New Horizons with Outer Planets Mod

[Epox75]

Hello all,

I have planned the flight using KSP Trajectory Optimization tool. The relevant mods I've used are Outer Planets Mods, Sigma Pluron/Khato and Binary Systems, Cryo Engines, Procedural parts, Procedural Fairings, Mechjeb. The movie is a bit long, I've included all the maneuvers.

Hope you like it!

Epox

[Motokid600]

That was good. Nice craft. I'm currently doing something similar except I launched my probe on a SaturnV and the SIVB is staying with it all the way to Pluto for an attempt at breaking into orbit.

One question. Why such a steep launch profile?

[Epox75]

Thank you! I usual take off very slow, with a TWR around 1.20/1.30 to reduce the high drag of the lower part of the atmophere. I use a steep trajectory so I can get out of the thicker part of the atmosphere asap. Once in space, I lower the engines and take advantage of Kerbin gravity force to nullify the vertical speed which I have accumulated during the take off. For that I look continuously at the Time to Apoapsis: increasing is bad, decreasing good.

[Sigma88]

wow, I have goosebumps

nice video!

[Epox75]

Wow thanks! I really like your mods, I've made another video about Voyager 2 with your OPM expansion pack

[Motokid600]

Thank you! I usual take off very slow, with a TWR around 1.20/1.30 to reduce the high drag of the lower part of the atmophere. I use a steep trajectory so I can get out of the thicker part of the atmosphere asap. Once in space, I lower the engines and take advantage of Kerbin gravity force to nullify the vertical speed which I have accumulated during the take off. For that I look continuously at the Time to Apoapsis: increasing is bad, decreasing good.

Ey if it works for you by all means. But just so you know your tacking on an additional couple hundred Dv with that launch profile if not more. A twr of 1.20 is average. So you should be starting your turn at around the 500m mark. Not the 15km mark. That's going beyond even what you had to do in the old souposphere.

[Epox75]

Ey if it works for you by all means. But just so you know your tacking on an additional couple hundred Dv with that launch profile if not more. A twr of 1.20 is average. So you should be starting your turn at around the 500m mark. Not the 15km mark. That's going beyond even what you had to do in the old souposphere.

That also depends on the rocket I build. This one, for instance, was flipping on staging when I was trying to turn earlier. I usually start to turn at 10km apoapsis. You have also to consider that I do a direct orbit insertion, without turning the engines off and doing that unrealistic burn at the apoapsis. Anyway the average Dv I use to enter in orbit around kerbin is 4100.

[Motokid600]

That's 700 more then what's required. Small, serial staged rockets can be tricky because they flip on staging on account of them becoming much shorter. Small rockets are actually harder then large ones. I've found some very good solutions.

One being to build taller rockets and take fuel out of the tanks. Two is to simply build larger first stages that carry the second farther out of the atmosphere. Three is my favorite. Don't stage. After the first stage burns out just drift for about ten seconds or so. Then stage and activate engines.

I burn all the way to orbit as well. But I'm almost horizontal by the time you even started your turn in that video. Like I said I don't want to tell you how to play. Do whatever you like, but again there's greener grass to be had with more efficiency.