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I have been studying concepts for missions, and I think I might have one. It is basically an expansion upon the idea of a Saturn atmospheric probe whose relay will escape the Solar System. As of yet, it is nameless, but I have some ideas for what it will be. The carrier-relay probe will have a wide-angle camera with color capabilities, and a narrow-angle camera with only B&W. This is similar to the Ralph-Lorri dichotomy on New Horizons. It may also have some other instruments from the Voyager probes, such as a magnetometer, radio receiver, UV spectrometer, etc. Finally, it will carry an atmospheric probe to descend into Saturn's atmosphere. It will be released not long before the Saturn flyby, and after the relay passes from the shadow, it will relay the data collected from the atmospheric probe, as well as data it may have collected as well. The carrier-relay would look like a mesh between Voyager, New Horizons, and Galileo (with the atmospheric probe), possibly. It would be launched in mid-2034, have a 1.7-year-long cruise phase to Jupiter, then take about 4 years to get to Saturn. After that, a Haumea flyby may be possible, given enough funding directed toward it. A couple of questions, however: Since it's on an escape trajectory from the Solar System, what cargo will it carry for aliens to find? Would it be feasible to have a camera embedded into the probe to take a picture of the Saturnian atmosphere? To get to Haumea, how close would the carrier-relay have to fly to Saturn? Would it be possible to make a mockup of it using RSS? (preferably both imgur photographs AND a youtube video) These are two possible trajectories I might use. They aren't necessary, but is instead a template or guideline. https://drive.google.com/open?id=14YrJYsIIzYcgSTCZa_DjR8acOjPp26Ks https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GF_xSTJa7mQ37aFmDcRsh06SYOPoPD0e Share your thoughts below.

Hi everyone, I’m super new to KSP. I’ve managed to get into Kerbin orbit using the excellent tutorial by quill18 on YT. When he moves on to Get to the Mun, he doesn’t get into the rocket design well enough for me to replicate it. It doesn’t help that the designs of the parts have changed between his version of the software and mine (newest). Any rocket I build starts to roll when my liftoff speed gets to around 100m/s when I need start to make my turn to 90° so that I end up being at 45° on the NavBall when I reach 15000m per his tutorial. This is the only way I know to get to orbit so far. Can anyone tell from looking at the rocket what parts he’s built the rocket from so I can stick as close to the tutorial as possible? Here’s the tutorial: TIA for any assistance

Hey guys Got a follow on question to something I asked before. I'm playing with RO/RSS, but I believe this topic should apply to stock as well. Basically, I'd like to know how to get a perilune below 50 km, that will allow me to correct for an Earth return with 300 m/s dV or less. I have a bare bones system with Mk1 pod, lunar heatshield, and service bay, on top of a rocket that can comfortably send it to any type of lunar transfer orbit. I've done a free return successfully now, but I didn't manage to get close enough to complete the contract or get low-space lunar science. I belive I can increase service module dV by 100 m/s or so, but not much more without designing a whole new rocket. (NOTE: I guess if using stock system, think about the service module as holding 100 m/s or so, and the perimun being less than ~30 km) Thanks!

Hello everyone, and welcome to my first mission report, which happens to be of my first interplanetary mission. This mission is a manned Eve flyby, under the title Odysseus. It was named after the legendary Kreek Hero of this title. The crew: https://imgur.com/TbtUuHI The crew stands before their launch vehicle in a PR photo shoot, just days before their departure. Mission scientist Madler Kerman (level 2). She has completed a mun orbital mission and a minmus landing. Mission commander and scientist Bill Kerman (level 2). He is a veteran of several mun landings and a minmus orbiter mission. Mission pilot Jenzon Kerman (level 2). He has gone on both mun and minmus orbiter missions. He also completed a tour aboard Prosperity Space Station, in LKO. Part 1: Crew Launch, docking, and departure https://imgur.com/a/7JmR9

Mun Flyby After the spectacular success of the Daredevil Pilot who went to space in his plane cockpit using nothing else than solid boosters, there has been increasing pressure on the KSC to be less hesitant and more daring. The work on a liquid fuel engine had numerous setbacks and the public is growing impatient. So a special group has been tasked with the design of a Mun flyby probe using current technologies. The lower to the mun we can get, the better for appeasing the public. The challenge Your challenge, should you accept it, is to reach an periabsis as low as possible above the mun, under the facility upgrade and technological limits described below. Ranking is done by periapsis. For those who reach a periapsis below 10km, a second ranking is done by vehicle mass (KER readouts in SPH/VAB). Minimum picture requirements for a ranking are 1. Design showing KER readouts in SPH/VAB, especially total vessel mass. 2. In flight, at or very close to periapsis. Periapsis displayed by KER or mechjeb (switch KER to partless instead of career in KER settings available in SPH/VAB). Note that the altimeter shows altitude over terrain when in surface mode. Of course additional pictures, videos, etc are very welcome. As is a link if you stream it. The restrictions 1. No R&D, SPH/VAB, Runway/Launchpad facility upgrades! (=> 30part / 9ton mass limit, other facility upgrades are allowed) 2. Tweakscale is only allowed for wings/control surfaces/landing gear/adapters. 3. No mods except the ones specified below. Visual and similar mods are exempt from this rule. 4. No cheating. 5. Science/parts restrictions as shown here (thus no liquid fuel engines, reaction wheels, etc.) Engineering101 node, use the "Alkaline Fuel Cell Mini" to provide EC when lower than 10% capacity Structural Parts node Stability Node, the "Place-Anywhere 1 Linear RCS Port" can be used as an engine The mods 1. Install CKAN for a separate, clean KSP install. 2. Only select the "SETI-MetaModPack". Click "ApplyChanges". 3. Leave all recommendations selected. Click "Continue". 4. From the suggestions, only SETIprobeControlEnabler is allowed, so that you dont have to worry about a RemoteTech connection. Click "Continue" and wait for the the mods to be installed. 5. RCS Build Aid is among the recommendations, but is currently not available via ckan. You may (highly recommended) install that manually from here: https://github.com/linuxgurugamer/RCSBuildAid/releases 6. Visual mods are allowed at your own discretion. The ranking By periapsis above the mun: 1. @Yemo with a periapsis of ~11,667m above the mun My entry for the challenge:

Hello All. I have accepted a sun flyby contract and I'm having a small issue. The game does not allow you to set the sun as a target, therefore, I am not sure how to aim for it. This is my first attempt at leaving Kerbin space before accepting the explore Duna contract. Any tips?

Hi, I have the Duna 3 Flyby contract and I have no idea when to start my trip to Eve. I plan to fly by Eve and Ike before orbiting Duna. This is my 1st interplanetary trip, and I plan on using the Kassandra Spacecraft by @H2O. What angles should I have Kerbin, Eve and Duna? How long should I stay at Duna? Is there an easy way to work this out? Current date is year 3, day 70. Thanks, Update Firstly let me say, many thanks to you guys. The tips you gave me helped me work out that I needed more information! I found the KSP Trajectory Optimization Tool by @Arrowstar to be quite helpful as it has a multi-flyby plotter (had to switch to Earth time though). It has given me lots of information to digest, however I'm not sure how to turn the information that I have into an actual maneuver! The Delta V and Departure/Arrival dates information is particularly helpful, it looks like I can get from Kerbin to Eve for 1377m/s and then do a 515m/s correction burn at Eve, giving me around 1200m/s left in the transfer stage to capture at Duna. Kerbin Departure Date = Year 2, Day 283 06:54:04.673 (55925644.673 sec UT) Eve Arrival Date = Year 2, Day 334 20:28:13.330 (60380893.330 sec UT) Duna Arrival Date = Year 3, Day 23 17:42:52.033 (65036572.033 sec UT) Burn Information to Depart Kerbin --------------------------------------------- Total Delta-V = 1.377 km/s Prograde Delta-V = 538.875 m/s Orbit Normal Delta-V = -1266.975 m/s Radial Delta-V = 0.000 m/s --------------------- Burn True Anomaly = 358.770 deg --------------------------------------------- Burn Information to Depart Eve --------------------------------------------- Total Delta-V = 0.515 km/s Prograde Delta-V = 515.340 m/s Orbit Normal Delta-V = -0.000 m/s Radial Delta-V = 0.000 m/s --------------------- Burn True Anomaly = 0.000 deg --------------------------------------------- The problem I have now is working out when in my 750km parking orbit I need to do the Initial burn. This is the rest of the information it has given me. Hyperbolic Departure & Flyby Orbits Hyperbolic Departure Orbit from Kerbin --------------------------------------------- Semi-major Axis = -3452.976 km Eccentricity = 1.391 Inclination = 30.437 deg Right Ascension of AN = 178.770 deg Argument of Periapse = 180.000 deg --------------------------------------------- Inbound Hyperbolic Flyby Orbit to Eve --------------------------------------------- Semi-major Axis = -4725.402 km Eccentricity = 2.3764 Inclination = 28.615 deg Right Ascension of AN = 97.408 deg Argument of Periapse = 310.331 deg Periapse Radius = 6503.888 km --------------------------------------------- Outbound Hyperbolic Flyby Orbit from Eve --------------------------------------------- Semi-major Axis = -1984.515 km Eccentricity = 4.2773 Inclination = 28.615 deg Right Ascension of AN = 97.408 deg Argument of Periapse = 310.331 deg Periapse Radius = 6503.888 km --------------------------------------------- Inbound Hyperbolic Orbit to Duna --------------------------------------------- Hyperbolic Excess Vel. = 1.607 km/s Sun-Centric Transfer Orbits Phase 1 Transfer Orbit (Kerbin -> Eve) --------------------------------------------- Semi-major Axis = 11546276.670 km Eccentricity = 0.18242 Inclination = 2.426 deg Right Ascension of AN = 27.461 deg Argument of Periapse = 10.692 deg Period = 7199748.9136 sec Departure True Anomaly = 169.308 deg Arrival True Anomaly = 39.623 deg --------------------------------------------- Phase 2 Transfer Orbit (Eve -> Duna) --------------------------------------------- Semi-major Axis = 15394858.102 km Eccentricity = 0.36852 Inclination = 4.649 deg Right Ascension of AN = 54.115 deg Argument of Periapse = 10.917 deg Period = 11084546.9362 sec Departure True Anomaly = 12.788 deg Arrival True Anomaly = 168.350 deg ---------------------------------------------

I want to do the Mariner-10 mission (flyby of Eve and then Moho) from Historical Missions contract pack, but I don't know how to find the best time or orbit for a transfer. I did see the flyby finder for RSS, but I'm not using RSS. I could just orbit Eve and then transfer from there, but I want to do an actual gravity assist trajectory.