Mining Gilly

[Warzouz]

Is is really possible to mine Gilly ? I've a contract that ask than. But I remember landing on Gilly was somewhat strange.

[Yukon0009]

Yeah, landing is 100% possible, but it takes a long time because it's so small.

[Red Iron Crown]

Can't see why it wouldn't be possible. Gilly has really light gravity and some odd timewarp limitations, making landings there very slow, but aside from that it should work just like anywhere else.

[Jimbimbibble]

The gravity is also extremely low there, so it doesn't take much to tip your craft. I'm not sure what the drill's collision mesh looks like but a potential issue I see is the drill tipping you when you deploy it. If the drill is not a solid object this wouldn't happen, of course.

[Superfluous J]

Just treat Gilly like a very large asteroid. Don't orbit it or try to be super efficient on your landing. Once you're in the SOI just get moving toward it and "dock" with the surface with your landing gear. You WILL land and you WILL be able to drill.

Source: I did it within the past month.

[Warzouz]

OK, I thought there was some problems with getting in contact with the ground. When I landed (not a miner), I wasn't "landed" immediately. I though that could be an issue.

Cool. My miner could refuel the Eve station from Gilly. My station obits Eve at 2000km in Gilly's plane. Rendez-vous with Gilly is 500 to 600 m/s, then capture and landing. Should fit under 1100/1200 m/s, leaving 250 m/s for docking.

Best Gilly approach is when rendez-vous is made at periaps ?

[Superfluous J]

Best Gilly approach is when rendez-vous is made at periaps ?

Your periapsis won't matter that much. To spend the least fuel as is (reasonably) possible, you should actually just aim to hit Gilly. Once you're close, burn to stop, pick a place to land, and fly there. The low gravity and time warp issues (i.e., you can't when you're too close) combine to make any normal approach unnecessarily time-wasteful.

Landing will take a bit longer than on normal worlds, as you will bounce if you come down at over a couple m/s and going that speed is tough because touching the engines can make you fly off into space. But with practice, thrust limiting, and a ship designed to land on Gilly (not just land, but land on GILLY) and you'll be fine.

My last Gilly ship had 6 engines: 2 poodles to get there, 2 48-7ses to come in for a landing, and 2 Ants facing upward to give a little push on landing. I could have done it all with just the poodles, but figured the extra mass was worth saving the pain in the neck igniting a Poodle would bring. As it was, I had to thrust limit the 48-7ses down because they were too touchy.

[Warzouz]

With my general lander, I did it with the RCS and time...