[Challenge] Best Moon Landing date

[logic observer]

Since someone asked about fastest Moon Landing, I decided to try a bit hard, well, a lot harder to see how early I can land a man on the moon.

As you might guess, the following result involved A LOT of loading and re-arrangements.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=664622607

Looks like my estimation about 1964 was about right, at least for me. There is still room for improvement I believe, but 1963 seems impossible. Will try even HARDER again later. Anyone interested is welcomed to join the challenge.

[Above result was archived by NASA, do not think USSR can get the same date due to TLI requirement.]

[Nacho84]

Well done! ;)

[Ncore]

Beat you by one quarter :P

https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198025174439/screenshots

[logic observer]

@Ncore Good Job!

[Ncore]

With all the moon landing stuff in the media I decided to give this old challenge another go. Now I'm quite sure I can't beat this any more…


https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1815448892

[Ncore]

Q4/63 and even Q3/63 were so so close… but somehow the 75% chances missed. I had to take a small detour - fly a regular Gemini orbital mission instead of Gemini DA test mission in Earth orbit - and then I managed Q1/64.


Funny thing:

Manned Gemini DA test in Earth orbit does NOT count towards "Man in Orbit" or Gemini orbital mission.

Because of that I had too many unfulfilled goals for the moon landing in late '63, and had to take that detour. (Yes, no man in orbit before that… I had only flown a manned suborbital Gemini mission before, no Mercury at all.)

[lemurs2]

Dude, I have never done better than 1966, well played.

[Sid Vicious]

Progression truly is valued in this game.

[Ncore]

Well. It appears I did manage to beat it.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1988110727

[Ncore]

This time in time for Kennedy to see. Q3/1963.

Man this was hard. I had a chance in Q2/1963, but it ended in lunar liftoff failure.
(So I save scummed it :P )

I am quite sure I can't beat this. I know, I know, I've said it before...

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1988820121

[Elvis]

It is possible to beat that with USSR - 1963 Q2

With a lot of luck and attempts

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2073699799

[Ncore]

ZOMG! Well done!

[Elvis]

I've tidied up my notes and put a step by step guide up.

I think a faster run may be possible, get Sputnik 1 and Luna 3 out the door earlier, skip Vostok manned suborbital, probably some other things I haven't thought of.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2076433585

[logic observer]

Wow, it is amazing how far you guys have pushed the line forward.

I thought Gemini EOR was the best choice because it shared spacecraft with your first manned mission plus the insanely low LTI weight requirement and low R&D difficulty on all components including the usually formidable rocket. But looks like you guys have got better result with DA.

I am not yet convinced that DA would be easier than EOR. It would kind of be a pity it were in the game because realistically EOR had been much easier and no one had ever succeeded in a DA mission.

I guess I was a bit on the conservative side on probabilities (did not ran any mission under 80%). So I will try again soon with absolutely no moral conscience regarding the astronauts' lifes :P

[logic observer]

Hmmm, game isn't working correctly for me in Windows 10...

[Ncore]

1963.2 is the best anyone can do as the Soviets I think - you'll need at least one mission (probably 2) before the actual lunar landing, and at most you have money for 1 before 1963. Even then it is a stretch, because your first launch will be around 65%/65% reliability, the second at 80% (and that's not counting any missed goals penalties, and there will be a ton of those).

Even one saved Vostok launch will not get you enough money to launch two LK-700's before 1963, so that doesn't make much difference. Actually the (small) reliability transfer from a succesful Vostok to LK-700 might benefit more than a few thousand rubles - the launch takes 14k or somesuch.