OldReliable

Now build an orbit return vehicle on top of it and land it on Leythe. No need to return it to Kerbin, just rendezvous with your return vehicle in Leythe orbit.

I am not certain that I can reliably place my Jool encounter without a mid-course correction. How does one match inclination without a mid-course burn?

So the Space Kraken got Space Bus 1. But the Good News is that the pods are all in Place in their orbits! Handling the simultaneous aerobraking maneuvers was dicey. Here is a nice view during Aerobraking, Too bad about Space Bus 1. I guess they'll have to get comfy in their one-man capsules until Space Busses 2 and 3 get there. Here is a link to an album of the landers in orbit! http://imgur.com/a/B3Duv#0

You don't need docking to do a staged, multi-vehicle Orbital rendezvous mission profile. I use crew tanks to build orbit-only interplanetary transit ships like the Ol' Reliable Space Bus Pictured here: This lander can't make a return trip, But she has fuel to rendezvous in orbit Here is the crew transfer: So long, empty lander. May you burn up on reentry. And Space Bus takes us home!

Updated Mission Parameters: I have reduced my ship roster as below, eliminating the orbital shuttles and the spare lander. Budget Cuts. I have also changed the mission profile to accommodate these changes. Spacebus 2 missed her launch window. she is on standby at KSC, waiting for the Launch window to open up again. Space Bus 1 will not be returning to Earth. She will use her delta-V to take over the roles of both Jool Shuttles and act as mothership to all of the landers. She will then act as an orbital Hab. She had better be roomy, otherwise it will be a long wait for Spacebus 2. Revised Roster of Flights Orbiters/Transporters: 1. Space Bus 1: CisJoolian Mothership/Orbital Hab. 3 crew 10 passenger capacity 2. Space Bus 2 Out and Back Interplanetary Starship - On Standby in VAB. 3 crew 10 passenger capacity Landers: 3. Bop Lander RCS Descent/Ascent 1 Crew 4. Tylo Lander Powered Descent, RCS Ascent 1 Crew 5. Vall Lander Powered Descent, RCS Ascent 1 Crew 6. Laythe Lander Parachute/Powered Descent, Powered Ascent 1 Crew I spent last evening doing mid-course corrections. It was surprisingly difficult. Tomorrow we will see how well I did on getting the ships into low-inclination orbits, and if I can manage the capture of five vessels at once.

No need to use my ship list, in fact, I decreased my number of vessels due to budget cuts in my space program. One lander for each planet and a return vehicle is probably an acceptable bare minimum but I have an additional backup vessel.

We are in the Launch window! Burns are so slow! Mini Lander for Bop! Here are the ships waiting for the Launch Window.

I launched landers for all four moons simultaneously, I also launched a return vehicle. You can see I had to fiddle to get them all there. Powerful ships = Wide launch window.

Manus Celer Dei

My Challenge is eminently reasonable: Put kerbs on the moons of Jool and return them to Kerbin, but do so elegantly. Build one Interplanetary Space Transport (Space Bus) and several Landers. Put a kerbal on each of the moons of Jool. Perform SCIENCE!!! Upon completion of SCIENCE!!! return all landers to rendezvous with the space bus, either send them to the Space Bus' parking orbit or bring the space bus to them. Or get creative and build a Jool-system shuttle to do this taxi work for you. LEAVE NO KERBAL BEHIND. Once your explorers have gathered aboard the Space Bus, its time to go home. Get them back to KSC. I recommend a separate rendezvous in Low Kerbin Orbit with a specialized return vehicle. No non-stock engines. Crew Tanks will be needed for your Space Bus, Mechjeb will be helpful, but nothing that materially changes the performance of the stock engines and fuel. The point here is that every craft has a specific mission and can be tailored to it. No screaming towards the surface carrying all your return fuel and a bunch of nuclear engines. I imagine many of the landers could have RCS-only ascent stages. I am assembling my own flotilla in Kerbin Orbit now, awaiting my launch window. Good Luck. Order of Flights: 12 Crew in 9 ships to the CisJoolian region to land and perform SCIENCE!! Orbiters/Transporters: - 1. Space Bus 1: Out and Back Interplanetary Starship 3 crew 10 passenger capacity 2. Space Bus 2 Out and Back Interplanetary Starship - Backup 3 crew 10 passenger capacity 3. Jool Shuttle 1 Low Moons Mothership 1 Crew 5 Passengers 4. Jool Shuttle 2 High Moons Mothership - Backup 1 Crew 5 Passengers Landers: 5. Bop Lander RCS Descent/Ascent 1 Crew 6. Tylo Lander Powered Descent, RCS Ascent 1 Crew 7. Vall Lander Powered Descent, RCS Ascent 1 Crew 8. Laythe Lander Parachute/Powered Descent, Powered Ascent 1 Crew 9. Spare Lander Parachute/Powered Descent, Powered Ascent 1 Crew I have the four Transporters in LKO. I am going to test the no atmosphere lander designs on the Mun and Minimus. I think they are both fairly easy, lightweight designs. The Leythe Lander is giving me pause. Any ideas for that challenge are appreciated.

I see, I was wondering. I seem to have found an underground Mun arch. I was confused for a while until I slipped my view under the surface.

Does the Muon detector detect the Mun arches as well as Munoliths?

Same thing happens to me. Seems localized around an area.