S.Bartfast

Oow, that sounds like fun. However I did just upgrade my launch pad and simply strapped two "Thumpers" to the same craft I used last time and made a nice circular ~7.5km orbit of the Mun, collecting an EVA Report over every section of terrain I covered and still made it home with fuel to spare. While I don't doubt your numbers there @Streetwind I do very much doubt my ability to pull it off. To be honest I was flat out just managing a simple "fly-by" and making it back myself. As it was, I would have left many a Kerbonaut floating about out there if it weren't for the good old "Revert to launch" option and God only knows how many I'd leave floating if I were to attempt a proper orbit of the Mun as well: Edit: Oh, and yes. When I returned to Kerbin after orbiting the Mun properly the mission was indeed counted as a success. Thank you:

It was just a "fly by". I wasn't sure exactly what constituted an orbit but seem to read that simply entering the Mun's SOI should be enough. As it was I was trying to repeat the expedition before upgrading my launchpad and with being limited to only 18t I simply couldn't get enough fuel up there to achieve a stable lunar orbit. Do I actually need to conduct a full 360° orbit while in the Mun's SOI for it to be counted as "an orbit" do I? Guess an upgrade or two will be in order then.

I'm slowly working my way through this game and after completing my first successful fly by of the Mun I picked up a contract called "Explore The Mun." and was expecting to more or less repeat the same expedition and collect the contract but upon my eventual return all three requirements are listed as being "Incomplete": I definitely flew very close to the Mun on my flight (PE 6,000m) and did several experiments with my thermometer, barometer, mystery goo as well as the "Science Jr". I also did several EVAs to collect the data and made a successful return (and was awarded several hundred science points for my efforts) however all three stages of this contract remain "Incomplete". How do I actually complete this contract?

Why, thank you: It seems there is a slight difference in the overall height of your vessel when you use the "gaudy" position but it's only 0.1m. It looks like it may come from the fact that there are two attachment spheres on the decoupler and it seems you can kind of "push through" to the deeper sphere: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I've noticed when I attach the TD-12 Decoupler that it seems to snap to the attachment at two different distances, one very close, the other further away: Is there any difference between using the decoupler at these different distances?