Interplanet Janet

Thanks, this advice is working pretty well so far! Oh, by the way, the Pallas analog is coming into fruition now. Its name is Quazen and it's on a highly inclined orbit that may require a Jool assist to even dare to reach.

I used a 4096x2048 PNG map for Onor, and 2048x1024 maps for Yuppo considering it's smaller. I think it might have been a problem because my image was in 8-bit RGB color space, and I did try to blur the normal map to get smoother transitions. While I do think I know the cause, I don't know how exactly to fix the problem short of adding some slight PQS noise to the heightmap or something. Could you possibly show me how?

Exactly what I'm doing so far. I've been trying to fix the polar spike lately. And the deorbiting thing would be a thing that could possibly work with Principia. Speaking of, here's the link if you want to try it out: Janet's Planets 0.1.0

Oh hai. This is a basic planet pack so far that adds a Near-Kerbin binary asteroid, Doppler-Dyva, a Pallas-like two-toned potato, Quazen, and four binary Jool trojans. Basically asteroids not filled by niches such as Minor Planets Expansion. Download here on SpaceDock. This was the old picture of Doppler, once named Onor (please don't deadname it). It's a relic of my past and how I've improved. Requirements: Kopernicus ModuleManager A good computer

Have you thought about giving Edan a moon of some sort? Something along the lines of Ida's Dactyl or Didymos' Dimorphos? Something small enough where with Principia an impact can change its orbit?

Actually, I fixed the PQS deal. That's all fine. And I've joined the Discord.

Is this where to go to ask for help with planetary configs? I'm trying to make a tiny asteroid for a planet mod and it keeps showing up as a sphere with the color map, but the light is 90 degrees to the north, and the PQS doesn't work at all.

Are you considering doing a Duna Moons grand tour? This could probably use XPC Duna moons (Nyke and Duna rings), Stock Planet Expansion (Smov/Prolla), Revamped Stock Solar System (Rimos), etc. If you're curious what Revamped Stock Solar System is, it's this:

What other gas giant-KBO missions does anyone want to see?

The Saturn Atmospheric Entry Probe would be the primary mission, with Haumea as a potential extension. This is how I was planning, based on budgetary constraints and stuff.

Anyway... how will we handle the Jupiter flyby? Saturn? Haumea? Anyone? I believe maybe Jupiter could me used as a calibration test for the instruments... maybe also as a guide-star for operations? (no wait... how about Sirius?) Saturn would provide nice science opportunities. How big of an antenna would it be to receive data rather quickly from astronomical distances?

¡¡¡¡Incorrecto!!!!! @max_creative ????

i noticed that retroactively

No replies in 16 hours? This thread must be dead! ;(

Yes. At most, to keep atmospheric data a priority, it could take, maybe... a rather low-resolution picture? And only one? Just to take it? Hopefully in color... So... yeah. That sound like a good compromise?

Revised trajectory HERE: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GF_xSTJa7mQ37aFmDcRsh06SYOPoPD0e

Zeus-Omphalos sounds good. It's a shame, though, that 'Oumuamua is taken... That was kind of the point. The trajectory supplied on the Google Drive photo (made by me) suggests it can take anywhere between 16-22 years, depending on launch date and chosen trajectory. I made an estimate of the trajectory based on SpaceEngine photographs, though, so forgive me if not everything is completely correct. Also, given that it is a flyby probe, it doesn't really need much of a huge rocket. I was thinking, lowest-case scenario, Ariane V. However, an Atlas, Delta, Falcon, or even SLS could be used giving further budgeting. I would have done a direct EESh route, but I want to keep the tradition of Jupiter flybys for OSS missions: that's what Trajectory Browser by NASA says would be the quickest path for a flyby probe. https://trajbrowser.arc.nasa.gov/traj_browser.php?NEAs=on&NECs=on&chk_maxMag=on&maxMag=25&chk_maxOCC=on&maxOCC=4&chk_target_list=on&target_list=Saturn&mission_class=oneway&mission_type=flyby&LD1=2030&LD2=2040&maxDT=10&DTunit=yrs&maxDV=10&min=DT&wdw_width=365&submit=Search#a_load_results With a launch on October 5, 2037 with a dV of 7.94 km/s, and a Jupiter swingby at an altitude of 4.36 RJ on January 28, 2039, the probe would arrive at Saturn on June 23, 2040, for a total EJS transfer of 2.72 years, instead of the 6 proposed in my initial trajectory. This could cut the transfer time to Haumea by a few years, actually... given this launch date, I would like to see which position for Haumea would be the most optimal for both fuel and time. When I modify the trajectory to include this (which probably won't take long) I will post it in both the original post and a new one.

This has evolved into less a discussion about exploring space and more into what can be flung into it. It's still interesting, but... Any concepts for names, maybe, for the probe? Or the atmospheric probe? Modifications we could make to the trajectory to make it less fuel- or time-consuming? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I'm opening discussion about what mementos to send to aliens, but what about the primary mission?

Maybe, the Crown Jool ?

Maybe a super-microscopic etching of certain human images? Or maybe it could come with a large USB drive, with a plug embedded within it? Who knows what to bring along? (maybe if Mike Brown dies before the launch, his ashes could be transported? just saying)

...how did I not get that... (well, it could be used to power the craft, but still...)

Heh... good idea. Certainly helps. EDIT: A NUKE WOULD NOT HELP A MISSION AT ALL.

I have been studying concepts for missions, and I think I might have one. It is basically an expansion upon the idea of a Saturn atmospheric probe whose relay will escape the Solar System. As of yet, it is nameless, but I have some ideas for what it will be. The carrier-relay probe will have a wide-angle camera with color capabilities, and a narrow-angle camera with only B&W. This is similar to the Ralph-Lorri dichotomy on New Horizons. It may also have some other instruments from the Voyager probes, such as a magnetometer, radio receiver, UV spectrometer, etc. Finally, it will carry an atmospheric probe to descend into Saturn's atmosphere. It will be released not long before the Saturn flyby, and after the relay passes from the shadow, it will relay the data collected from the atmospheric probe, as well as data it may have collected as well. The carrier-relay would look like a mesh between Voyager, New Horizons, and Galileo (with the atmospheric probe), possibly. It would be launched in mid-2034, have a 1.7-year-long cruise phase to Jupiter, then take about 4 years to get to Saturn. After that, a Haumea flyby may be possible, given enough funding directed toward it. A couple of questions, however: Since it's on an escape trajectory from the Solar System, what cargo will it carry for aliens to find? Would it be feasible to have a camera embedded into the probe to take a picture of the Saturnian atmosphere? To get to Haumea, how close would the carrier-relay have to fly to Saturn? Would it be possible to make a mockup of it using RSS? (preferably both imgur photographs AND a youtube video) These are two possible trajectories I might use. They aren't necessary, but is instead a template or guideline. https://drive.google.com/open?id=14YrJYsIIzYcgSTCZa_DjR8acOjPp26Ks https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GF_xSTJa7mQ37aFmDcRsh06SYOPoPD0e Share your thoughts below.

Indeed. @max_creative

Wait a minute...you should also mention that you can use gravity assists (Jool, Sarnus, etc.) to reach them.