Minmus Circumnavigation

[Dfthu]

So I decided to start doing a Minmus Circumnavigation. This will probably be a big undertaking but that's why I did minmus. I will document the whole jorney on here. I hope you guys like it!

The rover has 4 RCS ports and a big SAS for great control. With 6 wheels the rover can get to speeds of about 26M/s . Has 12 solar panels and 16 fixed ones with 2 RTGS just incase. Here is the download for the rover craft file here

LEG 1 After landing the rover on the flats and realizing that I forgot the Kerbals I built a 3 Kerbal lander and return craft. After the first flag was planted and pictures taken Jeb,Bill and Bob left for a northern circumnavigation! I plant flags every 10km. When I stop to plant a flag all I do is turn on the SAS reaction wheels and slam on the breaks. I do a flip and land with RCS. When I was gong to plant the 3rd flag no one could plant it becuause command seats don't restock flags. So I launch the Claw Pod win RCS engines to claw on the back of the rover. After restocking the flags I put it on and I couldn't move so I unarmed and drove off. After that I was off on to the hills and 3 flags later I flew the Claw pod to the rover to restock the flags. Then I planted the last flag of the first leg, flag 7. I got about 70km done.

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LEG 2 After uneventful first 3 flags I reached the north pole! This means that I'm about 1/4 done. I had to bring the Claw pod to restock the flags. I can get 1 more movement before I need to send more. Lost 1 solar panel when I did a flip to stop but that's why I brought a lot of them.

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LEG 3 I started this leg off with bringing over the Claw Pod but when I was landing I ran out of RCS so I landed on the RCS tanks at about 35m/s. All the tanks exploded then the main tank exploded. After I stopped I left Jeb for a flag, roved over there got the flags cam back for Jeb. Now I will have to bring another Claw pod. After 1 more flag later I didn't see a big drop off and flew for a minute and when I landed I broke 4 wheels. I had to do repair stop and then planted the last flag of this Leg.

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LEG 4 Since the Clawpod ran out of fuel I made a new Probe called Flagstaff, just a little lander with 2 stages. didn't realize that the landing legs are on the decoupling stages, whoops. After launching it (and flipping) I made to orbit and landed it by the rover. Went around a pretty big crater and up a big hill with a flat top. On top of that hill I had to bring the Flagstaff back and I decoupled 1 stage. When leaving the hill I didn't see the edge anf flew off. broke a few wheels but ok. Now im a side of a steep hill. Also HALFWAY!!

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LEG 5 Big process today, had a lot of free time almost to the south pole now. I moved Flagstaff again and 1 flag later I was entering a mountain area. Roved down at 30 m/s , broke a few wheels still fine though. Went in the valley then up the hill and mid way up broke some more wheels , still fine. Then had to bring Flagstaff again. Should be able to last me to the end of the change.. Went to top and kept on roving.

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LEG 6 Moved Flagstaff yet again. So I was close to the south pole and when I got there was a interdimensional rift(rip in ground). It was dark and I was going so fast I ran straight in to exploded in a puff of smoke. F9, slowly moved forward and found it. I F5 and sent Jeb to inspect to inspect it, walked slowly towards it and BOOM gone in smoke. F9ed again almost fell in when leaveing and planted a flag. After that more hills and moving of the flagstaff. 7 flags after there was a big hill I was going down and spun out of control into the air. Broke all wheels on impact and then fixed them. Then up other hill then I stopped for this leg. I may have to send another Flagstaff, maybe. So I'm really close to finishing this!

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LEG 7 Roving down a hill and down a hill, boring. After some flags I moved Flagstaff for the last time. Hate that thing. Then after 1 more flag I moved on the flats! I was so close and then I toke Jeb, Bill and Bob for a picture shoot. I put Jeb, Bill and Bob back in the lander and then took off. Put Apogee at 32,000M on Kerbin and time warped over. Turns out I close to the KSC but I put Apogee to high and I skipped atmosphere. That put me in a sub-orbital orbit. Reentry ne, at landing the Heat shield exploded but still fine. Got Jeb and friends for some photos and a flag. Then I recovered them.

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Edited October 27, 2015 by Dfthu

[eddiew]

So I decided to start doing a Minmus Circumnavigation. This will probably be a big undertaking but that's why I did minmus. I will document the whole jorney on here. I hope you guys like it!

Minmus may actually prove harder than Mun... despite the shorter distance, the low gravity makes it a proper nutache to keep any kind of traction! But I wish you luck!

[Dfthu]

proper nutache to keep any kind of traction!

I can to about 23 M/s on the flats. Gravity is not that much of a problem so far.

[TheCardinal]

Watch out for sudden angle changes in the mountains. A 30 degree upward slope can suddenly change in a 30 - 40 degree downward slope. If your craft has too much speed it will be launched into the ... eerr ... vacuum and drop down hard after a long drop.

[Dfthu]

Watch out for sudden angle changes in the mountains. A 30 degree upward slope can suddenly change in a 30 - 40 degree downward slope. If your craft has too much speed it will be launched into the ... eerr ... vacuum

Thanks, Ill check the map view and avoid big steep craters and hills form now on. Just didn't see the edge that i flew off of.

[damerell]

Minmus may actually prove harder than Mun... despite the shorter distance, the low gravity makes it a proper nutache to keep any kind of traction! But I wish you luck!

I think I disagree. Minmus's locally smooth surface makes it very easy to drive on - in particular, with good use of the flats you can do a great proportion of it with no maneuvering issues at all.