The Apollo Applications Program: 1.0 Edition

[CobaltWolf]

Anyone planning on doing ALSEP using the SEP mod?

[PacThePhoenix]

I'm actually quite proud of this. It took me about 2 hours to make, most of which was trying to keep the service module upright (The LES was used a lot), and completed the mission on the first attempt. I calculated how much dV I would need for an Apollo 11 mission and I was almost spot on. I had 1 unit of fuel to spare on the descent and .5 units extra for the ascent. 132 parts and an initial mass of 277t got me this:

Tier 1 Score: 80

- 5 engines on first stage, 5 on second, 1 on third (+20)

- Free-return Trajectory (+10)

- Lander Behind Fairing (+10)

- Descent Stage Ditched On Mun (+5)

- Stock Parts Only (+20)

- Functional Launch Escape System (+5)

- Power Generated Only From Fuel Cells (+10)

[Death Engineering]

21 hours ago, PacThePhoenix said:

I'm actually quite proud of this. It took me about 2 hours to make, most of which was trying to keep the service module upright (The LES was used a lot), and completed the mission on the first attempt. I calculated how much dV I would need for an Apollo 11 mission and I was almost spot on. I had 1 unit of fuel to spare on the descent and .5 units extra for the ascent. 132 parts and an initial mass of 277t got me this:

Tier 1 Score: 80

- 5 engines on first stage, 5 on second, 1 on third (+20)

- Free-return Trajectory (+10)

- Lander Behind Fairing (+10)

- Descent Stage Ditched On Mun (+5)

- Stock Parts Only (+20)

- Functional Launch Escape System (+5)

- Power Generated Only From Fuel Cells (+10)

Very nice!  What was powering the ascent stage?

[PacThePhoenix]

3 hours ago, Death Engineering said:

Very nice!  What was powering the ascent stage?

One 48-7S "Spark" liquid fuel engine with a single FL-T200 fuel tank. I took a few screenshots of the ascent but the only good one was the one you see.

[Amianoob]

I don't know if this has any relevance, I tried to do something like this a long time ago, I think it was 0.21, but, here is my Saturn V equipped for a J class mission.

It's as close as I could manage at the time to an Apollo Saturn V Launcher, every stage has the correct amount of engines and every stage fires when it should, with the notable exception of the LM which is actually much more like a soviet LK in style, this was before the tiny in line Rockomax engine so I apparently left it as a single stage with drop tanks, it was just easier and prettier that way.

 

Please forgive the incomplete gallery, this is an old mission I found digging about in my screenshots.

 

Edited February 29, 2016 by Amianoob

[fredinno]

On 7/31/2015 at 10:30 PM, Xeldrak said:

Today marks the fifth and hopefully last launch of a boilerplate Apollo spacecraft: SO-105

This is also the third and final Brisingamen micrometeroid detection satellite that will be carried into space

 

 

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I just wanted to mention that I'm somewhat proud of the Brisingamen missions: They look like the real thing

Also, my to-do list.

Fair warning: It's directly from my notes, so its part german, part english.

 

1961-10-27 SA-1 (Suborbitaler Test der S-1 Stage, Dummy Uppersstages) [X]

1962-04-25 SA-2 (Suborbitaler Test der S-1 Stage, Project Highwater) [X]

1962-11-16 SA-3 (siehe SA-2) [X]

1963-03-28 SA-4 (S-1 Stage test, eine Antrieb fällt aus) [X]

1963-08-28 QTV Little Joe Test [X]

1963-11-07 Pad Abort Test-1 [X]

1964-01-29 SA-5 (two stages, highly elliptical orbit) [X]

1964-05-13 A-001 (LES test, Little Joe II) [X]

1964-05-28 AS-101 (SA-6) (Boilerplate CSM, circular orbit) [X]

1964-09-18 AS-102 (SA-7) (SA-6 Rerun) [X]

1964-12-08 A-002 (LES Test, Little Foe II) [X]

1965-02-16 AS-103 (Pegasus satellite) [X]

