MPDerksen

how about this? Actually 7 Oscar-B tanks, and 1618m/s in vacuum.

Found it and posted the corrected values above. One reason I want to have a larger (if mostly empty) tank is my longer term plan is to leave this lander in orbit, and refuel when the rescue craft comes. Then I'll bounce down for more science. But I do still need to understand the difference between this design and SIX of the smaller tanks, as it relates to function.

even better. Now, lowering my fuel from the tank I have a dV of 2,150m/s but it's about the same for the Terrier and the Spark. So the Terrier uses 3x the fuel, but produces 3x the thrust? So how would I ever decide which to use? I get the feeling that something here will click in my brain, the way matching orbits did, and then I'll take another big step in my ability, but right now I just scratch my head at selecting the right parts to build with.

I was incorrect. I had a Terrier engine, sorry for that. I'm going to slow you down just a bit so I make sure I completely understand. When I pulled the Terrier off, and put on a Spark, my dV jumped to several thousand. In fact, I half empty the tank, and still have 2,122m/s. I'm not sure how to make it show vac values, like you say, so a little help there? I'm very unclear how you would attach 6 of the little Oscar-B tanks. I tried that below the MK2 can, in a pattern, then put the Spark, and ended up with around 1,200m/s. Enough, probably. Preferred? But why would the Spark give me SO much more dV than the Terrier? When I look at the stats, the Spark says 20kN of thrust in vac, and the Terrier is 60kN. I think that this is a fundamental part of me learning to properly build rockets. Last, what direction am I facing if I look directly out of the VAB? Is that North or East?

right, so then change of plans, like Jan suggests. This lander has a poodle engine under it, and a dV of 967 (according to the VAB readout). I'm trying to work backwards on the dV map. If I want to have this craft in orbit, I'll need 580 dV to get safely down, and another 580 to get back up, correct? Plus, extra since I'm new-ish... Would I add additional fuel? A different engine? From there, again looking at the map, I'll need a second stage with roughly 1,200dV to leave Kerbin orbit, and enter Mun orbit. And finally, I'll need to build a booster stage with 3,400 to get off the ground into orbit. I'm thinking of this correct, yes? This mission will end with the rescued Kerbal in the second seat, and in Mun orbit with my pilot. I have RCS on it for docking with craft #2. I know I'm reading this a bit wrong, since clearly it doesn't take 3,400 to come back down from orbit, so some explanation would be appreciated. Last, per Harry's comment, I'm not sure which direction is North when I'm in the VAB. and I'm having some trouble getting the SRB to attach to the clamps anywhere but in the middle. They seem to snap in close if I try to move them from center, and then they don't later detach. Not sure what I'm doing incorrectly. This is happening with both the short and long clamps.

I have a combination of missions: 1. rescue a Kerbalnaut stranded on the backside of the Mun surface 2. gather science data from the Mun surface 3. dock 2 vessels in Mun orbit My plan is to use the design below. I'll have a pilot take the lander down, with an extra seat, pick up some science and the stranded peep, then come back into orbit and dock. However, my rocket is SO topheavy that it tips over almost immediately on liftoff. I had some fins on there, but removed them for the picture. I think I have plenty of dV for the entire mission, but can't get it to fly straight. Recommendations on a design change?

1. when a mission refers to a station (orbital or base) that "supports 5 Kerbals", does it mean total number of seats? Could be as lame as 5 lander cans docked together, right? 2. I assume you cannot dock/mate/attach parts once they are landed, so whatever I construct has to be built in Mun orbit, then descended as a single entity? Is there a tutorial on this? 3. Is it typical to build a station with a probe core and some RCS control? 4. Do we like having fuel storage in orbit, but fairly useless on a base station? (I think you can tell what stage of Career mode I'm in)

mission complete, and both rescued with plenty of fuel to spare. I used a bigger main and just two SRBs. Was simple enough once I was willing to part with the original design. Appreciate the help.

So all very interesting, but I remain clueless how to add more fuel full the above lander....

Hmm. Based on the design above, how would I add more fuel? a few baguettes? I don't want to make it taller by putting another tank on the bottom. I've looked at dozens of picture online to get examples, and they seem much smaller, and efficient than mine already.

Totally started from scratch using your (and others') advice. I also re-watched a S. Manley video on efficiently getting to orbit. The below design got Jeb down onto Minmus, and home with over 1,000dV to spare. I could use a smaller lander fuel tank for sure in the future. I ended up getting over 600 science by doing EVA over various biomes, surface sample, flag, etc. I even landed back home in the desert for a new Kerbin biome science. Jeb got his second star, and I got to unlock some fun stuff. Next big mission is to rescue a stranded Kerbal from the backside of the Mun. I'm thinking of replacing the storage box on this design with a simple lander can so she has a seat. But just a quick question about that. If I mount a thermometer on the outside of the fuel tank, and jettison it before I land, I lose the science, right? Unless I transmit, I have to actually return the instrument to get the points? Last, since I'm likely to use far more fuel than I should to land on the Mun, should I keep the design as is? or select a smaller tank?

