saamoz1014

Thanks everyone for the quick replies. I've decided that I'm going to go for the space station/orbtal refuel technique. This is going to be my first time docking, and I'm still working on it, but I won't bother you here anymore.

I'm a little hesitant about building a ship, or refuelling it in orbit, since I only have the basic clamp-o-trons. If I build something, I doubt that those ports can hold it together. By the time I get into orbit, I have three full FL-T800s, so if I want to refuel, I need to add some extra tanks somewhere, which might hurt the aerodynamic profile of the ship (ya, right). But what I'm really having trouble with is having enough fuel for the lander to get home. I need a lander/ship design that will be able to get me home.

So I started playing just one update ago (0.23 for everyone who's been under a rock), and I finally decided to go to Duna. I know I've only started playing, but I like to think that I am not *that* bad, if inexperienced. In career mode, (which I'm still working on), I get whatever mods look interesting, which currently include Mechjeb (I refuse to use the automatic transfer. Period.) I also have remote tech (which complicates unmanned missions). On the tech tree, I don't have atomic engines, and I have the very basic rockomax parts (not the big capsules or anything though.) Oh, and I just got the first clamp-o-tron like an hour ago. My problem is that I wanna go to Duna, but I want to return too. I barely have enough fuel for a flyby, and I can't get my periapsis low enough to aerobrake; it's requires too much precision. However, I think the main problem is my ship design. I heard somewhere that you need ~7500. I have that amount, but I think that includes aerobraking and that pro veteran stuff that's beyond me. Picture of my tech tree: My Duna Rocket: Again on the Launchpad The first stage is the little orange solid boosters and 7 big long white ones. After that, I have 7 F-T800s in asparagus staging, all with LV-T45s. This gets me into a nice parking orbit at around 90km. At the launch window (44.36 degrees) I use my next stage; 3 LV-909s on 3 F-T800's. When I get to Duna, I hve a little less than half left. If I land, then the lander with two F-T400s and LV-909s can't get back home, so I have to go straight back. Please help, as I want more science so I can start building space stations and planetary bases.