KerbalX

Details

• Type: SPH
• Class: ship
• Part Count: 34
• Pure Stock
• KSP: 1.9.1

Description

A very reliable lightweight SSTO, capable of reaching 100km orbit and returning home.
Can handle quite aggressive reentry and rated for landing at 200m/s (but you need to touch down gently to survive that!)

COM remains around the same position as the fuel drains and is quite close to the COL, which gives it good maneuverability. Equipped with a fuel cell for emergency power generation.

Pictures show it with MechJeb (not included, but recommended for controlling pitch precisely during ascent)

Stable ascent flight at 4x physics warp

Built in the SPH in KSP version 1.9.1.

Speed_Kerman suggested I slap a couple ion engines to this, so I did and it has about 3000 m/s dV once in orbit, but I’ve not tested it and I’m not sure if it has enough LfOx to power the fuel cells long enough. Grab the Knat Delta I if you want to do some incredibly slow burns!

Ascent

Pitch up to 10 degs after take off, climb until moving ~1000m/s and then pitch up to 15 degs. At this point watch out for the front wings overheating, if they start to get too hot increase the pitch. When the jet starts to loose power switch mode (space toggles mode) and start lowering the pitch. Push Ap up to 110km while bringing the pitch gradually down to 0 by the time the Ap is at 70km.

After circularising to 100km you should have between 200m/s-500m/s dV spare.

Decent

Orbit until over the mountain range in the desert. Burn retro until the orbit line hits KSC. Re-enter at a pitch of 20. Pitch will naturally drop, but try to hold it as long as possible. Once speed is down to 1500m/s start to level off. As you approach the mountain range before KSC start to pitch down and aim for the runway.

You can land this craft really fast. So long as you have your vertical speed around 5m/s you can touch down while going around 200m/s