportgus]

Thanks! Probably been done before.

I think it has. I was thinking you could use panels for a lot of drag but I didn't think it would be that substantial

 

[SHΔRD Aerospace]

funnily enough, i just used solar panels to drag my first stage to a speed where rover wheels could be used as landing legs for a probeless reuse

Thanks! Probably been done before.

 

[Orion]

Oookayyy, retrieval time. This'll be fun. My retrieval equipment:
1st stage on the left, 2nd on the right:

Drove the first stage retrieval system to 1st stage landing (this took 2 hours):

1st stage had to take a little hop over the crawler.

Orienting for retrieval:

Capture:

Tipped for transport to 2nd stage:

Then I just drove it over:

2nd stage retrieval:
I decide to hell with this, I don't want to drive anything over to the second stage with stuff in the way, let's airlift it in.
So, here's this awful looking rocket:

Launched the thing on a suborbital trajectory:

Got pretty hot:

Then I deployed a lot of parachutes:

And inadvertently figured out wheels work like the bouncy things for mars rovers:

Then the 2nd stage retrieval:

Tilted for reattachment with 1st stage:

Restacked!

It was a lot faster coming back (more wheels):

Elevator and fuel tanker:

RLV upright for payload and refueling:

Payload secured in payload bay:

Got that elevator out of the way, time to close the fairings, but I've reached the 20 file limit.

 

[Orion]

Continued
Fairings:

Getting the retrieval crawlers out of the way:

Refueling:

And launch 2:
Liftoff:

Stage separation screenshot didn't save, but you've seen what it looks like.
Anyway, 1st stage coming down gently:

Landing:

Payload deployment:

Deorbit, airbrakes deployed:

Wasn't nearly as much of a heating load on this one.

I guess that's it.

 

[Lemniscate Biscuit]

Where did you get the idea to use solar panels from?

 

[Orion]

I just needed the stages to slow down, so they needed more surface area, but I can't have too much drag on the way up, and solar panels are the only deployable parts in the game.

 

[Lemniscate Biscuit]

Where did you get the idea to use solar panels from?

I think I did the solar panel aerobrake thing first tho.

 

[Orion]

funnily enough, i just used solar panels to drag my first stage to a speed where rover wheels could be used as landing legs for a probeless reuse

I think I did the solar panel aerobrake thing first tho.

I don't know the timings for it. It works well though.

 

[UN Cosmo Navy]

I don't know the timings for it. It works well though.

It works since I tested some things with solar panels, since it is mostly used in Falcon 9 rockets and a few other reusable first stage if I do remember.

 

[Orion]

Who judges the reusable rocket challenge?

 

[Lemniscate Biscuit]

Who judges the reusable rocket challenge?

Mooncrasher

 

[Pink]

Hmm, points for out of the box solutions, but I don't think the rules were intended for such heavy part stretching.
How much did you stretch the solar panels?

 

[Lemniscate Biscuit]

Hmm, points for out of the box solutions, but I don't think the rules were intended for such heavy part stretching.
How much did you stretch the solar panels?

5x maybe? I used this system with ROLS.

 

[Orion]

Hmm, points for out of the box solutions, but I don't think the rules were intended for such heavy part stretching.
How much did you stretch the solar panels?

They were 25m wide, I think, and the smallest panel. I'll look when I have a chance.

 

[Orion]

The solar panels are 10x original size. What would be the acceptable size?

 

[Lemniscate Biscuit]

Guys, please use English here . It's the standard.

 

[Orion]

Pink sorry to bother you, is this ok?

The solar panels are 10x original size. What would be the acceptable size?

Or should I just redo it?