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So, I wanted to make an 'all in one' tug/explorer (vanilla parts) to export almost all of the Kerbol system. Criteria was that as much of the ship as possible should be reusable at each stop, and it can refuel itself along the way. My plan was to have three main components: a driller (for refueling), a science lander, and a tug to transport the other two components. The driller was pretty simple, with a 4500 ore capacity: Note the large docking port atop, that will mate to the 'back' of the tug. The harder part was building a lander. I started a lander that would handle MOST of the standard planets (Mun, Eeloo, etc) a single stage land/takeoff that would have about 3000+ dV. Added chutes and drogues for Duna and Laythe. For Duna and Laythe, I added a removable inflatable heat shield, connected with a docking port so I could add or remove it as the mission required via a docking port: Experimenting with the inflatable shield was VERY interesting. A few lessons: If you inflate it and it touches an atmosphere, you can't deflate and re-use it. Which means I'd need to bring one for Duna and one for Laythe. When you deflate it, it *VIOLENTLY* explodes. So I separated it as much as I could, and experimented to make sure after the peak of re-entry heat, I could turn the ship prograde, drop the shield, and then flip back retrograde before finishing the landing sequence (in some cases just turning sideways and firing the engines to get the heck away from this giant bomb I'm carrying). Otherwise, the air resistance forces the shield back into the craft, with another BIG BOOM. So, that being said, my tests with Laythe still didn't work because of the high dV needed to push through the atmosphere. So, I added another optional stage I could also add with a docking port: It's super ugly, and the lower engines gimbal way more than they should, making it a difficult craft to control. But I get an extra 1630 dV from the lower stage, coupled with 3670 on the upper stage (if I use the drop tanks, but a bit less otherwise), gives me about 5300+ dV total, enough to land and take off from Laythe and Tylo. Note that I have to cut the fuel cross-feed (otherwise it robs the upper tanks first) and the stage cutover is a manual redocking/staging sequence, but not too awful. So, now I have all the planets covered, except for Eve, of course. So, here is the assembled tug, powered by a dozen nuke engines: Note the two 'extra' sections being carried: - Fuel/Engine set for Tylo - Thermal balloon for Duna - Another set of both for Laythe And, of course, a science lab. Fully assembled and fueled, she has about 5000dV. Getting ready to run the full system test!

This is a little ship I made based off the spaceship designs of old. She can get to Duna and back with a refuel stop on Duna, as long as she starts in orbit, so take out a big launcher. She has about 3000 m/s of delta-v to give you an idea. She has 3 drills and a large IRSU to produce fuel when she lands. Can be a little finicky so be careful with thrusting up tooo much in atmospheres. Overall I like her a lot. You can take her to the Mun or Minmus if you want too. Pure Stock. Action Groups: 1-Engines 2-Ladders 3-Solar Panels 4-Main Cargo Bay 5-Drill Bays 6-IRSU Craft Download: download Explorer

So, in Campaign, I have tried to go to planets in the order the explore contracts give them to me, for a sort of storyline/progression even after I have finished the tech tree. However, this is just getting annoying. Explore Ike: perform a rendezvous around Ike, perform a docking around Ike. Explore the Sun: Rendezvous two vessels, perform a crew transfer. Explore Gilly: Return to Kerbin from orbit of Gilly. Now, I want to explore new planets, and I am nearly done with these moons and planets. However I keep getting more contracts for Ike and Gilly, and even the Sun. I just finished the Explore Ike contract using a probe with a claw on it, and then got a contract to do a crew transfer around Ike, and I have no other easily available ships to do that with, from my Duna base. These contracts just start to feel more annoying after I've already done X around Y so many times. The return missions are annoying as well. When I first explored Gilly, it told me to return from a Gilly flyby. I sent a probe, returned it to Kerbin. A contract for orbit Gilly + return then is available. Since most of the time I either send one-way probes to moons/planets or I send refuelling bases, it means I either have to send another vehicle to go there and return, or sacrifice one of the vehicles I already have there to go back, which means sending a duplicate again, which gets boring after I've sent two different vehicles to the Duna system for Ike returns. What are your opinions on these Explore contracts? Personally, I believe it would be better with just Flybys, Orbits, Landings, Flags and Science but that's just my opinion. And also, is it true that going to a location early skips all Explore contracts for that location?

1. Go to the Exploring Gilly scenario 2. Go on EVA 3. Kill your Kerbal (I HyperEdited him into Eve's atmosphere) 4. On the "Mission Results" screen, click "Space Center" 5. There you go. You can save game, play normally.