1965-05-19 A-003 (LES Test, Little Foe II) [X]

1965-05-25 AS-104 (Pegasus 2 satellite) [X]

1965-06-29 Pad Abort Test-2 [X]

1965-07-30 AS-105 (Pegasus 3) [X]

1966-02-26 AS-201 (Test des CSM Block I [keine docking-fähigkeit])

1966-05-30 Surveyor 1 (direct approach, no parking orbits)

1966-07-05 AS-203 (S-IVB test, kein CSM)

1966-08-25 AS-202 (AS-201 rerun)

1966-09-20 Surveyor 2

1967-04-01 Surveyor 3

1967-07-14 Surveyor 4

1967-09-08 Surveyor 5

1967-11-07 Surveyor 6

1967-11-09 Apollo 4 (Unmanned Saturn V, mit CSM & splashdown)

1968-01-07 Surveyor 7

1968-01-22 Apollo 5 (Umanned Test of LM, Saturn IB)

1968-04-04 Apollo 6 (translunar test)

1968-10-11 Apollo 7 (manned, kein LM, 11 Tage im Orbit. Saturn IB)

1968-12-21 Apollo 8 (manned, lunar orbit, kein LM)

1969-03-03 Apollo 9 (Manned, SaturnV, CSM, LM, S-IV in solar orbit)

1969-04-26 Apollo 10 (dress rehersal)

1969-07-16 Apollo 11

1969-11-14 Apollo 12 (precission landing, Surveyor 3)

1970-04-11 Apollo 13

1971-01-31 Apollo 14

1971-07-26 Apollo 15 (J-Mission, Rover, subsatellite)

1972-04-16 Apollo 16 (J Type, Rover, Highlands sabsatelite)

1972-12-07 Apollo 17 (J Type, landing in valley,

1973-05-14 Skylab

 

Also I know, the Surveyor Program is a seperate program, but I will need Surveyor 3, so I decided to do every surveyor while I'm at it

How about the cancelled Skylab 5 and Apollo 18, 19, and 20 (maybe plus the cancelled 'Apollo 21' Manned Lunar Mapping mission)

Edited March 21, 2016 by fredinno

[commonnerfer]

Hey i did this and am making a video out of it wish i had left the landing stage on the moon but did not want to carry much more

also i tried to do 5 on the second stage but it broke the game repeatedly should be uploading soon 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKn810G3xCM&feature=youtu.be

this is  link to a private video that will be unprivated in 3 days so enjoy the early access

Edited April 10, 2016 by commonnerfer
Youtube link

[BubbleWrap]

Here is the beginning of Project Destiny. First, some test flights to qualify the two initial launch vehicles, imaginatively named the Jool IB and Jool V (covers Apollo 4).

 

 

Then, the first two manned missions (covers Apollo 7 & 8)

 

 

Apollo 9 and 11 will be flown tomorrow  (and probably 12 and 14-18 if things go well), completing the basic Apollo program.

Current Score: 81

- Saturn Five uses 5 engines on the first stage, 5 engines on the second stage, and one engine on the third stage. +20

- Free-Return Trajectory until in Mun's SOI. +10

- Lander stored behind a fairing. +10

- Launch Escape System. +5

- Use fuel cells for power generation only +10 (the subsatellites have solar panels, but the CSM is powered by a pair of fuel cells (one primary, one backup) inside the service bay)

- Use a Life Support mod +26 (USI Life Support)

 

[BubbleWrap]

Destiny 3, 4 and 5 have flown, completing Apollo 9 and 11. Alas, 5 did not go as planned. Destiny 3 proved the value of testing your hardware, as it revealed a glaring flaw in the munar module ascent stage: no means of generating power! Fortunately this wasn't an issue in the nice safe environs of low kerbin orbit, but it could have proved fatal on the Mun, and future launches used a revised model with an additional fuel cell.