so here is the ship I used to rescue 2 derelicts from LKO. I now have a similar mission(s) with a pair in nearly identical Mun orbits. Ap, 13.600Km, Pe, 10,500Km. I'm still far from the best at maximizing my fuel to get into orbit, certainly. As it sits, I can get both rescued, but then run short on getting home. Perhaps simply add 2 more primary boosters to make it 6? I also read something about "asparagus staging"? so I ditch 2 at a time? Second "issue" is that once I ditch the outer boosters, the main rocket is a bit difficult to rotate. Am I a bit shy on reaction wheels and need another? TIA, Michael

Before I close this out (mission was successful), a general question about creating Mun/Minmus encounters: should I have done my burn a little later and had the same effect? Once I create the node, I can slide it around my current orbit, but I see so many different colored lines and encounter circles, I can't really tell what i'm shooting for. So I end up just settling for getting on my way, then refine halfway along. Doesn't seem a very efficient way to do this.

Do I get bonus points ? So yes, that was very helpful in actually understanding the goal. Thank you.

I mis-spoke. My target orbit (seen in red) is clock-wise, but yes, I'm destined to "land" in a crater at very high speed. Not ideal. The good news is that I have learned to launch equatorial and not have to adjust my AN and DN. I think I corrected about 0.2 degrees to create this. So what should I have done differently at the original burn? Wait just a little longer to start the burn to enter the SOI leading my target? And, more importantly, what do i do about it now? Push my orbit "left" with the normal/anti-normal maneuver? You can see from my previous picture that I've just left Kerbin.

Not sure I follow you. Here is my current situation. I need to match a counter-clockwise orbit to complete this mission (as well as learn something). Where would I "burn more"? Or should I have moved my maneuver node around to catch it AFTER I hit the Ap of my approach? I still have 1,400 dV in the probe, which should be plenty.

That’s helpful, and yes, I will practice. I’m short on science points, and need to get myself down to the Mun surface. I had a problem where I forgot to deploy my solar panels BEFORE I got to the Mun (with the above designed probe). Then, the batteries were dead, and I couldn’t open them. Restart. Then, even though they were full, I found I could not control the probe on the backside of the Mun until it connected to the CommNet again. This is normal for the OKTO, right? I got the probe placed in orbit just fine, and earned about $133K, for a rocket that cost $13K to launch. Now that I have that probe in orbit around the Mun, and it has 2x Communotron-16 antenna on it, will it provide a signal to the backside if the alignment is correct? I’m assuming this is what people do to create the relay networks around the different planets/moons. Last thing, while I have you at your keyboard , is there a way to tell which biomes I’ve already collected science from? Or some sort of history? I wonder if I’m missing some that are nearby that I could go get.

Sorry, but, “truss nodes”? I’ll look it up, but if you would explain a bit? Could I ask you tell me what core and engine you are using in the probes in your pictures? At this point, I’ve only unlocked the OKTO.

2 missions to leave unmanned probes in specific orbits of the Mun. I was thinking of the above design. I have the tracking station completely upgraded, so the 2x Com-16s should do it. I'm curious if there is a way to take TWO of these at the same time, and if so, how to launch them. It has about 1,200 dV, so that's PLENTY, even if I wanted to bring them home.

at the time I couldn't rotate, my batteries were full. Plus, I've done about 3 of the same mission without batteries or panels, and never had a problem. The only difference was that I added a second lander can (to pick up 2 stranded Kerbalnauts in 1 mission) and removed the monopropellent from everything. I did think since I didn't have any RCS jets in this design. My question is to determine if I created the issue, or if it was a glitch. The fact that I backed up 1 quicksave, and was able to proceed with it working makes me think it was a glitch.

Today I rescued 2 Kerbals from LKO in a single trip. At one point, my control completely stopped. Could fire the engines, but no way to maneuver. I had full batteries, and my solar panels were facing Kerbal. Plus, Jeb was piloting. I relaunched that save and it worked great. Second time that happened. If I have a pilot, I don’t need solar, right? I did take the Mono out of the capsule and the lander cans since I am not using any RCS. Otherwise, I think my ability to do these missions is solid.

More success! I got my Mun orbit data and was able to rescue the derelict around Mun on the first try. Any tips on getting a capture to control the direction of orbit? I got lucky. Second, now that I'm coming from further away, is there a window of acceptable approach vector/speed to keep me from burning up on re-entry?

Scott makes EVERYTHING look so easy, right? To get reasonably in the ballpark, my Ap is related to my burn 180degrees on the other side? So don’t necessarily adjust it right at the Pe, but opposite where I want the Ap to be?

This week I’ve learned a TON. I rescued 3 different derelicts from LKO. I’ve been given 3 more from Mission Control. I want to try grabbing 2 at a time, just for fun. The question: in a situation where my Ap of the rescue craft is identical to that of my target, but not at the same place. How would I move it forward/backward without changing the actual height? I was watching a docking video by Scott M, but can’t tell what he did. I can play with a maneuver node, but thought I might just ask. My only guess is to move normal/anit-normal at the target Ap/Pe and mine will shift? Penguin meat is delicious...

Found it. This is how it's set right now. I left it until you confirm I should click anything :).