DaMachinator

I'm not going to be recommending this...I know first-hand how frustrating it is to move a pointer with thumb sticks or arrow keys, and rockets in KSP tend to shake a bit too much to click on them reliably.

HydroCorp Industries Aeronautics Division requests that you launch the Caduceus probe lander and its transfer stage into an 80x80 orbit of Kerbin, and provide remote guidance to the probe on a one-way mission to Dres to test its capabilities. It consists of a slightly oversized .625m probe lander atop a transfer stage consisting of a .625m decoupler with two FL-T400 tanks and an LV-909 engine. (You can download the Caduceus with lifter included from KerbalX, or you can wait for me to make a copy without the lifter and post it here. It's pure stock.)

I build outwards. Nearly all of my landers use radially mounted engines. This also helps with using the toothpick landing legs. OT: I like the Thumper SRB best. Forms the core of all my early career orbiters. It's just that cheap!

Personally, I think there is no way that the UI will be the same. It's hard enough to click things with a mouse on the rather unstable KSP external camera. The VAB might be able to use a similar editor as it requires less precision. Console mods: Who would make them? Also one of the biggest technical challenges when designing for console is RAM limits. (This may not be as big a problem for newer consoles. )

I bashed my head over an inscrutable bug in my kOS program and then realized it was due to not properly handling kOS' use of degrees.

The Aerospace Division at HydroCorp Industries has a payload. Will post ASAP.

It got invaded and the original owners nuked it. Hence the lack of resistance.

I always use the Transfer Window Planner by AlexMoon, plus some form of a precise node editor.

The Caduceus is rather low-tech for that reason. It should be able to go one way to Moho's surface without a gravity assist if you wait for a transfer window. LFO engines only. The most advanced part is probably the Mainsail or the Spark.

You're horrible.

The payload is finished! Comes with transfer stage and recoverable lifter for convenience. Note that the transfer stage is insufficient for the insertion burn without a gravity assist and thus the lander has enough fuel to complete the burn and land. http://kerbalx.com/DaMachinator/Caduceus

I played some form of Xevious on one of those "plugs into your tv" things. Much fun.

Getting to Moho is harder than getting to Eve. Sometimes people slingshot themselves off Eve to get to Moho. Even then you still have to do the insertion burn. I just sent a small probe lander on a one way trip there in sandbox and proved that I still suck at landing. If you want I'll share the craft file.

Because throughout history, militaries have consistently made the biggest and coolest explosions.

Make sure none of the Science Jr is sticking through the heat shield. You may have to offset the shield down by a tiny amount. Also, try closing the doors before reentry.

He looks surprisingly complacent.

With life support, this is a bad idea unless your ship can self-sustain for a long time. I suspect that the reason some transfer windows are significantly less expensive than others is because they line up with this method. I remember Kerbin being at about that position for the unusually good transfer I found last time i tried a Moho trip. (This trip failed because phase angles are not my thing.)

You could also just use special HTP monopropellant engines. If the engines themselves are manufactured in-situ, they will require imported platinum or other metal catalysts. Only certain metals work for this, btw. Make the engine performance depend on combustion chamber temperature, with a base thrust and efficiency. Make a special mode that causes the engine to heat itself considerably faster than it dissipates heat to its surroundings. Thus, when the special mode is active, the combustion chamber heats up. Since the combustion chamber is hotter, the engine produces more thrust (probably only a little) and is more efficient. However, if you try to run it indefinitely this way with lots of radiators, the combustion chamber will cool down because of the radiators. Since the combustion chamber is cooling down, the performance drops to the base levels.

The Caduceus uses an LV-909 for the transfer stage and a Spark for the lander, which also does some of the insertion burn. The Spark has a slightly lower ISP than the LV-909 (230 or 240 vs. 245 IIRC) And yes, that makes sense.

I can see KSC from space, mostly because I know where it is... if you don't know where it is it's hard to find. Nonetheless I support this idea.

In 1.0.5 (what i'm using) orbits oscillating usually means the spacecraft is spinning - turn on SAS and it will stabilize to it's original orbit. Apart from that, the only way I can get to moho is using MechJeb's maneuver execution feature and setting it to 0.01 m/s precision - otherwise course corrections and precise transfer burns are useless. I got an approach down to 10km periapse with a correction burn. But there was NO WAY i could have executed that by hand with any kind of the required precision.

Well, it certainly makes precision landings easier... How is Moho cursed? It's not that hard to GET TO, just hard to come back. Hence my designing a disposable light probe.

I built a very light probe lander, the Caduceus: https://kerbalx.com/DaMachinator/Caduceus While I was designing it, I noticed something interesting: Below a certain probe weight, the Ant engine gives the probe more Delta-V than the Spark engine, despite its' lower ISP. Does this have anything to do with the Spark also weighing considerably more than the Ant?

I sent the Caduceus on a test flight to Moho. It performs beautifully and should be able to carry the 4 stock sensors on a one-way trip to Moho. (Originally it was just 2, but the test flight proved that I had way more EC than I needed. So I replaced the .625m inline battery with a radially attached one and MOAR SCIENCE!) Pictures and craft file (reusable SSTO lifter included) on KerbalX: https://kerbalx.com/DaMachinator/Caduceus Flyby periapse should be as low as possible. The Oberth effect works for injection burns too. You can get the periapse to about 10km with a course correction using only the stock maneuver system. Land on the bright side for best results. Is Moho tidally locked? It seems to rotate VERY slowly, if at all.

The Caduceus autonomous lander and transfer stage use a recoverable SSTO lifter... 1.25m decoupler --> 1.25m fairing --> 1.25m SGS --> 1.25m>2.5m adapter (I think it's the one with fuel in it) --> two orange tanks --> Mainsail. The Caduceus can land on Moho (unless I broke something when I made slight adjustments to the layout of the probe), leaving the lifter in an 80x80 parking orbit with enough fuel to deorbit. Sepratrons, drogues, and parachutes included for ease of landing. Landing legs (probably) not necessary, and therefore not included. Reentry tested with full stock heating. Gyration during reentry is normal. https://kerbalx.com/DaMachinator/Caduceus