Hello, I just joined and can't seem to post pictures until I've got three posts but I have really enjoyed comparing the different architectures for Munar land and return mission. Here's my take: The direct mission is far superior to the MOR mission for the delta-V's involved. Numerobis looked this a few pages back. My first two entries use the one-man capsule, with one direct mission (requiring about 2800 m/s from LKO to Mun and back to Kerbal) and one using the same capsule with a 1-man probe for landing, which takes about 1380 m/s from the carrier. The mass of my direct capsule and stage in the LKO parking orbit is 3.44 tons. The mass of my MOR mission at the same point is 4.53 tons. Why so much more? the lander has to have a 1-man pod (.6 tons), docking port .02), motor (.1) and the fuel for a dv of 1380 ( I used the .5625 ton tank since for the dv needed a bit more 4 of the little toroidal tanks) for a total mass of not less than about 1.3 tons. Not having to land saves the carrier one .5625 tank, but you have to add a docking port, 3x of the attitude rockets (total .15t), and one monopropellant tank (.235) so you only save about .1 ton. Weight increase at LKO: about 1.2 tons, MOR can't win. For chuckles I ran the numbers and I think the MRO would break even if the lander weighed 430Kg dry +220Kg fuel=650Kg. Lighter than this and MRO wins. Or if the carrier capsule weighed about 800Kg more. Or the lander dv was more than around 3500 m/s instead of the actual 1380. I hope I'm not too wordy here. I'm itching to attach pictures. Now for my third post...