Manned landing and return from Eve - at last!

[Scarecrow88]

I have been playing KSP for quite some time now and have sent manned missions to all the planets and moons, with one notable exception - Eve. Generally regarded as the most difficult of all planets to return from, the best I have done up to this point is to land a probe on the surface, as I didn't want to risk stranding a Kerbal there.

Over the last few days I decided that it was about time that I overcame this particular challenge, and set about constructing a lander that was up to the task. Once the lander was built, the next step of the program was to design a mission around it. I finally decided on putting a couple of boosters on the lander to help launch it to orbit around Kerbin, and then refuelling it before sending it off to Eve. As I currently don't have a station in orbit around Eve that could be used for refuelling or to provide a return craft, I also decided to send a support vehicle that would be used to bring the pilot back to Kerbin. The lander's main engine would be used in addition to the interplanetary engines to minimise burn times for the transfer, so a refuelling rig to top up the lander at Eve before it started it's descent to the surface was the last craft to be commissioned for the venture.

This is the mission :

The Eve lander, with jumbo tank boosters, at launch from the KSC.

The lander in LKO

One of the refuelling rigs waiting for launch. 6 of these were required to replace the fuel used by the lander getting to LKO and a 7th was launched to go to Eve

Refuelling the lander in LKO

The support vessel on the launch pad at KSC

The excess fuel remaining in the last refuelling ship was transferred in to the support vessel

The support vessel establishes an orbit at Eve

The Eve refuelling rig approaches the lander in Eve orbit to top up the tanks

The lander finally starts its descent

Things are all going to plan so far

Having transferred internally from the command capsule at the top of the lander to one of the cans at the bottom, it was a relatively short step for Jeb to pop outside and plant a flag

Having shed the boosters and supplemental tanks, the core of the lander still has a long way to go to achieve orbit

With most of the weight of the lander now left behind, things are still looking good

The last stage of the lander, complete with it's pilot, is just about to shut off it's engines having achieved orbit

A successful rendezvous and docking sees Jeb reunited with his mission support buddies. With the journey home form here being quite straightforward, they are already thinking of how to celebrate this historic occasion.

A well plotted course and de-orbit burn sees the boys lighting up the sky to announce their return to the backroom boys at KSC

The end of a very long, complicated, but extremely rewarding mission.

Edited June 15, 2015 by Scarecrow88

[Mister Dilsby]

Well done! I have not seen a lot of Eve ascents since 1.0. Twin LFBs FTW!