Question about best way to do visual survey missions on Mun/Minmus

[SalehRam]

Hi,

So I want to start taking "Visual Survey" missions on both Mun and Minmus, problem is as I am not on Kerbal, it means I am limited on resources, and the aim to get out with the maximum "financial" profit from these missions...

I am thinking of delay these contracts until after I get a base on Mun, so I can launch rovers from it, then use ion powered vessels to take on missions that require specific altitude (be it above or below)...

Or simply put a station in orbit around Mun/Minmus and launch missions from it...

For me I guess the practical one is the station, as it is easier for me to launch supply/refuel missions to it... since I went nuts and installed RemoteTech/Life Support and many other mods (just to see how modded game play is)...

I would appreciate your input on this guys.

Edited March 1, 2015 by SalehRam
Changed to answered

[eddiew]

If all the surveys are orbital, just go into a polar orbit at an appropriate altitude. Sooner or later the site you need will pass underneath you

Ground surveys are always clustered within EVA range, although a rover is also an option.

If you get a mix of both, I suggest doing the orbital surveys first, then you can land and take off into the orbital plane - saves fuel over landing, taking off into polar, then correcting.

And as ever; minimise, minimise, minimise. If it's not a crew report contract, don't send a kerbal, just a probe with the instruments needed ^^

Good luck

[SalehRam]

Having multiple satellites on polar/equatorial orbits is also an option, this way, I will pay some extra money at starting up, but later I can make that money back by quickly going through the contracts with no crew report... Thanks for the tip

Still got some options for crew report missions, and I think best is to build a station that can serve for both the contracts and a fuel hub.

[cantab]

They can be very lucrative. I think I'm looking at 25 grand for each of four line items and a further 150 for the overall completion. And I snagged a flag planting contract to do as well.

My approach has just been a standard Kerballed Mun lander, with a small TACLS supply container to support the Kerbals for a couple of Munths. Wait in orbit for the sites to rotate under you. Just be sure to get into a sufficiently inclined orbit, and be aware you may need to do manoeuvres. Quickloads help if available because you may find you pass either side of the target site on successive orbits.

[eddiew]

Yep, a long term polar satellite with as many instruments as you can give it is always a good call. You'll have to adjust its altitude a lot, but the delta-v needed is never very big

[Pecan]

...and I think best is to build a station that can serve for both the contracts and a fuel hub.

That is exactly what I would recommend, with probes and a lander that you can send down when necessary.

[FlyingPete]

It's worth investing in infrastructure for these sort of contracts. I waited until I got a 'build a new station' contract to recoup the costs. From there it's fairly easy to send a reusable lander, either to the surface or a low-altitude flyby as appropriate. You can store any science data onboard the station and take it back when you swap the crew.

[UnusualAttitude]

Hello,

For visual surveillance from low orbit of Mun and Minmus, the unloved ion drive does wonders for me. I also play a Life Support/RT career game, with the added constraint of mandatory crew accommodation for any flight of more than a couple of days. This is what I use at the moment:

Four ion engines on the back and a couple of small Rockomax for initial boosting from LKO to target, with a couple of months of life support, and it will make the minor orbital adjustments needed for these contracts until the Kows come home... It will also land on Minmus and be able to make several hops across the surface from site to site. One of these netted me almost a million funds before returning to resupply at the Mun. Also, watching this ship skimming across the surface and making sedate adjustments with those pretty blue engines is extremely relaxing.

For landing on Mun, I would definitely reccommend an orbital refuelling station with a nuke powered lander. I launch fuel cans with a spaceplane and haul them up from LKO with a nuke powered tug. When they're empty, I haul them back to LKO for refuelling. The lander could be something like this...

I would not recommend ground-based operations from a surface base with a rover, unless you have a lot of spare time to kill. It will take ages to get anywhere... Unless your rover is also a lander...

UA