Driving around Minmus with Bill and Dofrod - Elcano Challenge

[Sp1f]

Hello forum readers. I recently became aware of the Elcano challenge to circumnavigate the surface of any orbital  body by rover or boat. Then I went down the rabbit hole of mission logs submitted by forum users over the years as they attempted the challenge in so many different ways. This inspired me to compose a log of my own.

The Gnat - Background

The "Gnat" science and utility rover rolled out of the SPH in early career mode - year 0, day something-or-other. With 40 parts, weighing in at a cool 3.443 tons, she was built for science gathering and career missions as part of a  landing system consisting of the Gnat and a  reusable sky crane attached to the Munar Gateway Station. Here she is at her berth, distal to the escape pod array, before I ever heard of the Elcano challenge.

Prior to creating this thread, our heroes Bill and Dofrod Kerman (no relation) were ordered by mission control to land on the Mun and perform a rover circumnavigation. They did so in style, performing many graceful maneuvers such as the one captured below.

or this one

After 27 days, Bill and Dofrod finally succeeded at circumnavigating the Mun. All the other Kerbals came out to party with them. Then they returned to the Munar Gateway Station to fix up the Gnat and chill out for a couple years.

 

The Plan

The plan for this circumnavigation is for Bill (engineer) and Dofrod (scientist) Kerman (no relation) to travel from the Munar Gateway Station to Minmus, make a landing on the Great Flats, then take a roughly equatorial route around the moon collecting science from all biomes except the Poles, visiting the easter egg, and completing as many career missions as are convenient (to fund future adventures). See the planned route below in blue.

 

...to be continued

[Sp1f]

Refuelled, repaired from its Munar exertions, and kitted out with spare parts, the Gnat prepares to undock, with Bill and Dofrod Kerman (no relation) seated on the lander.

Burning for Minmus

Bill: "I don't know about you, Dod, but ever since our Mun adventures I feel great."

Dofrod: "You and me both, buddy."

Bill: "Lights seem brighter, colors more vibrant, textures more crisp and detailed. I feel like a whole new Kerbal"

Dofrod: "Oh! You mean the Munar fines. We've been studying them in the lab. Turns out they are extremely psychoactive. After prolonged exposure like we had... well, we're both hallucinating like crazy. Space obviously isn't really this pretty or detailed. We may have permanent brain damage! Fortunately, there doesn't seem to be any downside."

Bill: "Oh."

Arrival at Minmus

Coming in for a landing

Bill: "We are going to do so many flips on this moon."

Dodfred: "Yeehaw!"

Dodfred: "I call driving."

Bill: "Darnit!"

Our first contract on Minmus was to repair this rover. Somehow it ended up upside down. Bill takes a few spare parts from the Gnat.

Mission accomplished.

Bill then strips off a few parts that he feels would look better on the Gnat.

Ready to go!

Cockpit view from the start line-

 

Next time, we'll do some driving. 

...to be continued...

Edited September 1, 2021 by Sp1f
spelling

[18Watt]

@Sp1f, when you complete your Minmus run, please include a link to this thread in the Elcano thread.  Awesome log!

The one single piece of advice I’d offer for driving on Minmus is don’t forget to quick save every now and then.  Minmus looks harmless, and it mostly is.  Up until it’s not.

Looking forward to seeing your Minmus entry!

[Sp1f]

Bill and Dofrod peel out, leaving the landing site in their tracks and racing across the Flats to the west.

They plan their route off the flats and up the into the hills.

It was already late afternoon when they started. As they got into the hills, darkness began closing in on the east facing slopes.

Bill: "Hmm.. maybe should have asked for some replacement headlights in the last shipment from Kerbin."

Bill: "I must say, Dod, that moustache does look dapper on you."

Dofrod: "Why thank you, old chap. You also look quite sharp in your new toupée."

Bill stops on the sunny eastern side of the ridge to rig one of the decorative dome lights from the side of the Gnat to the nosecone in hopes of helping with the dark areas. This leg was all about chasing the setting sun around the moon. When full darkness sets in they'll need to stop and wait morning.

They bravely climb a steep, dark pitch dubbed 'the Night Wall'. Look closely and you'll see the lights of the Gnat in the middle of the shot.

21 hours ago, 18Watt said:

 Minmus looks harmless, and it mostly is.  Up until it’s not.

18Watt wasn't kidding! Dofrod roared over the crest of the Night Wall, catching some hang time and performing the first controlled flip of the expedition, only to slam directly into a terrain glitch, destroying the Gnat's probe core.

Fortunately we had F5ed at the foot of the wall. The next time Dofrod came over the edge with a little more speed, landed 1 awesome jump, trying and failing to clear the glitch with that first jump. Then at the last second he popped a wheelie. The glitch caught the Gnat's rear tires, throwing it into another jump. Dofrod controlled the rover, executed another sweet flip and landed safely in the sunshine of the ridge top.

Bill: "WOOHOO! Again! Again!"

Dofrod: "YEEHAW first flips on Minmus baby yeah!"

After a few more kilometers they arrived at the top of a sunny plateau overlooking the lesser flats. 

And planted the first Elcano Challenge Checkpoint flag, 50km from the landing site. They named the hill "Bill's Bluff".

Next time, Bill will get his chance in the driver's seat and try to one-up Dofrod by doing flips. Their planned route:

 

...to be continued...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sp1f]

Bill and Dofrod left the first checkpoint and headed west along the flat-ish top of Bill's Bluff

\

Rolled a little there and lost a couple solar panels...again. Retract! Retract! No worries! This time Bill packed like 30 EVA repair kits. The strategy I've been using most of the time is to just extend one solar panel at a time while driving to minimize the potential damage. Forgot this time because I had just left the checkpoint.

Over the edge! 

Bill: "Hold my kerbeer!"

Dofrod; "Yeehaw!"

Taking a breather at the foot of Bill's Bluff and gathering science from the Lesser Flats

Moments later, nightfall sweeps across the Flats. Bill and Dofrod settle in for the night

The next day.

Bill: "Ready to do more flips, Dod?"

Dofrod: "....c-c-c-cold..."

Bill's Bluff shrinks in the distance. It was about here that I figured something out. These circumnavigations on Minmus and the Mun have been very challenging just controlling the Gnat and making it go straight. It's always trying to pull one way or another while accelerating, even on the Flats here. I went to adjust some wheel settings and found out that the Gnat's front wheels are out of symmetry. Not sure how that happened or when it happened but it explains much. I'm kind of used to it at this point though. I have a few ideas for solutions in mind.

Passing a strange rock

Bill drives back into the night.

Our heroes stop to place a flag at the next checkpoint. 100km down!

The route ahead...

 

...to be continued...

[Sp1f]

Tragedy!

Defeated by the Kraken! My save file is corrupted beyond hope of recovery. Bill and Dofrod are gone, but not forgotten. I won't be able to finish this adventure. 

Not to be deterred, I have begun a new career save and fully intend to return and circumnavigate Minmus and beyond, just as soon as I get the technology tree unlocked. I'll start a new thread when I get there.