 

 

 

RIP Mosie and Ludmon

Previous score: 81

Leave descent stage on mun: +5

ALSEP on Apollo 11-17: +5

Subsatellite on Apollo 11-17: +5

Kerbal dies (x2): -100

New score: -4

 

 

[BubbleWrap]

During the munar project stand-down following the loss of Destiny 5's Munar Module, parts of the Destiny Applications Program that were already underway were accelerated. The first of these, Starlab, was launched, qualifying the INT-21 variant of the Jool V launch vehicle. This was followed shortly afterwards by a crew launched on a Jool IB.

 

Quote

Summary of Destiny 5 Accident Investigation Report

No single person can be blamed for the loss of Destiny 5’s Munar Module or its crew. A series of failings at all operational levels resulted in the accident, and procedures at all levels must be reviewed, and adhered to, if we are to avoid a repeat of the incident. While we do not have access to the munar module’s flight recorder, a thorough analysis of all received telemetry, and logs from both Mission Control and the Command / Service Module, have enabled a reasonable timeline of events to be formulated.

Initially, after the poor ascent profile of the Jool V launch vehicle, both mission control and the Destiny crew were lax in following low orbit procedures as they plotted a revised Munar intercept trajectory, resulting in a failure to activate fuel cells on both the CSM and the MM. During the subsequent coast towards the Mun, a low power warning in the CSM did alert the crew, who activated one of the service module fuel cells, however the event was not picked up by ground crews, nor did the Destiny crew notify mission control. Subsequently, the MM batteries recharged off the CSM electrical system, masking the underlying problem.

The high elliptical orbit of the CSM at MM separation resulted in an unprecedented coast duration for the Munar Module, during which the batteries were slowly depleted. The subsequent manoeuvring required for the deorbit burn and attempted landing would then have drained the remaining reserves, ultimately resulting in the loss of torque control as seen during the Destiny 3 MM trials. At this point, it can be assumed that the crew were distracted by the loss of control authority and attempts to restore power and failed to monitor their descent, ultimately impacting the Munar surface.

Quote

Kerbal Space Centre

Bob sighed as he slumped into the seat, a steaming mug of coffee in his hands.

“How did it go?” asked Bill, looking up from a pile of paperwork.

“We’re going back to the Mun,” replied Bob, taking a long, slow sip from his mug.

Bill shuffled his papers together and sat up, looking over at his friend. “You don’t seem too happy about that.”

“They killed the Super Jool project.”

“Hardly unexpected. They’ve been gunning for that for a while now, but the MLV plans look good, we should be able to adapt.”

“We’ll have to adapt a lot. We had to give up the Jool V too. MLV is basically history.”

“What?”

“We have authority to launch all remaining vehicles, but no new Jool V’s are to be purchased. It was either that, or they shut us down completely.”

“How in Kraken’s name are we supposed to get to the Mun without the Jool V?”

Bob smiled as he answered. “We’ll find a way. I persuaded them to let us keep the INT-21 for launching heavy payloads to LKO, and we still have the Jool IB. Gather up all the proposals we have for INT, MLV and LCB, I’m sure we can come up with something.”

 

With the reports conclusion that there was no technical fault with the Munar Module, Destiny 7 was cleared for launch.

 

So Destiny 5 taught me an important lesson: turn the damn fuel cells on! There is clearly some imbalance in the munar module that the rcs can't seem to handle, but the reaction wheels can. Strange, but tolerable. Let us hope I don't forget again. (I will, I mean I almost forgot them for Destiny 7. That would have been embarrassing.)

 

No changes to the score this time, but we have now qualified the third of five planned launch vehicles in the Jool family. Only 5 Jool V's remain in inventory following the launch of Destiny 7. I'm sure we can get to the Mun on a Jool IB, right?

 

[Death Engineering]

I like your Skylab. Good authentic look from stock.

 

[BubbleWrap]

On 22/04/2016 at 3:11 PM, Death Engineering said:

I like your Skylab. Good authentic look from stock.

 

Thanks I did my best to make it look close to the real thing.

