Grand Solar System Tour Challenge

[sbt]

OK, we'd better do this challenge before 1.4 comes out with more planets and makes it impossible

Challenge: Land at every planet and moon in the (v1.35) solar system in a single launch.

Rules:
1. Land the same crew capsule on Mercury, Venus, Moon, Mars, Phobos, and Diemos (any order) and return to Earth
2. Only one Earth-based launch allowed
2. No cheats
3. No RCS thrusters (you can re-dock with things from your original launch, you just have to do it without RCS)
4. At least one crew capsule, which has to land on every planet and moon, and then return to Earth
5. Anything you dock with has to go up in the same single launch as your touring crew capsule
6. Anything you dock with has to be controllable (have at least one crew capsule or probe)

For added challenge, see how little fuel you can launch with to complete the challenge

 

[Altaïr]

I'm still working on something like that, but is there a reason to forbid the use of RCS? I know about the RCS glitch of course, but if that's the reason, you could just forbid the use of that glitch... My ship has RCS, but no electric device, so technically I can't use that glitch, is that ok?

 

[TtTOtW]

I'm still working on something like that, but is there a reason to forbid the use of RCS? I know about the RCS glitch of course, but if that's the reason, you could just forbid the use of that glitch... My ship has RCS, but no electric device, so technically I can't use that glitch, is that ok?

The glitch is not electric, but fuel definition based. With infinite fuel, dump everything off a probe with activated RCS on it. It still flies, no battery, no fuel. It's basically a trigger glitch. Infinite fuel and electricity both interrupt the "out of fuel" trigger, which is supposed to go back to the probe and the fuel associated with it.

 

[Altaïr]

The glitch is not electric, but fuel definition based. With infinite fuel, dump everything off a probe with activated RCS on it. It still flies, no battery, no fuel. It's basically a trigger glitch. Infinite fuel and electricity both interrupt the "out of fuel" trigger, which is supposed to go back to the probe and the fuel associated with it.

Oh Ok thanks, I didn't get that.

 

[Altaïr]

Ok, I finally did it! Even if I still used a few RCS (but no glitch!). To make things really challenging, I decided not to rely on ion engines, that would make things pretty easy finally, and I tried to make a rocket... that looks like a rocket! I mean something that's not a shitload of tanks and engines stacked together with huge boosters attached everywhere.

So here is the Harmony ship, designed for the Grand Tour challenge:

To make this possible, I had to think about a different concept from the classical mothership with its lander that travels from one destination to another. This is actually very ineficient. I also used a lot of advanced maneuvers to save as much fuel as possible. But enough talking, let's go!

I turn on the engines, this is now that all begins:

The ship is not that heavy, and the boosters make a very good job. After they have burnt, the second stage can easily achieve the satellisation:

My first destination will be Venus. As this is the most demanding one, this will considerably alleviate my ship when it's done. But to reach Venus, I'll use 2 gravitational slingshots from the Moon. So I first aim for the Moon, and make a fly-by:

This first slingshot allows me to get on a higher trajectory. Now, the fun really begins! I plan to send a fuel reserve on Mars, but I'm on the road for the inner planets. So I detach one of my annex ship, and put it on a higher orbit, while the rest of the ship dives again towards the Moon for a second slingshot:

This pulls me directly on a transfer orbit to Venus. After the Earth has made half a turn around the Sun, I take control over the annex ship, and lowers its orbit to perform a second slingshot. Because the Earth has turned, it pulls it on a transfer orbit to Mars. The situation is now the following one:


To be continued...

 

[Altaïr]

Now I can get back to my main ship, and get a rendez-vous with Venus. Once I enter the SOI, it's time to separate the second annex tank:

The main ship will fly into the thick venusian atmosphere to aerobrake, while the annex ship will fly just above to perform a slingshot and get into a transfer orbit to Mercury. The situation is now the following one:

The main ship keeps lowering its orbit using the atmosphere. Once I reached low orbit, the lander is detached, and put on a reentry trajectory:

Aaaaand landed! The first destination is reached, and that's not the least one! But that's not over, speaking about Venus, the difficulty is not reaching it, but leaving it. So let's leave and join the annex ship left in orbit:

As you can see, I have very little fuel left. To make sure my lander would be as light as possible, I transfered some fuel to the annex ship, and now it's time to transfer it back. The annex ship will be emptied and abandoned, the lander will join Mercury by its own means:

To be continued...

 

[Altaïr]

The lander has far enough fuel to join Mercury:

The annex ship has already reached its destination and is waiting for me in low Mercury orbit. The one for Mars is still on its way. I manage to dock with my annex ship:

I use it for refuelling (not more than necessary, because satellising my ship around Mercury has drained a lot of fuel!), and go for Mercury!

