JEM - A Jool 5 Mission Plan

[Starhawk]

Jool Exploration Mission

Mission Parameters

• Bob, Bill, and Jeb will land on each of Jool's moons.
  
• Each crew member will plant a flag at each landings site.
  
• Science experiments will be carried on each landing craft and performed at each landing site.
  
• All crew will return safely to Kerbin's surface.
  

Mission Craft

JEM, the Jool Exploration Mission's central craft, consists of the following sections:

• six S1 SRB-KD25k solid rocket boosters along with seven S3 KS-25x4 Engine Clusters used for launch and initial ascent.
  
• four KR-2L Advanced Engines used for final ascent and circularization at Kerbin, interplanetary transfer, and Jool system orbital maneuvers.
  
• seven LV-N Atomic Rocket Motors used for Jool system orbital maneuvers and lander refueling.
  
• two spaceplanes, each with a single turbojet and two Rockomax 48-7S engines used for landing/science/reorbit at Laythe.
  
• one two-stage airless body lander, the outer stage consisting of 18 Rockomax 48-7S engines used for landing on and initial ascent from Tylo and the inner stage consisting of one LV-909 and two 48-7S engines used for final ascent from Tylo and landing at all remaining moons of Jool as well as Kerbin return.
  

Mission Profile

JEM will launch to 75 km x 75 km Kerbin orbit, expending and detaching the solid booster stage, and the following stage. Final ascent and circularization will be completed with the KR-2L stage.

The craft will then be fully refueled in LKO.

Interplanetary transfer will be followed by one of two possibilities:

• Optimal - direct aerocapture at Laythe.
  
• Alternate - aerocapture at Jool followed by encounter with and aerocapture at Laythe.
  

Both spaceplanes detach and land on Laythe's surface. All experiments are performed. Flags are planted. Spaceplanes reorbit and rendezvous with JEM. Crew and all science transferred to JEM. Spaceplanes remain in Laythe orbit for possible future missions.

JEM leaves Laythe and makes rendezvous with Tylo. Lander detaches from JEM and lands at Tylo. Science and flags. Reorbit, rendezvous, and docking. Outer stage of lander is detached during ascent from Tylo. Lander is refueled and 48-7S engines shut down since they are no longer needed.

JEM leaves Tylo and enters Vall orbit. Undocking, landing, science, flags, reorbit, rendezvous, docking, and refueling.

Process repeated for Bop and Pol.

Final undocking and burn for home.

Aerocapture and land anywhere at all.

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Mods used: KER and Hyperedit for simulation/testing.

I'm pretty sure that this will be significant overkill for the mission, delta-v wise. I'm hoping that there's nothing important I've forgotten at this point.

I was just about to post this when I realized I still have to add batteries to ensure those big reaction wheels have power.

Input on the mission from the community is welcome.

Happy landings!

Edited April 23, 2015 by Starhawk

[Mister Dilsby]

I like! Looks nice and clean. You know, it almost looks like the top section could SSTO, or maybe get close with a bit of help: i.e. launch (vertically) with the turbojets of the two Laythe ships, transition to nuclears and the Rockos on the Tylo lander (they appear to be clear of obstructions and able to thrust) to reach orbit. Then you could do an orbital assembly to the transfer/Jool system maneuver stage, maybe save some mass and cost from the booster section. But certainly, this should work fine as-is.

[Starhawk]

You know, it almost looks like the top section could SSTO, or maybe get close with a bit of help: i.e. launch (vertically) with the turbojets of the two Laythe ships, transition to nuclears and the Rockos on the Tylo lander (they appear to be clear of obstructions and able to thrust) to reach orbit. Then you could do an orbital assembly to the transfer/Jool system maneuver stage, maybe save some mass and cost from the booster section.

Very interesting thoughts! The 150 tonne mass of the upper section is much too heavy for the two turbojets alone, but you have provided some interesting food for thought.

Happy landings!