Voyager quest entry

[Altaïr]

Well, I never posted my entry, so here is it!

I recreated the probe, but due to the new version, the capsule design is slightly different, as the probe doesn't include the heat shield now. It means that there is no auto-generated separator between the capsule and the tank:


However, the mass is strictly the same, and because it's shorter by one bit, I still took it into account when building the fairing around it: the fairing is slightly higher than necessary so that the original probe could fit in it. That way, I took absolutely no advantage of this. I hope the staff will forgive me for this

So here is the launcher:

Yes, I could make it with 220 tons, though very hardly, as I have just what I need, and the flight technique has to be close to perfect to succeed.

So here is the flight:


As you can see I follow a very aggressive flight path to build my horizontal velocity as quick as possible. Even if the reentry update made it more complicated as there is the risk that the fairing burn at some point.



Now the injection burn:


This is the moment where every player gets very nervous...


And finally...


Now the situation at Mars level:


Mission accomplished!

For those who would like to see how I proceed in details, I also made a video of the flight:
VoyagerQuest.mp4

The screenshots are from the video, so this is strictly the same flight.

 

[Blazer Ayanami]

Pinned.

 

[Blazer Ayanami]

That's a very high Initial TWR, tbh. But I guess it makes sense, since you are going for horizontal speed from the beginning.

 

[Altaïr]

That's a very high Initial TWR, tbh. But I guess it makes sense, since you are going for horizontal speed from the beginning.

Yes, very high. Actually this is balanced by the fact that my boosters are also very short. They run quickly out of fuel, when I'm around 6500 meters of altitude and 500 m/s. From there, quite early in the flight, the TWR drops back to something more usual. In the end the boosters just give a big push at start.

I use a very atypical architecture actually, but such a TWR would be too high on a more conventional launcher.

 

[Blazer Ayanami]

I see. That makes sense, actually.

 

[TtTOtW]

Dude I was actually a bit shocked to see you being at 30 degrees by 1km... but, the pace of speed build up had me understand.

 

[Altaïr]

Dude I was actually a bit shocked to see you being at 30 degrees by 1km... but, the pace of speed build up had me understand.

Yes, that launcher rather behaves as a missile at start
But it's hard to pilot, the trajectory in the beginning has to be very precise, it's very easy to mess the whole flight at that point.

 

[Noor Nehan]

Can i use your example rocket or ion engine??

 

[Altaïr]

Can i use your example rocket or ion engine??

Sorry no.
Ion engines are precisely forbidden for this challenge, it would be too easy.
For the rocket you have to design your own one. But we can give you some advice of course.

 

[Noor Nehan]

Sorry no.
Ion engines are precisely forbidden for this challenge, it would be too easy.
For the rocket you have to design your own one. But we can give you some advice of course.

So give me advice what to do for it

 

[Pink]

So give me advice what to do for it

It would help if you showed us SOMETHING to give advice about. We aren't mind readers....

 

[Altaïr]

Mooncrasher is right, start trying by yourself, then make your own thread to post your attempt, even if it's failed. We will tell you what to improve.

 

[Match Animation]

The most hardest mission ever for frontier

 

[Pink]

And to imagine that people voted for it to replace replica challenge.

 

[Match Animation]

And to imagine that people voted for it to replace replica challenge.

Soo new mission is coming soon? in February

 

[Pink]

What new mission? Your voyager quest attempt?

We have no plans for replacing voyager quest, we think it's fine.

 

[Match Animation]

Hmm ok

 

[Altaïr]

Unpinned. This thread is replaced by the tutorial.

 

[Altaïr]

Well, it's been long I haven't done something insane...

So here is my Voyager entry in IRIS, aka SFS hard mode! You thought the Voyager quest was hard? Check this!

Of course I won't take into account the 265 tons limit, as such a light launcher couldn't even reach orbit. In IRIS, there's no choice but to go heavy!

So I built a launcher to send the probe...


The flight is fine, and I easily reach orbit:

From there, I should now burn and leave the solar system. But that won't be enough! What remains of my ship would be enough in the stock solar system, but not there. Instead of the usual 1856 m/s, those are 4380 m/s I have to supply

So I built a second launcher.

Easy flight, then docking with Voyager. Now, with that extra stage, I have more power. But this is still not enough!

So I built a third launcher.

Ok, now this is getting serious!

Let's start burning:


This is my situation after the two side tanks are spent:

This is gonna be tough...

Let's continue!

Looks good!

Voyager is about to leave the Earth's SOI...


And here comes the necessary screenshot at Mars level. In IRIS, the liberation speed at Mars level is... 17070 m/s!

17195 m/s, I'm good, Voyager is on its road towards the stars!

With 2980 tons in total, I completely blew up the limit.

Mission accomplished

 

[TtTOtW]

Yeah, beauty and brains always up the requirements until you can hardly reach it...