Moho Fleet

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

IF YOU CAN MAKE IT THERE, YOU CAN MAKE IT ANYWHERE

 

That's what I say about Moho; if I have enough Delta-V to get to Moho, then I can sure as hell get to anywhere else in the Kerbol system (especially Jool's moons). Anyway, I'm preparing a fleet for a trip to Moho and I want your input on what I may be missing for the first wave - or if you think it's good for now.

 

• U.S.S. Tarawa*: Can hold up to seven Kerbals at a time {1 viewing cupola, 1 lab (and I also carry all science but the telescope and ore scanner), 1 hitchhiker}, has 32 Mk. 2 docking ports and 16 Mk. 1 docking ports, 4 RA-100 Relay Antennae and plenty of liquid fuel and oxidizer in the reserve tanks. After the boosters run out of fuel, the station will be powered by four nuclear-powered engines to a designated orbit around Moho and send the crew to a prograde equatorial orbit around the planet. I have plenty of spare pure liquid fuel tanks in reserve for the return pod (when I get around to sending it), and reserve tanks of liquid fuel and oxidizer ready for landers.
  • I should have plenty of Delta-V to make it to Moho from here (after I jettison the ascent boosters, of course).

* I named it the Tarawa because, before I was born, my dad was in the U.S.M.C. He served in the U.S.S. Tarawa aircraft carrier while stationed in Hawaii; Mom was waiting patiently for him for about a year. Now that Dad's retired from government (he was in the State Department after the Marines), I thought it would be a fun way to honor his service to his country.

 

• Interplanetary Weather Satellite: Will put up in polar orbit around Moho and scan for rich ore deposits around the equator. Once I find a spot with a satisfactory minimum concentration (let's say 30% cutoff), I will set up a waypoint there and put my rover and lander there. I also carry some reusable scientific instruments on it.

 

• Moho Lander: capable of sending one Kerbal at a time from the U.S.S. Tarawa to the surface of Moho and back up. Doesn't have science on it to save mass since, well, "I'm a lander pod, not a science ship."
  • Which reminds me, I tested its rendezvous and docking capabilities after sending this bad boy up to the Mun and refueling it before ascent - everything worked PERFECTLY. In this screenshot, I'm pointing at the Terrier fuel engine for the final stage (7.288-t mass). Do I have enough thrust to ascend/descend safely?

 

 

• Mini-Bus: Capable of carrying five Kerbals at a time (but will send unmanned), it will carefully land on a spot along Moho's Equator that's rich in ore deposits and start mining ore. When the lander gets there, I will use the claw and dock the rover with the lander before refueling it - it may take a while, but I can't risk running out of fuel during the lander's return rendezvous with the Tarawa. Check out my YouTube channel to see it in action.
  • Concerning landing spots, as Robert Eddison once said, "I must choose, but choose wisely." That's why I'm sending the ore scanner in a polar orbit - to find a good spot beforehand.
  • According to the Delta-V gauge on MechJeb and the community map, I should have enough juice to make it to Moho's surface.

 

I don't want to send too many ships at once, otherwise I may miss my burn window while distracted with one ship (since, you know, nuclear engines are slow with their Delta-Vs). It should still be satisfactory to start a decent operation there. I originally planned to send a permanent single-stage base there too, but then I thought "Nah, send it with the second fleet - after we get a good first peek of the planet.

• I'll also send the return pod with the replacement crew for the Tarawa along with the base in the second fleet.

 

Questions/concerns/comments?

[Nivee~]

How about adding ion engines for circularizing at Moho? Those gigantor solar panels can drive a lot of engines in Moho's vicinity...

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

2 hours ago, Nivee~ said:

How about adding ion engines for circularizing at Moho? Those gigantor solar panels can drive a lot of engines in Moho's vicinity...

On what, the weather satellite? Though fuel-efficient as they may be, they are weak as hell; they may not do much good for the larger craft, like the Tarawa.

• I do plan on sending an ion-powered "Ultimate Relay Antenna" in the second fleet to strengthen communication (check my Eeloo Fleet post for a picture of it), even though the Tarawa has some decent relays already. That may also be the case for an infrared telescope carrier that I may send too.
• Even if the ion engines were powerful enough for the Tarawa, the leftover liquid fuel will be used to gas up other craft that swing by - like the return pod.
  • Which reminds me, I'm working on an "Expansion Pack" for the second fleet - part of it involves a section with 2 small holding tanks and an ore converter (and thermal control systems and radiators). This means I'll need to work on an "ore carrier" with WAY more than enough Delta-V to make it from the surface to the Tarawa and back to a specific landing spot without refueling; if the net fuel gain is zero or negative, it kinda beats the purpose of "refueling runs," doesn't it?

 

Even with four ion engines (2 kN * 4 ion engines = 8 kN total thrust) mounted on the lander craft, I don't think it's enough to get the lander pod off the ground (7.288 ton mass * 2.7 m/s² on Moho = 19.6776 kN weight). To do that would require me to be on a moon with a gravitational acceleration of 1.097 m/s². And furthermore, I don't know of any ways to convert ore to Xenon using only stock parts.

 

Any other ideas?

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

MISSION: ABORTED

I realized that, though the MechJeb Delta-V calculator seemed to make the mission feasible, it was not with the way I was doing it. Worse, the U.S.S. Tarawa "got hit with an asteroid" some time after I "coincidentally" realized that not only were the nuclear engines too weak for it, all the fuel did was slow it down - even with the infinite fuel cheat, there was no way I was going to circularize my orbit in time to stay in Moho orbit.

• Sorry, everyone. Looks like the Moho show is cancelled (for now)

 

And furthermore, since I got a good set of missions going to Dres, I figured I'd start establishing a permanent TWO-WAY presence there before I move on to other planets. Here's the list of planets I plan to start colonizing - IN ORDER

1. Dres
2. Eeloo *
3. Jool (at least get one station in Jool orbit and good coverage before moving on to other planets)
   1. (I haven't decided an order for the moons yet, but I'm definitely saving Laythe for last)
4. Duna
5. Eve **
6. Moho

 

* #2 and 3 may get swapped due to transfer window frequency

** 5 and 6 may get swapped too, since it is much harder to get out of Eve than Moho.