 

Meanwhile, on the Mun, things do not go entirely according to plan. Destiny 8 ended with a mod conflict trapping two kerbals in command seats with no way to extract them, so I had to refly the whole thing as Destiny 8A, and then Destiny 9 decided to re-enact that Apollo mission where they undershot the landing site, came down on the rim of a crater, rolled down hill and broke one of the ascent stage fuel tanks (you remember that one, right?)

 

Two hours after Destiny 9 returns, the so-far absent Destiny 6 returns from its much longer trip.

 

Previous score: -4

Lunar rover on Apollo 11-18 - +10

Minmus mission - +30

New score: 36

 

And with that, regular apollo missions come to a close. There are three Jool Vs left in inventory, two assigned for the first AAP lunar surface mission, and one on standby for rescue purposes (I did ponder using it to rescue Destiny 9, but it was getting late and bolting together a new ascent stage was quicker than flying a whole new mission. I'm sure it will get used at some point. While I got 9's crew home, it didn't feel all that apollo-like, so I probably wont be dismantling any more MMs on the surface) Of the remaining nine Jool IBs, 3 are assigned to AAP missions in LKO, and two are tentatively assigned as probe launchers in support of future AAP mun/minmus missions, but they are incredibly overpowered for what I want them to launch. The MLV has been built and is awaiting initial testing, while it's derivative replacement for the Jool IB is just awaiting final qualification flight testing for use.

[commonnerfer]

Guys i just made a video doing an apollo landing an came back it could have looked neater but i was limited on times

 

[BubbleWrap]

With the initial Munlandings complete, the Destiny Applications program begins. The LKO program quickly runs into a technical problem, when it's realised the Jool IB just isn't powerful enough for their station building needs.The first launch was the Munar Module Laboratory, officially named Destiny Applications Manned Orbiting Laboratory (or DAMOL) in its final flown configuration.

The original plan called for the CSM to boost the lab to Starlab at the end of the mission, but there was nowhere near enough delta v, so the lab was left in LKO when the crew left at the end of their three day stay. Meanwhile, the Scout program had more success. Two missions were launched, one to Eve and the other to Duna. The Duna burn wasn't brilliant, but there is enough delta v left for a course correction in a month or so. Both missions were identical, so only one was recorded.

Not being able to justify launching an interplanetary survey mission to the Mun, and finally acknowledging that the last satellite needed at the Mun wasn't going on a Jool rocket, Space Command contracted Missile Command to launch the Munar Surveyor on a Tylo IIIA booster, allowing final preparations for Munbase to go ahead. With hindsight, this should have been launched with Destiny 2 inside the fairing adaptor, since it wasn't carrying an MM.

 

Last but not least, the final two planned Jool V launches establish Munbase, and deliver the first crew.

 

 

And with that, we essentially reach the end of our first batch of rockets. There were fifteen Jool Vs ordered, three qualification flights, ten operational full-up flights, one two-stage flight and one remains in inventory as the Munar Surface Rescue mission vehicle. Of twelve Jool IBs ordered, one was flown on a qualifying flight, six have flown operationally, one is pencilled in to take a second crew up to Starlab and four remain in inventory. Two dual launch missions (in the style of DAMOL) were assigned to these, to launch a Starlab extension module and an MM Greenhouse experimental module, but these have been pushed back to use the new launch vehicles.

So far, 27 crew have flown on 12 manned missions, with 2 fatalities. They have been supported by 9 unmanned launches.

Previous score: 36

Additional AAP Mission (Munar Base):  +20

New score: 56

 

 

[BubbleWrap]

In a totally planned mission, that was clearly scheduled and not a result of forgetting to include enough supplies, an unmanned logistics spacecraft is sent to join the Munbase 2 CSM in orbit.

 

Then, back in LKO, a couple of housekeeping missions are handled. Firstly a new crew to Starlab, and then a test launch using a Jool IB.

 

On the surface of the Mun, meanwhile, Claubell and Denica go for a drive.

