My rocket that I have been using in some form for months.

[dezway]

This is the rocket that I have used for a long time, slight modifications have been made but the first and second stages have remained relatively the same.

I have not been able to measure its payload capacity completely but the furthest I would go without use of gravity assists is Saturn. (though I did have a pluto landing with this rocket once)

I realize it's not the biggest and baddest rocket in terms of visuals but what do you think?

 

[SupremeDorian]

Doesn't this belong in Discussion?

 

[Danny Batten]

Doesn't this belong in Discussion?

I’ll move it

 

[Chara-cter]

This is the rocket that I have used for a long time, slight modifications have been made but the first and second stages have remained relatively the same.

I have not been able to measure its payload capacity completely but the furthest I would go without use of gravity assists is Saturn. (though I did have a pluto landing with this rocket once)

I realize it's not the biggest and baddest rocket in terms of visuals but what do you think? View attachment 10592 View attachment 10593

It reminds me of the old rockets from the space race

 

[dezway]

It reminds me of the old rockets from the space race

I was going for that kind of look.

 

[Chara-cter]

I was going for that kind of look.

Oh ok
Nice job btw

 

[Altaïr]

Nice rocket, I would just say that your first stage is really huge compared to the rest of the rocket.
Usually, the first stage is only used to give a big shot at your rocket in the beginning (when you still have to fight gravity). Once you're close to reach LEO (Low Earth Orbit), you'll generally want to drop your first stage, and finish satellization with your second stage. The second stage is generally equipped with a high Isp engine: its thrust is lower, so it will need more time to give the extra speed you need, but it will burn less fuel in the end. That's what the Isp means.

In the end, your rocket is a good basis, I would just shorten the first stage and make bigger the 2nd and 3rd stages. This will make your rocket more enduring.

Your lander is good otherwise, the grasshoper is a good choice for a small module. However, a broadsword may give better results if you aim for Jupiter's moons. Except for Europa, they have a quite strong gravity, and having more thrust to overcome it will be appreciable.

 

[dezway]

Nice rocket, I would just say that your first stage is really huge compared to the rest of the rocket.
Usually, the first stage is only used to give a big shot at your rocket in the beginning (when you still have to fight gravity). Once you're close to reach LEO (Low Earth Orbit), you'll generally want to drop your first stage, and finish satellization with your second stage. The second stage is generally equipped with a high Isp engine: its thrust is lower, so it will need more time to give the extra speed you need, but it will burn less fuel in the end. That's what the Isp means.

In the end, your rocket is a good basis, I would just shorten the first stage and make bigger the 2nd and 3rd stages. This will make your rocket more enduring.

Your lander is good otherwise, the grasshoper is a good choice for a small module. However, a broadsword may give better results if you aim for Jupiter's moons. Except for Europa, they have a quite strong gravity, and having more thrust to overcome it will be appreciable.

all right thanks.

 

[dezway]

Nice rocket, I would just say that your first stage is really huge compared to the rest of the rocket.
Usually, the first stage is only used to give a big shot at your rocket in the beginning (when you still have to fight gravity). Once you're close to reach LEO (Low Earth Orbit), you'll generally want to drop your first stage, and finish satellization with your second stage. The second stage is generally equipped with a high Isp engine: its thrust is lower, so it will need more time to give the extra speed you need, but it will burn less fuel in the end. That's what the Isp means.

In the end, your rocket is a good basis, I would just shorten the first stage and make bigger the 2nd and 3rd stages. This will make your rocket more enduring.

Your lander is good otherwise, the grasshoper is a good choice for a small module. However, a broadsword may give better results if you aim for Jupiter's moons. Except for Europa, they have a quite strong gravity, and having more thrust to overcome it will be appreciable.

Better? (forgot to save the lander so gonna have to rebuild it)

 

[Danny Batten]

Better? (forgot to save the lander so gonna have to rebuild it)
View attachment 10599

All things considered with Altaïr one of the best ways of building a small rocket like that is scale.
Something cooked up by Stef,

 

[dezway]

All things considered with Altaïr one of the best ways of building a small rocket like that is scale.
Something cooked up by Stef,
View attachment 10601

did he mean decrease? those stages aren't getting bigger

 

[Danny Batten]

did he mean decrease? those stages aren't getting bigger

Well compared to the rest of your rockets, your first stage is quite large

 

[SupremeDorian]

did he mean decrease? those stages aren't getting bigger

Bigger top to bottom.

 

[Altaïr]

Better? (forgot to save the lander so gonna have to rebuild it)
View attachment 10599

It seems more reasonable indeed, but you still have to test it yourself to see if it's enough in the end.

Here is a small example to illustrate how I build my rockets:

A first stage with a powerful engine to lift and quickly propell the rocket at the beginning, a second stage with an efficient engine to save fuel, and the payload.

When I launch it, here is the situation when the first stage runs out of fuel:

I'm still quite far from LEO, but the hardest part is done, so it's good to drop the first stage now (which alleviates the launcher too), and to switch to "efficient mode". Now my ship is on a long ballistic trajectory, I have time so it's ok.
In the end, I still have some fuel left when I reach LEO:

Of course, as your rocket is bigger, you'll need a more powerful second stage. Using 2 Frontier engines on it would allow you to satellize a very decent ship for example.