Skorpychan

So, I was reading up on space stuff, and came across this concept: http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/embarking.php#id--Belly_Lander (Scroll down a bit) Naturally, most Mun landers land on the main engine. But with the new aerodynamic rules, you then have to make your rockets tall and slim instead of short and stubby, to get things up there in the first place. This is an Issue; the Mun is bumpy and uneven, and ladders are a pain. And with a tall, skinny rocket, you risk knocking it over as you jetpack up to the door. So, maybe a belly lander is the solution. This would, however, run into the problem that the powerful main engine would then be 'back' instead of 'down'. That's where I'm stuck. Do I use radial rockets the whole way down instead of the main engine? Do I eschew a 'main' engine in favour of radials? Do I use monopropellant engines instead? Also, once again, aerodynamics for takeoff with the landing legs. They'd all be on one side, and the landing engines all on one side as well. Any suggestions?

Indeed you could, but this is balanced by getting them all there in the first place. Of course, this DOES give me the idea of creating a science lab for processing data on Kerbin, or in LKO. Maybe put it on a plane to fly it out to wherever you landed the return capsule, and process the science.

First, I quicksave. That's the important bit. Then, I get into an approximate hover before cutting thrust a little and cutting it back in to lose height in bits at once. If I'm on the Mun, this will generally be a few seconds of fiddling before I throttle slowly down into descent of the last few meters. On Minimus, I tend to just say 'screw it' and kill the throttle, giving it a quick burst if I need to slow down. Using RCS means taking my hand off the mouse and the camera control it gives. Not gonna happen, and I'm more comfortable using main engine thrust anyway. Hell, I've even docked a craft using nothing but main engine thrust, because I forgot the RCS fuel. That was fun.

Check the contracts. You may not need ORBIT, just suborbital hops.

No docking port either. Send up something with big solar panels, a fuel cell, and a Klaw to assist?

I tried it with the new update, but switched to science sandbox instead. I only have so much time to KSP, and don't want to waste it minmaxing contracts.

Bigger parts for standardised designs, for sure. And more capsules. Folding radiators are a MUST for the rebalanced LV-Ns. Telescopic booms. New aero means you can't just launch big wide things, so they've gotta fold. Bigger fricken' ladders. Maybe ones where you can just select the length you want them to extend to? Nuclear reactors. Heavy, but generate lots of power for outer-system missions without consuming vital mission fuel like fuel cells do. Moar experiments. More science. More stuff to unlock with the science gained. More reason to visit things other than 'it's there', so I don't just put off going past Duna.

The real question is whether it all has to be hauled up at once. Otherwise, maybe find a flat spot you can launch a rocketplane from. Get up out of the soup slowly, then lay on the thrust?

Why is the X axis 'kilometers below vacuum'? Why not just have 'kilometers ASL' so it's easy to read?

I'm all in favour of bugfixes, and didn't play 1.01 or 1.0 because initial KSP releases are ALWAYS bugged. Squad just doesn't have enough testers to find everything, but that's where the user base comes in.

I know about how much fuel I need to get down to and back off the Mun, and what I'm doing with airless lander designs. What I'm looking for is how I'm meant to get it up TO said mun without brute-forcing it through the atmosphere. Or perhaps tips on belly lander designs, as I got inspired reading this: http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/embarking.php#id--Belly_Lander I mean, the new fixed landing gear worked well for a rocket car on Kerbin, so maybe I could so something like that on the Mun, landing it a bit like a spaceplane. That also gives the attractive notion of ramping it up a mountain or a crater rim to get to orbit. (That's probably suicidal. I want to do it anyway, now. Jeb would love it.)

Yes, but I don't HAVE a Mainsail. Best I have is a Skipper, and I can't afford much more fuel. I'm seriously considering dumping career mode and switching to science sandbox at this rate.

So. Previously, my planetary landers have been mostly like this: (Sorry for the size; it's a screenshot) Now, with the new aerodynamics model, that won't work. I tried it, it won't go up efficiently enough, let alone make a gravity turn. A redesign would probably be vertical, for a more apollo style system, or just a big fuel tank. That, however, would cause stability issues with the landing legs. Which is always fun. I'm sure Jeb would LOVE to be stuck on the Mun again. Now, should I go with One Big Tank, or a couple of smaller ones and an engine in the stack that decouples and blasts off from there? One Big Tank is good on part count, but I'm hauling the empty tankage all the way back. Apollo style means hauling another engine AND another decoupler up, and down to the Munar surface. And if I've miscalculated, I've got to dump my landing legs partway down. Which sucks. I'm stuck. I can't decide which way to go, and it's blocking me from doing anything until I work through it. So I come here, in the hope that input will help.

I just designed a cheap but basic design with a couple of inline cockpits for tourists, and a mk1 capsule for Jeb to ride in. Simple and effective.

Have you considered using launch clamps instead? They also let you save DeltaV by moving the rocket higher up in the VAB.

That, I suppose, is the recourse when people refuse to make with the funds for landing an asteroid because you didn't redirect it. Back it goes!

Weight. The LV-N is a lot heavier now, and the LV-909 is very light and very efficient in vacuum.

New version, new save, new designs. Started the new save, and orbited the Mun with DeltaV to spare for screwing up my return to Kerbin. I think the new version has made rocketry EASIER.

On my first Munar orbiter, I've discovered that it's just a bit trickier with the design than before, but I can get away without fins now. Also, thrust vectoring does wonders.

So, early and gently. And I need thrust vectoring.

IIRC, they don't have to be kerbed. Just capable of holding that many. Just stick a lander can or a capsule on a hitchhiker pod.

You go to new places, and run new experiments there. Minimus lets you practically mine science with a jetpack, surface samples, and EVA reports.

Getting into orbit usually completes it, because that's how I did it. Got into LKO, then burned pretty much all my fuel to get my speed up to the mark. Then I just orbited Kerbin for a bit until it triggered before re-entering.

I haven't had a stability issue yet, other than needing an airbrake on re-entry vehicles, and having to put two sets of fins on my rockets.

They just want to go out of Kerbin's atmosphere, and back down without making a full orbit. Basically, pack a bunch of inline cockpits onto a rocket and loft it up with Jeb on board for a pilot. Doesn't even have to go that far up.