Project Twelve: Mission Caprica (Image heavy!)

[KerbActual]

Hi guys, I thought I'd document the missions I've been working on in KSP. The goal is to eventually have completed twelve massive(for me, anyways) exploration missions to chart the kerbol system. These will involve multi-part spaceships assembled in orbit, probes, landers, and just stuff I think is challenging and, most of all, fun. So, to start, we have:

Mission Caprica

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The Caprica

The KES Caprica in high-orbit around Kerbin

This is the Kerbal Exploration Ship Caprica. it is powered by six nuclear engines, and has three separate RCS tanks. It's most distinguishing feature is the two three-pronged probe arrays, which house a combined total of twelve orbital probes and six lander probes. Two large solar panels keep the ship's batteries powered. It's main power array is located just above the orange fuel tank, and consists of three stacked battery rings. It's secondary array is located around the remote guidance unit on the orange fuel tank. The ship is able to seat five, one in the top viewport, and four in the hitchhiker container just below.

The Caprica's mission is to ferry all those probes to Eve, at which point it will deploy them to study the purple enigma, as well as it's moon, Gilly. Jeb will pilot the ship, and Bill and Bob will man the hitchiker capsule, because they wanted to tag along too.

Note: At first the Caprica was hosted two manned landers as well, but I thought it would never make it back to Kerbal having to haul around all those probes AND the fuel for the two extra landers. Earlier in it's development, I tried to make it look more pleasing by adding additional viewports, but it proved to be too bulky and not have enough delta-V for my liking. Most of this mission was done off-the-cuff, kerbal style, so I didn't know exactly how much delta-V I'd need, so I decided to play it safe and prioritize function over form. Still, I think the ship has a bit of a charm to it.

The Departure

The Caprica burns to escape Kerbin SOI.

After reaching an orbit around the sun, Kerbol, Jeb jettisons two probes off of gut instinct, making the ship lighter and thus requiring less fuel to push. ( I still didn't think this thing would be able to make the round trip, especially since I didn't transfer directly to Eve.)

The initial burn didn't transfer directly to Eve, instead, Jeb went to an intermediate Kerbol orbit between Eve and Kerbin. With a little finagling, and some time warp, Jebadiah eventually managed an Eve encounter.

The Arrival

Jeb was thrilled to arrive into Eve's gravity well, but Bill and Bob were both quick to point out that their trajectory was. . .

. . .less than optimal.

Nevertheless, the crew bravely soldiered on, with jeb laughing like a maniac as he ignited the engines and burned one long correction burn to put the Caprica into orbit around the elusive purple sphere.

Eve Operations

Thanks to Jeb, The Caprica's orbit now looked like this:

Taking into account the remaining fuel (which was now at about 45%, thanks to the energy-consuming correction burn), Bill and Bob hatched a plan to deploy half of the space probes at the periphrasis, and then alter their inclination slightly to intercept Gilly after the initial pass around Eve. In order to get back, they would have to start conserving every last drop of fuel. But first. .

. . . Bill got a good look at Eve. This would be the closest he'd ever come to it.

PROBES AWAY!

There are many screenshots of the separate probes, but, for the most part, ran out of fuel before establishing any sort of non-inclined orbit. However, Bill did manage to use Eve's atmosphere to areobrake-assist one probe into a circular, equatorial orbit.

Gilly Operations

Jeb altered course very slightly to have a close brush with Gilly. On the map, the encounter was flickering, so there would be a very narrow window to drop probes to intercept Gilly.

PROBES AWAY (AGAIN!)

Now that all the probes are deployed, the Caprica shed those large, heavy probe arrays.

After stressful ordeal (and switching through probes quite frantically) Bill guided all of the dropped probes into an orbital path around Gilly.

Note: At this point, all the probes started bugging out. The navball thought prograde was retrograde, and vice versa, so I had to fly every one of those probes backwards *facepalm*

After all was said and done, I managed to place one probe in a low polar orbit, one in an equatorial orbit, and land three probe landers. The rest of the probes were lost to space, and the low-polar orbit probe was eaten by the space kraken.

Return Trip

After all that maneuvering, there is very little fuel left. A direct transfer to kerbin would save the most fuel.

The maneuver is made up of two nodes: One to get near kerbin's orbit, and the other to change the inclination.

Jeb takes one last look at Eve.

Much later, the Caprica reaches the SOI of Kerbin

WAY TO HIGH. IT. KEEPS. HAPPENING!

So close, yet so far!

After dropping into a highly eccentric, elliptical orbit. Bill and Bob notes that the fuel is running dangerously low. Jeb is just disappointed.

Because the Caprica does not have enough fuel for any more extended manuvers, a rescue tug is launched!

KerbalCommand: We have just launched a specially designed rescue spaceship to bring you kerbals home. It is the height of kerbin technology. You three have nothing to fear.

Bob: You took a capsule and just stuck lights on it, didn't you.

Kerbal Command: Yes.

Bill: Is that duct tape?

Jeb: AWESOME!

Back Under Blue Skies

Once in orbit, the CKR (Close Kerbin Rescuer. It was going to be CCR, like the band, until I realized that Kerbin was spelled with a K.) Burns most of its fuel to align the orbits.

This intercept was VERY difficult. I tried to make the orbits similar to eachother, but one smaller than the other. Eventually, I got something like an intercept.

One by one, Bob, Bill, and Jeb EVA into the rescue tug. . .

And return home

Splash down! Just off of KSC

Later, all three commemorate the mission by naming the nearby beach Caprica Beach, and plant a flag.

Mission Summary

Probes Deployed in EVE SOI: 16

Probes landed: 3

Probes in an equatorial orbit: 2

Probes in polar orbit:1

Probes lost to atmosphere:2

Probes abandoned: 2

Probes in an eccentric orbit: 6

Kerbals lost: 0

Edited May 30, 2013 by KerbActual