Can My Kerbal Be Saved?

[31337]

Hi Guys,

When 0.21 released i saw it as an opportunity to start a fresh.

So my first challenge was landing on the moon!

I however didnt calculate the fuel correctly so my poor Kerbal is stuck!

So I am calling on the best and brightest Kerbal scientists to help rescue poor Bill, the brave Kerbal he is, and return him safely to the planet.

Now the twist is I want to retrieve the craft as well, as it's scientifically of value.

I have attached an image of the craft, as you can see the command pod can be separated but I would like to rescue as much of the craft as possible (for scientific research of course!).

Is there a way to do with with stock parts?

I tried building a claw type system with lander legs but its, shall we say, aerodynamically unstable..

Any suggestions would be welcome. Obviously I know i can just land a craft up there and have Bill hop in but he has food and water for a few more weeks, so we are hoping to retrieve as much of the craft as possible.

Cheers,

31337

[softweir]

That's a VERY tough scenario! As you say, it is easy enough to rescue the Kerbal, but rescuing the craft can't really be done with stock parts.

However, if you are prepared to consider using a mod then it is fairly easy. The KAS mod (Clicky Here) is one mod that can enable a suitably equipped craft to refuel another craft, as is the LAZOR mod (Clicky Here). KAS provides a multi-purpose winch which connects two craft and allows fuel to be pumped along the cable (and can be used to tow other craft and many other things), while LAZOR has many different "lasers", one of which can be used to transfer fuel.

However, what I think you will find is that even with all the mods in the world you will end up leaving some fuel tanks on the Mun. It is extremely hard to create a craft that can take a load of fuel down to the surface of the Mun, refuel another craft AND get itself back up into space!

May I also suggest that for this scenario you use MechJeb to guide your landing. Once you have seen how MechJeb does it then you can do it yourself, but spot-on landings such as are needed for refuelling are very hard and need a lot of practice first. If you don't want to use an autopilot then I suggest you rescue BIll and leave the craft until you are much better practiced at precision landing!

[1D-1()T]

Do you have any fuel left? It would probably easier to rescue it from orbit, if you can rendezvous.

With your lander leg grabber thing you are on the right track.

Before docking was implemented some people used them to hold crafts together, without any of the tools we have now.

Another option would be to just make that the starting point of a Münar base.

Good luck

[samstarman5]

What you have there is one hell of a monument to Munar Exploration. Better to just leave that and collect your kerbal only.

[Spyritdragon]

Stock parts are going to be hard, yes, if not impossible. With KAS or LAZOR it'll be alot easier, although you will need to find some way to trasport enough fuel to get into orbit to the Mun though, then get back with the lander craft. Try to maximalize your efficiency, and consider refuelling the rescue craft with a third craft in Munar orbit. That'll help alot already.

[31337]

I was thinking as the top part has a sepratron, i could roll it off into some sort of 'container' (if i use landing legs pointing inwards they can form a pretty good 'lid'). And then at least bring that back home.

As for the fuel no, it was a 'perfect' one way trip (i ran out of fuel 2m off the ground).

I was hoping to avoid mods really.

Im wondering if i can build a large, lets call it a 'truck', which i can tip the spacecraft over on to the back of, then drive the 'truck' back to my spaceship.

[StainX]

May use landing legs as claws and tons of fuel!

You should upload the save file and make a challenge of it

[31337]

You should upload the save file and make a challenge of it

I could do, would it matter that there are a couple of satelites floating around Kerbin? (i could crash them first i suppose...).

Would anyone else want to try this as a challenge?

[magnemoe]

Stock parts are going to be hard, yes, if not impossible. With KAS or LAZOR it'll be alot easier, although you will need to find some way to trasport enough fuel to get into orbit to the Mun though, then get back with the lander craft. Try to maximalize your efficiency, and consider refuelling the rescue craft with a third craft in Munar orbit. That'll help alot already.

With KAS he need to land an rover with some fuel, guess 90 liter would be plenty, an kas winch and an connector. Recomend using some sort of skycrane, tank with radial engines or engines on struts, rover below land an decople and drive rover to the lander.

[StainX]

naaaahhh KAS is too easy

Do a stock part challenge

[31337]

If its a challenge it would be stock parts and no mods!

Im also thinking a time limit of some sort (as he only has so much food and water!)

[BostLabs]

Poor Bill. Hesa gonna die! (crappy Jar Jar Binks impression)

Stock parts... If it becomes a challenge I'll certainly keep an eye on it.

If it was me, hey he has a great view and it is a fantastic spot for a base. Send a resupply ship, setup a few more base parts, make a Mun ferry... Mun Base Alpha.

[Landge]

Does your ship have a docking port located anywhere? If not, I don't know how without mods.

But if you do have a docking port, here's something I built that might solve your problem. Just to give you some ideas using all stock parts.

Getting the fuel boom heights just right was the biggest problem. Multiple trips to the VAB and back during field testing.

Here is after I landed on Mun.

Here is my Mission Thread that takes you through the process from concept to completion.

Edited August 21, 2013 by Landge

[magnemoe]

Poor Bill. Hesa gonna die! (crappy Jar Jar Binks impression)

Stock parts... If it becomes a challenge I'll certainly keep an eye on it.

If it was me, hey he has a great view and it is a fantastic spot for a base. Send a resupply ship, setup a few more base parts, make a Mun ferry... Mun Base Alpha.

The old: The landing legs, engine and fuel tank worked successfully as crumble zone, we are proud to announce our first Mun base as an mission extension of the first Mun landing.

Even with an docking port ground docking is an serious pain, note that landing legs flex is dependent on ship weight and gravity. An empty ship on Mun would be taller than an filled one on Kerbin.

Without docking ports, it might be possible to build an rover who one edge comes under the engine and then clamp it with landing legs and take off. You will need an counterweight on the other side and something who compensate for this before graping the lander. Downside I do not think this will work well with warp but it might put you in Mun orbit or even an an Kerbin intercept.

[Tw1]

Just using landing legs is likely to give you problems when you warp.

[Epic DaVinci]

Poor Bill. Hesa gonna die! (crappy Jar Jar Binks impression)

-100 Internet points for mentioning Jar Jar on these forums, or anywhere on the Interwebz.

[Tiron]

-100 Internet points for mentioning Jar Jar on these forums, or anywhere on the Interwebz.

But Jar Jar is a Genius!

[boxman]

I think using landing legs for a claw would be your only real chance... I know EJ made something like that for getting rid of space debris, so it should be posssible in theory.

[Tiron]

I think using landing legs for a claw would be your only real chance... I know EJ made something like that for getting rid of space debris, so it should be posssible in theory.

Maybe if you used some kinda girder-claw-thing that used landing legs to lock onto the girders he's using to step off his landing legs(Which is clever, btw)?

[BostLabs]

Poor Bill. Hesa gonna die! (crappy Jar Jar Binks impression)

-100 Internet points for mentioning Jar Jar on these forums, or anywhere on the Interwebz.

Crap! Meesa inna hole now.

[Spyritdragon]

I just had an idea.

Your lamps. I don't know how well those are attached, but maybe you can clamp onto those :-)

[31337]

I will make this into a challenge.

Sounds like there is a bit of interest.

It might take me a little bit of time so keep an eye out (end of next week i suspect).

I need to tidy up the save file (there are some satellites to crash, planes to... err crash. etc.)

I will also try this a few times myself just so I can set some reasonable targets.

(im thinking there should be a time restriction for medium and hard modes).

Also bonus points for imagination!

[31337]

The lamps are not very secure