After a few photos, time to leave and join the annex ship in orbit. I'll transfer the remaining fuel from the annex ship and abandon it:

Now, my next destination is Mars. The question is, considering I have approximately 6 tons of fuel left, is it possible to travel from Mercury to Mars in those conditions?
It surely is, but I'll have to use my favourite trick: the gravitational slingshot. I'll use part of my fuel to pull my ship onto a transfer orbit to Venus, then use 2 slingshots from Venus, and one more from Earth:

By that time, my annex ship has arrived on Mars (Yes it was long!). Now, I just have to get a rendez-vous with Mars, aerobrake, and join the annex ship:

I still have some fuel (despite the fact I had to come from Mercury ), and that annex ship still has a comfortable fuel reserve, so the rest should be easy.

To be continued...

 

[Altaïr]

The descent on Mars is a piece of cake, as I can use a parachute:

Ok, that was the last planet, let's leave and return to the annex ship:

Now I have to visit the moons. After a lot of reflexion, I thought that the best strategy was to visit Phobos and Deimos with a minimal reserve (which means a light ship), and come back to low orbit to drain what's left of fuel from the annex ship and get back to Earth:


Now I just have to get back to Earth... And visit the Moon! This is the only one missing!

Now it's done, I just have to get back to Earth:

Finally the Grand Tour is complete!

The Harmony ship had 442.5 tons of fuel in total, and I only had... 2 tons left at the end of mission
It's surely possible to use less fuel with ion engines though, but besides that possibility I don't think I could have done better. But hey, I wanted a challenge

 

[Joshsstuff]

I didn't see this challenge before I started working on the "Rover Orbiter Lander" Challenge.
It's a "Grand Tour" challenge as well, but includes taking the 3 vehicles (Rover Orbiter & Lander)
(2 of the 3 land on the planets)
I've completed the grand tour, but I have enough fuel left to go around again!

After I finish the Challenge I can post it here if you like. My lander has RCS, but I did not use the bug of course.
If your finished with this challenge and want to take it 1 vehicle further, try the R.O.L Challenge!
SFS Forum R.O.L Challenge
Reddit R.O.L Challenge

(There is a point system so the highest score wins.)

 

[Altaïr]

Yes, I saw that one too, I'll see if I try it, because those challenges are really time consuming
And I can't use that technic again as technically there's no orbiter on my ship, but several annex ship (even if they end orbiting lonely around a foreign planet).
Congrats for your performance

 

[Altaïr]

The Harmony ship had 442.5 tons of fuel in total, and I only had... 2 tons left at the end of mission

Oops, I miscalculated the initial fuel quantity. 442.5 is the weight of the fuel and the tank itself. I actually had 398.25 tons of fuel.

 

[Joshsstuff]

Yes, I saw that one too, I'll see if I try it, because those challenges are really time consuming
And I can't use that technic again as technically there's no orbiter on my ship, but several annex ship (even if they end orbiting lonely around a foreign planet).
Congrats for your performance

Thank you Altaïr!
I like your Venus lander design. It is very efficient.

You are certainly right about these challenges taking time!
With a slight modification you could make your build an orbiter and compete in the ROL challenge.
It would take more thought to include a Rover, but you will still get points for a lander on the planets you have visited

I Will be making a video of my build soon!

 

[Altaïr]

Thank you Altaïr!
I like your Venus lander design. It is very efficient.

You are certainly right about these challenges taking time!
With a slight modification you could make your build an orbiter and compete in the ROL challenge.
It would take more thought to include a Rover, but you will still get points for a lander on the planets you have visited

I Will be making a video of my build soon!

Thanks
I've worked a lot on that Venus lander indeed, it's pretty optimized. Even if I could have made it smaller, but I had to fit landing legs on the second stage for the rest of the challenge.
I think I'll reuse that concept for the ROL challenge, and the main annex ship (the central one) will be my orbiter. I'll keep the same logic for the 2 other annex ships, as this is a very efficient strategy, even if it makes the flight plan complex.
The most difficult part will be fitting a rover onto that design...

 

[Joshsstuff]

The most difficult part will be fitting a rover onto that design...

Your right about that! (the lunar rovers are still on the Moon, Nasa never took them anywhere once they landed )

I'm nearly finished with my challenge, once done I think I'll head over hear to see what I can use from my design on this one.

The Reddit has the best explanation of the points (For some reason the SFS forums don't allow editing posts )


R.O.L. Reddit Challenge (Rules & points)

 

[TtTOtW]

Your right about that! (the lunar rovers are still on the Moon, Nasa never took them anywhere once they landed )

I'm nearly finished with my challenge, once done I think I'll head over hear to see what I can use from my design on this one.

The Reddit has the best explanation of the points (For some reason the SFS forums don't allow editing posts )


R.O.L. Reddit Challenge (Rules & points)

You have 5 minutes to edit it after posting

 

[Joshsstuff]

You have 5 minutes to edit it after posting

Ah, ok.
I guess if you want to make some major revisions, you'll just have to start a new thread.

 

[Altaïr]

Ah, ok.
I guess if you want to make some major revisions, you'll just have to start a new thread.

If I remember well, being a donator gives more time to edit posts (if anyone can confirm...), but still not that much.