 

 

And a little while after their return to base, new hardware is sent up for them in preparation for future missions.

 

 

 

Previous score: 56

Fuel processing plant on munar base: +20

New score: 76

 

[BubbleWrap]

The Munbase drill rig proved to be too inefficient as it ran hot, so a new one was sent to see if a simple modification could salvage the existing one. Also a new rover was sent to help with carting large items around the base for assembly.

 

At this point, however, weird things happened during the 1.1.1 update and somehow we got reset to year 1 day 1. A little file editing moved us back to the correct(ish) period, around day 55, but in the process we somehow wiped out Munbase's supply stocks, so the crew made an emergency evac back to Kerbin. Undeterred, the space program continues.

In preparation for the new Munbase crew, and to practice some manoeuvres needed for future missions, we send up a new space station.

Two more missions are in progress (Munbase 6 and Rescue 1), but I need to sort out a few 1.1.2 related issues before I can finish them off. No changes to the score yet.

 

[Pds314]

The biggest issue I see with this is that, much unlike IRL, Mun rockets can be pretty tiny in KSP. I have a lander that, with a bit of luck, can land a Kerbal on the Mun and bring them back to orbit using a single small round monoprop tank as its only fuel source and a quadcopter-style arrangement of 4 RCS ports. It could easily be redesigned to carry 2 passengers, and a small return module could be devised which would shield the Kerbals on reentry. If you're desperate enough, you don't even need to bother with giving it the fuel to return all the way to orbit. I strongly suspect it would still weigh under 600 kg, and the command module may well weigh about a tonne. Add 1.4 tonnes fuel and your orbital payload is about 3 tonnes. That's a 20-tonne LV at worst. Maybe if I tried more emulating the actual design and appearance of the Apollo program vehicles, but even then, KSP is so much tinier without RSS.

[BubbleWrap]

On 01/05/2016 at 8:55 AM, Pds314 said:

The biggest issue I see with this is that, much unlike IRL, Mun rockets can be pretty tiny in KSP. I have a lander that, with a bit of luck, can land a Kerbal on the Mun and bring them back to orbit using a single small round monoprop tank as its only fuel source and a quadcopter-style arrangement of 4 RCS ports. It could easily be redesigned to carry 2 passengers, and a small return module could be devised which would shield the Kerbals on reentry. If you're desperate enough, you don't even need to bother with giving it the fuel to return all the way to orbit. I strongly suspect it would still weigh under 600 kg, and the command module may well weigh about a tonne. Add 1.4 tonnes fuel and your orbital payload is about 3 tonnes. That's a 20-tonne LV at worst. Maybe if I tried more emulating the actual design and appearance of the Apollo program vehicles, but even then, KSP is so much tinier without RSS.

I designed my initial hardware to approximate the capabilities of the real-world equivalents, with roughly the same kind of appearance. The munar module would probably be able to land and take off again as a single stage if i removed the decoupler and ascent engine, and the CSM would only need minor tweaks to be able to land itself, but these capabilities aren't part of the original Apollo spec - on the other hand, Apollo Applications did look at the possibility of using both service modules and S-IVB stages to land on the moon, hence me using that capability for the Minmus landing and to land the J-IVT as part of the munar refuelling operation. Likewise, the 1st stage of my Jool V had to be seriously downgraded to stop it being overpowered, because it's far too easy to make heavy lifters in KSP.

 

Meanwhile, Munbase 6 and Rescue 1! After failing to start a fuel cell on Munbase 6, it sailed past the Mun into high kerbin orbit. Since Valentina and Alrys had been on standby since Destiny 7 in a rescue capability, they were sent to retrieve it, as it contained essential supplies for Munbase.

 

This mission took 11 days (and Munbase 6 is still 4 days from re-encountering the Mun), so other missions were sent. Munbase 7 and 9 were planned crew landings, but without supplies they couldn't go ahead, so they were pushed back while Munbase 8 and 10 went ahead.

