strider3

I have to go with the man with a spreadsheet (care to share that, maja? ). <Reactordrone> At this point I'm not sure I have enough fuel to do both Duna and Ike (didn't think that through at the beginning of this mission). I'll most likely send up another tanker or 2 from Kerbin when the Duna launch window opens again, then do Ike, then bring all that science home.

I have a "mother ship" and lander, docked, in orbit around Duna. The orbit is low, 55,000m, which has worked perfectly for "equatorial" landings and science gathering. Now I have to hit the last 5 biomes (poles and etc.). My "mother ship" has fuel and engine to put me into a more polar orbit, to get to these last biomes. My question is this...this requires a VERY large inclination change. Is it more efficient to go to a higher circular orbit, and then make the inclination change? If so, how much higher makes it worthwhile? Or, does the DV required to heighten the orbit and then make the inclination change not pay off? Keep in mind that I will want to be in a low (55,000 m) orbit again once in that inclination. This makes it easier for the lander and refueler to rendezvous and do another biome. Thanks to the guru's, as always.

Using the "wider is better" philosophy I built a new Duna lander. She's big but keep in mind that she's designed to explore all areas of Duna on this trip. I have an orbiting refuel station in low Duna orbit that I will refuel from. And those Dart engines are awesome and solved the issue of having enough TWR to get off of Duna and still be efficient.

Excellent! Thanks gang!

{landing on Duna again}. I use LOTS of parachutes on my Duna science lander...it seems much cheaper than the required DV for landing without them. One problem I have is that the parachute settings seem to be designed for a Kerbin landing only. For Duna I increase the minimum altitude to 10,000 meters and minimum pressure to less than 0.01. This works relatively well but it's a huge, involved and time consuming process...especially when you have 8 drogues and 16 full sized chutes! Currently I build my lander, save it and go into my saved ships, open the "craft" file and hunt for every instance of "parachute" to change the above mentioned settings...for each and every one (24 instances, in this case!). Is it possible for me to change the actual stock part config to have a greater range on the minimum pressure and minimum altitude sliders? That way I have the ability to change the parachute settings "in game" while building the craft and can base it on the celestial body I'm landing on. 2 more questions. What determines "safe" "risky" and "unsafe" for parachute deployment. I'm guessing it's based on speed? When looking at the "staging" tree, on lower left, what do the various colors mean? I "get" red...LOL! Thanks for any info, gang.

Vanamonde> How did you attach the 4 fuel tanks to the center? I can't quite make it out from the picture. Never mind, I see it now.

I took a look at the Stockalike station parts but even with self-leveling, the footprint is very narrow compared to stock landing struts. I'll build a wider lander, methinks. Thanks!

Since I've been trying to land on Duna for science gathering, I get the feeling there isn't a flat piece of terrain anywhere. I can land, tenuously, on a slope and get all my science and EVA done but, when I warp ahead in time to get my orbiter in a good position to launch my lander and rendezvous, I sometimes get the ugly noises that tell me my lander just fell over when I came out of warp. Sometimes I don't even get the landing completed because the lander falls over on the slope. Mun and Minmus were easy...light gravity allowed me to correct my landing area if it was too sloped. I don't have that ability on Duna without burning up my return to orbit fuel. Is there a setting on the stock landing struts which will correct for uneven terrain? Or, lacking that, has anyone modded the struts to be "self-leveling"? Vic (falling over on Duna).

Yeah, we need that fixed. But, I'm doing a ScanSat of Duna and will post a link to the biome map with color labels here when it is complete. I've got FTP from my ISP so I'll put it there.

I thought about that James. For now I'm using the map on the Wiki and I am adding a legend as I land and figure out the colors.

Unless I'm not finding the right tool, the maps don't name the biomes. Still, the maps there do have some usefulness.

Does anybody know a place to get the most recent biome maps...with legends showing which color is which biome? I'm doing science landings on Duna and a legend would be extremely useful. Vic

If it did all that the jr. does, then that would work, also.

I dumped all my unnecessary stuff into my Scientist's inventory. My Engineer is backpacking admirably. I have no idea what brain fart caused me to not think of this, originally?

Just checked my orbital scanner, it says 5.7% ore where I'm mining on Minmus.

I might try loading the SC-9001 in a payload bay (never tried that)...will it still collect science in that situation? I am trying to reduce fuel usage, therefore the 16 parachutes. I generally do all science on celestial bodies with 2 launches from Kerbin...a science lander and an orbiting refueler. Once I've hit every biome I return the MK1-2, with all the science stored in it, to Kerbin. Get way more "science" (now 100% converted to "funds") doing it this way rather than transmitting data.

I landed on the best area of Minmus, that was flat, for Ore content and I do have an engineer on site...but you may be right...I would have to go look at my orbiting scanner for ore percentage (Draalo, I do not have a surface scanner on any vessel that makes up my mining operation). Either way, I am getting Ore into my holding tank so it's all good. Was mostly curious.

Could somebody...anybody...add some legends to the current biome maps on the Wiki? Yep, they're all pretty and such...but which color is which biome??? When you are trying to do science landings, in various biomes, it would be helpful to know where the heck you need to land?? Please...somebody! Vic Moved to Kerbal Network forum

Is there any thought to creating a larger, 2.5 m equivalent, to the Science Junior? My Duna science lander uses the 2.5 m MK1-2 command pod so I have enough room for the 16 parachutes I will be using to get it landed. Unfortunately there is not a Science equivalent to the 1.25 "Science Junior"? The SC-9001 Science Jr. can collect a LOT of useful science points...but does not fit very well under a 2.5 m craft...and all the complications trying to make it work under there. Just a thought. Vic

Doesn't seem to work that way for me? I don't use action groups and I start and stop my drills individually...still no ore rate.

My drill-o-matic Juniors are showing "N/A" for Ore Rate...yet my ore container is filling up slowly. Any idea why the "n/a"?

Some great ideas, gang. The problem with backpacking my engineer is he's carrying to much stuff and wont leave the ground. I've thought of dropping all the stuff he doesn't need in a pile near my drilling base but I never seem to be able to pick the stuff back up with any consistency. I also have a scientist at the base, I suppose I could transfer the extra stuff from my engineers inventory to hers so he's light enough to backpack. I'm going to try that as it seems the easiest way. Ideally I would have put the Command Seat on my fuel truck and solved all my problems...but I didn't think of it when building the truck. Waxing Gibbous...that runabout is pretty awesome! Thanks all!!

Here's a picture of the rover I'm trying to get to Minmus. I'm not quite sure how I "couple" it to the bottom of a lander, Foxster? If I do manage that, will uncoupling damage the rover?

Like most things "surface" oriented, I have no idea how to get many things onto the surface of a moon or planet...unless they are ships and landers designed for the purpose. Currently I need to get a small, one Kerbal rover, on to the surface of Minmus very near my mining operation. The need is so my engineer can motor around and make pipe connections, etc. I have no idea how I get a small rover onto the surface. I can build the rover but, after that, where does it "go" in the actual spacecraft that takes it to Minmus and how do I get it on the surface? Any help with this frustrating question is appreciated.

Never mind, the list is scrollable and plain ole stock "ore" is there.