100% reusable Duna SpacePlane mission using Atlas JetPack and Roamer (PIC HEAVY!!)

[xtoro]

So I'm not playing career just yet, I prefer Science or Sandbox. However, I'm coming up with ship designs and ideas to get to places for free.

Mods I use are MechJeb, which I prefer over KER for my own reasons, and FMRS which lets you recover the jettisoned Atlas by controlling it until it lands, and then go back to the separation time and continue using the main ship. It basically lets you do more than one thing at once, but one thing at a time. I also use Quantum Struts to allow the Space Plane to get re-strutted every time it docks with the Roamer. And finally I'm using Atomic Age for the nuclear engines. The stock one didn't cut it, I needed a smaller one and a bigger one, and Atomic Age delivered

I first had to come up with refueling logistics in space using Minmus as a mining resource. I have a tanker in orbit around Minmus which I've filled using this VTOL/rover/miner/refinery:

It's effective and only takes a few trips to fill it (More info and pics of it here)

Here's the Roamer being launched. Because of the offset aerodynamic shape and CoM, I had to offset the engine on the coupler and reinforce it with struts. It works! Also note that the Roamer fuel tanks are mostly empty which brings its weight down to under 60t.

The launcher that gets the Roamer in space is the only thing that's lost. Since the Roamer will remain in space for all future missions, this is a one-time loss.

Using slightly angled fins on stages makes them naturally pull away from the center stack without needing Sepratrons. As you can see in the image above and below, I had to install a brace on the center docking port that reinforces the weaker MK2 tanks.

Winglets on a nosecone that are attached to the Roamer's front docking port made a difference in control during launch. With the aero overlay enabled, you can see them pulling their weight.

The last stage has Sepratrons because of the high speed at this point. I had first tried angling the fins more but this caused drag and instability, and broken fins.

Separating nosecone, ditching launch vehicle and moving on to Minmus to top up the tanks.

Docked with the fueling station parked in a 100km orbit. Now it's time to get the Space Plane here.

This is the first real flight of the Atlas JetPack after several dozen failed test flights.

The Atlas is the top part with the wings at the rear. It carries with it the Space Plane "Happy Rooster 2", which is a non-atmospheric version of Happy Rooster, named so after its vertical canard on top of the cockpit (Removed in version 2, but placed on the Atlas). Seen in the pic below is the Atlas' recovery method. Lots of chutes. This lets the Atlas slowly fall back down into the ocean for recovery as the Rooster goes into orbit.

Just barely past the KSC islands and already burning up!

42KM's up and already flying at over 2000m/s with an Apoapsis of 85KM's, the Atlas says goodbye.

From here it's a quick switchover to the Atlas to deploy the chutes and land in the ocean for recovery. After which, I use FMRS to go back to the moment of separation and continue flying the Rooster (Sorry, didn't take screenshots, but it was boring anyways lol).

Coasting....

100x100ish orbit, still over 2000 dV leftover.

Off to Minmus

Disconnected the brace from the bottom of the Roamer, which I should have done much earlier.

Coming in to dock up under the Roamer, very, very, very slowly...

Sloooooowwwwwllllly now.....

And done! Refuel all the tanks,

And off we go!

Fell back down to Kerbin and ended up with a (near) perfect escape trajectory using lots of speed I picked up on the way down.

To Duna!

Circularizing!

Disconnect from the Roamer, and down we go!

Already have a couple of scanning probes in orbit, and a probe test lander which found some decent plane landing ground.

After much braking a coasting, the target lander is in sight. There was no burning into the atmosphere at all.

Overshot the target, but no matter, brake and glide.... Need to slow just above ground till I basically fall down onto the wheels.

Still rolling, brakes suck, unlevel ground making it hard! Thankfully I put little landing gear on the wings, so nothing gets destroyed, I just roll on the wings

Finally came to a stop! The ladder isn't long enough, so I retract the landing gear to get a Kerbal out and plant a flag. Success!

Taking off was easy. Just a bit of Aerospike to get up to speed and then nukes for the rest.

Still TONS of dV left, but dangerously low on MonoPropellant!

Managed to dock with I think just over 3 units of MonoProp left!

Time to go home.

Coming in hot, but lots of dV left, so a long burn isn't a problem.

Tadaa!

Transferred some MonoProp from the Roamer to the Rooster for landing. Barus and Rodbur get to go home. The rest of the crew have to stay and man the Roamer in orbit until the next mission.

10KM peri outta do it!

Lots of braking and level flying kept the heat down.

Couldn't glide the whole way, needed a bit of boost to make it to shore.

Nice and smooth, nice and slow...

And the Rooster has landed!

Now with the Roamer still in orbit, it's just a matter of sending up another Rooster with an Atlas JetPack, recover the Atlas when it lands, dock Rooster to Roamer, refuel at Minmus, and go on the next trip! From now on it's 100% reusable

Cheers!

Edited May 24, 2015 by xtoro

[Geschosskopf]

Bravo! That's quite a monster to land on Duna .

[Mister Dilsby]

Very nice! Looks like you hit on the same solution I did to get your Duna spaceplane to altitude. Your Mort must be happier than my Mort though, since I don't have FMRS and had to dump the "Orange Knight" booster plane in the water. Will have to look into that. Neat solutions also for your asymmetric loads.

[xtoro]

Bravo! That's quite a monster to land on Duna .

Thanks! It was actually a joy to fly and glided down easily. The hardest part was probably trying to slow down because braking doesn't work to well

Very nice! Looks like you hit on the same solution I did to get your Duna spaceplane to altitude. Your Mort must be happier than my Mort though, since I don't have FMRS and had to dump the "Orange Knight" booster plane in the water. Will have to look into that. Neat solutions also for your asymmetric loads.

Thank ya! I really wanted to come up with something reusable and easy to fly and use. The newest version of the Atlas is fantastic. I never thought I could get the SpacePlane to 85km apoapsis using only the Atlas, but it worked out great

[RAINCRAFTER]

This is awesome.

[Screeno]

What engines mod are you using there?

[RAINCRAFTER]

What engines mod are you using there?

He said Atomic Age in the OP. Just saying.

[xtoro]

What engines mod are you using there?

Yup, Atomic Age which is a mod with just 3 nuclear engines. I hate the stock one for many purposes. These 3 have better uses.