Mission Reconstructions - Curiosity

[Ferdoni]

In this thread I want to reconstruct the mission of Curiosity. I tried to reconstruct it as much as I could but of course it isn't 100% accurate.

Feedback is always welcome!

Parts:

1 - Prelaunch

2 - Launch

3 - Trans Dunar Injection

4 - Landing

Part 1: PRELAUNCH

2004-2011

In 2004, the KASA announced a mission to Duna to study the presence of life.

During this mission, the DSL (Duna Science Labatory) will perform experiments with various instruments.

The name for the rover is set as 'Curiosity,

named after the uncontrollable desire of the Kerbal race to explore beyond their natural boundaries.

Testing with the payload began in 2008, adding a fairing above and around Curiosity and a heat shield, for the atmospheric

entry, underneath it. The launch date was set to 2009 but due to more testing it was delayed to 2011.

Curiosity with the atmosperic protection

Curiosity with the second descent stage (retrorockets and parachute)

The launch system was set to be the Atlas V rocket, having more than enough power to set Curiosity on a trajectory with Duna.

Part 2: LAUNCH

10:02, 26 nov, 2011: Kape Kanakerbal, Fl, United Kates

The ground is trembling under the sound of the ascending Atlas V rocket roaring into the sky.

At 32.000 metres the second stage is detached from the first stage wich kicks in immediatly.

Orbit is archieved at 170 kilometres and the first stage falls away.

To encounter Duna, Curiosity will first do a TDI (Trans Dunar Injection)

and one or two trajectory correction burns during the transfer.

Image from Flight Planning for the settings of the TDI

To be continued....

Edited June 22, 2015 by Ferdoni

[Geschosskopf]

A nice project. I hope, once you get to Duna, that you can cover ground at a higher speed than the real one, or it will get boring pretty fast .

[Ferdoni]

Part 3: Trans Dunar Injection

Curiosity is now circling Kerbin and Mission Control has set up an manouvre node to go to Duna.

The rocket shakes on the heavy vibrations of the powerful Skipper engine.

After one and a half minute Curiosity has almost a Duna encounter.

But Mission Control has already set up a plan to encounter Duna.

The Skipper does his last duty at the planned trajectory correction.

After the small course correction, Curiosity finally has a definitive Duna encounter.

On its way is Curiosity with the attached interplanetary stage containing solar cells

and a small Spark engine to perform a last minute trajectory correction with Duna.

Curiosity is now on a aerobraking trajectory with Duna after the last minor course correction in the Duna system.

Part 4: Landing

Before turning the craft around, the interplanetary stage is decoupled.

Curiosity is slowly turning to enter the atmosphere later with the heat shield faced downwards to prevent the craft from burning up.

Curiosity is now falling towards Duna to entry his atmosphere.

Almost there...

A moment before atmosperic entry

Curiosity has hit the atmosphere and a fireball is forming outside the craft.

After Curiosity has slowed down sufficiently, the parachute is deployed!

Right after the parachute deployement, the heat shield is jettisoned.

The parachute is now slowing Curiosity down to 2% of it's original orbital velocity.

The fairing is deployed exposing Curiosity for the first time to Duna's hostile atmosphere.

Curiosity is now seconds away from a touchdown

The retrorockets are fired to slow Curiosity down for touchdown speed.

And we have a touchdown!!! (while the skycrane is flying away)

The skycrane goes kaboom after spinning out of control

What is lying there on the ground?...

Curiosity's first mission objective is to find out the effects of the explosion on the skycrane.

Curiosity reports to Mission Control: "Only the parachute survived!".

After this spectacular landing, Curiosity now will start his research to explore Duna for signs of life on this remote planet.

What did you think of this report? Please let me know and I'm open to suggestions for other missions!

Cheers

Ferdoni

[Mister Dilsby]

Nicely done, you got all the elements of the landing right: the drogue, the heat shield, even the descent stage exploding in the distance. Also the craft is a nice, clean, appropriately Kerbal version of Curiosity and its support hardware. +rep!

[Ferdoni]

Nicely done, you got all the elements of the landing right: the drogue, the heat shield, even the descent stage exploding in the distance. Also the craft is a nice, clean, appropriately Kerbal version of Curiosity and its support hardware. +rep!

Thanks a lot!! I tried to replicate the elements as real as possible.

Also, this image helped a lot:

[Lime]

That launch profile is so inefficient.

[ygarl]

Yet... undeniably effective!

[Tw1]

I did something like this a while ago. It was good fun.

Javascript is disabled. View full album