SRV Ron

You may find that onion staging is more practicable in such a design, or better still, do a 6x asparagus paring directly to the core. You have the room to mount a ring of two sets of six or three sets of four. It would simplify the bracing that can control spin and stability issues. Also, replace all the pairs of RCS tanks with a single larger 2.5 meter one.

Currently, temp is the only tech unlocked on a probe that isn't a one time use like the much heavier Goo or Material bay module. The probe can stay in orbit indefinitely to repeat the request for date even though it returns zero science.

A SSTO budget ship for orbital data contracts. One for Mun and Minmus orbital data contracts. Shouldn't take much more to orbit Duna or Eve where aerobraking can be used to aid achieving orbit.

The low cost Minmus contract rocket has flown and landed completing its mission with lots of fuel to spare. A single stage to orbit variation is orbiting Kerban to fulfill those transmit data contracts. The SRB ones will orbit the two moons to satisfy similar requests.

For those transmit data from orbit contracts, here is a low cost SSTO Stayputnik with a Too Hot Thermometer. Place in orbit and leave there. And for the Mun and Minmus orbiters once you unlock the big SRB. Use it to boost the SSTO Stayputnik to orbit with sufficient fuel for the orbital insertion. (Use 50% thrust which will place you at orbital level when it burns out. Use an SAS on top so you can do the orbital turn with the SRB.

Built and tested a low cost Mun and Minmus contract lander. Also built the interplanetary version. Both are on their way to fulfill their missions to orbit and land on the contract locations and transmit science info, in those cases, temperature readings.

The updated Mun, Minmus Lander. I moved the SAS down to the second stage as the Stayputnik can easily handle turning the transfer stage. The same design, with six SRBs, two FL-T800 fuel cans in the second stage, FL-T400 on the third stage, for exploring Duna, Ike, and Eve. The SRBs lift both designs to 12,000 meters. They are turned down to 75% power The Duna explorer is on its way with plenty of delta V for the mission. The third stage fuel can is over 1/2 full. The lander has a full fuel can as well as parachutes for Duna or Eve landing.

Since you have disabled the revert to VAB, test in Sandbox as styckx has suggested. I did so to design a cheap SRB launcher for testing the TR-2V and LV-1 at Kerbal escape velocity. The design, a three stage probe rocket of five SRBs arranged as three full power, one full power, and the top stage at 50% power. The LV-1 had a note that says you have to select it to test while at escape. Just the Stayputnik SAS was sufficient stability for a straight up to escape flight. Not the most efficient, but the most cost effective for a no return mission.

Nope, he fell through the surface and was crushed about 259 meters below the surface.

The first three contracts used these two budget designs with tweaked thrust on the second stage. A pair of Goo canisters allowed for science to be collected. Aiming for a water landing allowed for the SRB recovery. For orbit, a proper orbiter was then built complete with Goo canisters. The one on the left was the lowest cost one used. It is Mun orbital capable.

This lander needs a redesign. Rather then fixing the fuel lines, you should have a fuel can for each pair of engines and have them attached to them. Otherwise, you are headed for major center of gravity issues as the single fuel can gets used up.

Like real exploration, data is required from orbit at regular intervals. An orbiting satellite is ideal for doing such contract. However, the monetary return should make it worthwhile for those that have a satellite already in orbit since it should cost more to launch a probe to do that mission then the reward for completing it.

The Mun, Minmus, Duna, etc... contracts for landers have only required the following; 1. Orbit the body 2. Transmit science data while in orbit 3. Land on the body 4. Transmit science data from the body. Therefore this budget cost one way probe is designed for those missions minus the Goo canisters. It contains a Too Hot Thermometer for the science requirement. Cost; $16,078 Kerbal Bucks with goo canisters. (removed with a SAS added for control during flight.) In orbit to head to Minmus or Mun. An addition of two more SRBS, larger fuel can on the transfer stage, and optional parachutes on the lander will make this design interplanetary.

To test SRBs at a specific altitude and speed, use a liquid fueled booster to push it to the desired speed and altitude, cut the engine and stage the SRB. You only need a tiny amount of fuel in the SRB and a probe core with radical parachutes for the test.

Some testing, ones at launch, can be done on the pad by a test rocket locked in place with launch clamps. You just fire the engine for a few seconds while it remains clamped in place. Then recover it from the pad. You get all of your investment cost back. Likewise, you can fire decouplers at the pad without launching rockets. They make nice fireworks.

This is my Mun lander modified from the original demo. It has more then enough delta v to add two goo canisters and a materials bay. Note, only a single set of fuel lines to the core. Also, no RCS. You don't need it for landing. All you need to do is use the Nav Ball retro marker and line up on it. When you can get it centered to up at under 10m/sec, you have successfully cancelled out the drifting. A much smaller lander is possible. Example of getting the drift to near zero. At 1.5m/second, what drift is still left can be ignored.

While Jeb is on his way to Mun for a orbital mission, he has already fulfilled several requests for data transmitted while over Kerbal. In addition, several other contract missions were completed that has resulted in the unlocking of better tech to allow for building an efficient lander in order to complete the Mun contract. One can get a lot accomplished if you can work on several projects at once. If, of course, you don't like the contract approach, you can always go back to the Science mode or just play Sandbox.

With an LV-N, a one way mission is possible with this ship You will just have to determine if it is worth it to send a Kerbal on a suicide mission. After all, you can always decline to accept such a contract.

Has to be way overengineered. This made Mun and Minmus with ease. Many of the contracts will get you science points as their reward. Design low cost test ships that will do the job. Once you have unlocked enough science points to get the right tech needed for the Mun contract, you will be able to build a low cost ship that will complete the mission.

Lots of designs have unexpected results; This went on for several minutes after all the engines were knocked off. And, long chains of doanut tanks can behave like a slinky in flight.

For test contracts, incorporate those that fit the mission you are planning on. On the rest, build efficient test ships to do those that have requirements that don't fit the flight profile of the normal missions. While Jeb can handle all of them, consider using a probe body for those that are high risk for failing catastrophically. Currently working on test contracts so I can land on different biomes of Kerban to pick up enough science points to unlock solar panels. Once done, I will do the Mun contract with a probe lander.

This Mun lander should be quite affordable. If you are good, you can still do the mission without the extra set of SRBs You will likely need an asparagus design if you want to do a Duna return mission without having to resort to a monstrous size ship. You will have to take advantage of a direct intercept window as well as use aerobraking for capture and landing.

Before you resort to mods, learn how to build multi stage ships and how to do the orbital turn. But, do start with sub orbital flights with single stage, then work your way to two and three stage designs. And, design simple. It doesn't take a monster ship to achieve orbit and return. These two early career designs are Mun orbital capable.

Overheating and exploding has always been an issue for the trash can boosters mounted to the side. The cure is to just tweak their power output down a bit.

You can always make a copy of the game to another location from the Steam folder and create a shortcut to the KSP.exe file and the KSP_x64.exe. KSP will run independently of Steam.