 

We also had a special delivery for Munbase, for when the Munbase 9 crew finally arrive:

 

And finally, with supplies being present on both Munbase 8 and MOLAB, Munbase 7 was cleared for launch.

 

 

At this point, however, an asteroid we had been tracking reached Kerbin's SOI. With the intercept slated to need four launches, and parts off two more rockets, this tied up most of the remaining launch vehicles from the second batch. After requesting funding for new rockets, Space Command were instructed to come up with a more concrete plan for how they would use them, but the request was nominally approved assuming that this plan was forthcoming, and the Munbase mining operation began to see signs of productivity (the drills were shut down when Munbase 8 landed due to the entire refinery assembly having red overheat bars, but enough fuel had been produced to fill 3/4 of the J-IVT landed there).

Currently planned but not yet assigned to launches are Munbase 9 (needs a Jool 21), four LKO missions to expand Starlab that were bumped back from the Jool IB (either need four Jool IDs or two Jool 21s), and an unspecified number of launches for a planned Duna mission, which needs fleshing out so I can work out how to put it in space. Project Intercept requires a Jool 21 Heavy, two Jool 21s, a Jool ID and two extra J-IIT stages (thus leaving two Jool 21s without an upper stage until funding is approved to replace them). One or two initial follow up missions are expected if the project succeeds. There is also a Jool ID on standby as Rescue 2, ready to launch a Munar Module to the Mun should a crew get stranded.

 

No change in score yet - MOLAB is down, but it's crew haven't arrived yet. Hopefully next time we should score both MOLAB and Asteroid Redirection though

 

[BubbleWrap]

Project Intercept involved many days of coasting, so Munbase was reactivated by its new crew as it was going on.

 

 

And Project Intercept itself:

 

 

 

And with the asteroid in orbit, Munbase 9 is finally cleared to go, delivering the scientists to man MOLAB.

 

Previous Score: 76

Additional AAP Mission x 2 (MOLAB, Asteroid Redirect): +40

Redirect Asteroid with crew: +10

New score: 126

 

 

[Ourworldalpha1]

I will enter this challenge 

[RedCapDan]

I'd love to do this challenge, is SSTU ok for mod lists? The CSM and LM plus the engines would be great for this as well as the AAP. 

 

[Daelkyr]

So, I've been taking a break from KSP for a little bit. I figured, what would be a better way to get back in than to do a little challenge mission? After much work, the burgeoning Kerbal Aeronautics and Space Agency has begun work on their latest generation of Sarnus rockets. The up-rated Sarnus IB (an advanced version of the venerable Sarnus I) is ready to begin tests on KASA's new Command Service Module. While the CSM begins is eagerly awaits the completion of the Sarnus V rocket. When finished, the Sarnus V will be the largest rocket ever built. With other vehicles currently under design and testing, the Sarnus V will take brave kerbonauts beyond low Kerbin orbit for the first time. This new program will be called Kouros, and it's mission will be to journey from Kerbin to Mun.

 

Edited August 3, 2016 by Daelkyr

[RedCapDan]

 

I've kicked off my RSS/RO playthrough of this challenge. Presently just completed Apollo 4 and 7, 8 to follow very soon.

I'm excited to do a few of the different classes of missions and progress to Mars with Apollo hardware. 

Edited August 8, 2016 by RedCapDan
Add picture

[Daelkyr]

I've been having a blast getting things up an running for the Tier 1 missions. I'm currently on my third Mun landing (Kane 12) and testing out @CobaltWolf and @AlbertKermin amazing Surface Experiment Pack. I'll post my score for Tier 1 as soon as I complete my first "K" Mission and get a rover on Mun.

[markymarkandthefunkybunch]

Hullo! I saw this thread a while ago and thought about entering but never did. But hey, here I am and I'm entering if that's ok. I'm currently working on my Apollo CSM and Saturn 1-B. I have yet to fly any missions and im just doing tests but here are some pictures!

Saturn 1-B

Apollo CSM

 

Edited August 9, 2016 by markymarkandthefunkybunch
Forgot to link pictures