aven17

Baby-steps. I feel to maximize science recovered everything has to be done in baby-steps: launchpad mission, airborne mission, mid-atmosphere mission, upper atmosphere, sub-orbital Kerbin, Kerbin orbit, Kerbin biome missions, Kerbin high orbit, Mun SOI flyby, orbital Mun, landed Mun. Granted you don't have to baby-step it, but it does make the Mun landing easier when you have lights, landing struts and a ladder. And it does force you to add a docking port to your satellites, considering the far off possibility that one day you may go try to recover that satellite that did multiple gravity assists to end up Jool orbit. That's gotta be worth some good science.

Satellites can be used for science, you just have to think of them more as Voyager exploratory and impactor types rather than orbiting a single body forever. You have to plan your missions a bit as well, and be prepared to do them in baby-step stages to maximize science. Certain data lends itself more to being transmitted and therefore more satellite-ish, as seen by the percentages of science the data is worth through transmittal. Sensory device readings tend to be better for transmitting. Goo containers and science kits tend to be better for recovering intact rather than transmitting their findings.

Mods in these types of challenges kind of defeat the purpose. The only real limit is the largest fuel tank and the largest engine you can find. Modded fuel tanks and engines that are larger than the orange can and mainsail, even if they follow the spirit of the stock parts, reduce overall part count and the number of structural points on the craft. I am not familiar with a few of those mods, but I know KW Rocketry has at least a 3800 thrust engine.

It has actually been on the front page every day since it was started almost 4 weeks ago.

1. Meticulously design and build the rover that is being carried up. 2. Test rover and make sure it works flawlessly. 3. Slap together a few large fuel tanks and some engines. 4. Launch the craft. 5. Explode. 6. Add more struts. 7. Launch the craft and fly to destination. 8. Fail at landing rover because you ran out of electricity. 9. Add solar panels. 10. Launch the craft and fly to destination. 11. Fail at landing/orbiting final craft because you burned to much fuel. 12. Add more fuel. 13. Launch the craft. 14. Explode. 15. Add more struts. 16. Explode. 17. Completely redesign launcher. 18. Launch the craft and fly to destination. 19. Land rover on destination. 20. Flip rover over immediately. 21. Scream obscenities. 22. Alt-F4 23. Return 30 minutes later. 24. Launch craft. 25. Explode.

Fly to Duna in real time. Set up your transfer burn and then just leave it. When you get there you can play again.

If you can get into orbit, you are halfway to anywhere.

You don't gain any additional orbital speed launching straight up. As you fly further away from the surface, you must increase orbital speed to stay directly over the point you launched from. It is possible you could launch at a specific angle in order to reach the object in geostationary orbit, but straight up won't get it done.

100,000 fuel? As in 34 stock orange tanks? As in you are smoking something and should really read the rules on challenges?

Project Name: How Low Can You Go Estimated Cost: Whatever gets it done. Target: Mun, 3000m Goal: Establish a 3000m orbit around the Mun Why should we spend billions of Kerbits and possibly lose expensive equipment or even lives to do this?: Shiggles

Are you looking for a recreation of the International Space Station in Munar orbit, or simply any space station containing a paltry 4 solar panels and 3 batteries? That's barely a satellite.

I think the vertically pointed ion is the help keep you on the ground, though it doesn't specify whether that is a requirement or not. I agree that a starting location/heading is needed as well.

I think it would be difficult to have any sort of random failure in KSP and it not be catastrophic since just about any failure will affect your delta v in some way.

Yesterday was my first attempt at getting to Duna. I flew into Duna orbit with plenty of delta v leftover to descend and return, but I botched the landing and the command capsule fell off the ship. Erfrey tried his hardest to reattach it but to no avail. I don't use save and reload. Whatever happens happens. Yolo. Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Well, I tried. I threw together a quick rocket to retrieve my stranded, upside-down crew out of their rover on the Mun. The first attempt I landed at the wrong location, accidentally choosing the wreckage site of the previous rover that did not survive landing on the moon. I decided to leave escape ship there, no reason to waste a free escape from the moon. My second attempt was going very well, however I burned more fuel then I realized attempting to land within close proximity to the live crew, and when they boarded the escape shuttle and fired the engines, there was only enough fuel to launch them straight up into the sky to a height of 100k meters. The good news is I have one less ship on the Mun to worry about and two less Kerbals.

I currently have 2 Kerbals upside-down in a canned rover on the Mun. Due to recent budget cuts however, manned missions have been scrapped. There are scientists working on some sort of chair mechanism attached to a that would allow for a less expensive rescue attempt, but when that technology will be available is anyone's guess.