Reusable Interplanetary Booster Flight Plan

[AviatorBJP]

This is the flight plan for a reusable interplanetary booster vessel:

(my original December 2012 post on this was deleted in the server crash in April 2013, so I have re-uploaded this now)

Here are some screenshots of my newest ARCHER IPB:

Edited April 19, 2013 by AviatorBJP

[tavert]

Looks pretty similar plan to the TROY reusable earth departure stage concept:

Any reason for 200km parking orbit? You'll get more Oberth effect if it's lower, and it would be easier to bring all the components to. The only possible downside is if it's too low, the initial part of the burn (assuming you aim for roughly 50/50 before and after the node) might dip you slightly into the very top of the atmosphere, causing a tiny bit of drag on your way back out.

[eskimo]

Looks pretty similar plan to the TROY reusable earth departure stage concept:

I spent the first minute of that video trying to figure out what mod that was. I like it.

[AviatorBJP]

Any reason for 200km parking orbit? You'll get more Oberth effect if it's lower, and it would be easier to bring all the components to. The only possible downside is if it's too low, the initial part of the burn (assuming you aim for roughly 50/50 before and after the node) might dip you slightly into the very top of the atmosphere, causing a tiny bit of drag on your way back out.

You are correct about the Oberth advantage at lower altitude. The reason for the 200 km orbit is so that I don't accidentally get so slow in the atmosphere that I end up re-entering while aerobraking. Its just my own skill limit. You can have a parking orbit at what ever altitude you prefer.

That was a neat video of the TROY. I hadn't seen that before. Thanks for sharing!

[tavert]

Ah right, since you're returning to the same orbit via aerobraking that makes sense. MechJeb's aerobraking prediction has been spoiling me.

I hadn't heard of it either until someone posted a challenge to recreate it before the forums asploded. So relay-thanks to them, whoever it was... I think Google cache is mad at me for doing too many KSP forum cache searches.

[AviatorBJP]

I will add some screenshots of this ship in action. I am currently testing out the new MechJeb, and I am loving not having to manually dock all these ships! I still need to figure out the best way to command an aerobrake maneuver...