Fly me to the moon challenge

[Astria]

https://sharing.spaceflightsimulator.app/rocket/UyMXgquREe21IIE9QGRKkw

Did another challenge, hope this shuttle passes your judgement!

 

[Cresign]

https://sharing.spaceflightsimulator.app/rocket/UyMXgquREe21IIE9QGRKkw

Did another challenge, hope this shuttle passes your judgement!

I see you're speedrunning the ranks now, nice

 

[Astria]

I looked at another submission and moon mentioned the shuttle needs to be able to carry 10% of the fully fueled stack's mass to orbit. Personally I think that's a big ask especially seeing as the real life space shuttle stack weighed 4.5 million pounds at lift off and the shuttle could only put 50,000 pounds into orbit.

 

[Hermes]

I looked at another submission and moon mentioned the shuttle needs to be able to carry 10% of the fully fueled stack's mass to orbit. Personally I think that's a big ask especially seeing as the real life space shuttle stack weighed 4.5 million pounds at lift off and the shuttle could only put 50,000 pounds into orbit.

It is sfs...

 

[Catalyst_Kh]

I looked at another submission and moon mentioned the shuttle needs to be able to carry 10% of the fully fueled stack's mass to orbit. Personally I think that's a big ask especially seeing as the real life space shuttle stack weighed 4.5 million pounds at lift off and the shuttle could only put 50,000 pounds into orbit.

That would be 1% of starting weight.

At Realistic level of difficulty in SFS game, depending at payload size and shape, it can be brought 5%-7% of total launcher mass to orbit.

But if Realistic level is made as substitute for Normal level, as a variation of custom game world (instead of normal custom game world) - then it will be Realistic without all intended bonuses for Realistic, which game applies, when you do pick Realistic level.

Playing at Realistic without such bonuses only 0.5%-1% of starting launcher mass can be brought to Earth's orbit in SFS.

That all above only if ion engines are not used of course.

But if you are making a challenge in Normal game difficulty - then huge amount of starting launcher's mass can be brought to Earth's orbit. Like maybe 25% or at least 20% of starting mass. I didn't test Normal level to find out more exact values. But something like between 20% and 30% as i remember.

 

[Catalyst_Kh]

And of course if a big part of that mass, which is brought to orbit, must be the shuttle itself, or some other system or rocket, which is not considered as part of the payload, then rules for payload mass must be adjusted accordingly.

 

[Catalyst_Kh]

Did another challenge, hope this shuttle passes your judgement!

That shuttle is wonderful! Very nice looking design and that hinge idea is brilliant! I tried to make hinges myself, but i didn't found a way how i can attach anything to the wheel piece (to make it exactly to work as a hinge) and abandoned this idea.

 

[Cresign]

That shuttle is wonderful! Very nice looking design and that hinge idea is brilliant! I tried to make hinges myself, but i didn't found a way how i can attach anything to the wheel piece (to make it exactly to work as a hinge) and abandoned this idea.

Only the top part of the wheel has collision and attaches to other parts, you can encase the wheel in something and attach a door for example to the top part.

 

[Catalyst_Kh]

Only the top part of the wheel has collision and attaches to other parts, you can encase the wheel in something and attach a door for example to the top part.

I don't understand this description, please show picture with example.

For now i just tried the way Astria used - i placed "my big hinge part" inside separation-collar part, connected this part with another object with structure line, and it works nicely, hinge works with big angle of movement, and it doesn't falls out of collar part if placed properly, and it works directly with default game parts already.

 

[Sportgus]

Hermes shuttle is a good example, I can't provide a screenshot right now sorry.

 

[Astria]

That would be 1% of starting weight.

At Realistic level of difficulty in SFS game, depending at payload size and shape, it can be brought 5%-7% of total launcher mass to orbit.

But if Realistic level is made as substitute for Normal level, as a variation of custom game world (instead of normal custom game world) - then it will be Realistic without all intended bonuses for Realistic, which game applies, when you do pick Realistic level.

Playing at Realistic without such bonuses only 0.5%-1% of starting launcher mass can be brought to Earth's orbit in SFS.

That all above only if ion engines are not used of course.

But if you are making a challenge in Normal game difficulty - then huge amount of starting launcher's mass can be brought to Earth's orbit. Like maybe 25% or at least 20% of starting mass. I didn't test Normal level to find out more exact values. But something like between 20% and 30% as i remember.

Making my shuttle look good and also be capable of massive payloads are at odds with each other. I'm not going to just make a cargo bay with a door and a vertical stabilizer and call it a shuttle, however that's basically what would be required to achieve the payload margins required for this challenge, which I find sad.

 

[Hermes]

Making my shuttle look good and also be capable of massive payloads are at odds with each other. I'm not going to just make a cargo bay with a door and a vertical stabilizer and call it a shuttle, however that's basically what would be required to achieve the payload margins required for this challenge, which I find sad.

Don't overthink it. It does not have to be perfect, it just needs to carry a payload and return to earth. I found that the more simple you make it the better it works.

 

[Astria]

So I guess I was wrong. I made a larger shuttle and I can now send 110t to orbit with the full stack weighing approximately 1100t which is exactly 10%. It looks about the same except for a truly massive cargo bay. Will send video and BP shortly.

 

[Astria]

https://sharing.spaceflightsimulator.app/rocket/pInFu6vKEe21IIE9QGRKkw

Here it is, please forgive the fact the door failed the first time I opened it, it works about 90% of the time. It's my first cargo bay door.

 

[Catalyst_Kh]

If you will make different prearranged actions (which are shown in the right bottom corner of the screen) it will work 100% of the time.

I mean first action 1 with detaching fairing and only after that separate next action 2 with detaching ports lock for the "hatch connector" piece.

 

[Astria]

Oh ok thanks!

 

[Hermes]

If you will make different prearranged actions (which are shown in the right bottom corner of the screen) it will work 100% of the time.

I mean first action 1 with detaching fairing and only after that separate next action 2 with detaching ports lock for the "hatch connector" piece.

You mean staging?

 

[Catalyst_Kh]

I don't know if it is called staging or not.

For me staging term means the part of the construction process, when we are building the rocket, when we are deciding what part would be what stage of the rocket. How and why we decide to stage it.

But prearranged actions button name in game settings looks like this:

 

[Astria]

I made an even more optimized version that also looks nicer. It can carry 15% of it's mass to orbit.

https://sharing.spaceflightsimulator.app/rocket/EH4oHa0JEe21IoE9QGRKkw

 

[Catalyst_Kh]

The optimized version is great - a masterpiece.

 

[Pink]

Badge granted, that's a huge improvement indeed from the first to the final.
Although, note that if your booster trajectory was a little steeper, you may not have had to waste fuel flying the shuttle off-prograde.